Gnōthi sauton: Know yourself also as a professional

Reflections on identity, mentorship, and inner wisdom

A few days ago, during a session with my medical students on professional identity development, a deep question arose: Who are you beneath the white coat?

It wasn’t a technical or academic question. It was existential. An invitation to go beyond protocols, beyond your CV or clinical achievements. A call to look inward.

What came to mind was Gnōthi sauton, “know yourself,” the inscription from the Temple of Delphi. A phrase that has transcended centuries and is still just as relevant today. It became the seed for a pause, a moment of silence…and a reflection on another phrase also engraved in that temple:

“I warn you, whoever you are, oh you who wish to probe the secrets of nature: if you do not find within yourself what you seek, neither will you find it outside…”

The universe is within you.

These words remind us that we won’t find outside what we haven’t cultivated inside. If we ignore the treasures within our own inner home, we may not recognize them elsewhere either.

Mentorship as a mirror of the soul

In every encounter with my students, I also learn from them. Together, we create a space to go beyond the surface, not to find quick answers, but to ask deeper questions. The kind of questions that connect science with humanity, technique with essence. Because medicine without identity is just a list of procedures. But medicine with self-awareness…is art, compassion, and humanity.

An invitation

Take a moment this week.Pause. Breathe.And ask yourself, sincerely:

Who am I as a doctor, as a caregiver, as a human being?

That’s where it all begins.That’s where your wisdom blooms.

Julissa ✨