[frozenport]

There is little evidence that hazing leads to better outcomes. Nor, does making medical school technically difficult leads to better outcomes. The US takes longer to train its medical professionals then most other places leading to more expensive care, and a overall deficit of doctors.

As somebody who works with pathologists, I don't find the academic part of medicine more difficult then say physics - but the pay is substantially different. This artificial labor shortage is protected by the systematic failures discussed in many of the HN comments.

None of these things are defensible.