Stressed, overworked residents risk patients’ safety
By Delores Lutz
■ The Minnesota Daily
U. of Minnesota, Twin Cities
The young doctor was tired, hut the
patient had to be examined.
So the physician put his stethoscope to
the patient’s abdomen. While listening
for telltale sounds, the doctor fell asleep
right there on the patient's belly.
The patient had to wake him up
This story circulating in the U. of
Minnesota Medical School illustrates a
growing controversy in the nation’s
teaching hospitals.
Across the country, professionals
debate the pending revolution in residen
cy programs — the postgraduate medical
education that turns doctors into special
ists.
The stress of 16-hour work days and
120-hour work weeks must end, reform
ers sav. The “macho" custom of depriving
young doctors of sleep and food — even
bathroom breaks — is out of date.
“It's the John Wayne mentality of res
ident training — the idea that the man
who can hold his urine longest is the
liest," said Laurel Ferris, a consultant
who teaches the doctors of the American
Medical Association how to deal with
stress.
UH. DOC?...
DOC?!
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ALAN GIBSON. THE DAILY FORTY-NINER CALIFORNIA STATE U . LONG BEACH
Kelormers are led by the New York
state government, which passed regula
tions that took effect .July 1 limiting res
idents to 12 consecutive hours on duty in
emergency rooms and 24 consecutive
hours on call in other departments.
Those residents also will lx- restricted to
an 80-hour work week.
The changes not only will cut down on
stress among residents, advocates say.
The rules also will benefit patients with
higher quality care
National experts at a forum at the U.
of Minnesota recommended that medical
students help speed reforms by p-fusing
to apply to the most demanding n -iden
cy programs.
The reform movement began it 1984
when circumstances surrounding the
death of Libby Zion, an 18-year-old
patient at a prestigious New York hospi
tal, were brought before a grand jury.
The grand jury concluded that fatigue
forced Zion’s four young doctors to make
errors in judgment and decided to indict
the system instead of the residents
The state health commissioner then
initiated an investigation that brought
about the reforms the New York health
department has adopted.
In some states, such as California and
Massachusetts, legislators are consider
ing bills that would force residency pro
grams to change.
The subsequent hearings have
shocked the public, according to Dr. - Janet
Freedman, an attending physician at
Bellevue Hospital in New York
Doctors have calmly told stories about
surgeons who fell asleep standing :;p in
the operating room and about d‘ -tors
who have stabbed themselves ac den
tally with needles.
“People were horrified to learn v. at is
going on in teaching hospitals. tid
Freedman.
In Brief
Juggling fun and classes Students
at Humboldt State U. don't have to run
away to join the circus Students can
take a half-semester circus arts class
and learn to juggle, tumble, walk the
tightrope and ride a unicycle. "It's
playing for units,” said theater arts
major Kevin Lingener. “It’ssomething
most people have always wanted to
do.” Bob Morse, who teaches the class,
said this specialized physical theater
helps performers because it takes
extreme coordination and concentra
tion. Students in the class said they
like to entertain friends with their
newly devleped skills and also like to
tench them to others. "It’s fun to teach,
fun to learn and fun to watch,”
Lingener said. ■ Melissa Jauregui,
The Lumberjack, Humboldt State U
Students protest optional prof evaluations
By Michelle M. Perez
■ The Miami Hurricane
U. of Miami
The U. of Miami Student Government
was outraged by a Faculty Senate deci
sion to give faculty members the option of
not having their evaluations published,
but the university president promised
students he would veto the proposal.
“Through our advertisements, through
coverage in the Hurricane and through
our actions in SG, the student body is
going to be made aware of this problem,
and I hope we can muster their support,
because it's something we all feel very
strongly about," Student Government
President Freddie Stebbins said.
A month after the Faculty Senate deci
sion, U of Miami President Edward T.
Foote said he would veto the proposal. “I
think we need to go back to the drawing
board and come up with a solution that
takes into account the various interests
involved and benefits both faculty and
students.”
The Student Government had passed
proposals calling for mandatory, pub
lished evaluations with the option for stu
dent government to publish its own eval
uations if the university did not comply.
In February, the senate allowed for the
release of the results, but also permitted
professors to opt out of both being evalu
ated and having the results published.
George Alexandrakis, chairperson of
the Faculty Senate, said the measure is
primarily aimed at new faculty members
who may be hesitant about being evalu
ated.
Alexandrakis called the vo m
improvement because professor
can be evaluated without having to rrv
alxiut the results being published
In any case, he said, faculty members
have always had the option of not 1 ing
evaluated.
The only exceptions made to the
dent government’s proposals would!
professors who had taught at
University less than three seme
Evaluations of such professors cou!
withheld by the Faculty Senate, the
islation maintained.
The issue began a year ago when
Faculty Senate decided the release of
ulty evaluation results was unneces.
■ Cindy Corzo, Amy Ellis and
Leinwand, The Miami Hurricane, l
Miami contributed to this story
Student gambler tells story of debt,
bookie tells story of easy money
By Kenny DeBenedictis
■ The Observer
Northern Essex Community College
It’s college football time The road to
the bowl games. It’s time for spectacular
half-time shows and Keith Jackson.
It’s also a peak sports gambling season,
a time when some people — including
students — see visions of dollar signs
dancing in their heads.
■■People just don’t realize the number
of students who are involved It’s a big
business.” said Ben, a Northern Essex
Community College student who wished
to remain anonymous.
Ben gambled heavily during last year’s
football season Everything went
smoothly for him until New Year’s Day.
Ben placed bets on all eight college bowl
games played that day and lost them all.
“I remember being at a friend's house
and feeling really nauseated while star
ing at the TV screen in disbelief. 1 was
$360 in debt with only $11.50 to my
name, no job and a week to come up with
the money. I now cal! it 'Black Monday.™
Tb earn money to pay ofThis debt, Ben
was forced to have a house party and
charge admission.
One local bookmaker doesn’t see the
harm in gambling. “I don’t think it is a
problem because people have been gam
bling for generations. It’s sort of an
American tradition." he said.
According to the bookmaker, who was
interviewed during the NCAA basketball
tournament this past spring, the number
of clients in the area is glowing, and the
majority of them are college students.“I
booked action for a lot of gamblers from a
certain high school. Now they are college
students with many friends,” he said.
“And just because they bet doesn't
always mean they lose.” he said. “A sig
nificant number of them win. It’s a real
easy way to make money." But soon after
New Year’s Day, Ben quit gambling. “I
still have the urge, but I know the price
I might have to pay if I lose."
Tutors
Continued from page 1
on the subject the volunteer prefers to tutor
For example, a volunteer can help a stu
dent learn to read, or to understand alge
bra Tutored inmates range in age from 17
to 57. Tb qualify for tile program, inmates
can't be accused of a violent crime,
must have bail set no higher than $75.1M
Cosey said.
Speech senior Doyt Conn, who has be<
a tutor since his sophomore year said
lets me step out of this isolated envin
ment we're so used to at Northwestern. 1
too bad more NU students don't go dow
there."
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