One of my all-time favourite books is “The Final Diagnosis” by Arthur Hailey. The two main
characters are the protagonist Joe Pearson – an aging, cranky pathologist with very rigid views –
and David Coleman, the young head of the hospital. It results in a classic conflict between
experience and youth. In the climax, Joe Pearson makes a wrong diagnosis which results in the
death of a newborn baby – and has to resign. This excerpt from the book, which is the final
conversation between Joe and David – gives me the goosebumps every time, because it is a
passionate plea for lifelong learning. (The highlighting in bold is mine)
“You’re young,” Pearson said. “You’re full of spice and vinegar—that’s good. You know your
stuff too. You’re up to date—you know things that I never did, never will now. Take my advice
and try to keep it that way. It’ll be tough to do; make no mistake about it.” He waved toward the
desk he had just vacated. “You’ll sit in that chair and the phone will ring, and it’ll be the
administrator—talking about budgets. Next minute one of the lab staff will want to quit; and you’ll
have to smooth that out. Then someone wanting some piece of information. And when you’re
through seeing him there’ll be another and another and another. Until at the end of a day you’ll
wonder what happened to it and what you’ve accomplished, what you’ve achieved.”
Pearson stopped and Coleman waited. He went on, “That’s the way the next day can go, and
the next, and the one after that. Until you find a year has slipped by, and another, and another.
And while you’re doing all this you’ll send other people on courses to hear about the new things
