solve the cases through paranormal means . Somehow this lie worked , and thus Psych Private Detective Agency was born . For the remainder of the show , Shawn solves crime after crime while maintaining the lie he has created .
Though he was not the role model of morality , I idolized the character . He had all the wit and humor I aspired to , and I thought his ability to see a whole room – then key in on just a few small details no one else had noticed – was fascinating . As a kid , I would hold my fingers to my temple and squint my eyes just as he did in the show examining the scene trying to focus on the smallest details . I remember my mom taking me to a playground and instead of taking off to the slide like the other kids , I stood off at a distance striking my Shawn pose and watching all the suspects . My mom must have thought there was something seriously wrong with me .
As I matured , my love for investigating stuck with me , and when I started college , I was planning to pursue a career as a detective like my fictional idol , except in a more traditional and legal manner . Yet , throughout my first year , I started to be drawn more and more towards medicine as the parallels between the two are quite striking . Both professions seek to understand unknown truths through the study of various clues , patterns and signs . Yet the two differ in their effect . A detective ’ s purpose is to uncover the truth to provide justice while a doctor ’ s purpose is to reach the truth for the sake of healing . I love the nature of both professions , as that same essence drives many of my interests . When it comes to movies , I gravitate towards those which keep their secrets until the very end . While watching , to the annoyance of my friends and family , I always try to guess the big reveal or what details are clues that lead to it . I have been told by some that I am not the most fun person to watch horror movies with since I sleuth out the scares and twist endings .
Additionally , I was an expert at guessing the culprit in each episode of Scooby-Doo ( the merit of that as a good indicator of a successful detective I will let you decide ). Admittedly , perhaps shamefully , I found myself fond of The Bachelor franchise over the years for similar reasons . While many watch for the drama and some the romance , I watched for the editors . With each conversation , they interweave music to direct how the audience should feel about a contestant . If this is a contestant we are supposed to fall in love with , just as the lead does , then the music will be more romantic . But if this is “ just a friend ” then the music may be wackier . Each teaser trailer for the show is jam-packed with details that can point an observant viewer towards who the final pick is , and I dissected each teaser as though it were a cadaver .
The process of uncovering the truth has always been my drive . Whether it is in simple things such as TV or more complex and deeper truths such as my faith , I find the purity of truth to be invigorating . It was at the end of my second year , back in school following my treatment , that I had to choose which direction for my career . I had two offers on the table for summer internships , one with the FBI and another as a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine . While the idea of solving the unsolvable cold criminal cases while driving around with a partner and a cool mustache was quite alluring , I could not escape my desire to heal others . Whether it be in my research or in my clinical practice , I will have the ability to investigate cases and engage my mind in examining clues and patterns to lead me to the truth of a diagnosis .
While I am certain of my future in medicine , I still see the shades of the detective I could have been . Still , rather than closing cases , my inner detective can directly impact others ’ lives . I will leave you with this recent example : it hits close to home as one of my most emotionally challenging cases to date .
Last year , I started to notice my dad was talking less and less to me when I called him . In the past , he would speak for hours , but as the year went on , I could barely get a sentence out of him . When he came to visit me in September , he played the piano in my home . He has always been a top-of-the-line pianist , but when he played then , he uncharacteristically missed notes . I now had two clues that something wasn ’ t right . During winter break , I interviewed my key witness , my mom , who stated she had noticed my dad had seemed more depressed over the past few months and his behavior seemed more docile . The case in front of me started to come into focus and I started to mentally put all the clues together . I asked my mom about my dad ’ s parents ; for my grandparents had passed away before I was old enough to know them , and she told me that grandma had passed away from a stroke after years of dementia . The evidence became overwhelming and putting all the pieces together it was difficult to tell my mom that he likely has early dementia .
In detective work , as in medicine , not all cases have a happy answer . Yet , home during winter break , I was able to gather all the clues together to be able to help my family realize the truth of my dad ’ s condition . By knowing this truth , they feel able to support him better . In the past two months , my mom says he is happier than he has ever been . While knowing the truth does not mean we can cure my dad of his condition , it does mean that we can give him a better life for as long as he has it . Before I left to return to school , I sat and watched an episode of Psych with my dad for ole time ’ s sake . While we watched , he looked at me , remembering my childhood ambitions , and said , “ You know you would have made a pretty good detective .”
To which I replied , “ I know , dad , if I wasn ’ t meant to be a doctor I could have been the next Shawn .”
This essay was a submission to the 2024 Richard Spear , MD , Memorial Essay Contest .
Phillip Harter is a first-year graduate student in the MD / PhD program at the University of Louisville School of Medicine .
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