Don't Go Near a Hospital...

Don't go near a hospital during June, July, or August. If you or a loved one are considering any sort of hospital visit for an elective or nonemergency procedure, you absolutely should stay clear of any medical facility with residents during the summer.

Doctors in training, so-called residents, switch over every year on July 1. Guess what? In June, the senior residents, about to leave, couldn't care less about taking care of you. They are thinking about getting out of there, finding a real job, and starting to pay down their debt (average debt is $139,517). The new ones coming in on July 1 can't find their way out of a paper bag and are scared to death. The senior staff, supposedly supervising them, are taking their summer vacations.

The problem is temporary. Once September hits, the new docs have a few months of experience under their belts and the seniors are back at work supervising again... It's as safe as it gets by then.