Monthly Archives: December 2009

The squeeze

NBC will be airing a new reality show set in Cook County prison in which investigators probe innmates for information. A brief glimpse of prison life reminded of my former job as in OBGYN resident. There's a very real sense in which OBGYN, and most other surgical, residents are actually less free than prisoners. I think Cook County innmates have at least as much control over their day to day activities as I used to. Of course, they can't quit prison the way I quit my former residency program. Let's put it to a vote: assuming you would be finnancially set by the end without having to work another day in your life, would you rather spend 5 years in prison or 5 years in a surgical residency?

Empathy

Just writing a few lines as I wait for Windows 7 to download. I do have a new post planned. In the spirit of the holidays, the topic will be empathy and what the concept is completely irrelevant to medicine. I'll have it up by Christmas Eve.