Wednesday, March 9, 2011

You Know You're in a Scary Profession When...

...It's 10:30 at night and a mid-level associate asks you if you're planning to stay late.

(Caveat: I'm not complaining. I found this exchange sadly amusing, but I like the work, the firm, and the people I work with, and I thank G-d that I am blessed to have a job.)

6 comments:

Eliezer Eisenberg said...

Why, I wonder, did the legal profession in the US turn out this way, that associates are expected to work so absurdly hard? I understand that the partners are buying the time wholesale and selling it retail. But goodness, even medical interns don't work the kind of hours expected from new hires at the big firms.

DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي) said...

Not sure. Although I thought I heard medical residents have to work like 36 hour shifts. That's defintely worse than biglaw.

But on a derech hateva level, it could also be because of the glut of attorneys. Supply and demand. That can get more out of people because there are dozens of qualified applicants for each position.

Anonymous said...

Starting next year, medical interns will be limited to 16 hour shifts and no more than 80 hours per week...

DixieYid (يهودي جنوبي) said...

Although 80 hours per week and working 18 hours straight is still a long time, that defintely makes a lot of sense. They have to make decisions and carry out treatments for people. I definitely wouldn't want someone totally overtired doing all of that. Scary thought.

Anonymous said...

On Pesach we went out of Mitzrayim-it seems that you are stuck there. Just at the beginning of your slavery. It is a positive mitzvah to live in the Land of Israel. All you need is the emunah to believe that you can make that jump.

Anonymous said...

with 16 hours shifts, there will be more "tranfer" of patients to other interns.. menaing the complete knowledge of the patient, problems, and etc. will be switched to new people more often.