IFR ticket vs. professional training (MD, PhD...)

There's no question in my mind that it requires an inordinate amount of
discipline, training, wisdom, and talent to become a doctor, let alone a
good one. It can barely be compared to what it takes to become a pilot.

another fallacy is that all doctors are good because they have had all
this training. Doctors are just like lawyers, pilots and Indian Chiefs.
10% are great, 30% are good, 40% are not good and 10% are horrible.
I might be optimistic side if you asked a doctor. From my undergrad
department where about 55 out of 70 went to med school (13 others
to gradual school sic), most I'd avoid like the plague.

I've literally witnessed 2 rad onc's almost get into a fist fight
when contouring a tumor with each drawing entire different volumes.
I've also witnessed a major hospital failing to pre-plan a patient
and realizing the patient had tons of tumors. I literally counted
17 obvious tumors with a quick glance at the MR images. When the
rad onc was told this, they said "well lets treat some of them."
Both of these were at major hospitals. I guess the take home message
is, be carefuly who you get in a plane with and be careful who
you choose as your doctor. Some of the best aren't flying 744's and
some aren't at the biggest of hospitals.

ok, enough of this thread. I got what I wanted. Thanks everyone.

Gerald

G. Sylvester wrote:
Look at it this way.
PPL Ground school: one term, one class. Practical experience to get
ready to test: about the equivalent in
hours of one class, one term.
Instrument rating: An additional class one term for flight and one
class for books.


Another point I forgot to make originally was that most classes you
take during undergraduate and even graduate programs have no value
to your final profession. I took 7 semesters of math above calculus.
When was the last time I took a derivative? Ummm, a long time ago.
I use the concept but I certainly didn't need 7 semesters of math.
So with PPL and so far with the IFR, 95% of everything you learn is
practical and therefore the training is a lot more efficient.

Yes, don't confuse education with training. A college degree is
intended to educate you, not train you. Pilot training is definitely
training.


Matt

In article ,
Matt Whiting wrote:

G. Sylvester wrote:
Look at it this way.
PPL Ground school: one term, one class. Practical experience to get
ready to test: about the equivalent in
hours of one class, one term.
Instrument rating: An additional class one term for flight and one
class for books.


Another point I forgot to make originally was that most classes you
take during undergraduate and even graduate programs have no value
to your final profession. I took 7 semesters of math above calculus.
When was the last time I took a derivative? Ummm, a long time ago.
I use the concept but I certainly didn't need 7 semesters of math.
So with PPL and so far with the IFR, 95% of everything you learn is
practical and therefore the training is a lot more efficient.

Yes, don't confuse education with training. A college degree is
intended to educate you, not train you. Pilot training is definitely
training.


Matt

Absolutely. Most of my college professors were pleased when you refused
to accept something and insisted on digging deeper (even if that meant
forcing them to defend their claim). Most flight instructors I've known
get ****ed if you question their authority. Could be because most of
them learned by rote the stuff that they're teaching and couldn't defend
it if they tried.

The most important thing to learn is how to learn. Once you know how to
apply your brain and find the appropriate reference material, you can
teach yourself anything.

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 13:12:50 -0500, Roy Smith wrote:

Most flight instructors I've known
get ****ed if you question their authority. Could be because most of
them learned by rote the stuff that they're teaching and couldn't defend
it if they tried.


Most likely.

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 17:29:43 GMT, "G. Sylvester"
wrote:

another fallacy is that all doctors are good because they have had all
this training. Doctors are just like lawyers, pilots and Indian Chiefs.
10% are great, 30% are good, 40% are not good and 10% are horrible.
I might be optimistic side if you asked a doctor. From my undergrad
department where about 55 out of 70 went to med school (13 others
to gradual school sic), most I'd avoid like the plague.


Like the old joke goes -

What do they call the guy who graduated last in medical school?

Ans: "Doctor"

Incidentally, the same goes for pilots.

Some of the young guys I've seen who have gone on to be commuter
pilots are not guys whose flying judgment I feel I would like to bet
my life on.

G. Sylvester wrote:

There's no question in my mind that it requires an inordinate amount
of discipline, training, wisdom, and talent to become a doctor, let
alone a good one. It can barely be compared to what it takes to become
a pilot.


another fallacy is that all doctors are good because they have had all
this training. Doctors are just like lawyers, pilots and Indian Chiefs.
10% are great, 30% are good, 40% are not good and 10% are horrible.
I might be optimistic side if you asked a doctor. From my undergrad
department where about 55 out of 70 went to med school (13 others
to gradual school sic), most I'd avoid like the plague.

And the really scary part is that many (most?) medical schools grade on
a pass/fail basis so it is hard to tell the good from the bad until
they've placed a number of corpses in the morgue. My wife formerly
worked for the pathology department of a local hospital and the stories
she can tell are scary.


Matt

Most flight instructors I've known
get ****ed if you question their authority. Could be because most of
them learned by rote the stuff that they're teaching and couldn't defend
it if they tried.
Most likely.

hehehe. I'm extremely demanding of myself (PTS is nothing, I'll be
satisfied when I can fly an ILS down to minimums in turbulence when that
fan up front ain't working, ie when all hell breaks loose). I also
drill the hell out of my CFII with questions. Fortunately, he
appreciates a demanding a student as he said most students don't think
about flying and don't ask many questions. Makes me wonder if people
really take off in 200 foot ceilings, no approach into the departure
airport and one day short of being out of currency.

Gerald

Standard medical quip: In any given medical school class, the top third
will make the best researchers; the middle third will make the best
teachers; the bottom third will make the most money. Fits my
observations pretty closely.

David

wrote:

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 17:29:43 GMT, "G. Sylvester"
wrote:


another fallacy is that all doctors are good because they have had all
this training. Doctors are just like lawyers, pilots and Indian Chiefs.
10% are great, 30% are good, 40% are not good and 10% are horrible.
I might be optimistic side if you asked a doctor. From my undergrad
department where about 55 out of 70 went to med school (13 others
to gradual school sic), most I'd avoid like the plague.



Like the old joke goes -

What do they call the guy who graduated last in medical school?

Ans: "Doctor"

Incidentally, the same goes for pilots.

Some of the young guys I've seen who have gone on to be commuter
pilots are not guys whose flying judgment I feel I would like to bet
my life on.

In article ,
David Kazdan wrote:

Standard medical quip: In any given medical school class, the top third
will make the best researchers; the middle third will make the best
teachers; the bottom third will make the most money. Fits my
observations pretty closely.

I was once at a party and found myself talking to a medical student. He
was going on about how most students don't keep up with current changes
in the field. At first I thought he was talking about reading journals,
going to seminars, and such, but then he said something like, "For
example, I've figured out that sports medicine is where the big money is
going to be in the next few years".

Roy Smith wrote:

In article ,
David Kazdan wrote:


Standard medical quip: In any given medical school class, the top third
will make the best researchers; the middle third will make the best
teachers; the bottom third will make the most money. Fits my
observations pretty closely.


I was once at a party and found myself talking to a medical student. He
was going on about how most students don't keep up with current changes
in the field. At first I thought he was talking about reading journals,
going to seminars, and such, but then he said something like, "For
example, I've figured out that sports medicine is where the big money is
going to be in the next few years".

Yes, the biggest change is that it is all about the money now rather
than making people well.


Matt