Joseph
Im not sure if your question was addressed to me, but Id be happy to answer.
“To narrow the issue down, if I understand it correctly, the chillul Shabbos-doctor problem is mostly limited to their training in residency for about three years. Correct?”
not at all.Okay, partly.
The bottom line is there is a lot ov variability and the issues each face are different as well depending both on level of training and speciality.
With residency the problem is being the lowest on the totem pole. IT is the residents role todo much of the “scut work” as well as all the minutae. This is the biggest issue with Shabbos, since most if not all of these acts (paperwork, ordering non-essential medications like tylenol) are not pikuach nefesh. *
On the other hand Residency is also the easiest since there are several spots where a resident never has to go in on shabbos or Yom Tov ( there are other programs which while not guaranteeing a “Shomer shabbos spot” allow switching so the outcome is the same). I (and most of my frum collegues) had such a position I never carried a pager, phonelet alone went in on Shabbos or Yom Tov throughout residency.
“Once they get their medical license and become a full fledged doctor, frum doctors can generally control their schedule. If they hang their own shingle out and open their own practice, they surely can set their own hours and days”
Yes though depends on specialty but generally coverage can be arranged on weekends (or at least half a weekend with the frum partner taking Sunday and the other one Shabbos)
“. If they’re a specialist in a hospital, specialists can choose not to work weekends. (Other non-Jewish specialist can be the Saturday specialist.)”
Not always. When working for a hospital you are partly on the hospital’s schedule and most hospitals want specialists available 24/7. So it can be harder in this setting.
” An Emergency Room doctor will probably have problems taking off on Shabbos.”
not neccesarily, since Emergency Rooms are “shift work” and it is not that hard to arrange to avoid shifts Friday night/ shabbos day. In some ways this is easier than the aforementioned specialist who is expected to be available 24/7.
On the other hand, once out of residency the Specialist, internist, ED doc can generally delegate to Residents or PA’s have them do paperwork, ordering tylenol etc and only perform acts that actually save lives then write notes after shabbos l.
So while in some ways avoiding work might be harder post-residency avoiding melacha is easier.