What am I bringing to medicine – one word only, thanks.

August 12, 2011 11:41 AM

Help me answer in one word, "what I will bring to medicine," for my white coat ceremony.

So I'm starting medical school and doing my white coat ceremony this afternoon. Apparently the school thinks it's a great idea to ask each student (out of an entering class about 150) 'what they will bring to medicine' summed up in one word.

While I'm a creative person, I think that there will be far too many instances of 'compassion' and 'caring,' and I want have a word that's unique (ironic right, that I'm coming to you guys), but I figured the hivemind > my mind in this case.

Help me pick a word that's unique, but not too far out there. (Last year's entering class had an instance of bringing 'sexy back' which I found funny, but really don't want to do.)

Thanks!

posted by kurosawa's pal to human relations (84 answers total)

Me.
posted by The World Famous at 11:45 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]

Snacks
posted by OmieWise at 11:45 AM on August 12, 2011 [4 favorites]

Well, why don't you tell us what you think you will bring, and then we will condense it? It's hard for us to give you a word based on your post so far.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:45 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

integrity (I hope so)
posted by uans at 11:46 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Science
Logic
Thought
Insight
Skepticism
Open-mindedness (if hyphenation makes it one word)
Determination
Vigilance
Perseverance
Passion


Or, you know...
A stethoscope
Debt
posted by croutonsupafreak at 11:46 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Cures, hopefully.
posted by michaelh at 11:47 AM on August 12, 2011

my suggestions:
- lamp
- rage
- pain
- bills
- confusion
- cancer
posted by fozzie33 at 11:47 AM on August 12, 2011

Rigour is inappropriate right?
posted by unlaced at 11:47 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Humility
posted by jon1270 at 11:48 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]

In a Mr Burns voice, "Exxxxxcelllence"
posted by teleri025 at 11:48 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

Pants.
posted by bondcliff at 11:48 AM on August 12, 2011

It.
posted by dirtdirt at 11:48 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

- style
- good-looks
- sensible nature
posted by fozzie33 at 11:49 AM on August 12, 2011

Humanity.
posted by julthumbscrew at 11:49 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Patients
posted by Garm at 11:50 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Irony. (Then stare thoughtfully into the middle distance.)
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 11:50 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

"The willingness to buck the rules, swim upstream, and think outside the box."
posted by villanelles at dawn at 11:51 AM on August 12, 2011 [6 favorites]

Too bad "this white coat" is three words.
posted by activitystory at 11:53 AM on August 12, 2011

The fact that you're able to solicit advice from random strangers who know nothing about your actual goals just shows what an empty exercise this is going to be.

I see 2 possible approaches. Either say what everyone else is going to say: determination, passion, integrity, diligence, etc. Or give a jokey answer to stand out, e.g. stethoscopes.
posted by John Cohen at 11:53 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]

Honesty
Trustworthiness
posted by desjardins at 11:54 AM on August 12, 2011

engagement
promise
fascination
?
posted by iliketolaughalot at 11:55 AM on August 12, 2011

Compassion.
Brilliance.
Humility.
posted by jillithd at 11:56 AM on August 12, 2011

Hope!
posted by headspace at 11:59 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Awesomeness.
posted by elizardbits at 12:01 PM on August 12, 2011

Well, how do you see yourself? What brings you to medical school?

I've just finished a round of testing fourth-year medical students on their clinical skills. Some qualities that have stood out to me in the last couple of weeks: gravitas, tenacity, openness, precision, diligence, friendliness, candor, humaneness, sincerity, charm.

If I had to choose one quality that separates the great students from the good students, it'd be joy. (What separates the terrible from the merely lousy is usually confidence. For God's sake, do not say "confidence".)
posted by sculpin at 12:01 PM on August 12, 2011 [5 favorites]

Cookies!
posted by workerant at 12:02 PM on August 12, 2011

Bass

as in music, not fish
posted by kanemano at 12:02 PM on August 12, 2011

Rhythm
posted by unlaced at 12:04 PM on August 12, 2011

Progress.
posted by davejay at 12:06 PM on August 12, 2011

Plastics.
posted by Wet Spot at 12:07 PM on August 12, 2011

Life
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:09 PM on August 12, 2011

I dare you to say "crabs"!
posted by jabes at 12:09 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

"panache"
posted by rmd1023 at 12:09 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

Billables.
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:12 PM on August 12, 2011

I do like "gravitas."
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:15 PM on August 12, 2011

Science. Or, alternatively: epistemology (i.e. "the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion").
posted by jedicus at 12:17 PM on August 12, 2011

One of the great ideals of the Italian Rennaisance:

Sprezzatura

the ability of the courtier to display “an easy facility in accomplishing difficult actions which hides the conscious effort that went into them.”[2

In other words, you will work so hard and be so outstandingly excellent you'll make it look easy-or as if you were born to it, if you prefer.

All my best doctors have had this, and I think they knew it, too.
posted by jamjam at 12:23 PM on August 12, 2011 [8 favorites]

Leeches!
posted by bcwinters at 12:24 PM on August 12, 2011 [7 favorites]

flexibility
posted by advicepig at 12:25 PM on August 12, 2011

Myself.
Everything.
Dedication.
Devotion.
Intention.
posted by kate blank at 12:25 PM on August 12, 2011

Integrity
posted by Mercaptan at 12:25 PM on August 12, 2011

Awesomesauce.

