Some of the best advice I ever received was that, once you get beyond medical school, most of your learning is self-directed. People will teach you. They’ll answer questions, supervise you, and create opportunities for you to learn. But by the time you’re an intern, resident, or fellow, there’s an expectation that you’ll do your part to seek out the experiences and knowledge you need. There won’t always be formal lectures or someone telling you exactly what to read next. A lot of learning comes from paying attention, asking questions, reading on your own, and making the most of the patients you take care of. I remember a fellow apologizing because they needed to miss a day on service. They were worried it would leave me shorthanded. I told them something I’ve said to other trainees over the years: I don’t need you to be there. I mean that in the kindest possible way. I can manage the service and take care of the patients. The reason I want you there is because you’re learning. Every patient, every family meeting, every procedure, every conversation with a consultant, every note you write is part of becoming the physician you’ll eventually be. My role is to help create that environment, but I can’t do the learning for you. I think that’s one of the biggest transitions in medical training. At some point, your education becomes less about what someone teaches you and more about what you choose to learn from the opportunities in front of you.