I’m not a doctor (never intended to be one), but I do have some medical background.
When I was a freshman in college lo many years ago, I passed by an office on campus every day on my way to my freshman English class. That office was the office of the college Emergency Medical Squad. While I had studied First Aid back when I was in the Boy Scouts, I had never seriously considered doing anything with it. And yet, when I passed by the office, I felt something… tugging at me, so to speak. Eventually I walked in and began pulling shifts as a dispatcher.
Eventually, I ended up taking the Advanced First Aid and EMT courses at the college as well and became a riding member of the Squad. And I did with no intention of ever becoming a doctor, so I can’t say that parnasah was my primary goal*. And yes, I saved lives on the squad.
Many people who are quite knowledgeable knew of my situation — that I was studying emergency medicine solely for its own sake and not for any professional reason — and NOT ONE PERSON told me that what I was engaged in was bittul Torah or a waste of time. On the contrary, I was told that was I was doing was an honorable and admirable thing.
There are those on these boards who will tell you differently. They will say that if it isn’t for paranasah, it shouldn’t be done (and even then it’s clearly not preferred). But all I can say is that I’m glad I “wasted” my time on emergency medicine… and there are other people out there who are better off for it as well.
The Wolf
*Years later, I did end up working professionally on an ambulance on a part time basis for a while – but I can honestly say that I had no real intention of doing so when I first began to study emergency medicine. It was simply because I found myself in need of a small paycheck that I took the job.