The present study utilized metaphor analysis to examine the core values of Colombian medical students. The entire 9th semester medical class of 60 students was invited to respond to a structured questionnaire. It asked participants to state their preferred life-metaphor, whether they had always preferred this metaphor since childhood or adolescence, and if not, what had caused it to change; and how it guides their actions. Participants were also asked to indicate which 2 of 17 different life-metaphors they most and least preferred. The questionnaire was completed by 47 medical students. The most preferred metaphors were overwhelmingly: "Life is like a journey or voyage" and "Life is like an adventure," and least preferred were overwhelmingly: "Life is like a war" and "Life is like a penal colony or prison." Qualitatively, medical students' life-metaphors were predominantly active, individualistic, and affectively positive. Students reported that their life-metaphor significantly impacted their motivation and decision-making. The implications of metaphor analysis for medical education are highlighted, and future avenues for research are suggested.