How Much Does a Doctor Know?

By the time a doctor leaves school s/he must know enough to recognize and start treating anything that walks through their door.

The above picture is a list of books covering five years of study in one general practice program. Much of the text is fine print and the detail too compact to speed read. The books above stretch over half a meter!

What is not shown is the hours of practical skills a doctor must also pick up at the bed side. This includes practical things such as setting up drips and recognition of disease states.

In terms of time, a doctor spends about five consecutive years of his or her life in intensive study to know enough practice. That's roughly 1825 days or 43,800 hours! And to become a specialist takes another 4 to 5 years.

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