There are probably many more minds that could hack being a good doctor, but are smart enough to go into a field where the work-life balance hasn’t been a terrible trope since 1900.

This was me. Studied for and did well on the required exams, interviewed at a couple of schools, and in between my interviews and acceptance letter I talked to a couple of people in residency at my university. The descriptions of their work-life balance was so atrocious, and the altruism of the profession so stomped out of their mentality that I decided I could probably help people in other ways.

As I watched a couple of my close friends battle depression all through medical school and residency with very little institutional or mentor support, I decided I absolutely made the right choice. I really respect you for staying within the system and becoming an RN, because you guys also have it just as rough, along with the added disrespect of "But you're not a DOCTOR."

I don't know why medicine is so gatekeepy in it's processes. Being strict in education and procedures I understand. But the heirarchy, egoism, and political games to grind down all these young trainees is quite archaic.