BlackStone Tutors | Medicine Application Specialists
London Office: 020 3393 8934 
info@blackstonetutors.co.uk
  • Home
    • Our Tutors
    • Our Tutees
  • Interview Clinics
    • Medicine Interview Preparation & Tuition
    • Dentistry Interview Preparation & Tuition
    • Personal Statement Services
    • Complete Medicine Application Packages
  • Schools
    • In-School Medicine Talks and Courses
    • How to get into Medical School Intensive Course
  • UCAT
    • UCAT Preparation Courses
    • Online UCAT Course
    • UCAT ANZ Courses
    • Private UCAT Tutoring
  • BMAT
    • BMAT Preparation Courses
    • Singapore BMAT Course
    • Online BMAT Course
    • Private BMAT Tutoring
    • Free BMAT Resources >
      • BMAT Information: Free Guide to the BMAT Exam
      • Free BMAT Past Papers
      • Free BMAT Subject Guide
      • BMAT Practice Questions - Section 1
      • BMAT Practice Questions - Section 2
      • BMAT Section 1 Tips & Techniques
      • BMAT Section 2 Tips & Techniques
      • BMAT Section 1 Critical Thinking - Additional Practice
  • MMI
    • MMI Interview Courses
    • MMI Question Bank >
      • Medicine MMI Question Bank
      • Dentistry MMI Question Bank
      • Nursing MMI Question Bank
      • Physician Associate MMI Question Bank
    • MMI Tips & Resources >
      • Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) Questions and Answers
      • MMI Interview Tips
      • Medical School Interview Questions
      • Medical School Interview Questions | US & Canada
      • Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) Ethical Scenarios
  • GPST
    • GP Stage 3 Preparation Course
    • GP Stage 3 Online Question Bank
    • GPST Entry Articles & Resources >
      • GPST Entry >
        • GP Training Entry Requirements and Key Tips
      • GP Stage 2 (MSRA) >
        • Free MSRA Practice Questions & Answers
        • GP Stage 2 Exam Information, Tips & Banding
        • GP Stage 2 (MSRA) & GP Stage 3 (Selection Centre) Weighting
      • GP Stage 3 >
        • GP Stage 3 - What To Expect, Mark Scheme & Preparation Tips
        • GP Stage 3 Selection Centre: The Complete Guide
        • GP Stage 3 Written Prioritisation Exercises | Key Tips, Techniques & Mark Scheme
        • GP Stage 3 Simulation Exercises | Key Tips & Techniques
        • Free GP Stage 3 Written and Simulation Exercises
        • GP Stage 3 Mark Scheme Domains
        • GP Stage 3 Pass Rate
        • How To Score 100% In The GP Stage 3 Selection Centre
  • Articles
    • BMAT Articles >
      • Free BMAT Resources
      • BMAT Section 1 Tips
      • BMAT Section 2 Tips
      • BMAT Section 3 Mark Scheme
      • How Universities use the BMAT
      • BMAT Past Paper Worked Solutions
    • UCAT Articles >
      • Free UKCAT Practice Questions
    • TSA >
      • TSA Essay Tips & Techniques
      • TSA Essay Example
      • Free TSA Past Papers
    • Personal Statement >
      • Medicine Personal Statement Structure
      • Medicine Personal Statement - Common Errors & Pitfalls
    • Interview Articles
    • Medicine Applications >
      • Which Medical Schools Should I Apply To?
      • Tips for a Successful Oxbridge Medicine Application
      • Why 40% Of All Doctors Choose General Practice?
    • Dentistry Applications
  • COVID
  • Contact Us
    • New Tutor Registration
    • Fees
    • Testimonials
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Subscribe To Our Newsletter
  • GPST Entry and Selection Centre Dates
  • GP Stage 3 Selection Centre Tips
  • The University of Auckland Medicine Interview Questions
  • The University of Auckland Medicine Interview Tips
  • MMI Tips & Techniques
  • 5 Cambridge Medicine Interview Tips
  • GP Selection Centre: Common Written Prioritisation Scenarios
  • Oxford Medicine Interview Tips
  • When Do Medical School Interview Invites Come Out?
  • MMI Role Play: The Complete Guide
  • MMI Data Analysis: The Complete Guide
  • MMI Prioritisation Tasks: The Complete Guide
  • MMI Calculation Questions: The Complete Guide
  • MMI Ethical Scenarios: The Complete Guide
  • MMI Observation Tasks: The Complete Guide
  • How To Revise For The BMAT
  • Why Do You Want To Study Medicine?
  • Guide To The 2020 UCAT
  • How To Prepare For The UCAT Situational Judgement Section
  • How To Prepare For UCAT Abstract Reasoning
  • How To Prepare For UCAT Verbal Reasoning
  • How To Score 850+ In UCAT Quantitative Reasoning
  • How to Score 850+ on the Quantitative Reasoning section of the UCAT
  • Pre-Registration Pharmacist Situational Judgement (SJT) Exam: The Complete Guide
  • Bespoke BMAT Course
  • UCAT Practice Test: Decision Making Mini Mock Exam
  • Online TSA Course Tutorials
  • Medicine Personal Statement Checklist: 8 Key Areas
  • What Should a Medicine Personal Statement Include?
  • Physician Associate University Interview Questions and Answers
  • Nursing University Interview Questions and Answers
  • Nursing Applications
  • Dentistry University Interview Questions
  • BMAT Section 1 Critical Thinking Questions
  • BMAT Section 2 Physics Questions
  • BMAT Section 2 Maths Questions
  • BMAT Section 2 Biology Questions
  • BMAT Section 2 Chemistry Questions
Sentry Page Protection
Please Wait...

