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From Luke’s Journal Sept 2025 | Vol. 30 No. 2 | Success-Failure

I studied medicine in Manchester and graduated in the late 90s. The degree of MB, ChB was split into 2 years of pre-clinical and 3 years of clinical studies. At the end of year 2, there was a hard sifting of the sheep and the goats; 220 started in year 1, and only 200 would make it into year 3. The barrier exam was known as the “2nd MB”. Looking back, it was definitely the most stressful year out of the five.

We had five subjects to pass with a cut-off set at 50% for each one: anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology and immunology. I was not too worried about physiology and biochemistry as they came a bit more easily to me; I felt that, with some consistent study, I would succeed. However, anatomy had been a pass/fail viva voce at the end of year 1. Although I had done well in the final reckoning and proved that I did in fact understand embryology, I was not planning a repeat rodeo and determined I would concentrate hard on it this time around.

Pharmacology, however, was an exam full of the dreaded multiple choice questions (MCQs) with negative marking. This meant you couldn’t guess without penalty – 5 choices per question; 1 mark if correct, 0.25 off if incorrect.

“It’s all about past papers”, the 3rd years advised. “Keep practicing and you will be fine!”

As I continued working through the past papers in the month leading up to exams in May, my best marks were between 46% and 52%; hardly convincing. I prayed hard that God would help me get over the line.

“Every day for a week, we turned up, sat an exam or two, then went back to our rooms to revise some more”.

Exam time arrived. Some students were too stressed to engage in small talk before or after each paper. In the worst cases, the students had lost weight or had ashen grey skin from living on some terrible diet with no protein or vitamins. Every day for a week, we turned up, sat an exam or two, then went back to our rooms to revise some more. Once it was all over, there was a large amount of overindulgence in alcohol. Financial discipline prevailed and I disappeared back to my residence after two drinks and went to find my non-medic friends.

Marks were posted on the medical school notice board, subject by subject, at the end of the following week. If your name wasn’t on the pass list for each subject it would be a concern. I went to the pharmacology board first, with some fear and trepidation. Surprisingly, my name was there. Success! Biochemistry, physiology and immunology were fine too.

However, anatomy was not.

I could not believe it. I knew it had been a weakness, and I had worked hard to fix it. I went into a mental tailspin. We had studied neuroanatomy in year 2 and I was not confident I could get through another viva.

The next day I went to find the anatomy professor to get some advice. He was a fairly intimidating old school chap; I hadn’t darkened his door previously, but I thought it worth a shot.

He was pretty calm and sternly told me that it would be fine: “Turn up and show us what you know: we want to give you a chance to get through.”

I spent all of Saturday studying the key texts, mainly the Manchester Atlas¹ which our local anatomists had written. The rest of the weekend, I spent praying. I remember being pretty cross about it all to start with but as I began to bargain with God, I also realised I needed to seek His help to pass. In the end, as I submitted more humbly to His will, I asked Him to make it clear through this process whether, in fact, medicine was the career for me.

To say I was nervous when I showed up on that Monday afternoon would be an understatement. The professor was there as one of two examiners. He stood in the corner and allowed his younger colleague to lead the way. I was asked to describe some prosections and explain the function of the structures I saw. It was all a bit of a blur. But the professor’s smile as I turned to leave, told me that I had made it across the fine line to pass.

So, in the end, I made it through to year 3 and clinical studies. After that, it seemed relatively plain sailing as I came to understand that if I did my best and it was God’s will, I would succeed. Mum and Dad were never particularly vocal in their affirmation of my siblings and me as we worked our way through school and university; it wasn’t in their nature. But their joy in seeing each one of us graduate in our chosen fields was pretty clear, captured in the photographs of each day.

As I reflect on that tense period in my career development and as I talk to my 17-year-old daughter about her hopes for the future, I am reminded of the example of the kings of Israel and Judah documented by the Chronicler. Each one has a chapter or so of a biography written about him, his achievements, his leadership and his relationship with God. Many mighty deeds are done in battle and elsewhere.

Ultimately though, there is only one pass/fail criterion – was he obedient to Almighty God or not?

Early in each king’s chapter, a pronouncement is made.

Here is success: “Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.” (2 Chronicles 30:1-2 ESV).

Here is failure: “Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done. Amon sacrificed to all the images that Manasseh his father had made, and served them.” (2 Chronicles 33:21-22 ESV).

It is true to say that some started well, just like Hezekiah. However, God had to show him his need to repent later in his reign. In contrast, Manasseh was a king who started badly but then repented. What we need to realise is that God desires that each one of us should follow Him in obedience. This needs to come before our relationships with others, our careers and our finances. He demands that we submit everything we are and have to His will and that we commit our lives to His Kingdom work.

We will all have to give an account of our lives at the final judgement and success will have nothing to do with passing a 2nd MB, an MD, or a FRACGP. It will simply be down to whether or not we have been, “a good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21).

Let us commit our lives in humble obedience to Jesus as the apostle Paul sets out for us:

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:1-4 ESV).

The most important decision we can make in our lives is choosing to follow Jesus, and then submitting everything to Him. Bring your failures to the foot of His cross, then return to the work He has called you to join Him in – making Christ known. Every day we are faithful in this is a success, and every new believer will be a welcome addition to the Kingdom.

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