Dear People Who Assume I'm In It For The Money,

Every day, people make assumptions about why I have chosen to become a surgeon. I get asked if I'm in it for the money, and it actually makes me uncomfortable. I think it's somewhat sad that someone would be willing to dedicate so many years of his or her life to something that isn't a true passion. People assume that I want to be a surgeon because of trending television shows, such as "Grey's Anatomy." I know the show is not a very realistic representation of what it's like to actually be a surgeon. I have wanted to be a doctor way before "Grey's Anatomy" became the trending show on Netflix.

The path I'm looking at right now is three years undergrad, four years of medical school, a five-year surgical residency and six years in fellowships after the surgical residency. With all of that schooling and training, specialized surgeons aren't making very much money until reaching their mid-30s. Add in paying off all of the student debt, and surgeons could be paying off loans until they're in their 40s or 50s.

When you think about it, dedicating your life to medicine isn't worth all the time and hard work if it's not something you want to do. I have personally always loved school. My favorite subjects were always math and science, and I've always tossed around the idea of being a physician assistant, doctor or pharmacist. Once I got to high school, however, I decided to go all the way. I was going to be a doctor.

I have volunteered countless hours of my time in the hospital, I watch videos of different surgeries every day and have shadowed several doctors in the hospital. I've attended two summer programs, each involving going away to school for a week and learning what med school is like behind the scenes. I truly love medicine. I love the research that goes into it, and I love the fact that I one day will have the power to save several lives.

In the past year and a half, I've chosen the path of neonatal surgery. I have always wanted to do either pediatrics or neonatal/fetal medicine, and after researching and watching surgeries time and again, this is my path of choice — this, of course, may change as my studies in medicine continue.

When people assume I'm pre-med because of the money it may provide me with in the future, I cringe. I want to dedicate my life to medicine. I am willing to put my life on hold to go to medical school. I can say there is absolutely no way I would put this much time and effort into a field if I didn't love it with all of my being. I want to help people. I want to be a world-class surgeon. I want to save and change as many lives as I can.

Some people think that I'm too unrealistic, but nothing is unachievable when you push yourself your hardest. Because I believe in myself, I know I will make an impact in whatever field I choose. Having the right attitude is half of the battle, and being in it for the money is definitely not the right attitude.