Finishing the Hat

This piece acknowledges the long and difficult road to becoming a fully qualified surgeon.

The as-yet unfinished nature of the piece is reflective of the fact that the process is never finished - there is always something new to learn. At time of writing. I have already been making major life decisions based on the fact that I want to pursue medicine for over eight years - it will be at the very least another twelve years until I would be considered fully qualified as a surgeon.

The piece is inspired by the Sondheim song "Finishing the Hat", from the musical Sunday in the Park with George, which charts the difficulties of needing to fervently pursue your passions in a way that is incompatible with leading a normal life. We pay a price for our successes and our commitments - something of how we engage with the world at large. our friends and family, is lost. This is of especial significance for women, who often shoulder the brunt of famity commitments - it is perhaps unsurprisingly that surgery remains the speciality with the lowest proportion of female representation. The surgical pathway takes a lot from you, but at the end of the process, at least you get a hat.