Medical residents have been overworked for years and will continue to be so. They are burdened with routine matters that attending physicians feel are below their dignity. Until physicians give their time to resident education, advisory relationships will continue. As usual, it is the patients who suffer.

I enjoyed my rotating internship and years as an internal medicine resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Some attending physicians introduced the residents as their associates. Others treated us as serfs or slaves, rarely introduced us, and often referred to us as "my intern," "my resident," or "my man (or woman)," the person "who will do things for you when I am not here."

Things have changed. The rotating internship no longer exists. Role model teachers are rapidly disappearing. Residents are selected before graduation. Careful medical histories are passe. Medical records are templates. "Caring for the patient" [1] is often mishandled, and "caring about the patient" [1] is rarely mentioned.

Drs. Green [2] and Griner [3] agree that "the chief problem with resident overwork is that it interferes with the development of physicians as professionals" [2]. Both continue to justify their agreement.

I have been a personal physician involved in clinical teaching for more than 50 years. During this time, "breakthrough thinking" ideas have been tried. All have failed. More of us need to spend time as role-model physicians who are patient advocates. Teaching by example, not precept, should be returned to the curriculum.