I have always held the notion of the Renaissance person in high esteem. Often defined as a person with many talents or areas of knowledge, the Renaissance person does not limit his or her pursuit of knowledge to one area or even to one discipline. As an adolescent, I loved novels and multi-variable calculus, chess and karate, team sports like soccer and individual sports like skiing. In college, I majored in Classical Languages (i.e. Latin and Greek) and went on to get a masters degree in Greek and Latin Languages and Literature, knowing full well that I intended to later attend medical school and become a physician. When all the other prospective orthopedic surgery applicants spent the summer doing research in a lab, I went to Peru to volunteer on a hospital boat on the Amazon as I explored that beautiful country. My pursuits appeared to baffle both admissions officers (fortunately not all of them), friends and family alike. But to me they made perfect sense, and still do. In this space I will share some experiences, perspectives and reflections, which the philosopher (lover of wisdom) in all of us might find worth perusal.
The Renaissance Surgeon
Updated: Jul 27, 2022