Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Why Medical Students Stay Up During Call

Med Student: Dr. Bausch, I've got several hours more work to do tonight, and you don't. How come you're always going to sleep, and I'm always staying awake?

Roy Bausch: Simple. You're a mathemetician, right? Now, I get paid a fixed salary by the BMS, no matter how many hours I'm awake. You pay a fixed tuition to BMS, no matter how many hours you're awake. Therefore, the more I sleep, the more I earn per waking hour, and the more you stay awake, the less you pay per waking hour. Got it?

~House of God by Samuel Shem, MD