Originally Posted by
sweeper20
No doubt thats true, but try to explain that to the one patient that has died and his family...I'm sure they don't really care how many others he/she saved. Thats kind of a silly comparison if you are the one killed.
From purely the large scale fatality prevention point of view, it is not so silly.
Besides, lack of regulation on duty hours for surgeons does not mean it is prudent to work excessive hours, particularly if it is done repeatedly.
Besides, you could look at it this way - should pilots be expected to work the hours surgeons do, just because surgeons can? I don't think that would be a good idea, personally. If surgeons are killing someone through fatigue, and it is a widespread problem (as opposed to a very isolated case), then their working hours regulations need to be reviewed.