RE: Hackers and Painters and Lawyers and Docs

[Shriram Krishnamurthi <address@hidden>]

Brent Fulgham wrote:

> We now require truck drivers to get a certain amount of sleep in a
> particular period of time, and yet we are perfectly happy with interns
> working round-the-clock in our emergency rooms.  I've heard that studies
> show that such Doctors do not make more mistakes than well-rested
> ones, but if that's true why is there a discrepency for truck drivers.

Maybe because doctors (interns) work in semi-supervised environments:
nurses hover around, family members show up, and often the patients
are sentient.  Truck drivers are solely in control (even if there's
another person in the cab, it's pretty hard to jump over and take
control of a rig careening down the wrong side of the road at 70mph
(um, 112kmph)).

> I know that I make far more bugs after working for 12 or more hours,

Another argument for semi-supervision, aka, XP.  (Tongue in cheek.)

Shriram

PS: A cynic might ask who commissioned the doctors' study.  After all,
    it would appear the current economic model of hospitals in part
    depends on their continued abuse (literally speaking) of interns.