A veteran Australian doctor has revealed how a chaotic, last-minute shave in a hospital bathroom became a pivotal moment of self-discovery, steering him away from a career in surgery.
The Fateful Night Shift
Dr Andrew Miller clocked in for a night shift in the emergency department many years ago, sporting a scruffy beard. The date was early January, a traditional time for hospital staff to begin new terms and careers. A seasoned triage nurse took one look at him and delivered a blunt assessment of his "scrofulous" appearance, ordering him to shave before he frightened the patients.
Taking the nurse's advice to heart—a lesson he notes all junior doctors learn—Miller improvised badly. He scavenged a hospital razor and used thin liquid soap as shaving cream in a bathroom. After just three strokes, he rinsed to find the sink water running dark red. Looking in the mirror, he saw three angry, bleeding strips on his face.
A Damascene Revelation Amidst the Chaos
As he sat on a toilet lid, applying coarse paper towels that only worsened the haemorrhage, a profound realisation struck him. He had been contemplating training as a surgeon, but in that messy, uncomfortable moment, the answer became clear: he did not want to be a surgeon.
While he respects the vocation and has worked alongside many skilled surgeons, Miller understood it was not his true calling. The incident highlighted a deeper truth about the gap between one's job and one's identity. He reflected that investing too much of oneself in a career can lead to unhappiness, especially when that career eventually ends.
The Aftermath and a Lesson from the Full Moon
His emergence from the bathroom, face patched with toilet paper, drew unprecedented concern from his usually unflappable senior registrar. The department's tempo that night was already throbbing with the peculiar energy often associated with a full moon.
Dr Miller, who would later become a prominent voice in medicine, argues that sometimes, if we pay attention, life offers clear signs about who we are meant to be. The bloody shave was his sign, a visceral moment of clarity that prevented him from pursuing a path that was not his destiny.
He concludes that the episode taught him more than just poor shaving technique; it was a lesson in authenticity, urging people to recognise when they are poorly matched to their chosen vocation.
