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Credentialism lifts up and empowers the mediocre while cutting off discussion. This results in sclerotic professions and oversight authorities which cannot adap

Credentialism lifts up and empowers the mediocre while cutting off discussion. This results in sclerotic professions and oversight authorities which cannot adapt to changing conditions, usually causing far more and worse long-term damage than any short-term issues they prevent. I can only speak for the US, but look around — this is a real issue in medicine, law, and most anywhere you look, and the problem has been accelerated by the sheer number of college/grad degrees given out like candy the last 20 years.

logicchains 5y ago
> the problem has been accelerated by the sheer number of college/grad degrees given out like candy the last 20 years At least in medicine this isn't the case; the AMA effectively limits the number of positions available. The ratio of doctors to patients has hence been steadily decreasing over the past few decades.
- flenserboy 5y ago
  You're right on that — I was thinking more (and should have specified) supporting professions, such as dietitians.
- mikeyouse 5y ago
  This hasn’t been true for decades… it’s one of those “Internet Talking Points” that gets repeated ad nauseam but just isn’t true.. The AMA lobbies intensely for more residency spots and more medical schools and has since at least the debate over the ACA.
  - porknubbins 5y ago
    Why aren't there any more medical schools then? I believe professional schools (law, MBA etc) are historically very profitable for universities so they are (or were) incentivized to open even mediocre ones.
    - mikeyouse 5y ago
      Mostly because they’re extremely expensive to set up.. but even so there are maybe a dozen new ones that have opened in the past 5 years with about that many under discussion to open in the next 5 years. I think the big bottleneck right now is the residency slots, those need Federal funding and they’ve been hesitant.

logicchains 5y ago

> the problem has been accelerated by the sheer number of college/grad degrees given out like candy the last 20 years At least in medicine this isn't the case; the AMA effectively limits the number of positions available. The ratio of doctors to patients has hence been steadily decreasing over the past few decades.

flenserboy 5y ago
You're right on that — I was thinking more (and should have specified) supporting professions, such as dietitians.
mikeyouse 5y ago
This hasn’t been true for decades… it’s one of those “Internet Talking Points” that gets repeated ad nauseam but just isn’t true.. The AMA lobbies intensely for more residency spots and more medical schools and has since at least the debate over the ACA.
- porknubbins 5y ago
  Why aren't there any more medical schools then? I believe professional schools (law, MBA etc) are historically very profitable for universities so they are (or were) incentivized to open even mediocre ones.
  - mikeyouse 5y ago
    Mostly because they’re extremely expensive to set up.. but even so there are maybe a dozen new ones that have opened in the past 5 years with about that many under discussion to open in the next 5 years. I think the big bottleneck right now is the residency slots, those need Federal funding and they’ve been hesitant.