Quality

While talking about the academic qualification of prospective medical students, there is a related consideration that involves a deeper water.

Let me explain in a convoluted manner.

To begin with, you may recall some medical schools, such as ours, and contrary to our sister institute across the Victoria Harbour, emphasize the humanistic quality of future doctors. In addition to having a reasonable and all-rounded intellectual capability, they should show personalities that are (believed to be) important for good doctors: honest, empathetic, good team workers, and eager to help anyone in need.

But, hold on. Do we not expect the same characters in our country leaders, backbenchers, lawyers, nurses, and - seriously - cashiers of the McDonald's nearby?

In other words, these are qualities we expect for every (ideal) citizen in a modern society. For the general public, such an expectation is psychologically projected to doctors because, unfortunately, not all ordinary citizens are in the possession of these desirable characters, but doctors should be able to do a bit better. And, for the administrators of medical schools, such a declaration is a blind. It pleases the general public, and it serves other realistic purposes.

I shall not elaborate further.