Divides of identity in medicine and surgery: A review of duty-hour policy preference

Surgery and Medicine are broadly considered as the two fundamental paths that a physician's career can follow. But their convergence under the singular umbrella of doctoring is relatively recent in the context of medical history. Their co-existence within the structure of medical education and the healthcare system suggest that they bear great similarity to each other, when in reality several differences are intuitively recognizable between them. Here, we discuss recent evidence suggesting a discrepancy between these two streams in the work-hour policy preference of trainees. We argue that these differences betray a more radical divide between them, and one which illuminates an essential difference in the self-identification of surgical and non-surgical medical trainees. Additionally, these findings support a novel claim about the importance of uninterrupted relationships on the formation of professional identity among healthcare professionals. We suggest that the principal separation of surgical and non-surgical practice is significant enough to reconsider their dogmatic unification as well as warrant the adoption of unique rules and policies to govern each stream.