Why did Charles Darwin leave medical school at the University of Edinburgh?

Charles Darwin left his medical studies at the University of Edinburgh primarily because he found the subject matter distressing and unappealing. Specifically, he loathed the study of anatomy, and because his studies took place before the advent of chloroform, the experience of witnessing surgery deeply sickened him.1

Recognizing that his son was not suited for a medical career, Darwin’s father decided to transition him toward a different path, believing that the church would be a more appropriate calling for an aimless naturalist. Consequently, Darwin transferred to Christ’s College, Cambridge, in 1828.1