> "and would gladly be put out of business"

But someone still has pay their student loans :)

In my experience it is taken as a given that people will continue needing medical care of one sort or another, so doctors at the microlevel don't worry too much about patients getting _too well_. The exception to this would be some corners of medical care with a lot of discretionary spending like cosmetic surgery, dentistry, etc. and even there a doctor doing work which doesn't need to be done is not looked upon favorably.

Given that there is no magic cure everything potion, I highly doubt doctors will ever have an issue with a lack of patients. This is especially true if you consider population growth.

> I've never met a doctor who wants people to be sick.

i don't think this is meant in an interpersonal, malicious sense.

What other sense is there to take it?

one might be that people are not fond of obsolescence and would prefer to keep putting food on the table.

Which in this case would mean keeping people sick. What's the difference?

does intent ever matter when evaluating a circumstance?