Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings January 2014, Volume 27, Number 1 | Page 67

your patients get the best specific care for their condition—not
“managed care.” (Is there a better oxymoron than “managed
care”?) The most important role of a future physician will be as
a strong patient advocate!
So there you have it, Class of 2017. Welcome to the exciting profession of medicine. You are being given the opportunity to be part of the greatest of all professions, at its greatest
moment. You can grow as a human being, in knowledge, in
technical skill, in the very goodness of your being, to reach
the pinnacle of your gifts and talents as you care for others.

January 2014

You come here with a “tiny” flame burning inside of you.
We plan as teachers to throw a few logs on that flame and
create what the French call “the sacred fire,” that incredible,
wonderful, unquenchable desire to maximize one’s knowledge and talent. Yes, today you begin the longest journey
of your life, so the philosophers say, the journey that brings
the talents and skills of the mind and hands to the heart and
extends them further in the service of others. And as you do,
remember the patient, the patient, the patient. He needs you
now as never before.

Looking back and looking forward: The white coat lecture

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