<p>Yes the OP does sound extremely smart and it would be all the more tragic for him to get a science PhD and have his life or at least a good chunk of it ruined as a lot of very smart people in academia and pharma have had happen to them.</p>
<p>I agree with the previous poster. Medicine is a huge field. You will find some niche that you will enjoy and still be able to make a solid living whether it is medical research, practicing medicine, teaching medicine… I can’t say the same for science and anyone here who does is either lying or completely out of touch with the scientific job market in the USA.</p>