The risks taken by people in their careers should not be exaggerated and everyone's career choice should be respected, says an article in Guangzhou Daily. Excerpts:

Xiang Yuan, who got high scores in the college entrance examination, or gaokao, told a journalist that her dream had always been to become a doctor but her father didn't let her apply for medical school because he thought a doctor's career is tough, characterized by low income and high risk.

Is that really the case? To some extent, the disadvantages associated with a doctor's career have been exaggerated. Indeed, doctor-patient relationship in the country is not ideal. But most people still believe doctors are part of a noble profession because they treat the ill and wounded back to health.

We should not criticize a career and exaggerate the risks associated with it on the basis of some stray incidents. A recent news report said that some journalists persuaded some students who had secured very high marks in the gaokao not to apply for journalism schools because a journalist's career carries high risks. Also, some people have appealed to successful gaokao candidates not to become teachers because they are at times beaten up by students or their parents. And news reports of some policeman dying from overwork have prevented some people from joining the police force.

Actually every profession has its advantages and disadvantages. There's no profession without risk, and there's no profession without opportunities. So we should not exaggerate the risks associated with some professions to mislead students in their career choices.

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