Physicians are often grateful to patients. Frequently their determination and resilience in dealing with illness inspires us and helps us cope with the challenges of life.
Similarly we are grateful to students, residents, and fellows. A good trainee questions his mentor. A good trainee supplies his mentor with new perspectives. A good trainee keeps an old attending young. Seneca, a Roman philosopher, noted this reward from teaching 2000 years ago in observing, “When we teach, we learn.” Recently a former student called me for advice. In the process, the mentor became the mentee.