Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

'I Went To Med School Only To Realize I Couldn't Stand The Sight Of Blood'-Esque Professional Experiences

'I Went To Med School Only To Realize I Couldn't Stand The Sight Of Blood'-Esque Professional Experiences
Photo by Jussara Paulo on Unsplash

There are many people who dream of having one specific job their entire lives.

Their desire to pursue it never dies from childhood through college.

And then, their dream finally comes true, and they begin to study or work in the field they've been waiting for all their life.

Only to discover they have an aversion to a fundamental element of the profession.

Such as an actor having crippling stage fright, a teacher who hates public speaking, or a doctor who faints at the sight of blood.

Things which will no doubt prove a problem towards, if not flat out disqualify, their ability to thrive at work.


A recent Redditor was curious to hear examples, both theoretical and actual, with people whose phobias, fears, and aversions hampered their jobs, leading them to ask:

"What's the 'went through med school just to realize you couldn't stand the sight of blood' of your job field?"

Honestly, though, who Can Stand Vomit?

"Went through nursing school, only to figure out I cant stand vomit."

"Just vomit though!"

"I can stand blood, feces, urine, biliary drainage, pulmonary secretions, etc."

"There's just something about vomit."- deofictitio

They're Not Prepared For The Real Thing

"Well, I'm a phlebotomist, sooo."

"Never had anyone who ended up not being able to stand the sight of blood, but have had several people who couldn't do other specimens collected or received in a lab."

"Urine, stool, sputum, etc."

"Also people who were surprised that most of our draws would be kids, the elderly, chemo and dialysis patients, all notoriously difficult draws, and thought everything would be exactly like it was in school."

"I've had new people in the hospital when I was there tell me they 'won't' attend the Code Blues because 'they can't see anyone die'."

"Like, it's a hospital."

"People are in bad shape and die in it."- ICanHandleItOk

It Takes A Special Type Of Person...

"Got a prestigious degree in finance and economics, realized I sincerely hate the type of people who work in IB/Finance."

"Not all of them of course, but you all know that guy who thinks 'Wolf of Wall Street' is a documentary about him."- MoschopsChopsMoss·

Season 4 Money GIF by SpongeBob SquarePantsGiphy

Actual 'Nightmares At 20,000 Feet....'

"There’s quite a few pilots that are scared of heights."- TRex_N_Truex

The Open Sea Isn't For Everyone...

Had a teacher in my nautical academy that found out he was chronically seasick."- N-Gannet

You'd Think They'd Have An Idea?

"I work in a pathology/bacteriology lab, so basically if you're at all squeamish, you've got no chance."

"I took swabs from a chunk of necrotic tissue on my second day, and I'll never look at fried mushrooms the same way again."- godoflemmings

Bacteria Microbiology GIF by kirunGiphy

Not As Glamorous As They Expect

"Many people become a lawyer only to discover they hate practicing law, because they didn't really understand what that meant when they went to law school."

"Law is very boring, involves a lot of minute, rote work which has little practical effect on a case, and is ultimately soul sucking.'

"Being a lawyer involves very little grandstanding in court room."

"Many lawyers NEVER do that."

"Even trial lawyers, like you see on TV, only get a couple trials a year at best and some go years between trials."

"The only kinds of lawyers in court every day are criminal attorneys."- MentoBecomesManatee

Some People Just Can't Find The Words...

"My brother in law went through seminary and got a job as a youth pastor, only to find he absolutely could not speak in public."

"He does construction now."- sh4w5h4nk

Didn't Think This Through, huh?

"Sound engineer."

"I’m sensitive to loud noises."

"Should have thought that one through."- sequentialsilence

*loud internal screaming*Giphy

Stick To Ground Level Fires?

"Went to school for firefighting, had a classmate drop out because he was afraid of heights."- cok3noic3

We'd like to think that we know some professions aren't as glamorous as they might seem, or are portrayed in films or television shows.

But sometimes we just need an hour or two of first-hand experience to truly see what we're getting ourselves in for, and start considering other professions.

Only to discover something about that job we also can't stand...

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

dog and cat snuggling together
Krista Mangulsone on Unsplash

Times Pet Owners 'Severely Underestimated' Their Pets' Intelligence

I've lived with cats—because no one owns a feline—most of my life. Some have been very clever creatures while others were real dingbats.

Family members have owned dogs whose talents also ran the gamut.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scott Bessent
Meet the Press/NBC News

Scott Bessent Blasted Over His Bonkers Suggestion For How To Bring Your Own Inflation Rate Down

Continuing to follow the example of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on Meet the Press Sunday to blame Democratic President Joe Biden for the financial downturn caused by Trump's tariff fiasco, then lied repeatedly about the state of the economy.

Meet the Press host Kristen Welker played a clip of MAGA Republican Vice President JD Vance telling a conservative audience at a Breitbart News event that Americans owe the Trump administration "a little bit of patience"—apparently while they figure out what tariffs are and how they work since they're rolling back more of them to lower consumer prices despite claiming Trump's tariffs don't affect consumer prices.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lindsay Lohan attends the men's final during day fifteen of the 2025 US Open Tennis Championships at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Elsa/Getty Images

Lindsay Lohan Is Now Sporting A New Accent—And Fans Aren't Sure What To Make Of It

In a twist freakier than a sequel to Freaky Friday, Lindsay Lohan has debuted yet another new accent—this time at the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards in Doha, Qatar.

Draped in a maroon, jewel-trimmed gown by The New Arrivals Ilkyaz Ozel and accompanied by her husband, Bader Shammas, and their 2-year-old son, Luai, the actress looked serene, elegant, and completely unbothered by the collective whiplash she was about to inflict on the internet.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jameela Jamil
Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty Images

Jameela Jamil Speaks Out Against The Rise Of The 'Aesthetic Of Emaciation' Among Women In Hollywood

Content Warning: eating disorders, thinness as an aesthetic, emaciation in Hollywood

There's no denying that we've been gifted with some incredible music, television shows, and films this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in "Rush Hour 2"
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images; New Line Cinema

Trump Is Now Using His Presidential Sway To Pressure Studio Into Making 'Rush Hour 4'—And, Huh?

President Trump has reportedly pressured Paramount head Larry Ellison to make another sequel to Rush Hour, his favorite buddy-cop movie, as the company looks to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

The first Rush Hour film, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, was released in 1998, received positive reviews, and made $245 million worldwide. Chan and Tucker returned for two sequels released in 2001 and 2007 respectively.

Keep ReadingShow less