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Why do doctors memorize medicines and their effects? Because it's faster to retrieve from memory than from documentation, even automatically presented documenta
by falcolas 5y ago
Why do doctors memorize medicines and their effects? Because it's faster to retrieve from memory than from documentation, even automatically presented documentation. It removes a context switch.
The "brain cycles" are only run while doing the memorization, not while actually doing the work.
> I don't recall ever struggling to remember syntax of languages I frequently code in.
Because you've memorized it.
- elzbardico 5y agoYou definitely have no idea of how doctors work if you think they don’t heavily rely on reference books for most of the stuff they do
- dfee 5y agoI don’t think you’re being generous with your reading of their point.
- falcolas 5y agoYou can't easily consider a treatment or remedy or library function you don't remember. Better to use all the tools at hand (memory being a useful tool - a L2 cache as it were) than handicap yourself by only using a few.
- inglor_cz 5y agoI'd rather have my doctor consulting recent knowledge base than use their 30 year old memories from school. Medicine is not set in stone and recommendations change.
- falcolas 5y agoAs I've heard it, use your memory, then back it up with documentation if/when you need the certainty. You can't easily consider a treatment or remedy or library function you don't remember.
- loa_in_ 5y agoThe problem with using cache is that you can feel certain it's correct but you don't really know until you check with the source. And since you check with the source anyway, the cache becomes a drag to correctness
- city41 5y agoDo they have every single medicine memorized, or just the ones they most commonly use? Sure, I tend to remember the parts of libraries and apis I use often, but I'd still argue my editor having a reminder just a keystroke away is very beneficial.
- csomar 5y agoReality: They rely on medical representatives to know what the actual medicines are. They remember the ones with the most kickbacks.
- falcolas 5y agoMore than just the most commonly used... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR7d56UeeeU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR7d56UeeeU <= Song-based memorization aide for 200 different medications
- city41 5y agoThere are over 20,000 approved medications in the US. I don't really feel like this analogy is holding up very well. But, have I happened to remember about 200 or so API and library calls over my career? Probably.