Joshua Elder is going to become a doctor.

Tomorrow, Elder, a fourth-year medical student, will find out where hell be attending residency, a stage of graduate medical training when medical students train at a hospital or clinic in another city, sometimes across the country. But as for tonight, hell be doing something hes been doing since he was in high school: singing.

Between taking board examinations, attending class and auditioning for residency, any time Elder has just 10 minutes to spare, he will pick up his guitar and strum a couple of Tyrone Wells tunes. Tonight, hell be performing at the David Geffen School of Medicines 15th annual talent show.

This year represents a very different place. Im essentially done with medical school now. This (event) will be happening the day before I find out where Ill be going for the next three to four years of my life, Elder said. Itll be nice to take my mind off of whats happening the next day.

This years theme is A Night At The OSCEs, in reference to the Oscars. OSCEs are a type of hands-on examination used in the health sciences, in which the medical school hires professional actors to play the role of patients, and students have to diagnose the patients.

The talent show will feature medical students of all years, and performances range from acoustic sets and piano pieces to dances such as the traditional Chinese Wushu.

First-year medical student Christine Thang, the organizer of the event, said the show counters the assumption that all medical students do is study.

Its cool to see how diverse (in talent) our class is, Thang said. When they talk about well-rounded medical students, its what we have here, giving students opportunities to share their talents with peers. Its nice to get away from the books and studying, and its nice to show another side of our medical students.

Elder, who has performed twice in the talent show and also organized and emceed the event his first year, said that, although medical school and singing contrast with each other, he believes medicine is very much an art.

I think people are attracted to medicine when you are interested in the arts because medicine is a mix of art and science. For me the art is research; my creative abilities for music have fit in with medicine at different times. I didnt expect that as much, Elder said.

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Medical students' talent show to display diverse acts, including songs and traditional dances