Tomorrow's doctors - the place of creativity

Many doctors have creative talents to be proud of – among our own medically qualified friends and colleagues are performing musicians, published poets and more than one painter. These days there is no question that they would need not only to enjoy, but to trade upon, these skills if they were competing for a place at medical school. Those of us who face the awesome responsibility of deciding between applicants for medical school, most of whom are destined to gain exam results we only dreamed about for ourselves, let alone hope for our children, cannot help but take note of potential tie-breakers, such as Distinction in Grade 8 piano or regular starring roles in school productions. We set the 18-year-old applicant the daunting task of studying for A levels, carrying out relevant work experience (which is increasingly difficult to come by unless you are fortunate enough to know professionals in the field) and being a sporting or creative high achiever. We do this in the hope of attracting outstanding, yet rounded, individuals. However, two issues come to mind in relation to this aspect of the selection process. First, do we give equal weight to the full range of creative activities with which a young person may engage? Secondly, do we protect, nurture and harness the roots of creativity and self-expression which are potentially sown by these early pursuits and value the various ways in which their engagement continues beyond the moment they send off their UCAS form? On the first question, those of us assessing potential