Recently, I have read a book where I have found a very incentive phrase: “If you seek to improve

yourself with every passing day, if you believe in what you are doing, and have the courage to
pursue your dreams, then you will find your path of heart” (Smart, Nelson, Doherty, 2005). This
phrase suggests me an idea of how many people really like sincerely their profession and put the
soul into their job? Have you ever seen a person who loves his or her own job very much, and who
found the path of heart and really engage in some sphere? I have, and this person was Dr. Asher
Tulsky, Associate Professor of Medicine in the University of Pittsburg and doctor of internal
medicine. Dr. Tulsky came to Nazarbayev University to give us, students of Pre-Medical School, the
lecture about physical and radiological examination.

Dr. Tulsky explained us the ways of examining patients using both some simple techniques and
more complicated equipment for radiologic imaging. Probably, the most exciting for the students
was the visiting of National Diagnostic Center where Dr. Tulsky and other physicians showed and
explained us how such equipment as MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging), CT scan (Computer
tomography), PET (Positron emission tomography), ultrasound and some other equipment, is used
for examination and detecting various diseases. We were able to see the use of these techniques in
addition, this was the first hospital visit as pre-med students for most of us so, I, for instance, left an
indelible impression after this hospital visit.

In addition to that, Dr. Tulsky kindly agreed to come to the meeting of our Pre-Med club to tell more
about his work and to give us a master-class of physical exam. I understood, on this meeting, that
the person who finds his path of heart is not only interested in one sphere, because Dr. Tulsky was
answering questions about many different spheres starting from stem cells till the proper way of
communicating with different patients, how to say patients some bad news in a way that will not
affect them severely. In addition, he shared with us his view about how to become successful and
not to be “burned out” (become exhausted mentally and feel sick from the job), and this advise
would be useful not only for the future doctors and scientists, but for everyone. The professor said
that in order to become successful we need to work hard and to be developed in different spheres.
For example, Dr. Tulsky in addition to MD degree has Bachelor degree in Comparative Literature.
Unusually, but still, I can only admire this person, his self-control, calmness, kindness,
professionalism and tolerance to the mistakes of people, because according to Dr. Tulsky every
person can make mistakes, thus the system in hospitals needs to be improved to avoid some
mistakes of doctors and nurses, and to prevent harming patients. Finally, he told us that we should
have healthy lifestyle i.e. to have enough sleep, to have a good nutrition and to make exercises. In
addition, it will be better to have some activity that is not related to your job, in order not to be tired
of your work. This is very common guideline, but from Dr. Tulsky this sounded like a dogma or an
axiom, and involuntarily you start to follow these simple rules, even if you did not follow these rules
in the past.
 Reference

Smart, J., Nelson, S. & Doherty, J. (2005). Planning a life in medicine. New York, NY: Princeton
Review Publishing, L.L.C.
“You're getting older, and you'll see that life isn't like your fairy tales. The world is a cruel
place. And you'll learn that, even if it hurts.” Pan’s labyrinth

When I was a kid I loved to read fairy-tales and myths so much, more than playing hide-and-
seek or football with my elder brothers and their friends. My mom was always concerned that
her skinny pale daughter was interested in nothing but studying and reading books. My dad, in
contrast, enjoyed when I was telling him my most favorite tales. This was my world. I believed
in existence of all creatures that were described in the fairy-tales of various nations. I believed
in elves and fairies, brownies, monsters, wizards and witches, dwarfs, goblins, angels and
demons, the Olympic Gods and Greek heroes, speaking animals and many more. All these
creatures were important for me even if everyone was trying to prove that they do not exist.

Maybe, it sounds quite odd, but I never stopped dreaming about becoming a character of every
single book that I have read, even if these were no longer fairy-tales and myths, but these
were books “for adults”. Well, of course, I am not saying that I became a grown-up as soon as
I have started reading “adult” novels, but this was an important stage of transitioning to more
complicated literature.

I think that all the tales that I read during my childhood played an essential role in my life
(apart from upbringing by my family). First, they helped to develop my imagination and
memory. Second, all the book characters taught me a lot about moral and immoral behavior,
kindness and cruelty, bravery and cowardice, honesty and lie, sensitiveness, and desire for
knowledge. Of course, I did not think much about deep philosophical meaning of every book I
read when I was a kid (common, who does that at 7 or 10 years old?). However,
unconsciously, I wanted to become develop in myself the features and skills of positive
characters, although I understand now that there is nothing absolute in this world. Lastly,
those tales laid the foundation for sincere love of reading books in me, so, now, I cannot
imagine my life without books.

To conclude, I would like to say, please, do not tell your kids, no matter if they are 7, 10 or 14,
that magic and tales are unrealistic! They will calm down when the right time comes. Your
children will stop living only in fairy-tales, and will learn to balance their beliefs, when the
RIGHT time for THEM comes. The benefit that they will get from reading is enormous both for
them and for the society, because they will become good persons with the great tendency to
make this world better!

LN