Shouldn’t You Know That ?

 

One unintended consequence of becoming a doctor is now apparent–everyone assumes you should know everything there is to know about the human body, from head to toe. Hell, the last Iattended a biochemistry class was more than a decade ago and I had to defend my right not to know an answer to a question from my badminton mate:

Mate: Why are you supposed to work out in the morning?
Me (bullshitting): Hmm. Maybe because your glycogen levels are high in the early morning, so your body will be forced to use its fat reserves first?
Mate: Really? Because I would think that…
Me: Okay, okay, I have no idea.
Mate: Shouldn’t you know that? Aren’t you a doctor?
Me: I don’t know! I’m not a dietician!

But I’m guilty of it, too. I’ve said the exact same thing to my dad (an Orthopaedician) on numerous occasions.

Me (pubescent teenager): Dad, why does it hurt when I go like this?
Dad: I don’t know. Don’t go like that.
Me (scathing, bratty, “God, my parents are so dumb”): Shouldn’t you know that? Aren’t you a doctor?

So now the tables are turned. But the thing is, I kinda feel like, “Yeah, I should know that,” although I don’t understand many things well enough yet to integrate all my knowledge. I mean, yeah, I guess I’m supposed to know everything, but… everything? That’s… kind of a lot isn’t it …..??