During high school in preparation for the AP English exam we had a prompt to support or refute the verse from Ecclesiastes above. As a timed essay, it was a test of critical thinking skills and persuasive writing. I remember refuting the premise of this claim arguing that knowledge is power and the potential good outweighed any potential grief. Now nearly six years later, and 2/3rds into a human gross anatomy course I have been reminded of this verse and am tempted to modify my previous analysis! Indeed my limited pre-medical school understanding of anatomy was more than sufficient for the past 23 years although I was (blissfully?) unaware of the extent of my ignorance. After a few particularly long and grueling days in the laboratory I am now beginning to appreciate the nuances of the lower extremities but instead of mitigating my stress level, it is increasing due to the realization of how much I still don't know and the impending test in a week. A significant component of medical school anatomy is clinical correlations. While I generally appreciate the change in context of gross anatomy from erudite Latin to practical application, two unintended consequences become evident with this approach. First, our better understanding of anatomy comes at the expense of someone else's suffering and injuries; second, limited knowledge if fodder for hypochondria. Two weeks ago, hitting your funny bone on the table was painful but benign- at the risk of sounding insensitive, it could even be considered funny- if it happens to someone else. Now with the simple understanding that it is crushing the ulnar nerve against a table and the medial epicondyle and when done with enough force could cause serious nerve damage and motor deficits- it removes any element of humor. How then does gross anatomy fit into the context of Ecclesiastes?
The answer I believe lies in the insightful wisdom of Charles Schulz and the illustrations of Charlie Brown. Whenever Charlie becomes frustrated he exclaims "Good Grief!" While some may argue that this juxtaposition is an oxymoron, I would offer that at least in academic pursuits grief can be good. As Charlie navigates the world of friendships and school (waah wah wah, wah wah wah waah) he learns life lessons and gains wisdom and knowledge (the good) through his personal trials and tribulations (the grief). One without the other would be incomplete. A medical career is defined by critical thinking, persuasive communication, and good grief. Knowledge and sorrow parallel mystery and joy- that is the true sign that the doctor is in.
Image from http://candygourlay.com/blog/images/peanuts.gif
Note: the waah wah wah sounds produced in Peanut animations is the product of a muted trumpet.
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