I would probably comparing a pilot's license to something like getting an
EMT certification. A doctor I know once told me that the way he looked at
medicine was that no single thing in it was all that difficult, but in order
to be a physician you needed to know thousands upon thousands of specific
things and how they all fit together. An EMT may not have a HS diploma but
knows a handful of things to try to keep you alive for the 30 minutes it
takes to get you to the hospital. The MD equivalent for aviation might be an
ATP/A&P who once worked as an air traffic controller and has an aerospace
engineering degree.

that's probably the best comparison in my view. Thanks.

I do however think there are some similarities, in that both medicine and
aviation are the practice of both art and science... Another similarity is that both are
"high consequence" activities that are potentially very intolerant of small
errors. On the other hand, when a doctor screws up, he usually doesn't get
killed along with the patient.

exactly and this was a big point that I was trying to make to this MD.
He just thought of flying like jumping into the car and going for a spin
but it takes quite a bit more to do it competently, proficiently and safely.

I've had the pleasure of knowing a couple very distinguished physicians, and
they are among the most humble and self-effacing people I know, far more so
than a lot of corporate VPs, lawyers, and real estate agents who have no
remote right to their arrogance.

You don't deal with many neurosurgeons. The word ego is defined by them.
....not all, but 98% of them. They are probably the F22 and F116
drivers of our bunch. ;-)


Gerald