The OP brings up a good point. I've always wondered what kind of person joins a med school admissions committee. Imagine if, when asked where you see your career going in the next 20-30 years, you answered like this:
"Well, after dabbling in patient care for a little bit, I'll come to the conclusion that I'm too important to deal with these pions. I'll direct my attention towards research; whether it's meaningful or not is unimportant. All that matters is that I get published. Anyhoo, these publications ought to be enough to get me a cushy academic position. As soon as I'm tenured, I'll realize that my genius is so lofty that, rather than coming up with my own discoveries, my intellect would be better spent pushing papers and sifting through the applications for the next generation of doctors. That will be my contribution to medicine."
