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uncleglen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> yes, why on earth would you go into such a

> profession if you did not wish to provide a full

> service.


Richard Rockefeller (fourth generation along from John D.; yes, THAT family), perhaps a decade gone now -- private-aeroplane crash -- was one year ahead of me at medical school. He, like most of us, wanted to provide a full service when he went into our profession. He, unlike most of us, could afford to do so without collecting a salary.


Here's a thought: Maybe the alleged increase in evenings-and-weekend death rates has NOTHING to do with a purported dearth of physicians. Maybe it's that the physicians on duty evenings and weekends lack the wise guidance, available social-hours only, of the elite corps of managers, as thickly layered above the working doctors as is phyllo in spanakopita.


Let's have a trial: Set the managers onto seven-day rotas without additional pay. Will outcomes improve?

Alex K wrote:

> He, like most of

> us, wanted to provide a full service when he went

> into our profession. He, unlike most of us, could

> afford to do so without collecting a salary.


That is a bit of an extreme example, but social mobility as it applies to various professions, has been on my mind through this thread. There are jobs where a long, low-paid "apprenticeship" is required, but the end game, should one succeed, is very, very lucrative. It's not just about money either, some jobs, like pure research, won't ever pay particularly well, but need very bright, highly trained people to do them. Unfortunately, those jobs are no good to young people who need to get paid. No wonder so many of the best technical minds wind up working in the City.

Yes, the City's hours can be brutal (definitely weekends, evenings and far more than 48 hours a week for junior investment bankers) but the potential financial reward is very high. Same for city lawyers.


The entertainment industry is similar. Long period of typically very low pay and struggle but at least is rewarding for the artistically inclined and has the potential (rare as it is) to pay off big one day.


k



miga Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Alex K wrote:

> > He, like most of

> > us, wanted to provide a full service when he

> went

> > into our profession. He, unlike most of us,

> could

> > afford to do so without collecting a salary.

>

> That is a bit of an extreme example, but social

> mobility as it applies to various professions, has

> been on my mind through this thread. There are

> jobs where a long, low-paid "apprenticeship" is

> required, but the end game, should one succeed, is

> very, very lucrative. It's not just about money

> either, some jobs, like pure research, won't ever

> pay particularly well, but need very bright,

> highly trained people to do them. Unfortunately,

> those jobs are no good to young people who need to

> get paid. No wonder so many of the best technical

> minds wind up working in the City.

  • 3 weeks later...

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