The Doctor Sphinx

Illustration by Lynda Richardson

The myth of the sphinx is long and intriguing tale, harkening back to the days of ancient Greece and Egypt, where storytellers told of an abnormal beast, part man, part lion and part eagle. The fantastical amalgamation would stop travellers on long and winding roads, challenging them to a riddle - a test of their knowledge and deductive power. Though the world at large believes that these beasts were merely flights of fancy, the world of medicine knows that this is not the truth of the matter. For within the healthcare habitat, the creatures thrive in secret to those beyond the medical coil. The riddle of the sphinx lives on.

Evolution has however made drastic changes to the species, most notably in the creature's outward appearance. Gone are the wings and feline features, replaced by appropriate healthcare attire and a variety of examination equipment, such as tendon hammers and an infinite number of little black pens. Though distinctly less cool, this appearance has helped the race integrate itself into the healthcare habitat, cooperating well with most creatures on the healthcare food chain.

Interestingly, the sphinx does not categorize into any distinct area of the doctor sub-groups, with sphinx variations found in every genus, be this foundation years, registrar or consultant, as well as in every specialty of medicine. Though well varied amongst the genu, there remains one main characteristic that distinguishes all the sphinxes (sphinxii? sphincters?) - their riddling nature.

All sphinx species take great pleasure in proposing riddles to those around them - generally to species located lower than them on the food chain - normally students, less senior doctors or explorers such as this author. This riddling can occur at any time, often without provocation from the underling, and will consist of a sequence of medical-based questions, normally around the sphinx' chosen specialty, though the difficulty of these can vary from "what is the standard medication for...." to "name for me every single type of hernia ever", and off-topic riddles can be thrown in for good measure.

In this instance, the sphinx is testing the underling, hoping that the selected creature will attempt to answer each question. The process can be beneficial to both parties, for if the underling attempts to answer, he or she is taught not only the knowledge of the question, but their ability to think under pressure and apply knowledge can also be honed. Explorers are strongly advised to answer the challenge, given the minimal risks of such an action.

Riddling will normally cease when one of several eventualities occurs:

1. The sphinx becomes distracted by more pressing concerns - though eager to riddle, the sphinx like all good doctors, knows that the patient is the priority.
2. The sphinx grows bored with riddling the underling, moving on to find more entertaining opponents. This can occur if their opponent too frequently responds with "I don't know". Explorers should attempt to answer each riddle - the sphinx will appreciate the effort of attempting an answer, even if the attempt is incorrect.
3. The sphinx runs out of questions - a more common event in younger variations of the species. If an explorer wishes for the riddling to continue, they should ask a question in response, which may kick start the sphinx back into action (preferably ask a question of a similar topic - "what is your favourite colour?" will not inspire many new riddles...).

Like the golden goose consultant, the doctor sphinx is looking to help their underlings, not just watch them squirm under pressure. Though some lines of questioning can be intimidating to an unprepared explorer, it is important to be game for the situation - the harder the riddle, the greater the benefit wrought by the explorer.