Polymath: to be or not to be?

Abstract

Abstract Is it best to achieve excellence in one or multiple fields? Is it better to be a medical doctor reading only medical textbooks all your life or is it better to also tour around the world as a concert pianist and investigate the mysteries of the brain by conducting research projects? As a medical doctor, classical pianist, and neuroscientist, I discuss the advantages, disadvantages, opportunities, and challenges of pursuing multiple careers, drawing from my own experience and from polymaths of the past.