Like HowStuffWorks on Facebook!

10 Most Stressful Jobs in America

        Money | Careers

Medical Professional

Medical professionals often show up on lists of stressful jobs. Consider the vital importance of their work, the long hours and the knowledge that they can't always fix things, and the stress is understandable.

Surgeons must be incredibly precise -- often for hours at a time. Psychiatrists listen to other people's problems, knowing that they can't always help. Medical interns work hard, often without adequate sleep. Dentists do much of their work standing up, developing foot and back problems, in addition to worrying about people's teeth and gums. Nurses and others who work with terminally ill patients face great emotional stress.

Dentists, physicians and others with their own practices feel the pressure of running a business as well as attending to their painstaking work. Those who work for larger practices feel pressured to see more patients, and sometimes feel they don't have enough time to do their job right.

Feeling stressed yet? Keep reading.