On the other hand… man, that high-schooler is gonna be shit outta luck if they decide that medicine isn’t for them. Or if the classes or residency are too tough. Or if they fail the MCAT. Or …. Point is, reality has a way of throwing bricks through our plans, even when we’re not operating in a preparadigmatic field.
This reminds me of a Paul Graham quote (but it’s not the same thing):
A friend of mine who is a quite successful doctor complains constantly about her job. When people applying to medical school ask her for advice, she wants to shake them and yell “Don’t do it!” (But she never does.) How did she get into this fix? In high school she already wanted to be a doctor. And she is so ambitious and determined that she overcame every obstacle along the way—including, unfortunately, not liking it.
This reminds me of a Paul Graham quote (but it’s not the same thing):