Everybody wants to know what it’s really like to be a doctor. However, it’s hard to get good information on the topic.
That’s for at least two reasons:
1. The most common sources are not always accurate. Hollywood, publishers, and TV make their money by getting you to buy their stuff. The more sensational and riveting that they can make the story, the better. This isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s true that the entertainment business doesn’t have a lot of incentive to get the facts right.
2. Physicians tell their story from their point of view, which is almost impossible to grasp. It’s like having an extra-terrestrial try to explain to earth-dwellers what it’s really like to be a Martian in Martian language. Two things make our experience unique: Firstly, our education and training are so long and intense that almost nobody can grasp what we went through to be doctors. Secondly, our calling is so professionally personal, that few doctors can convey that experience in words.