For Med Students/Doctor/Surgeons only (smart people only)

[invictus]

I was just curious, if any of the  Med Students/Doctor/Surgeons (smart people) played the piano or a good musician. Because I noticed most of the med students and healthcare people(it takes quite some grades to get into a med school just so that you know, about a GPA of 3.7 is required, and for IB system, its 37 points total) are good musicians and pianists. Perhaps more steadier hands?

[dinosaurtales]

Well, there are some smart people who do not go to med school.   Some of "us" do math or compters, as an example.  And in my experience, some very fine musicians are mathematicians or computer scientists by "trade".   I don't think it has anything to do with steady hands.  More to do with general upbringing and discipline. 

[brewtality]

 Fyi, not only doctors are smart.
My sister just got into medicine at the uni of melbourne, an IB score of 37 would definitely not be enough to get in (she got 45). She isn't that great at piano, she plays things like military polonaise, intermediate level pieces. I don't think there is necessarily a correlation.

[canardroti]

I honestly don't believe that doctors are doctors because they are smart. As a matter of fact there are alot of idiot doctor that got their degree somehow but don't know how to treat patients at all.
It's like the piano , some are good because they work extremely hard  and others get good because they have a natural talent for it.

You also say that most med students are good musicians or pianist.
I highly doubt that MOST med students actually play music at all anymore since they're so busy studying medecine.  Of course there are exceptions and  I have met some.
But out of 100 med students, i'd only say 20 actually know anything about music.

[violinist]

I had to temporarily give up any serious violin playing for my medical/surgical training.  For that matter, I've given up tons of sleep too.  I trained (residency) in the era before they limited the time in the US to 88 hours of work per week (80 hours plus a allowable 10%).

I don't know if playing an instrument has anything do with being smart.  There are probably theories of playing while you're very young and it develops certain parts of the mind (ie - music playing ability). 

For me, I know that my music has hurt my grades many many times.  When I was in high school, my parents would try to make me stop practicing (violin) so that I would focus more on school work.  And I still remember the comment said to me: " if you only worked as hard on your school work as you do on the violin, you might actually get good grades."  Heck, I graduated Validictorian anyway (got lucky?).  Many of the top students in medical school didn't play any instruments at all.  They have always been super focused on grades and studying and had no time for music, I guess.  The exception is another surgeon I know who graduated #1 from her medical school, that wanted to play piano as a child but her parents wouldn't let her have lessons, so she taught herself how to play (because there was a piano lying around in her house).   She stopped playing piano in highschool/college/medschool/residency/fellowship because she didn't have time and didn't have access to a piano.  Well, let's just say she made up for lost time by getting the Steinway B that sits in my house.  However, she and I have to fight over time on that piano.

[berrt]

I studied physics before doing medicine, and id say medicine required about 10% the intellectual capacity. There's a lot of hard work to do studying medicine, but concerning the "smartness" it's not so challenging.

B.

[zheer]

When i was very young, my father told me that we all have the same brain some of us use it and some of us dont. Well now that am a little older i realise that thats not the case, when i was 7 i knew something was wrong, i was bad at school, nothing i can do about that. So i believe that some people are just smarter than others. So yes you is have to be smart.

[pianistimo]

i've heard that guys grow into their brains.  seriously,  my son only does what is necessary in school - whereas my daughter is very meticulous and likes things exactly so.  but, in terms of quick thinking - my son is right on the spot many times. and, he's a computer whiz.  he has a lot of common sense - and if he would just try a little bit harder sometimes - he'd make really good grades.  teacher compatibility - someone who has faith in your abilities, etc. is hard to find for some guys that need more 'coaching' in academics.  my son takes a long time to write out everything - whereas my daughter loves handwriting.  one of my sons complaints is that by the time he writes down what was first said - he didn't hear the next idea. perhaps he's slightly dyslexic - but it doesn't slow him down in what he likes to do (computer games) and he types on the computer like a pro.  (180  wpm) he's figured out most of the games he plays and is at a pretty good level.  it's just that computer games and life don't really mix - unless your a gamer (designer) which he says he wants to be.  i just don't want him to drop out.  how to get him to want to go to college?  my grandmother basically handed my step-dad a suitcase after buying him a one way ticket to college.  she literally kicked him out.  then he got there, studied engineering, and found he was really good at it.

