Doctors' drinking and fitness to practise

Rosta and Aasland's paper (2005) ‘Female surgeons’alcohol use: A Study of a Nation-wide Sample of Norwegian Doctorsadds to the evidence that doctors are at increased risk of becomingdependent at some point in their career. The finding that detrimental drinking by surgeons was more prevalentthan might be expected may point to important fitness-to-practiseconsiderations. The questions ‘Who cares about doctors as individuals?’and ‘Who cares for doctors apart from family and friends?’seem still to be difficult to answer. A doctor's independence and ability to become immersed in apatient's plight are key components for