[SapphireSun]

I get that deprivation training can be helpful, but to be deprived nearly 100% of the time in a safety critical, fast paced environment? That's crazy. These guys aren't special forces (who I assume have in-field careers similar to pro-sports players), they're normal people trying to work at this for many decades.

If your goal is to reduce medical errors, create systems that don't depend on a single person's fluctuating energy level (e.g. have two doctors responsible for each patient, keep patient loads low enough that they can deal, automate as much as possible with computer systems (e.g. billing), and delegate to e.g. PAs for mundane diagnoses). Exhausted people make mistakes, can't work or think as quickly, are less creative, and are generally less happy. All the technology in the world won't help you if the key decision makers screw up at the wrong time.

After all, coffee does exist for those times when your natural energy level won't do it for you. ;)

[hga]

A nit, in the military this is not limited to "special forces", and I'm just talking about the stresses of peacetime. Look at e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watch_system which doesn't list the 4 hours on, 4 hours off system the US Navy used, at least in the '50s when my father was First Lieutenant on a North Atlantic radar picket ship. He still remembers it being very hard.

[SapphireSun]

This is interesting. Thanks for the link!

Nonetheless, I don't think these guys are getting 4 on 4 off... I think they just work basically straight through for 12-16 (or more) hours and get maybe a day a week off.

I can completely sympathize though that 4 on 4 off would be incredibly hard in and of itself. I'm not sure I could do it for weeks let alone months on end.