Saturday, July 01, 2006

The July phenomenon

As the first day of the new academic year for residency programs draws to a close it’s appropriate to reflect on the July phenomenon. There’s an urban legend that patients check into academic medical center hospitals during the month of July only at their peril. That’s when a new crop of interns, green and fresh out of med school, takes over. But is the notion evidence based? Not according to this paper in SGIM (via Medscape).

Maybe there was something to the idea decades ago. Nowadays house staff are better supervised.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

There is Definitely some REAL truth in that Statement. What is the Story of Interns having to listen to everything the Professors have to Say and Do NOT Touch a Patient. We believe the Urban Legend to Be Pretty Accurate.
Dr and Mrs Richard W. Springstead
Trisha Springstead RN