To become a doctor, you have to be exceptional and obedient. Straight A’s. Well behaved. Well liked. As @marybowdenmd explains, nearly a decade of training then reinforces conformity — stay in line, stay in your lane, don’t deviate. Little control over time, little autonomy. And today, most physicians aren’t independent. They’re employed. When personality, training, and conformity all point in the same direction, it’s worth asking: How much space is left for independent thinking?