In medicine it is really better to have learnt and lost...

When I climbed up the two flights of stairs to reach the anatomy floor, the distinct pungent odour of formalin tickled my nostrils and as I looked up I found my eyes transfixed by a fresco of a human skeleton standing nonchalantly with a skeleton under his/her (I still don't know if that skeleton was a male/female :) )left hand with the words that would soon become a part of my life; "In anatomy it is better to have learnt and lost than never to have learnt at all." Obviously, I didn't realize how profound this statement was because I hadn't been confronted by anything like learning human anatomy. I later realized that no matter how much we studied in medicine not just anatomy, there were always going to be things which we would forget; things which we wouldn't use for years on end; concepts which would change everyday and life would only become more complex. I realized that a lot stuff we were studying was not going to appear on tests; would not affect patient care; would not make a difference to anyone but we studied it anyway! Then there was all that stuff which was going to make all the difference; stuff which was going to change lives and that was the kind of stuff you didn't want to ever forget. Unfortunately you realize a lot of this only in retrospect. This theme carries on to residency as well. I really wouldn't want to forget any of the stuff I am learning, reading, hearing everyday but if you don't use it; you lose it. The joy of understanding a concept and applying it probably surpasses any other; but what happens to all the other stuff? I hope I can keep learning for the joy of learning but at the same time not lose heart if I forget something but study it all over again like I will never forget!