LETTER
Residency Overwork
Allan Tachauer, MD
15 May 1996 | Volume 124 Issue 10 | Page 933
TO THE EDITOR:
Dr. Green [1] brings a unique and refreshing perspective to a prevalent problem in residency training. There is no argument that long hours and fatigue probably do not promote high ethical standards. What Dr. Green only briefly mentions and what the accompanying editorial [2] does not address is probably as important as fatigue. As a teacher still able to remember his not-so-remote residency, I believe that the more formidable challenge to the virtuous resident is the paucity of role models. We learn by example, and both the good and the bad are equally powerful. A tired resident will respond much better to a gentle word and skilled guidance than to harsh critique and verbal abuse. Now that most residency programs have at least tried to comply with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requirements regarding work hours, it is time to look for more true mentors who are willing and able to guide residents through the art of medicine and to aid the development of a morally impeccable physician.
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Author and Article Information
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Ravenswood Hospital Medical Center; Chicago, IL 60640
1. Green MJ. What (if anything) is wrong with residency overwork? Ann Intern Med. 1995; 123:512-7.
2. Griner PF. Residency overwork and changing paradigms of service [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 1995; 123:547-8.
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