In defence of eponyms.

pick them up as they finished a leisurely cup of coffee. The difference is that I know that if I forgo that ward round and later discover that something is amiss I will have to spend the whole evening there sorting it out, instead of doing whatever I had planned for what we consultants laughingly call "off duty." The candidates also need to see some of the professional satisfaction and the heartache that each day brings. I also suggest to them that, to make their decision to apply to medical school, they should spend one or two days with a hospital consultant, such as myself, perhaps a week with their general practitioner, and a fortnight on the "executive side" actually doing something with the sick, such as working in an old folks' home or a handicapped children's home. If, after all of this, they still feel comfortable with this environment, are not revolted, and are not physically or mentally overtired then they have the potential to go into medicine, qualify, and find a fulfilling niche.