Motivation & Insight into Medicine 1


​Singapore Airlines pilots cannot work for more than a certain number of hours, however, Singaporean doctors are not granted such a privilege. Why is that so?


​(Note: this is an old question, however, medical schools do tend to recycle some questions, and sometimes older doctors or those who are retired or only work in private practice may not be aware of new regulations for junior doctors and ask questions if there is a lot of time. It could also be asked as a “got-you” question.)
​
Average Candidate Response
I think that this is due to the shortage of doctors, as well as the greater need for pilots to not be tired given the number of passengers on each plane that would be at potential risk of harm, if a pilot was over-tired.

Excellent Candidate Response
Since May 2014, the SMC has stipulated that, in PGY1 (Postgraduate Year 1), work hours for Singaporean doctors are limited to 80 hours per week, including night call hours, and that there should be at least 10 hours of rest between duty periods and an off day each week. From speaking to doctors on the ward, however, I am aware that one may still have to commit to longer periods of time during crunch times or emergencies.

I believe that there are a number of reasons there is a discrepancy between pilots and doctors. Firstly, pilots tend to work in isolated teams consisting of only two or three trained pilots, whereas doctors, particularly in Singapore, will almost always be able to seek advice from many other fellow medical professionals. For this reason, it is incredibly important pilots are well-rested. Secondly, pilots in Singapore have historically had a stronger union representation. Thirdly, perhaps more cynically, there are financial motives for this, particularly since SIA pilots regularly handle the lives of individuals from more privileged backgrounds, while in Singaporean government hospitals where PGY doctors work in, particularly in C and B- class wards, where I have volunteered at, the patients are of poorer backgrounds. As such, should an iatrogenic mistake occur, the media backlash in hospitals is a lot less. This leads me onto a point Atul Gawande noted in his book the Checklist Manifesto – that the nature of plane crashes is that they are loud, violent and very much in the public eye. They cause ensuing panic at airports around the world and for families across the globe.

​By contrast, deaths in the hospital are often handled privately and quietly so as to allow the family to grieve. Finally, except for maybe in infectious diseases, when a doctor makes a mistake, his own life is usually not at risk, whereas a pilot making a mistake will endanger his own life. This provides additional incentive for pilots to fight for fewer working hours so as to be well-rested during flights. 
MMI Main Menu
Next Question