Quality first, not quantity

Recent media focus on the number of housemen and the attitudes of some of them raises questions about the quality of medical education, and by extension, the quality of healthcare patients will be receiving in the future.

ONE of the basic principles taught to all medical undergraduate and postgraduate students is Primum non cere, ie, first do no harm. It is a reminder to doctors to always consider that an intervention can lead to harm to the patient, however well intentioned it may be.