A precocious child, exploring the wonders of human anatomy. Connecting the dots between form and function, memorizing names, structures, relationships.

A young person finding joy in learning. A fascination with ourselves, how we work, and the history of passing down this knowledge. Centuries of curiosity, exploration, discovery, revision.

Is this child still in me? If I refreshed my knowledge, would I be enthralled like I once was?

I’d have a lot more context. I might remember better.

But I hope I haven’t lost the freshness, the curiosity that kept me on track, instead of derailed... where I once viewed the physiology of disease objectively, I now am distracted by the sadness. The patients whose names I don’t remember but whose pathology has left a heaviness in my heart.

But another child, not me, might not be so weighed down. They’ll learn all they can, recognize the challenge in its entirety, and pursue a career with eyes wide open.