Do premedical students know what they are getting into?

The number of medical school applications continues to rise despite recent reports of decreased physician job satisfaction. To better understand this paradoxical trend, I surveyed 84 premedical students about their expectations of a medical career. Almost all respondents anticipated that as physicians they would be able to cure, heal, and help their patients (98%) and that their work would be intellectually satisfying (95%). Most anticipated that their jobs would be prestigious (83%) and even fun (73%). Far fewer than half the respondents would be discouraged from pursuing a medical career by the fear of being sued (38%), business worries (22%), or administrative duties (20%). Comparison of the student responses with results of a physician job satisfaction survey carried out the same year showed that the students, as a group, were modestly idealistic with respect to the daily work of being a physician and somewhat naive about the problems caused by various business and administrative issues. I conclude that premedical students could be better informed about the current reality of being a physician and that practicing physicians are responsible for providing this education.