  Earlier today,  I finished reading a book called What I Learned In Medical School ,  a collection of essays by medical students who had their own very unique,  " non- traditional"
 stories to share about their experiences during ( and for some,  surviving)  medical school.  Most of the essays were very intriguing and original,  and all were well-
written.  They each discussed many aspects of medical school that all medical students should recognize,  while at the same time,  and even more poignantly,  highlighting many of its features and hidden challenges that only certain students face:  the struggles of identity and acceptance,
 illness and disability,  obesity,  " non- conformist"  or "
alternative"  thinking,  sexual orientation,  discrimination,  and the everpresent question of abuse that is inherent and often considered essential to the current system of medical education.  I think my favorite essay,
 and also the most creative,  was one written in SOAP note format about a 3rd year beginning her surgical clerkship at the mercy of the fearsome chief of surgery.  " SUBJECTIVE:  Twenty- four-
year- old woman presents on her first day of surgery rotation with complaints of anxiety,  agitation,  and apprehension.  The essay that most left me with a sense of happiness and hope was entitled " Urology Blues,
 also about an African- American 3rd year beginning his surgery rotation.  His first patient,  upon seeing his black caregiver,  immediately refused treatment from a " nigger"
 and dashed from the room,  protesting affirmative action and the right for this young medical student to practice his art.  To make a long story short,  the result of this encounter brought a realization and an understanding of intolerance and diversity to this student's sheltered classmates,  so some good was brought forth from this embarassing and sad occurrence.  I finished the story impressed by this man's open and accepting attitude toward himself and his colleagues,
 especially given that it is something he has often not received in return.  This is an excellent book,  written by people that other medical students can identify with.  It stresses the importance of and need for humanism and compassion,  not only on the part of physicians but the entire medical profession and educational system.  Should those who have been in the shoes of their patients be the only doctors capable and willing to give their patients more than just scientific remedies?
 Such individuals may be the only ones to fully understand what their patients are enduring,  but from their stories,  perhaps others can learn to appreciate their experiences and become the sympathetic classmates,  teachers,  and physicians that are needed in this world.
