You start as a measly kid from a small town, Dreaming a dream of wearing a surgical gown. If only you could be a physician someday, Wearing that white coat and screaming “hooray!” But what really defines one’s growth in medicine? Is it whether you are talented or your demeanor genuine? From my experience as a lowly undergraduate student, Here’s what I have gathered that is good to know and prudent. As you start as a medical student seeing your first patients, You are very thorough, whether in your exams or explanations. While a patient may come in with a mild headache cured by a Motrin, You never get tired, running more tests and doing more doctoring. And that’s the way it should be as you begin your journey, Better to be safe and sound than to need an attorney (Yikes!). As you progress further and gain more and more experience, You realize that maybe you could save time and project some brilliance. Rather than gathering information both necessary and not, You start picking up clues and making diagnoses on the dot. Your patient interviews are brief and you think much faster, Who knows, maybe you were a pupil before but now the master? This interplay between thoroughness and skill is what defines a physician, Marking your growth as an experienced and astute clinician. As you add more years to your bank of patients, You understand yourself and truly deserve congratulations. As thoroughness fades and skill grows, You know you are better, and that truly shows. While there are many intricacies that define a physician’s career, Thoroughness and skill are the gauges changing year after year. As we start our own paths in the medical field, Remember to cherish the moments and every patient healed. source
