It's not that he had a vocation or anything like that; it was handy for him and convenience is everything, he takes after me in the important things.
I had explained beforehand not to be expecting any drama, and we weren't disappointed. A morning surgery of UTIs, anxiety, sick certs and passport forms gave him a clear understanding of the true nature of a GP's high and noble calling.
'Thanks for that dad,' he dead-panned, 'you've certainly given me a lot to think about', and he is now studying politics, carousing away his student grant and his dad's blood money.
The morning wasn't totally wasted; I did learn something. Aspiring medical students now have to take an aptitude test, and there are a whole flock of these; UKCAT, BMAT, KOWPAT (OK, I made that one up), with the apparently irreproachable goal of testing them for emotional skills and empathy. It's also, apropos of nothing, a useful little earner, the students have to pay £75 for the privilege of entering.
As money-making attempts go it's not bad, because it is nonsense. It is unlikely any doctor was involved in the development of this cash cow, as any doctor would know that medicine is a broad church, with little niches for every personality type.
If you enjoy a chat, try psychiatry; if you like fiddling around, try ENT or ophthalmology. If you are emotionally deprived and prefer to avoid human contact, try radiology or pathology or microbiology or orthopaedic surgery.
Even within general practice there is room for a plethora of personality types.
My partner is warm and inviting, like a cuddly teddy-bear. I am cool and aloof and cerebral and, above all, apathetic.
I checked out the HPAT online; the format included 'The Non-Cognitive Analysis subtest', in which 'aspects of a candidates' empathy, integrity, honesty or robustness are assessed by a series of questions over 30 minutes'.
I thought I might take test myself, see if I was suited to be a doctor, but it took too long to download, I kinda got bored and went back to googling Kylie Minogue (images).
That's my apathy playing up again.
