Originally Posted by
Pilatus801
But using this same logic, if a skilled physician who has been practicing for 8 years, switches to a new orthopedic group or new hospital, he/she doesn't really go to the bottom of the totem pole at that point, like pilots do. Likely the same for attorneys, and other skilled workers. That is the part that seems so backwards to me.
That is because of the seniority system and the fact that this is a unionized profession. At the end of the day there are tons of pilots who would crawl over each other for a legacy job. You can advocate for removing seniority if you don't like it, but it exists for a reason. This profession has historically been very unstable and as a result (some?)people like the predictability of knowing where they sit in the pecking order for furlough, pay, etc.
An orthopedic surgeon on the other hand doesn't have to compete against other surgeons to the same degree that you compete against another pilot for a coveted job at a major. His profession is not unstable, no matter what happens in the world people need him. He has a highly transferable skill and would never agree to join a union or to go to the bottom of a "seniority list", he knows that his skill is rare. An ATP is nowhere near the level of training, intelligence, and discipline required to be a surgeon.