A new balance sheet for doctors

Doctors in training effectively live at the hospital (hence the term "resident"). After the emotional and physical toll of overnight duty, emergency calls or lengthy surgeries, weary residents find little to support their health and performance. Hospital cafeterias sell greasy foods, sodas and candy scarfed by sleep-deprived residents to allay mounting stress. At the county hospital in San Jose, where I worked last summer, we updated patient records on computers in cramped, dusty, sun-starved rooms. On-site fitness facilities at such hospitals, if they exist, are often inaccessible or insufficient.

Quiet contemplation centers to escape the fluorescent lights, incessant paging and the stale smell of sickness? In our dreams. The rooms where residents nap during overnight shifts look and feel like jail cells. After 14 hours plus on call, I would drive home with the windows down and music blasting to stay awake.

Meanwhile, classmates from business school rode on cushy commuter buses to their internships at tech companies that served free gourmet meals. They had ergonomic work stations and top-of-the-line gyms. Those at the Googleplex enjoyed massages. When deadlines approached, they could take advantage of on-site oil changes, or laundry and dry cleaning. Friends at Facebook commented on the benefits of standing desks, on-site barbers and a bike repair shop. Even those at smaller companies, such as Airbnb and Square, raved about the free organic snacks, yoga classes and Uber rides after late nights at the office.