I think that as non-trads we have the luxury and the burden of being able to compare a career in medicine to our previous work experiences. Having worked on Wall Street myself, I thought that I had witnessed extremely stressful and unusual work experiences – watching people lose millions of dollars in a single minute can be quite anxiety causing. I was literally depressed at the idea of having to work a 12 hour desk job as a young person, thinking that I was “missing out on life.” Yet I have to say that my first two weeks shadowing in a neurology clinic has left me almost speechless. To witness people who literally have lost control of their neurological function and to see how this directly affects their bodies is a completely humbling life experience. It has been incredible seeing in person how absolutely powerful the human brain is, and frightening to see how it can entrap its owner as well. In the past few days alone I have been privileged to scrub into the OR and watch within 3 feet as the neurosurgeon removed a tumor from the brain of an awake patient, and see how the brain actually operates as he tested with an electrode to be sure to avoid Broca’s area during the removal. And I also had the guilt-ridden experience of being in the room when a physician and patient both realized that the patient has only a limited time to live. I can’t imagine that it gets any easier as one does it more often.
I am not sure if/when I’ll be accepted to med school, and what career path I will ultimately take. But I must say that I have never really had an experience like this that really makes you take a step back and evaluate how you conduct your own life. My respect for physicians has grown infinitely in the past few weeks. It truly does take a special person to spend their life sacrificing for a career that can make you confront life’s frailties day after day. I know that all of medicine is not as “intense” as a neurosurgery experience can be, but I definitely know that my life has been changed.
Not trying to be melodramatic, but just thought I’d share with a group of people that could appreciate the experiences 
Quite enlightening, thanks for sharing!
wow, that is intense! thanks for sharing.
Thanks a lot for sharing!