But even if Obama's vetting process appears overly scrupulous, aides to the future commander-in-chief are likely more wary of an early disastrous appointment that would cause a wave of negative media coverage and raise early questions about Obama's leadership skills.
Sophie Basarrate, 14, and Kevin Silverstein, 15, stood out to lead the rescued children with their finely presented, scrupulous dancing as two of the now-peaceful kingdom's most upstanding individuals.
Across the region, there is a growing suspicion that in the rush to cash in on Southeast Asia's health-care boom, some operators are less than scrupulous about maintaining medical standards.