i'm not a 'smart' person either - in the sense of being told i should be a doctor/surgeon/lawyer etc.  but, my daughter just brought back her terra nova testing and got 96 in reading 98 in language 98 in math.  terra nova is national testing - so i was fairly shocked.  sometimes i don't think i deserve her as a daughter and i don't know exactly how to keep her on this 'roll.'  she seems to do it herself.  she is very self-motivated - and even gets herself up in the morning - (unlike my son at her age - whom we used to threaten with glasses of water).  anyway, as i see it - they'll each come into their own at different ages.  i'm hoping my son will go to college and decide he wants to do more than the minimum.  i think he will if it is something he likes.  (he's more feeling oriented - and doesn't like to do what he doesn't feel like doing. i tried to explain that you can 't go by feelings - but i need a taser with him).  it bugs me that neither of them really want to play piano - but my daughter sings.  am vasillating back and forth if i should try to get her to take piano lessons if my teacher would take her.  he seemed willing - and it would be an opportunity for her - but i don't want to burden my teacher if she doesn't practice. 

[teresa_b]

I studied physics before doing medicine, and id say medicine required about 10% the intellectual capacity. There's a lot of hard work to do studying medicine, but concerning the "smartness" it's not so challenging.

B.

--Er, what is "doing" medicine?  And as a doctor, I wouldn't speculate on the percentage of mental capacity it takes.  That old cliche about using 10% or 20% of your brain, etc, has been proven to be nonsense.  Let's just say, when you are treating patients, you had better give it 100%.

Teresa

P.S. Everyone knows smart and not-so-smart people in all fields.

[berrt]

And as a doctor, I wouldn't speculate on the percentage of mental capacity it takes. Let's just say, when you are treating patients, you had better give it 100%.
P.S. Everyone knows smart and not-so-smart people in all fields.

Sorry, if it was not perfectly clear (just my limited smartness )
Having studied both, my estimation is physic requires much more intellectal capacity. There are, of course, extremely intelligent medical doctors.
In any profession, you'd better give 100%, including the brain .

B.

[ako]

Everyone is smart in something. Being a doctor doesn't make you any "smarter" than an ice-skater per se. Getting into med school might mean you can "do school" better, have better discipline to study, or have better organizational skills, etc..  It bothers me that the title of this topic suggests that doctors are "better" than everyone else. BTW, back in the 50s and 60s in China, only those who did not have high enough scores to get into engineering majors in universities went into pre-med...

Now to get back to your topic...I think because being good in school requires some of the same skills that are needed to succeed in music and sports, such as discipline and dedication, that is why you see "smart" people being good at music...

[drjames]

There are many doctors who excel in many things other than medicine, (and some who don't excel in that).  You don't choose to study medicine just because you are smart. You can major in anything you want; music, art, history, math, physics, etc. and still go to medical school and be a doctor.  One of my fellow residents had a masters degree in music from the University of Indiana. In my medical school class we had a lawyer, a PhD in sociology, many nurses, a dentist and even a funeral director all who decided they wanted to study medicine and had the background to get into medical school.  Physicians pursue many activities outside of medicine.  Several of my collegues are in bands, (bluegrass and jazz to name two).  One is a gourmet chef who trained in France.  For others medicine is their hobby and that is what they do even in their time off.  The point is that doctors are regular people who have chosen a profession for a variety of reasons but one that takes a lot of time and dedication.  After I finished medical school I was convinced that any of my highschool/college friends could have done the same thing if that was what they really wanted.  Do what you love to do.  I am in awe of anybody who is good at just about anything.   James 

[6ft 4]

so what this poll is only for medics and only for people who go on piano forum, and therefore are pretty much guarenteed to have played the thing.

kinda bit pointless poll dont ya think

in my year of 310 med students we have 2 serious piano players and around 30 or so who just passed grade 8 and stopped.

btw, drjames nice post, can tell u'll make/are already a good doctor

[jehangircama]

i don't know about docs, but quite a few physicists seems to have been good musicians. eistein, for eg, i've heard was nearly a concert level violinist. then here in india, one of our leading physicists, the now late Dr. Ramanna (phd not medical btw) was a concert pianist. there are a couple more but i can't remember atm.

[ellobello]

see a bunch of PianoDocs https://talents.doctorsdome.center/en/category/pianodocs

and PianoDocs master-classes www.pianoforte.best

have fun!