little way now you're not going to worry no no no i won't be alone i just want to dictate a couple of things here you don't need to wait you can type them up in the morning all right doctor  don't stay too long it's been a full living in the morning oh sure sure you don't know me but i know you are young probably in high school or just getting started in college you're sharp with a first class mind and plenty of potential in a lot of direction and your future is full of promise only you haven't quite decided which promise you want to hold yourself to maybe you've already kicked some career ideas around with guidance speak a faculty advice maybe a parents are perhaps successful men in various fields if you have one of how about dr harris a doctor cyclist whatever your name is that title doctors sounds mighty good in front of it but maybe you've heard that getting in the med school is no sn it isn't if you're an adult but your not a medical school admission routine is an appraisal of you as a person are you physically able to carry this study alone are you emotionally immature have you been able to discipline yourself to the adult world of learning did you make above average grades and still have time for social development along the way you will be evaluated for your interest in the world you live in a doctor doesn't deal with the mechanical contraption of bones and muscles he deals with man who is influenced by society and so the doctor must understand the medical school will want to know if you like people or no one will work with them more intimately than you are you a natural a sympathetic wanting to help those around you when the postman finally delivers that a letter you've been waiting for the one that tells you you've been accepted into medical school it means more than a chance to do exciting work it's an accolade in its own right it says to the whole world that your top notch they don't come any better your past a lot around trying to be nonchalant but deep down being one of those chosen to serve mankind it doesn't hurt of course that the high that look up to you are the biggest blue eyes in the wor perhaps you're wondering why i'm telling you all this and i wonder myself except that even though i may seem to you to be a rather ancient i still feel close to you and the way you feel about things or maybe i'm just taking stock of myself as a doctor in the comparatively few years i've been in practice because i do feel like i'm really just getting started it will have to be the same way with you there aren't any boy doctors there are only men man age by at least five years of intensive study beyond the college level study in twenty one different fields anatomy biochemistry physiology microbiology and on and on into clinical practice none of it's easy and there's too much for one human being to ever hope to master except except that from the first time you learn to take a puff it's there the throbbing beat of life one life must go on my life might go on that the challenge you accept in the study of medicine the responsibility for preserving life when you study the intricacies of it comes first before family friends or your own liberty otherwise stay out of medicine it has no place for you know you for it you may as well know if you don't already that the study of medicine exact set tough financial toll you'll probably be able to see fellows your own age start living off the fat of the land while you and it's at least five years more after college before you begin to learn of course you can apply for scholarships and loan fund which are available but unless you can count on fairly substantial help from your family or latch on to a working w you may have to resign yourself to starting practice on the as i dictate this i am well aware that i may scare you out of a wonderful field a field that is rich and rewarding for although few doctors amass great financial we there is no satisfaction on earth no amount of money or valuable which can buy the look in a parent's face when you break the news that that child no man can claim a richer reward than that the trembling look of gratitude from one whose suffering has been eased is the look which you will know many times in your working life and it will always be the spur which drives you to your greatest efforts perhaps you will be an all be battling time do induce that first yell of defiance from a new life most fundamental battle of mankind it is you and light against disease and death the techniques will become so familiar to you that your hands go about them almost automatic but never your mind and never your heart you will bring comfort to the man of prayer the man who wants to live here the enemy is your enemy and he cannot do for himself you will do together you will fight the thing he fears and god willing you will try