[zorrolovsky]

The way I see it, you have two routes:

- Accept reality and the fact that this is a crude subject. Use psychological tools to feel less weird over time (ie get a lot of exposure to the stuff that you find unsettling). You might succeed, or you might have to accept that this career is not for you.

- Create your own story about the body parts you need to work with. The guy at the kebab shop doesn't think of a lovely cute lamb having a happy life when going to work. He just sees delicious pieces of meat glued together in a nice roll that people love to eat. Could you do the same? Ie if you need to open a leg in surgery, you don't need to think of a person. That's just a leg, you could amputate it and there's still a person left.

I'm not religious and I do believe we humans are glorified pieces of meat. I'm fine with that but still feel unsettled by some bodily stuff.

For example, I have leukemia and I have to go through bone marrow biopsies. I kindly ask the nurses NOT to show me the gigantic piercing devices and I avoid learning how the process works in detail. As far as I'm concerned, a bone marrow biopsy is a small pinch (anesthesia), followed by some discomfort and cold sweating for 10-15 mins. I distract my mind and think about something else (ceiling of the room, the view, my own breathe, etc).

Deep inside, I know they stick something all the way to my hip bones and extract liquid inside, but I refuse to let that reality disrupt my peace of mind. If I start thinking about the process in detail I wouldn't be as comfortable as I am when doing one of those.