Why I [think I] want to be a Neurosurgeon: reason #1

There are two fourth year medical students on the Psychiatry rotation with me, and, during the shuttle ride home from the hospital today, I was talking to one of these medical students about residency applications, rank lists and match day - this year to be held on March 18th. The conversation, being a good one, fraught with such expressions as "I can't believe it's happening" and "It's out of my hands now" and "Am I really going to be a doctor in 4 months?" got me thinking about my own impending doom/application process, which starts July 6th, on my first Neurosurgery sub-internship. And in the course of my soul searching and deep inner reflection, I decided I needed to put into words why I think I should spend the next 7 years AFTER medical school being sleep deprived and slaving away long hours in the hospital days into months.

Reason 1: Working hard makes me happy. Working extremely hard makes me even happier. This is not to say I do not appreciate a lazy day at home with naught but a book in hand. I do. I just don't feel the need to "have a life outside of Medicine", or "Maintain an active social life" or the many other good reasons that people quote when deciding on a lifestyle vs. (for lack of a better word) non-lifestyle specialty. I want to be consumed by my work. I want to wake up early, spend a substantial portion of my day working hard at what I love, and go home feeling fulfilled, because I brought it all to the table. Will this naive, idealistic and romanticized dream of an honest day's work change as I morph into yet another bitter, overworked and underpaid resident? Maybe. I hope not...but we will see.