<p>Would it help that I’m also very fascinated by the human body in general? I mean it is what I love the most lol… I’d like to help people on a higher level than fixing their car or designing their house… I’d like to save lives and cure diseases that are rendered incurable…</p>
<p>Reality check: </p>
<p>With few exceptions, doctors don’t “save lives”. They spend most of their time managing chronic illness–often in individuals who won’t follow the directions of the physician. (Or as one surgeon friend of mine puts it: “You spend 85% of your dealing with 10% of your patients.” Not the ones who are sick, but the ones who make themselves sick.) </p>
<p>Doctors don’t “cure diseases” either. Public health workers improve living conditions to prevent the spread of preventable illnesses and research scientists develop new treatments.</p>
<p>You might try thinking of doctors as mechanics and repairmen who happen to work with biological systems instead of electrical systems.</p>
<p>Saving lives and curing incurable diseases is, still, an admirable goal. But it’s not what the majority of doctors do on a day-to-day basis, as WOWmom points out. If you know any docs or have any family friends who are docs, you should shadow one of them! You’d probably have a lot of fun and you’d get to see what they really do on a day-to-day basis.</p>
<p>Most students (HS, UG, and to some lesser extent preclinical med) have a pretty romanticized view of what medicine is. Many think the same thing you do–that it will be a pretty glamorous life of coming in and rescuing/saving helpless people, and in the meantime you’ll figure out the key to a mysterious diagnosis. That’s simply not the case, even though it’s portrayed this way by the media.</p>
<p>Again, you have admirable goals. I hope you accomplish them! Certainly, liking the human body is a good start. And setting high goals is a great way to go! Good luck learning more :)</p>
<p>So what? I should give up on my dream career and look for a different one?</p>
<p>edit: Thank you Kristin, I do realize that I won’t be some kind of Godsend in the medical career to cure diseases on a day to day basis or to save lives either 
I mean I know that it can get messy. Really, really messy. And at times I know I will hate my surgeon career but it is my dream and it isn’t because of the media I’ve known I’ve wanted to be a surgeon since I was 7, absolutely determined to be one and I still am up to this day. Thank you both for your help, I know you’re not trying to bring me down just to help</p>