When I wrote Lifelines I dug deep into the psyche of a medical student who transitions later on to be a new doctor. Sarah was a studious albeit fun loving student. While she was focused on her medical studies, she still found time to have fun. That got me thinking. There are different species and types of medical students, but the end result is always the same. All of the people who pass through the hallowed gates of medical colleges all over the world ultimately take the coveted Hippocratic Oath and go forth to try and do no harm.
But seriously have you ever thought about what goes on in the mind of a medical student? Believe me when I say that not one of them has the same dedication or mindset as the other even though they are put together in the same environment with the same goals. But once these different personalities are put through the wringer, you get a smorgasbord of doctors with different skill levels and specialties, each unique in their own way.
You can have the irritatingly studious types who strive to be gold medalists and top-level achievers. Then there are the average students who are studious, but they also remember that there is a world beyond the gates of the college. So they have fun. Sometimes. The dreamers usually float through college, sometimes even taking their time to graduate while living in their heads.
And then there are the intuitive doctors who know from the beginning what ails the patient just by looking at or touching them. Initially these students are the most confused of them all because they are afraid of what they feel and what they perceive in the beginning. However eventually, once they are aware of the gift they have received, optimal healing becomes routine, and they turn out to be the most humane physicians an institute can churn out.
