Abstract

There is a documented increase in patient morbidity and mortality in the months where new interns start their training in the hospital. This is more commonly referred to as the ‘July effect’, as most institutions accept fresh medical graduates who have just completed their final examinations in the preceding spring months.
Donning the white coat for the first time as a doctor brings with it a sense of both accomplishment and apprehension. The responsibility that rests of a junior doctor’s shoulders is now far heavier than simply an impending exam. It is perhaps this feeling, in addition to the sudden increase in responsibilities and working hours in the hospital that may justify the reports favoring the matter 1, 2. There are, however, numerous publications that are contradictory to the idea of a July effect existing at all 3-6. This is reassuring to see that in some departments, the current level of training and vigilance is sufficient to overcome the potential vulnerability caused by the addition of the new members of staff.