In California, physicians are required to put in 50 hours of continuing education every two years (http://www.medbd.ca.gov/licensee/continuing_education_option...). Let's call that 25 hours/year. That's something you can accomplish by going to seminars.
By contrast, a software developer who codes recreationally for 5 hours a week, 50 weeks out of the year, is spending 250 hours per year coding outside of work. That's 10 times as much "continuing education" as the physician. If 10 hours per week, that's 20 times as much as the physician.
Of course, a good doctor probably reads medical journals in addition. But a good developer reads blogs, websites, SO, HN, etc. as well.
So does a software developer really need to spend 10-20x as much time as the physician in continuing education in order to be considered "good"? Why?
To look at this another way, a developer who wants to structure their life to match a good, passionate physician, would probably:
- Work 45-55 hours per week (and be on call for occasional emergencies)
- In the evening/weekend, spend some time reading blogs, journals, books on programming languages and software development, etc.
- Go to one week-long conference per year (e.g. WWDC)
And that's it. No github account. No contributing to open source.
Yet there are apparently a great many people on HN who would not consider the above developer to be good, who would not hire such a person, and would question their devotion to the profession.
But does a developer really need to spend 10x the time a physician does in continuing education in order to be considered good?
A physician is not generally creating new stuff, just using stuff that is created by someone else. Programmers create, and creation requires a much deeper understanding of a subject than just using.
I find your comment profoundly unappreciative of the skills needed for a good physician. I really hope you never get treated by an idiot with equivalent expertise to the one expressed here.
Doctors do not blindly apply "stuff that is created by someone else". For the most part, they use known techniques within the context of each individual patient and each individual ailment. The techniques are mere tools, used to diagnose and treat cases. Some cases are routine, but some others are really challenging.
Programmers, not surprisingly, use known techniques writing the context of each individual project and each individual requirement. The techniques are mere tools, used to design and implement projects. Some projects are boring, but some others are really challenging.
A minority of physicians or programmers develop a career in research, where they push the limits of their respective professions. But most people end up working on operative, day to day, jobs. And the skills are not transferable. Excellent researchers do not necessarily make excellent practitioners, and viceversa.
By contrast, a software developer who codes recreationally for 5 hours a week, 50 weeks out of the year, is spending 250 hours per year coding outside of work. That's 10 times as much "continuing education" as the physician. If 10 hours per week, that's 20 times as much as the physician.
Of course, a good doctor probably reads medical journals in addition. But a good developer reads blogs, websites, SO, HN, etc. as well.
So does a software developer really need to spend 10-20x as much time as the physician in continuing education in order to be considered "good"? Why?
To look at this another way, a developer who wants to structure their life to match a good, passionate physician, would probably:
- Work 45-55 hours per week (and be on call for occasional emergencies) - In the evening/weekend, spend some time reading blogs, journals, books on programming languages and software development, etc. - Go to one week-long conference per year (e.g. WWDC)
And that's it. No github account. No contributing to open source.
Yet there are apparently a great many people on HN who would not consider the above developer to be good, who would not hire such a person, and would question their devotion to the profession.
But does a developer really need to spend 10x the time a physician does in continuing education in order to be considered good?