The recurring lament

I seem to recall seeing an episode of “Ben Casey” once, that dashing, daring neurosurgeon, where ol’ Ben ranted about the dumb lazy interns in the hospital.

The wise neurologist, wasn’t it “Dr. Zorba”, counseled Ben that he remembered when Ben was an intern he was the same way.

Hasn’t changed in over 40 years.

At least not in Hollywood.

Now on the other hand, there’s this little tidbit in the news:

http://www.wtop.com/index.php?nid=106&sid=230993

Disabled Students Sue Over Med School Exam
Updated: Tuesday, Jul. 20, 2004 – 4:36 PM
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Four learning-disabled students sued the organization that administers the medical school admission test, alleging they were denied extra time to take the exam in violation of California’s disability laws.
The discrimination lawsuit, filed Monday in Alameda County Superior Court, argues that students who have trouble reading can learn to practice medicine if they receive enough time and a distraction-free setting in which to complete the Medical College Admission Test.
“Without accommodations, I really can’t show what abilities I have,” said plaintiff Brendan Pierce, 28.
Pierce and the other students allege that they asked the Association of American Medical Colleges to give them more time to take the MCATs in April but were turned down because the organization said their disabilities were not severe enough to qualify for special treatment.
Retha Sherrod, a spokeswoman for the association, said the group had no comment on the lawsuit but was committed to providing “appropriate accommodations” for disabled applicants taking the test.
Pierce, who has dyslexia and attention deficit disorder, graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2000 with a psychology degree and has completed premedical courses at Mills College. He said he’s always done well in school, having been given extra time on his exams since junior high.
California law defines disability more broadly than the federal Americans With Disabilities Act. The plaintiffs in Monday’s lawsuit are seeking a statewide order requiring accommodations for learning disabled test takers, as well as an injunction that would give the four students extra time to take the next scheduled test Aug. 14.

Ironically the new rule that limits work hours is probbably *costing* lives, rather than saving them (as it was designed to do). Now everyone is covering everyone else (because the resident is forced to go home early). Thus everyone’s running around with sign-out lists and no one really knows the patients. They just put out fires but there is less continuity and lots of stuff falls through the cracks. Of course this inevitable increase in morbidity is under the radar and thus will never be recognized.