Contemplating Hippocrates

One of us (WMG) recalls a story from the early days of medical school. The professor prognosticated: “Look to your left and to your right. One of you won't make it through medical school and will drop out in the next 1-2 years.” Little did I know then those 35 years after I began medical school, my teenage daughter would also be considering a career in medicine. As she begins her college career and gives thought to her major, we admit to a certain amount of surprise that she has considered a pre-med track. Certainly, having paediatricians as parents likely has had some influence, but we have always encouraged our children to be free thinkers and to live their passion. She has seen us rage against the system, rejoice in a baby's birth, and heard our perspectives on everything from clinical trials to euthanasia and lots in-between. She has been exposed, by association, to the black and white of decisionmaking as well as the grayer areas, the wonders of medications and the sometimes serious side effects. We have talked about the art of medicine and cherishing the trust that our patients put in us every day. She has seen private practice and academics, part-time and full-time, research and clinical experiences, career track changes, personal health crises and triumphs, and the sacrifices and rewards that this vocation can bring.