"Why Can't I Be a Doctor?"

From Loma Linda University SCOPE, Autumn, 2004, in a nursing school graduation speech , T. Richard Rice, PhD concluded about for whom medicine is practiced:

In one of Charles Schultz’ cartoon strips, two of Peanuts characters have a spirited exchange. Linus has declared his intention to be a doctor, and his big sister, Lucy, does what big sisters often do. She cuts him down to size, deflates his fantasy with a healthy does of reality. Says Linus “I want to be a doctor.” Lucy:“You’ll never be a doctor.” Linus: “Why can’t I be a doctor?” Lucy: “Because you don’t love mankind, that’s why”
“But I do love mankind,” Linus insists, “I do love mankind. It’s people I can’t stand!”

I am sure that there are many of my visitors who truly care for their fellow people and, whatever their current occupations, may have had thoughts either in the past or even in recent times to change their role in life and become a physician. It would be most interesting to read about those who had hoped to be a doctor once or who still have that feeling. Could it be that the profession of medicine and the role of the physician, despite all the bad stories of doctors and medical practice, still has qualities that would lead some folks to thinking that would be just the right job for me and then seriously asking themselves “Why can’t I be a doctor?" Maybe you would like to write about your yearnings in this regard and why you might want to take on being a doctor. ..Maurice.