Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site psivax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!sdcrdcf!psivax!friesen From: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) Newsgroups: net.politics.theory Subject: Re: Credentials, State vs. private Message-ID: <743@psivax.UUCP> Date: Sat, 21-Sep-85 11:00:21 EDT Article-I.D.: psivax.743 Posted: Sat Sep 21 11:00:21 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 26-Sep-85 07:11:20 EDT References: <1789@psuvax1.UUCP> <4333@alice.UUCP> Reply-To: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) Organization: Pacesetter Systems Inc., Sylmar, CA Lines: 25 Summary: In article <4333@alice.UUCP> ark@alice.UucP (Andrew Koenig) writes: > >They still are. Regulations or not, half of all doctors are below >the median! There is NOTHING you can ever do to change this! >And regulations that allow physicians to avoid competing with >each other make it easier, not harder, for an incompetent to stay >in business. Of *course* half the doctors are below the median! That is the *definition* of median! What is important is how high the median is, that is how good the worst doctors are. I maintain that the current median is *much* higher than it was before credentially was established. What we call an "incompetent" doctor today would likely half been an above average doctor a century ago. Except in small rural areas where everyone knows everyone else, it is simply too difficult for the individual to evaluate the relative competence of doctors at all adequately. Remember, the current system was established because there was a major problem with *completely* unqualified doctors, not merely underqualified doctors as we have today. -- Sarima (Stanley Friesen) UUCP: {ttidca|ihnp4|sdcrdcf|quad1|nrcvax|bellcore|logico}!psivax!friesen ARPA: ttidca!psivax!friesen@rand-unix.arpa