Residents

I’m not that old, you understand, but something put me in a reflective mood as I thought about you beginning your new practice. I have, in fact, toiled in the vineyards for twenty-some years and have experienced academic, private practice, and large clinic settings. So here goes.

We are pleased to present to our readers an exchange of letters (in the modern format of emails) between a fourth-year medical student from Singapore and one of our most distinguished senior cardiothoracic surgeons.

To be reading this, you either already are or are on the way to becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon. Career choice is no longer an issue. The important concern going forward on your career pathway is the quality of your life, both in its professional and personal aspects.