Pamela: Physicians training for a medical specialty serve as resident staff physicians in hospitals. They work such l...

Victoria on April 26, 2021

Hi @AllisonJ,

Happy to help!

Quincy notes that thousands of practicing physicians have been trained according to the same regimen which requires them to work such long hours and that records show that the generally made good medical decisions during their training periods. Therefore, Quincy argues that the training regimen that has worked in the past should not be changed now.

We are looking for the answer choice which presents the most effective counter-argument that Pamela could use to refute Quincy's argument.

Answer choice (A) is incorrect because it tells us that the responsibilities of physicians in training have not changed substantially over the past few decades. This suggests that, as responsibilities have remained the same, the training regimen should also remain the same.

Answer choice (C) is incorrect because it supports Quincy's argument. If patients require continuity of physician care over the first 24 hours, then physicians need to work long hours to ensure they can provide this continuity.

Answer choice (D) is incorrect because it is irrelevant. We do not know what specialties Pamela and Quincy are referring to.

Answer choice (E) is incorrect for the same reasons as (C).

Finally, answer choice (B) is correct because it weakens Quincy's argument. Answer choice (B) tells us that patients today are generally more seriously ill than patients in the past. This means that physicians' decision-making capabilities are now more important than ever as the stakes are higher. This suggests that physicians should work shorter hours to ensure that they are able to make proper decisions in more dire situations.

Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any further questions.

AllisonJ on May 28, 2021

Thank you this does