> It's an uncomfortable subject because the vast majority of front-line medical professionals like doctors, specialists, surgeons, nurses etc. are doing that jo

> It's an uncomfortable subject because the vast majority of front-line medical professionals like doctors, specialists, surgeons, nurses etc. are doing that job with passion and honesty to help people. don't take this personally, but: this is an oft repeated meme that, in my experience, not really true, at least for MDs and nurses (to include doctors, specialists and surgeons). it certainly contributes to the sort of hero status of health care workers though. physicians in the US earn a ton for a high-prestige, high social power, high earnings, generally safe career. in return they must sacrifice these earnings and social status for most of their 20s due to ridiculous quotas and standards in medical school, propped up by AMA; this makes the system higher prestige and sought after, a nice vicious (or virtuous for them) cycle. the AMA also has them on the hook in a debt-slavery sort of way, because normal wages would never repay their ridiculous medical debt (see e.g. mid/low tier lawyers and law school outcomes when that got popular) nursing, likewise, is seen as a j o b that offers some safety/consistency in return for investing time into education. that these individuals """help people""" is generally of tertiary or lesser concern; much more "help" could be done by opening an affordable grocery store in a food desert. all but the most naive students either readily admit this or cop to it once asked.