“It’s all about lines – the finish line at the end of residency, waiting in line for a chance at the operating table, and then there’s the most important line – the line separating you from the people you work with. It doesn’t help to get too familiar, to make friends. You need boundaries between you and the rest of the world. It’s all about lines. Drawing lines in the sand, and praying like hell no one crosses them.”
“At some point, you have to make a decision. Boundaries don’t keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That’s how we’re made. So you can waste your life drawing lines…or you can live your life crossing them. But there are some lines…that are way too dangerous to cross. Here’s what I know. If you’re willing to take the chance…the view from the other side…is spectacular.”