>>>So we're talking about 7-9 years (actually 8 to 10 - because they have to do at least one year as MD in between) vs 11. The difference may be in the first couple of years of college, where they spend a lot of time on general science courses - which is covered in high school and partially on freshman year there. The other difference is that our medical students spend only about a quarter of their time at the clinic or lab and residents aren't forced to work 36 hour shifts. So I figure they get broader knowledge but less practice.
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>>I cannot say about Serbia, but I expect it would be closer to Soviet Union days.
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>I wouldn't know of Soviet Union - I was healthy when I visited :). Knowing how different the systems were, I wouldn't be surprised if there were big differences in the health system as well.
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>> That's true about 7-9 years, but post-college years could not be compared with US medical school and especially residency. To be precise it's quite difficult to find an analogue for US residency programs in terms of labor intensity.
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>From what I heard, it's comparable only to sweatshops and zombie drivers. The guy who invented the 36 hour shift was an important insomniac (allegedly because of drug use) and for some reason his system still lives. I've even heard that a law was proposed which would ban doctors from working more than 100 hours a week (!). I don't see what good can anyone do after working more than 10 hours a day, and how can they drive home after that.

AFAIK, this law was not only proposed but also rejected. Most urban hospitals would have to be closed without using this program as it is.