Wake Forest School of Medicine - Gray Matter Yearbook (Winston Salem, NC)

Page 18 text:

The fourth period is actually an extension of the Climacticene Period known as the Era of Realization. Our patient load increased several fold and our workups decreased proportionally in length but began to show some organization and understanding. By now the ophthalmoscope was a valuable diagnostic instrument rather than an expen- sive toy. Our stethoscopes began to function properly and when asked if we heard a particular murmur we could give an honest yes sir! and smile inwardly with self satisfaction. Here also we noted the first signs of individual variation that would eventually lead to specialization and certain of our members showed signs of becoming academici- ans. We approached the end of our training here with a knowledge that a strange force known as LBJ was at work to the north and drastic environmental changes were in the making. Nonetheless most will not heed Darwin's advice that overspecializa- tion leads to extinction. t N ill I swag ,W l z z.. , l A zv - I VVVg,: V if ',,, Y l4 X

Page 17 text:

The third period we will call the Climacticene for it truly represented a climax to our many years of waiting. At last we got to see real patients and although we were not overwhelmed with our knowledge of medicine we were grateful for the opportunity of working with the house officers and learning to care for these people. By now we felt fairly secure in our niche but the patients looked upon us as a threat to their comfort as we preyed upon them with sphygmomanometers, ophthalmoscopes a n d rectal gloves not to mention finger lancets and l8 guage needles. Fries' second law was the main detrimental influence and the CBC and urinalysis seemed like a curse from the gods of healing. if i3

Page 19 text:

W ,sll JW., ,444 , f ,if l ll.. xg Sig? .iv 2 l - v'- r f Clll if . W llvl 1,7 HI- - ll 5 wall-' 'ivif' r ai During these four years the evolutionary forces of modern medical education have molded us from individuals with only primitive knowledge of ourselves and our en- vironment to somewhat more mature individuals with a basic but meager under- standing of our bodies in health and disease. We learned to adapt to a threatening academic environment and this experience will enable us to adapt to future chang- es in our lives and in the world. We have acquired a thirst for further knowledge and a realization that a lifetime of study awaits us. We are proud to have had the oppor- tunity of studying at Bowman Gray and we hope that we may always remember the thought set forth at the beginning of our training: A PHYSICIAN CAN CURE SOMETIMES, RELIEVE OFTEN, PREVENT FREQUENTLY, AND COMFORT ALWAYS. 15