Why are surgeons paid more than brick layers?

[Ms. Toad]

52. Got some facts wrong there.

Unfortunately, our family has had way too much contact with surgeons. I can assure you that they do not generally work fewer than 5 days a week, with reasonable hours.

As an example - I've had three surgeries in the past two years (same surgeon). We communicate primarily be e-mail - enough that I know his work pattern. On office days (M, W, F), he is in his office answering e-mail by 7 AM, and finishes between 7 PM and 9 PM. On surgery days (T, Th), same start time but often an earlier stop time (~5 PM).

He has never taken longer than 24 hours to respond to me on a medical issue - including weekends - unless he has been out of the country (then, I still get a response - but perhaps 36 hours later).

My daughter (with serious liver and GI conditions) was recently out of the country and experienced a potential medical crisis. She e-mailed her three docs (two of whom are surgeons) on a Sunday morning around 5 AM. By noon on Sunday, two of the docs had responded. By bedtime on a Sunday I had had a telephone conversation with one of them. By 9 AM on Monday the third had weighed in.

None of these docs received any direct compensation for the phone calls or e-mail with me. My surgeon averaged 1 item of correspondence a week for more than a year; my daughter's surgeons are newer to the game with our family, but in the 3 months to 1 year they have treated her, each has already engaged with her in more than one uncompensated interaction.

Anecdotal - yes, but typical of the surgeons with whom I have dealt. They work, or are on call, on average more than 5 days a week - closer to 7, and their hours are not reasonable for having a life outside of medicine.

They are expensive, but at least the ones I've been involved with are worth it - and the hours they work brings their hourly rate down to lower than you might expect.