So… why didn’t you study medicine instead?

The never-ending question

The battle started with: “Choose medicine. It’s better than nursing… better pay.”

After pushing and finally choosing nursing, it changed to: “But you’re smart… You should have studied medicine instead.”

You try to explain.

They still think you made the wrong choice.

That you settled for less.

And even after explaining, some will still go ahead and call you:

“Our doctor.”

I mean… “our nurse” is already cringe enough.

But being called a completely different profession… just because you think it’s better? That’s something else entirely.

We didn’t settle for nursing.

We chose nursing.

And even those who may have “settled” at first…. have grown to love the profession. Because it’s more than just doing the basics.

We stand in for strangers who become our patients,

and we care for them like they are our own—

while navigating limited resources, long hours, and personal struggles.

Some days are messy.

Some days are exhausting.

But the reward goes beyond the pay.

It’s the quiet satisfaction of knowing you were there for someone during one of the most vulnerable moments of their life.

We are advocates.

We are educators.

We are comforters.

We are carers.

We are nurses.

We are the hands that care.

So why nursing?

No fancy answer for me. It has always felt right…. like something I was meant to do.

Something that brings me peace. And if doubt is creeping in…

I want you to remember this:

You did not settle for less.

Nursing is enough.

So, tell me why you chose nursing?