Small Sacrifices

They are young and eager. A little anxious at being confronted with a real patient, performing their first real physical examination. Their white coats shine as they plumb the mysteries of stethoscopes, otoscopes, and sphygmomanometers.

One of the joys of being a doctor is teaching these students the art of medicine. My favorite assignment is helping the second-year medical students learn to interview and examine patients. It is also one of the few chances I have to hear about medical education from the students' point of view.

My last two students seemed much like the others, …