The need of the often very sick Korean patients came first.

Their mortality rate is higher than that of less sick patients.

Even being able to examine sick patients is not enough, he said.

"Why were sick patients crammed together in a single room?"

His advice to all but the sickest patients: Stay home.

None of the five sick patients seemed to be getting any better.

He states, "I was responsible for up to 80 very sick patients."

The sick patient this time is not the base physician.

"One of the concerns was, are we going to have to send all our very sick patients to them?"

Young doctors can benefit from following sick patients throughout the night, but an 80-hour week still provides that opportunity.