Every now and then, a patient will bring me new insights and knowledge, such as lessons on rare diseases that I would not have learned if I had not seen them in person. These rare patients … instilled in me the ability to be hyper-observant and detail oriented.

Nadia Falah reflects on a patient with a rare genetic condition and how learning to become a physician entails far more than simply passing an exam.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the February 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.