

Journalist and club Rotarian, Maria Karagianis shared the account of her 2016 visit to the Moria Refugee Camp in Lesbos. Through some informal contacts, Maria was asked to visit the camp to observe and report on the conditions. After some deliberation, she did agree to visit, however when she arrived, the Greek government would not give her a press pass. Being an astute journalist, she quickly met up with some camp volunteers who provided her access,(somewhat illegal Maria recounts).
The Moria refugee camp was dubbed "the worst refugee camp on earth", as reported by the BBC, a sentiment also echoed by Maria. The camp was built to accommodate around 3,000 people, however there were around 20,000 people living in the camp, among whom 6,000 to 7,000 were children under the age of 18. It was not uncommon for people to wait in line for 3 hours for food and never get anything. Maria said it was more like a prison than anything. Luckily there were a lot of great volunteers at the camp.



Dr. Gene Bowles, MD retired from his career as a surgeon in 2017 at the age of 80. He was the Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Denver Health Medical Center. Dr. Bowles addressed the question of when surgeons should retire. Or should there be a structured time or process for surgeons to retire? Should detailed cognitive testing and other such tests be required at a certain age?
The Employment Act of 1967 prohibits age discrimination, however, there are some mandates of retirement for certain professions. Congress has approved fixed retirement ages for a number of professions that impact public safety. Those occupations include the following:
Commercial airline pilot-- 65 years, Air Traffic Controllers-- 56 years, FBI agents-- 57 years, Lighthouse operator -- 55 years, National Park Ranger -- 57 years, Federal Judges-- 70 years, Physicians--N/A
According to a John Hopkins study, medical errors are the third leading cause of death. An American College of Surgeons Statement, dated Jan 2016, offered the following comments: Surgeons should pursue a life-long approach to wellness. Surgeons experience age-related decline in physical and cognitive skills-varies among individuals. Surgeons many not recognize deterioration in skills. Recommend starting at age 65-70, voluntary & confidential assessment. Colleagues encouraged to bring forward performance issues.
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