Professional: Hands Off...

So lately I've been continually impressed at how people in position of power over the training of physicians fail to realize who they're dealing with. Most doctors (especially pediatricians and psychiatrists) will, when left to their own machinations, do good when it comes to patient care. Sure, you'll have your idiots but that in any field that you go to.

I refer to the micromanagement of TPTB ("The Powers That Be") who run my program. The involvement in normal residency life is not only a waste of their time but an imposition of ours. For instance, when two residents would like to switch a call of their own volition, I don't see why anyone should object unless the residents were knowingly going to cause a problem (i.e. they would be on call too soon or not have enough time off between their slave shifts.) But those problems are easily solved by the residents and chief taking a look and approving.

But not here. Nope, the directors and chiefs, and janitors and secretaries, and ice cream man down the street all seem to have varying levels of input which only serves to frustrate the already overworked and underpaid/preciated resident and make them hate their life all the more.

Paternalism is alive and strong in the world of "Graduate Medical Education" and the system seems to breed those administrators who, as residents, couldn't grasp the idea of being one's own person with rights and responsibilities.

Allowing the peons to be innovative with their craft is a learning pearl I found a looooong time ago. Investing in "your people" will work almost every time (provided you give them some guidance.) Apparently I'm the only one on that turnip truck...