I'm just a M1 so it's probably due to my lack of exposure but I can't even imagine ever burning out. Could you elaborate on what I should watch out for to avoid becoming jaded?

Right now I am in a cancer hospital quite a bit because of an observership so I am often at the hospital till 6pm after my normal M1 schedule and feel completely exhausted. However, as soon as get home and rest my feet a bit (20 min naps then study), all I can remember is how cool that was.

For example, last week I saw this patient who was doubled over in pain in the waiting room. I knew her doctor（my preceptor) would not be able to see her for a while because she was on a clinical trial and we just paged the trial nurse to come down. Therefore, I went over to another doctor who had a shorter patient list to burrow one of his rooms (I am sorta in charge of outting pts in examination rooms because i like to be at least a little useful and because I usually get the first crack at interviewing the pts to practice my SOAP skills) so she could at least lay down on the bed. I sent her husband downstairs to get her some tylenol (yes, as a cliched med student I asked the attending if tylenol was ok) and I went over to chemo therapy to get her some warm water.

Then yesterday, I was chatting with the receptionists at the front desk and reading up on some charts before the clinic started. That patient came in with a big smile, walked right up to me before she did anything else and told me she is feeling much better and I told her i was really glad. I swear my expression at that time must be the same as Harry Potter when he first saw magic in front of his eyes. It was incredible.

Let's be honest here. I didn't really do much for her. I ran around trying to do anything I could but all I really got her is an examination table that I lowered so she could use as a bed and some hot water. But just being able to witness someone get better in front of my eyes, I can't imagine it ever getting old or lose its luster in my life time. Moreover, I will eventually get to participate more in it, I could eventually cause it to happen.

I majored in Psychology in undergrad and I have seen quite a bit of evidence to support the validity of "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how."

No, my life is far from perfect. I frequently feel incompetent (I'm actually doing quite well in my pre-clerkship courses but M1 in observership is basically an alternative spelling of inompetance), I am always scared that I might not become a good doctor, constantly frustrated with how slow I am at taking history and eternally exausted. However, at the end of the day, when I lay down on my bed (so the aches dull and won't remind me of how many pages of notes I took that day), what sticks with me are those small, infrequent moments I see a Pt. getting better, I was able to comfort a Pt. or when they are glad to see me. And the rest, all the little annoyances and frustrations just seem like noise, insignificant.