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- Feb 25, 2018
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Anyone else think that doctors should have a mandatory retirement age (especially for procedure oriented specialties)? Considering the overwhelming research that suggest that one's fine dexterity and overall cognition decrease dramatically after age 65, it seems surprising that state and federal governments do not have any laws in place to this effect. Other professions that are responsible for peoples' lives have policies in place that require a mandatory retirement by a certain age (i.e. air traffic controllers @ 55), so it seems surprising to me that a surgeon who is pushing 80 is still allowed to practice without restrictions. In my short time in medicine, I've worked with at least a dozen doctors over 70, some of whom seem to have early signs of dementia and frequent lapses in concentration/stamina. Many of them also display a strong resistance to learning how to use electronic medical records properly (even met one attending who refused to own a cellphone) which inevitably decreases efficiency/productivity. Anyone who has been in practice for decades can passively regurgitate what is needed to pass the boards every 10 years, but I feel like this still does not accurately determine whether a elderly physician is competent to practice safely. Not that I don't have anything but respect for senior physicians, but I can definitely see this as becoming a public safety issue that can very easily be overlooked given the overall culture of medicine. Curious to hear what others think on this issue.
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