如果我重做大學生
成大醫學院 黃崑巖教授
我在一九五二年進入台大醫學系，在英文讀本上有一篇引我入神的文章，叫「If I were a freshmaagain」。這篇文章所說的，是大學畢業多年的作者，把發展專業生涯途中的經驗，拿來評量大學求學方法的得失，以資警惕後進免犯不必要的錯誤，免於或誤入歧途的金言。我本人大學畢業已屆四十年，這四十年來，都在中外醫學教育界服務，所看、所聽、所體驗著實不少，那篇文章裡所提醒的事之外，也有了不少自己所引出的結論可以提供青年朋友共勉之用的。
前幾天有兩位成大行為醫學研究所的研究生，在聽完我一場演講之後，追到辦公室裡來，問我到底是如何規劃我自己的生涯的。我的回答是，我沒仔細規劃過自己的生涯。我沒事先 規劃過要當醫師，未計劃要進入學術研究領域，也沒有規劃過要在華府的喬治華盛頓大學醫學院當教授，更遑論計劃要到成功大學創辦醫學院，或當一個院長。我在各位同學的年齡，在大學求學的時段，雖然當時我對知識份子四個字也還沒什麼自己特別的定義，只想將來做一個知識份子。也想過我或者可以成為一個好老師，因為很喜歡和別人分享我知道的事。反過來說，我想做一個好老師，我當然必須是一個好的知識份子，才能為人師表，教誨別人，所以這兩種目標是相輔相成的。成為一個有份量知識份子，是我唯一的生涯規劃。
但，知識份子的定義還得先予釐清。知識份子是否僅指有知識的人？果真如此，這有點便宜了知識份子。稍老的一輩，所具有的新的電子科技知識已不如新生代，有許多老一輩的人甚至是電腦的文盲，他們是否就不是知識份子？如此類推，知識份子顯然指的並不只是知識的多寡，道理會漸明。是否配稱是知識份子，智慧豐不豐富，反而是一個要件。然，何謂智慧？智慧是邏輯、關懷、道德觀、生命觀、人性、勇氣與正義感等等，人類精神生活的各種基質，溶在一起的大結晶。智慧會賦予價值觀與正確的生命觀，它會影響一個人的辨別是非的能力。判斷的能力，甚至所做的判斷的品質，會是一個人有無智慧的一個尺度。智慧與知識
有極大的差異，專業知識更是與智慧風馬牛不相及。知識份子與非知識份子的分際，說穿了，在有沒有智慧。一個人的專業知識再豐富，如果沒有能力分析與辨認事情的意義，如果不會辨認卓越，如果沒有勇氣伸張正義與發揚人性，他還是會顯得沒有教養，沒有教育，他的專業知識，也一定不能充分的發揮其應有的價值，或被誤用到不符大眾利益的方向。追根究底，這全因專業知識是屬於訓練，而不真正屬於教育領域的緣故。大學既然是知識份子的搖籃，大學部學生要注重有無教育、智慧的發展，而避免過早與過份的專業訓練，專業的訓練，應該是屬於研究所的階段。所以，如果我重做大學生，我會緊緊地抓住這原則，而不放鬆。我會有系統地閱讀，自己即將專攻的領域以外的有用的書籍，這些書籍會供給我智慧結晶的誘發物。化
學裡的「養晶」作用，就需要少量晶體來誘發，大學裡所廣泛的涉獵，會是智慧結晶的誘發體。
如果我重做大學生，我會積極培育細膩地觀察事物的習慣，與發展不受約束的聯想能力，為了培養這種能力，我曾自己栽培遇問題會問：「為什麼這樣？」「為什麼不是那樣？」的態度。
如果我重做大學生，我會找一個典範，做為學習做人與做學問的標竿。這會使我的努力落實，達到目標才會事半功倍。
如果我重做大學生，我會希望我能發展歷史觀，尤其精通於自己專攻的本行的歷史，才能成為歷史洪流中繼往開來的一份子。
如果再有機會重做大學生，我會下很大的功夫，精通於中文以及一種外文，因為語文是學習的工具，也是通往世界村的一扇門。而廿一世紀要所有稱為世界村村民的人，真正成為國際人。
大學教育的主流，說穿了，是替學生打知識份子的基礎工程，不該是在培養科技人員。這基礎越廣越好。但這基礎上面的建築物，也就是生涯。多半要靠自己一輩子一磚一瓦地疊上去。所以透過大學裡的教育，應該吸收的是自我成長與開發新知的方法論而不是灌輸既有的知識。這些努力，才會使我變成能一輩子享受學習的真正的知識份子。換言之，我會努力先成文化人，再做科技人。
译文:
If I were a freshman again
If I were a freshman again
By Professor Kunyan Huang from
Medical School of Success University
In 1952, I enrolled at Wellesley College majoring in medicine. There was an article in English which attracted me a lot called If I were a freshman again。 This article is all about the author’s experience in his career life after his graduation. He regard these experiences as some suggestions and standards to evaluate the pros and cons in college education in order to prevent the younger generations from simply making these avoidable mistakes again. It has been 40 years since my graduation from college. In these 40 years, I worked for medical education both at home and abroad. Besides what this article mentioned and warned, what I’ve learned, heard, experienced also taught me a lot and some of which could be helpful to you.
