I've got some serious issues with the base assumption of what's "talented". Sure, the people with the best secondary school degrees get into medicine. First of

I've got some serious issues with the base assumption of what's "talented". Sure, the people with the best secondary school degrees get into medicine. First of all, it's focusing on number because there aren't any other ones, not because it's that good in the first place. Second, it's a bit circular. The people with the 1.0 finals get into medicine, because that's what they needed to have to get in there. People often know what they want to study early enough and adjust their efforts accordingly. Especially when it comes to the decimals. It's not like there's a non-goal-oriented drive to just Be The Best You Can, and after your graduation you're then passed on the German Sorting Hat that puts you into the university best suited to you. Easily confirmed by talking to any German doctor ;) As a final semi-anecdote, there's something slightly unusual going on in psychotherapy. Same top "GPA" needed, then another set of top grades in your bachelor to proceed to your master (the "funnel" is narrower than warranted by drop-outs), and after years and years of that, a lot of the psychotherapists end up working part time, as it's one of the fields where it's easy enough to do that. "Overachievers" investing a lot for a better work-life balance.