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Most people enter the medical field because they care about helping others—not because of the opportunity to make a lot of money. In this photo, a physician administers a nebulizer treatment to a child with asthma.

WHY BE A DOCTOR? There are many reasons someone would choose to become a medical doctor. A common motive is to help people live healthier lives and to save the lives of those who are seriously injured or ill. Doctors do good in the world, and many young people want to be a part of that. They imagine the thrills they would get from curing someone of cancer or delivering a baby. Other young adults are fascinated by the human body. Perhaps they’re even fascinated by one body system or organ in particular, or they may be interested in a particular disease. People who want to study the heart might become cardiologists, while people who are interested in reproduction might become gynecologists. Others, known as oncologists, treat cancer.

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CAREERS IN MEDICINE