America is captivated by the surgeon—perhaps more so than by any other servant in medicine. Channel surfing through daytime soap operas and prime-time television shows, for instance, inevitably displays the drama of the operating room, a domain otherwise foreign to the lay public. Surgery's allure likewise extends to most medical students; many are fascinated by their operating room experiences during the surgery clerkship and enjoy the combination of procedures, teamwork, and patient care. If medical students continue to be intrigued by surgery as a discipline, though, why do they not appear to be as interested in general surgery as a career?