When will I start feeling like a doctor?

A friend wrote to me with a thought that I want to share:

It will be interesting to know at what point in your training you start feeling less like a civilian and more like a doc. Maybe when you start you start working with patients?

I can say with certainty that I have not yet reached that point and don't expect to until well after I'm wearing a long coat. It's safe to assume that most of my classmates probably haven't yet, either, but I'm curious to hear their perspectives.

We do start a preceptorship, after the Human Body block ends, when we will be working with real patients under the direction of a mentor. There's also a range of electives that provide us with the opportunity to work with underserved populations in a clinic setting: Warren Village (pediatrics), Stout Street (homeless), and Clinica Tepeyac (Spanish speaking immigrant population).