U.S. homework outsourced as "e-tutoring" grows

[englishstudent]

On Yahoo news:

U.S. homework outsourced as "e-tutoring" grows
http://tinyurl.com/h4db2

[Tdol]

Another use of the internet that must have come as a surprise to many, but one that shows what a leveller it is worldwide, at least in allowing the elites in many places access to wealthy markets.

[englishstudent]

I agree. It is definitely a great leveller.
As an aside, it is kind of ironic though that non-native speakers are
tutoring native kids in English, because if these same people (tutors)
were to take admission in a US university, they would have to first
clear the TOEFL, because English is not considered their first language,
yet here they are tutoring school kids who will
perhaps use what they are now learning as a foundation
to one day clear the SATs.
Another controversial area that the Internet has opened up is the
outsourcing of medical diagnostics (diagnosis?). Doctors who
have not the cleared the USMLE (was ECFMG) are diagnosing
or helping diagnose patients based on their radiology reports.
If the same doctors were physically present in the US, they would
not be able to do it, but just because they are based off-shore,
they don't seem to be subject to the same law.

[Tdol]

Mind you, many of them will be native speakers, but there will undoubtedly be problems. Medical issues are an important area, though. I recently went to see a dentist in Bangkok on my way back to the UK. A Japanese friend recommended the place and when I went in, I was the only non-Japanese client. All the Thai staff spoke Japanese, there were Japanese magazines to read, etc, but the prices were defintely not Japanese. Medical tourism and diagnoses via the net are going to be a huge growth area, with good and bad sides.