We’ve been sold so many lies over the years. The “you’ll be happy when…” set comes immediately to mind.
You know how those go…
You’ll be happy when you graduate.
You’ll be happy when you get that new car
You’ll be happy when you get married.
And on and on.
The answer there, of course, is BE HAPPY NOW. It’s the processes, not the arriving.
Another one that grinds my gears is: “Memorizing isn’t useful. You need to understand, not memorize.”
This is the age-old problem of knowledge vs. wisdom
And, in a time when you can Google, is information really useful anymore?
This question is the WRONG question.
We are being sold on an argument that doesn’t make any sense. Knowledge and wisdom are two sides of the same coin. You CAN’T have one without the other. You can’t do higher level math without memorizing multiplication tables.
You can’t do surgery if you haven’t memorized anatomy. How would you feel if your surgeon brought his anatomy book into the OR?
(Side note: a surgical PA I know, when a patient asks what he does in the OR, he always says, “I turn the pages.”)
There are things you need to memorize. Sometimes memorizing is easier if you have a thorough understanding. Sometimes it’s just memorizing.
Do not discount memorization. Memorization is the foundation to be able to use wisdom.
The good news is that you can work on memorization AND understanding by listening to the PAER podcast. Get every episode right in your pocket. Every topic on the NCCPA blueprint covered by yours truly.
Find out how here:
https://www.physicianassistantexamreview.com/podcast
Brian Wallace
