Split Thread Do Doctors cover for each other's misconduct? (Split from "Wakefield")

[Ivor the Engineer]

That rite of passage!

Why are physicians "out on their own"?

Could this be the problem which is maintaining the culture of long hours?

 

[Ivor the Engineer]

I agree with this response. This is how I learned most of my electronics:

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/339/nov05_1/b4260#225201

...

The trainee must now realise that the definition of training has changed. The onus is on the trainee to be flexible and work around the 48 hours limit imposed. The trainee must now possess the following attributes to succeed: knowledge, behaviour, skills and attitude. Within the weekly time constraints: knowledge can be gained at home, from courses and the internet. Behaviour is innate, the trainee must be focused and dedicated. Attitude requires the trainee to be flexible, to stay and watch a case they have never seen before and not clock watch providing it is safe to do so and does not lead to a breech in hours worked per week.

This leaves us with the acquisition of skills. The trainee must realise that regular ‘home work’ practising 20 minutes per day on needle handling, pick up, gaining lightness of touch, posture, address relaxation and precision using basic household items is essential (2). The trainer must also adapt to the constraint and be able to dedicate an hour a week to the trainee in a wetlab using a simulation matrix to assess the trainee. Courses both dry and wet lab must also be attended to fill in the shortfall created by the cull in hours.

48 hours a week therefore does not equate to the only time a surgical trainee has for learning. Gone are the days when a trainee can turn up in theatre and practise on a patient. The use of simulated surgery at home and in a wet lab has enabled trainees in a UK institution (2) to work around this and to prosper from it. Registered trainees who are selected on the basis of knowledge, behaviour, skills and attitude must be paired with registered trainers able to supervise wetlab sessions once a week and record progress. Few trainees are unwilling or unable to learn.

...

IMO, when you enjoy something enough to do and learn about it in your spare time to relax, that's how you become good at it.

 

[paximperium]

That rite of passage!

If define training as a "rite of passage".

You will of course note that Family Medicine practicioners, Dermatologists, psychiatrists and many specialities that do not require long hours to not require this "rite of passage".

 

[blutoski]

Hard to tell what is going on here from that link. Seems he prescribed "supplements" to patients which cost them lots of money. That may have been unecessary or futile, but what was the actual misconduct about?
Should everyone offering patients CAM/spplements/vitamins etc be similarly censured?

It wasn't about that.

He was recommending a course of treatment to patients without even reviewing their charts.

It's unlikely he actually knew that the patients would benefit from the treatments, but recommened them anyway. I don't know the motivation.