Why are sportsmen/women paid millions when doctors, nurses etc not paid as much for a more important job ?

I agree with some of the previous posters who said that people are not willing to pay ridiculous amounts for health care is one of the reasons that doctors and nurses do not get multimillion salaries. It is also a good point that there are many more people involved in health care than there are in athletics, so there is not as much money to go around. If you think about any one person in the hospital and all of the people who must be involved in their care (primary doctors, specialists, nurses, nurse aides, lab techs, x ray techs, dietary support, secretaries, etc.), you can see how the money just isn't there to pay huge salaries.

That being said, I have a huge problem with the person who said that nurses just do "as they are told". If this was the case, any person could walk into a hospital off the street, declare their desire to be a nurse, and be hired on the spot to do what they are told. Nurses have an ethical and a legal obligation to NOT just do what the physician orders, and must always act to protect the best interests of the patient. If a nurse carries out an order that is unsafe/unethical, he or she is just as liable as the physician who wrote the order.

I would also like to add that most physicians do not live an affluent lifestyle. They are often called in the middle of the night to deal with critical situations. How would you like to be called at 3 am to make a decision that is a matter of life and death after you have already put in a 16+ hour day? Sure, they make decent salaries, but it is for a job that requires 24/7 committment. It's not like they can go home at the end of the day and just forget about work.

Entertainers in general are paid a seemingly ridiculous amount of money. I guess its supply and demand. We are willing to pay 50 dollars or more to see a sporting event, so the players get more money. We are also, as fans, willing to sit through a plethora of mindless beer commercials during these games.

Because people pay to see them perform (like actors, singers, etc.), and they buy the products those athletes endorse.

Sure it's not fair, but it's the way the world works. When you consider how few of them there are relative to the doctors, nurses, teachers, firemen, and others who have "noble" professions, you may not feel so bad about it.

because a lot of people and media are ready to pay whatever amount of money just to watch them

Because everyone will voluntarily pay to be entertained - but they don't want to pay a dime to get well.

Noone ever wants to go to the doctor - it's just not fun...so it grates on people to have to pay for it.

And, also, no one (except pharmaceutical companies) will pay a doctor or nurse a million to endorse their product - unless it's that creepy Dr. Jarvic - that guy gives me the willies big time. super creepy and ugly as sin, too...

In the case of the doctors have you ever considered that half the time they are treating illnesses which are caused by wrong lifestyle habits. As the guardians of the public health why are they not demanding congressional hearings to protest the artificial, processed food that is served to an unwitting public. Could it be that this would jeopardize their affluent life style by cutting down on illnesses and therefore income. Nurses are somewhat different as they just do as they are told.

GOOD QUESTION!!!!

Amen to that, and thank you for asking!

Oh - to answer ALR - here's why I'm not spending my time testifying to congress regarding people who are negatively influencing their own health care - because I don't have time, nor do I make enough money to use my minimal free time to do that!! My lifestyle is in NO WAY affluent - and never will be. You clearly have no knowledge or respect for the jobs that physicians and nurses do and have no business answering questions like this without an appropriate knowledge base.