I was intrigued by the report on Sho Yano, the boy genius whose IQ is off the charts, propelling him to college status at the tender age of 9 (Page 1, Oct. 1). My interest is especially piqued because I may be teaching him in three years should he continue his medical studies at Loyola.
But a first-year medical student at age 12? The fallacy is that if you have the smarts, you will be a good doctor. The reality is that the competent delivery of excellent health care also depends upon carefully honed people skills of the medical practitioners. And people skills come from life experiences and social situations encountered with many different people types acquired over time.
Juxtaposed alongside the triumphs of Sho was the tragedy of an unnamed Palestinian boy and his father. Caught in the crossfire between Israelis and Arabs in the Gaza Strip, the son’s life was snuffed out at age 12. What God-given gifts to him has the world lost with his passing?
