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 SquarePants Giphy

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 kirun Giphy

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

Jamie Ding
Sony Pictures Television

'Jeopardy!' Champ Speaks Out To Rip ICE After His Impressive 31-Game Winning Streak Comes To An End

Jeopardy! champ Jamie Ding has had quite an impressive winning streak on the show, but it's his statements about current events that may have the greatest impact.

Ding had an extraordinary 31-day winning streak, the fifth-longest in the show's history.

Keep Reading Show less
Mike Johnson
Newsmax

Mike Johnson Just Gave A Mind-Numbing Reason Why Voters Should Keep Republicans 'In Charge'—And The Delusion Is Real

During a Monday appearance on Newsmax, GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana told host Greta Van Susteren why voters need to keep Republicans in power, but the self-proclaimed Christian nationalist's reasoning went over like a lead balloon.

The discussion on Newsmax's The Record with Greta Van Susteren turned to the continuing partial government shutdown that began February 14, 2026—now the longest in history, surpassing 68 days.

Keep Reading Show less
Donald Trump; Serena Williams
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Elsa/Getty Images

MAGA Accounts Rush To Praise Video Of Trump Playing Tennis With Serena Williams—But There's One Glaring Issue

President Donald Trump shared a video of himself playing tennis with tennis icon Serena Williams to the thrill of his MAGA supporters—but the truth is that the video is more than a decade old.

As concerns swirl about Trump's physical and mental health, he courted significant attention after he fell and had to be helped up by Secret Service agents after a gunman—who was later apprehended—crashed the White House Correspondents Association dinner over the weekend.

Keep Reading Show less
Sam Neill
Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

Sam Neill Shares Hopeful Update After Five-Year Battle With Blood Cancer—And Fans Are Thrilled

It's time to rejoice: everyone's favorite on-screen paleontologist and velociraptor expert, Sam Neill, is officially cancer-free.

The Jurassic Park actor was diagnosed with blood cancer five years ago, and he admitted to believing that he was "on his way out" when his immune system stopped responding to chemotherapy.

Keep Reading Show less
Donald Trump
Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images

The White House Just Announced New Commemorative Passports Featuring Trump's Face—And The Trolling Was Swift

As the date cited on the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, has long been recognized as the birthdate of the United States of America.

The 4th of July, 2026, will therefore be the 250th anniversary of 13 original colonies declaring their united independence from the British Empire. The Semiquincentennial—also called the Bisesquicentennial, the Sestercentennial, and the Quarter Millennium—is being commemorated through events and collectors items much like the Bicentennial in 1976 was.

Keep Reading Show less