From 2007 to 2012, I was a resident in general surgery at NYU, and I worked a lot. Like, on the order of 80 hours per week. And I was proud of it! I was proud of my work but I was also proud of just the sheer quantity of work I did. My coworkers felt the same! In fact, physicians-in-training were named “residents” in honor of extreme work schedules. We virtually lived in the hospital, working busily from long before sunrise until after sunset.

walking uphill to work … both ways … in the snow … after working 36 hours straight

Such long work hours are ingrained in our culture. And it’s tradition for physicians from older generations to assert that the doctors of newer generations “have it easy.” Residents from every era of medicine have heard, “when I was in training” stories from more senior staff members. These stories often include some snarky comment about walking uphill to work … both ways … in the snow … after working 36 hours straight. This intergenerational jeering can also be...