I loved your post. Your comments about medicine and retention of learned information are also true about engineering (I am a EE). You learn an incredible amount of detail about many things and then it is never used again for the most part.
So why learn things you’ll never use? Two reasons- 1) to learn how to solve problems and figure things out in a rigorous manner, and 2) the information is still there and can be drawn back out at a later date if needed— you will have to relearn it but it will be easier the second time.
Again, your post was great.
I was standing here this morning wondering about my own calling and much of what wastoute said resonated. In the pastoring business you learn some awfully obscure stuff in order to spend a great deal of your time shaking hands and chatting and the most important bits of your time listening. And the very most important bits all alone, endeavoring to pray, from the heart and sincerely, for all the busted up people in your territory.