But actually, integrity for sure.
posted by The Michael The at 12:27 PM on August 12, 2011

Doesn't have any connection to spelling, by the way.
posted by jamjam at 12:28 PM on August 12, 2011

fun
posted by Wordwoman at 12:28 PM on August 12, 2011

"Debt"
posted by A Terrible Llama at 12:29 PM on August 12, 2011

Crowdsourcing
posted by turaho at 12:30 PM on August 12, 2011 [11 favorites]

Care.
posted by specialnobodie at 12:33 PM on August 12, 2011

Penmanship.

Ha, no. I second Hope.
posted by mochapickle at 12:36 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

Do you have any particular facial or clothing-based features?
In front of a crowd of people who only know you by appearance, you might get a laugh if you have a ponytail and you say "hair," if you stroke your beard and say "grooming," or if you're tall and say "farsightedness."
posted by randomination at 12:38 PM on August 12, 2011

elan
posted by Greg Nog at 12:39 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

legibility

kittens!
posted by jannw at 12:41 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Mintiness.
posted by jeffamaphone at 12:45 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Say "these", and then pull two fake machine-guns (or kittens) from inside your coat.
posted by novalis_dt at 12:52 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

Ethics
posted by BuffaloChickenWing at 12:55 PM on August 12, 2011

Potential
posted by Khazk at 1:02 PM on August 12, 2011

Litigation
posted by mosk at 1:03 PM on August 12, 2011

If you're feeling a bit misanthropic: Schadenfreude.
posted by Homo economicus at 1:09 PM on August 12, 2011

another for "integrity", but only if it's true.
posted by batmonkey at 1:14 PM on August 12, 2011

Thesauruses.
posted by kinetic at 1:18 PM on August 12, 2011

Beverages
Excelsior!
Expelliarmus!
posted by klarck at 1:28 PM on August 12, 2011

Flair. Just make sure you're wearing the minimum 15 pieces.
posted by Felicity Rilke at 1:30 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

pundemonium
posted by jannw at 1:35 PM on August 12, 2011

"Satan"

Then throw the horns.
posted by spinifex23 at 1:40 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

Lollipops.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 1:49 PM on August 12, 2011

pens ('cause they get stolen ALL THE TIME.)
posted by koroshiya at 2:17 PM on August 12, 2011

Cold hands. Or warm hands, depending on which one you think is funnier. I am also a fan of "snacks."
posted by Polyhymnia at 2:18 PM on August 12, 2011

iPad.
posted by GastrocNemesis at 2:59 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

"Yes."
posted by illenion at 3:37 PM on August 12, 2011

Research
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 3:42 PM on August 12, 2011

Kindness
posted by googlebombed at 3:46 PM on August 12, 2011

empathy
posted by bilabial at 3:46 PM on August 12, 2011

woozlewuzzle
posted by a robot made out of meat at 3:52 PM on August 12, 2011

Brevity.
posted by sleepingcbw at 4:04 PM on August 12, 2011

Humors
posted by BurnChao at 4:26 PM on August 12, 2011

FYI, there will be a med-ed professionalism person whose job it is to scowl at vaguely humorous statements, because WCS is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING EVER. Be prepared.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 4:50 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

I'm thinking you may have left for your ceremony already, but if not...

Jokey:
Perfection
Style/flair
Hippocracy (okay, that only works in print)
Talent/skill

Serious:
Mindfulness
Assiduousness
Selflessness
Consideration
posted by janerica at 5:01 PM on August 12, 2011

Honors.
posted by GastrocNemesis at 5:28 PM on August 12, 2011

I hope you let us know what you choose and how it goes.
posted by beccaj at 6:43 PM on August 12, 2011

Thank you all for your suggestions, as I was waiting in line at my white coat ceremony I was frantically paging through this thread on my smartphone and trying not to roll my eyes at the fifth mention of 'compassion'.

While some of you indicated that I had provided no background information, that was intentional. John Cohen hit the nail on the head. I felt the procedure was the sort of non-question that was more of a formality/tradition than anything that could really represent what I actually 'am bringing' to medical school. Thus, I was fishing for more 'humorous' things to make the crowd laugh. Especially after hearing a hundred or so 'compassions, empathy, etc' from most of the students, I figured the parents would appreciate a good chuckle.*

(*I believe that compassion, empathy and other similar qualities are indeed key to medicine, btw)

Thanks mochapickle! I felt that the penmanship one was especially hilarious, (having worked and volunteered with doctors for years) and apparently a lot of the medical professionals in attendance found that to be the case as well. Also I'm really glad I found that online, as I was something like tenth to last or so.

And a robot made out of meat was dead-on. The assistant dean had this hilarious scowl on his face as I made my way from the microphone to shake his hand.
posted by kurosawa's pal at 6:47 PM on August 12, 2011 [7 favorites]

Oh yay! Glad it worked -- it's all in the delivery, I think! Good luck in school.
posted by mochapickle at 7:39 PM on August 12, 2011

So you did say penmanship, in the end? I love that--funny but playful, not disrespectful. Good luck in school!
posted by sweetkid at 8:32 PM on August 12, 2011

Late to the game: equanimity.
posted by scalespace at 10:44 PM on August 12, 2011

As a consultant in the medical field I have to say penmanship is both funny and pertinent. It is a real problem that compromises patient care.

Glad it got a good laugh too!
posted by French Fry at 9:14 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

Tenacity.
posted by fancyoats at 11:25 AM on August 14, 2011