A valid point, but there are a few points that I believe to deserve consideration. Your comparison of medical residency is probably less comparable to the position of first officer than it is to any pilot during IOE. Once a doctor completes residency, generally speaking, he or she is a full fledged physician. Doctors don't revert to being residents or interns due to seniority, economic factors. Pilots do (revert to first officer positions). I'm not even sure that a Doctor reverts to being a resident in the case of a change in specialty. Don't know...

The moral of the above story that I'm trying to get to is this:

First Officers exist, first and foremost, because we recognize that it isn't safe, reasonable, or effective for one pilot to have to manage potential heavy workloads and long duty periods alone. We give the Captain more authority because democratic decisions can't be made in a machine moving toward potential disaster near the speed of sound. Someone has to be able to make a snap decision; there isn't always time for a committee. In a good CRM environment, we recognize that a First Officer's voice should be heard...he or she is also there as a consiglieri of sorts. That being said, when you're operating a machine with that much speed, energy, complexity, and cost, decisions ultimately come to one person.

Where am I going with this?

Well in the situation of practicing doctors and residents, the practicing physicians are, to my knowledge, always more experienced than the residents working under them. This is not always the case with pilots. A less experienced Captain may fly with a more experienced first officer based on economic factors. A person could also be a Captain for years and become an FO because of a change of airframe. A more experienced pilot could be sitting right seat to a greener airman simply due to company seniority alone. A Mesaba pilot may upgrade to Captain in the Saab after spending his or her entire tenure in the CRJ. The first officers he or she flies with will undoubtedly have more experience on airframe, and in some cases, in the air in general! That individual is not a Captain to be a mentor, at least not by logic...that person is a Captain because they were hired first...and someone has to call the shots. In these cases, the FO is better suited as an adviser than the Captain is as a teacher.

The moral is, practicing physicians are masters, and residents are apprentices. Period.

The same is not always true for pilots...and I use this as indirect evidence to support my opinion that the cockpit of an airliner is somewhat less appropriate for on-the-job training than an operating room. I recognize that the First Officer position is used to get experience before many upgrade to Captain.

But a modern first officer can fly other aircraft as pilot in command, just not necessarily for their airline or under part 121. FOs may even be PIC typed on their respective airframe...and may only be an FO because they were displaced. A resident, however, cannot practice medicine as a doctor outside of the hospital where they are working/training. Without the residency, said doctor is a waste of thousands of dollars of training...at least as far as I understand...please correct me if I'm wrong.

Bottom line: A resident is an apprentice...

Apprentice defined: a person who works for another in order to learn a trade.

A First officer is a cut above, as he or she is competent to perform their craft. An FO is a journeyman...

Journeyman defined: a craftsman. a skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft.

The important distinction is that the apprentice is not qualified to work in the craft without training and guidance. A journeyman is qualified to work in the craft but is not recognized as master. The master (Captain in this case), is recognized for having the highest level of skill, authority, and (only in the cases of true working trades) more experience.

Sky, neither of us may have a truly accurate depiction of the appropriate level of learning and skill associated with the FO position. I'm nitpicking because I think apprentice is a somewhat less accurate way of looking at it. The skill level is reputed to be a bit higher IMHO.

In my understanding, the training equivalent to an apprenticeship begins when you first start flying. If you are a crew member responsible for lives, One might expect you to be at least a journeyman of your craft...at least someone who is licensed and reputed to already be capable of your craft...even if you're not a master.

I apologize, as I am nitpicking, but hey...it's a forum...it's all in good fun.

Beyond this difference in perspective, I also recognize that medical doctors sporadically face situations requiring split second decision making and procedures. More often than not, residents can be afforded more time for task completion and more patience. With the exception of the high paced ER, triage scenarios, residents have more guidance, with less pressure to get it done right now.

Pilots don't have the same luxury. If the FO can't do it at full speed, he or she can't do it at all. You can't be going through the motions in professional flying. You can be a gear puller...but gear pulling alone won't make a solid pilot with safe, sound skills.

One final point, if the doctor and his or her intern truly screw up, you might bury one person.

If a crew, including an apprentice or journeyman FO screws up, you could be burying hundreds of people. Maybe more.

Okay...catching a breath.