So this leads me to the next question -- does my software ever save anyone's life? Is there enough value in it so that I could earn the kind of money the doctors earn (they have to be making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year). I'm pretty sure that to be a top software developer requires as much training, perseverence, rocket science -- as being a top surgeon; but our society doesn't value us equally. When medical legislation comes up in Washington, for example, it's not uncommon for doctors to testify -- but when legislation or court decisions affecting technology comes up, no developers are asked to explain the technology. You get CEOs of tech companies, but that's a far cry from a practicing software developer. [Scripting News]
I don't know if my software has ever saved anyone's life, but I am keenly aware of the potential for my software to inflict harm, albiet indirectly. I spent the last few years writing software to facilitate distribution and viewing of radiology images. Our product was regulated by the FDA just like any other medical instrument you might encounter in a hospital. One of the rituals for maintaining our good standing with the FDA was periodic hazard reviews. During these reviews, we would sit for hours and brainstorm everything that could possibly go wrong with our product that would result in patient or operator injury and what we were doing to mitigate the risk. I've seen cases where software (not my product) displayed incorrect data which caused doctors to operate on the wrong side of a patient's body. It happens.
Did any of those people know the lengths that my team went to protect their safety? Of course not, but the radiologists sure did. They had to trust us to do our jobs flawlessly, just like the patients had to trust them. Did any patient ever know who I was? No way. Did I feel valued? Did I feel like I had made a positive impact on peoples lives? Absolutely.
11:01:06 AM 
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