A few days before, two postgraduate students majoring in medicine hurried to my office and asked me that how did I make plans for my life after hearing my speech at Success University. My answer was: I’ve never carefully planned for my life. I wasn’t determined to be a doctor and also had no preparation to enter the field of academic research and never thought about becoming a professor in Washington, let alone founding a medical school or be a headmaster in Success University! When I was at your age in the study time at college, though I have no clear definition of being an intellectual I just had a dream to be an intellectual one day. I also though about being a teacher might be a good choice because I’d like to share what I’ve learned with others. To put it in another way, being a good intellectual is the basis of being a qualified teacher. Only by this way can I teach others and guide others, so the two goals share some common grounds. To be a knowledgeable intellectual is my only life plan.
However, we have to five the word “intellectual” a definite definition first. Does it refer to those who have certain knowledge? If so, it would be too easy to be intellectuals. In the past, when there is no modern technology and science, those honorable ancient intellectuals with no knowledge of computer science and digital technology were no longer the so-called intellectuals. Therefore, it’s obvious to see that the essential part of being an intellectual is the possession of wisdoms. What is wisdom? Wisdom is about logics, care, morality, value, humanity, courage, integrity and so forth. It’s the combination of every part of spiritual life. Wisdom can produce proper values toward life. It can influence one’s judgment to tell the right from wrong. The ability to judge and the quality of one’s judgments are the standards to judge whether a person has wisdom or not. There is a long gap between wisdom and knowledge, so professional knowledge has nothing to do with wisdom. After all, the difference between intellectuals and non-intellectuals is all about wisdom. If one can not find the meaning of things, can not recognize the excellence, can not be brave to promote humanity and justice, no matter how knowledgeable one is in one’s professional field, he or she remains uncultivated and lack of refinement and his or her knowledge in particular field would just be a waste or be used in a wrong way or even be harmful to peoples’ benefits. After all, professional knowledge is all about training, not about education. College is a cradle of intellectuals. Undergraduates should be equipped with the enlightenments of proper education and wisdoms rather than too early and over specialization. Specialization is what should be applied in graduate school.
Therefore, if I were a freshman again, I would put this principle in the grip of my hand and never loose my hand. I would systematically read a lot of useful books which has nothing to do with my major because they are the nutrition to inspire my future wisdom. Like what happens in chemistry, our wisdom need to be inspired by reading a variety of books in colleges.
If I were a freshman again, I would be active to form a habit of observing things and the ability to be free to imagine. To make this happen, I would ask my self a lot of questions like “why?” and “why not?”.
If I were a freshman again, I would look up to a role model as a standard of human and wisdom. This would stimulate my efforts and help me to reach the goal with less strength.
If I were a freshman again, I would develop a historic outlook, especially the history of my major. Through this, I can be one inevitable stream in the ocean of history.
If I were a freshman again, I would try my best to master Chinese and a foreign language because language is the key to study and the door to the world. In the 21st century, we have to be a citizen in the world village, a real international person.
The main target of college education is the foundation of making intellectuals instead of producing technology experts. The deeper the foundation is, the better students will be. The things on it is one’s career which need you to build it up brick by brick. So through college education, what we should learn is the method to self study and discover new knowledge instead of being drown in the sea of knowledge. Only these efforts can make us enjoy the identity of a genuine intellectual for a lifelong time. In another word, be a man of culture, then of knowledge.