I volunteered as a candy striper. I went to a fine university and medical school. Pennies were pinched to make tuition payments. I gave up the trips to the beach and the family vacations. Along the way, I learned the classic methods of conducting a history and physical exam. I bought the fancy stethoscope. I learned to poke, prod, start the IV lines, and insert all the tubes.
I completed four years of post-graduate training in emergency medicine, which included hundreds of sleepless nights on call. I finally landed my first job as an emergency medicine attending physician in a large community hospital in Virginia.