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After AC gave her own account of the new house officers, I shared my own story on the lunch table.

"You know, I was seeing a consultation in the gynecology ward this morning, and the conversation I overheard between their on-call medical officer and the labour ward nurse really amazed me." I said.

"What's that all about?" The others asked.

"The poor doctor told the nurse that the on-call house officer does not know how to do stitches, and, if there is any, the nurses need to call the medical officer." I explained, "Remind you, it is almost a week after the new shift of houseman began!"

"How could that happen?" LS said, "But I don't think the medical officer was doing a right job either. She should teach the houseman on how to do the stitches, rather than doing it all by herself."

"Quite right," I nodded, "Nonetheless it illustrates the problem over the other side of the coin - the houseman obviously does not think that acquiring that skill of doing stitches is an essential part of his job, and he certainly holds the idea that if he does not know how to do something, you guys should find someone else to do it, rather than he has to learn how."