University of Michigan Medical and Nursing School - Aequanimitas Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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The workman of today works every day of his life at the same mediocre tasks: this fate is certainly absurd. But it is a tragic fate only at those rare moments when the wasteful absurdity and futility becomes apparent to him. And we are indeed in many respects like the workmen. Gur profession almost fosters the development of isolation and detachment from the rest of humanity through the demands for objectivity. Indeed, this is a paradoxical situation in that we may become divorced from the society with which we deal so intimately. In a sense, much of the medicine we will practice will become almost mechanistic and routine even though we are in acomplex, multi-faceted, and ever changing profession. It is against the routine and the overburdening pressure of a demanding practice that we must guardg this is an obligation to ourselves which can come second to nothing else, Just being in such a position would not be so unbearable if it were not for the great probability that we would one day realize our plight. The tragedy of the existence assumes the greatest proportions when the full significance is realized by the individual involved. Such a realization may come at only afew rare moments in life-many years from now, and the possibility of such a situation involving us may seem extremely remote. But those few moments are important enough to be dev- astating. So we should guard against waiting in life 'until there is more time or until the business of our practice is not so pressing. It is indeed now that we should explore all those paths which are available for the realization of our dreams and aspirations. We should be deeply engaged in the business of living life now and not pass opportunities which will later be impossible to reacquire-and avoid that moment of guilt-laden, nostalgic remorse when we think reflectively it might have been. Eugene A. DuBoff '63 1 I n id, , l .- '1' 1 ' ky . l , X l E 4 l fx n J ll ,J F I X 'f ' N' .1 14 I 9

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50 years hence, l'll still remember: Dr. Davenport and his cannon fthe only way to get our attention. Dr. Wi1de's '70 kilogram man and also the sodium ion in the frog pond. Dr, Miller with I.O.T.A. Clnput overload testing aidb. Dr. Moore's demonstration of random sampling of marbles. Dr. Sweet's demonstration of anesthetic explosion. Dr. Gosling's history of the rabbit woman and also the inside scoop on Queen Elizabeth I, Dr. Rosema.n's slides of how connective tissue should look put together right and how it should not look. Dr, Furstenburg's descriptive terms of apple green, anchovie paste and current jelly sputum. Dr. Duff's demonstration of how to detect pain in arthritis. Dr. Nesbit's slide of that famous fountain in Brussels. The tale told in radiology of the pretty proton princesses, the money lenders, and the peasants and serfs on Helium avenue. Dr. Evan's work in the elevator shafts. Lynn E. Dykman '63

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