I am an MS-III, and struggling with a career choice. WHat I want from medicine is a fairly low stress field with a good lifestyle. My Step 1 was only 220 and I come from a primary care oriented school, but I have been leaning towards anesthesia to satisfy my needs (good money, decent lifestyle), but am open to suggestions. I gave up on Rads because of how competitive it is. I like medicine, but am unsure if the salary makes it worth while. What do you all think? I appreciate any input, even calling me an idiot for wanting to make a lot of money nowadays when it seems hard to come by.

WHat I want from medicine is a fairly low stress field with a good lifestyle.

Your best bet for low stress and good lifestyle is to choose a specialty in which you truly enjoy the work. Picking a field for any other reason is virtually guaranteed to result in disappointment, disillusionment, and whole bunch of other "disses" that you don't want. What the heck do rads and gas have in common, other than some imagined "lifestyle" that may or may not turn out to be as great as you thought? The work is like night and day (literally).

And don't let anyone else make the decision for you. Follow your gut, heart, or any other reliable organ. It's usually right. :)

you might want to think hard about anesthesia. there are a lot of CRNA's moving into the field, which are lowering the avg. salary in the speciality. I'm sure you'll be able to make a decent living, but if making the most money possible is important to you, you might want to consider that and look into the future of that speciality over your lifetime.

I gave up on Rads because of how competitive it is. I'd reconsider this. Rads is still within your reach with a 220. You just can't be picky about going to a university program in a desirable location. If you want it bad enough, it's still definitely within reach. Not everyone who matches Rads is 240+, AOA, etc.

Is there much money in medicine, or any of its specialties? I have heard fellowships are harder to get into than matching a difficult field. Is that true?

Is there much money in medicine, or any of its specialties? I have heard fellowships are harder to get into than matching a difficult field. Is that true?

Please don't go into internal medicine, for the love of god, save the profession for the few passionate folks out their who love taking care of patients and find it fascinating. You will be doing the patients a favor by not going into the field if these are your intentions. Yes there is money in medicine (Cards/GI/Nephro/Onc all pay over well over $200k and mostly over $300k). Do I want an oncologist doing it for the money and easy lifestyle? Hell no! But I could care less if the radiologist is in for the these reasons, as long as they don't miss the diagnosis.

There were 19 people from my school who matched Rads, many w/ your step I and average grades. The AOA's and such are at big Universities (Penn/UCLA) and are interested in academics. The others are at community programs. I go to USC (middle tier school). Go for Rads, for the love of God, go for Rads!

While I appreciate your comments, I think you are quick to judge. I am compassionate and would be very caring if I choose medicine, but I don't think it is wrong to want to make a good living. In the days when our professors and mentors practiced medicine, they made heaps of money, were gods, and didn't have to worry about getting sued. Of course they would put everything into it at the cost of their lives, marriages, and sanity because they got rewarded. We, however, live in a society where we put ourselves way in debt to try and take care of people who don't help themselves, want to sue us, and don't want to pay us. I know not all patients are like that, but as the population changes, that will become more dramatic. This country's medical society is falling way behind. We are losing the business war, the legal war, and still all the while trying to be about medicine and the patients. I am not here to make millions, but I want to know now that the years I have sacrificed, the hours of stress, the sleepless nights, the huge debt, and the understanding that I am held to a standard of never making a mistake or it is malpractice gets repaid to me. I do want to make money, and as fast as possible because job security and reibmursements keep falling by the wayside. So again, I do understand your point, maybe it is just that look at medicine as more of a job . . . a business (since that is what it has become) . . . and less of a calling.

[QUOTE=ucla2usc]Please don't go into internal medicine, for the love of god, save the profession for the few passionate folks out their who love taking care of patients and find it fascinating. You will be doing the patients a favor by not going into the field if these are your intentions. Yes there is money in medicine (Cards/GI/Nephro/Onc all pay over well over $200k and mostly over $300k). Do I want an oncologist doing it for the money and easy lifestyle? Hell no! But I could care less if the radiologist is in for the these reasons, as long as they don't miss the diagnosis.

AMEN!!

While I appreciate your comments, I think you are quick to judge. I am compassionate and would be very caring if I choose medicine, but I don't think it is wrong to want to make a good living. In the days when our professors and mentors practiced medicine, they made heaps of money, were gods, and didn't have to worry about getting sued. Of course they would put everything into it at the cost of their lives, marriages, and sanity because they got rewarded. We, however, live in a society where we put ourselves way in debt to try and take care of people who don't help themselves, want to sue us, and don't want to pay us. I know not all patients are like that, but as the population changes, that will become more dramatic. This country's medical society is falling way behind. We are losing the business war, the legal war, and still all the while trying to be about medicine and the patients. I am not here to make millions, but I want to know now that the years I have sacrificed, the hours of stress, the sleepless nights, the huge debt, and the understanding that I am held to a standard of never making a mistake or it is malpractice gets repaid to me. I do want to make money, and as fast as possible because job security and reibmursements keep falling by the wayside. So again, I do understand your point, maybe it is just that look at medicine as more of a job . . . a business (since that is what it has become) . . . and less of a calling.

I don't judge you...., I just advise you to stay away from internal medicine based on what you said you were looking for ($$$ and lifestyle). Internal medicine, peds, even surgury are much more for the idealistics like myself. Nothings uglier than a medicine resident who is there only because he/she wasn't competitive enough for "lifestyle" fields. In my experience these are the worst and most disgruntled residents.

Radiology, Gas...great professions, very important work, great money, great lifestyle. The latter two are a o.k. reasons to go into them but are garanteed to leave you disappointed in internal medicine.

I don't judge you...., I just advise you to stay away from internal medicine based on what you said you were looking for ($$$ and lifestyle). Internal medicine, peds, even surgury are much more for the idealistics like myself. Nothings uglier than a medicine resident who is there only because he/she wasn't competitive enough for "lifestyle" fields. In my experience these are the worst and most disgruntled residents.

Radiology, Gas...great professions, very important work, great money, great lifestyle. The latter two are a o.k. reasons to go into them but are garanteed to leave you disappointed in internal medicine.

To be honest, I would rather have a doctor with a great bedside manner who went into IM for the wrong reasons than a cocky jacka'$ that is truly passionate about the field. Let's get real, no one goes into any field for altruistic reasons alone. Anyone who says that is full of it. Lifestyle, compensation, and yes interest are all part of the equation.

The worst residents are those who are lazy and/or rude. And it's a false assumption that someone who went into IM for the wrong will automatically act rude and be lazy. That's not true at all. It has little if anything to do with their intentions. Some of the best docs went into IM for the wrong reasons and turned out better than the hardcore guys who were "passionate" I find the passionate guys tend to be a little naive and self-righteous which can be really irritating. Sometimes, it's nice to have a regular person enter the field because they are people you can relate to as opposed to the dork who wanted to go into internal medicine since they were 9 years old.

I don't judge you...., I just advise you to stay away from internal medicine based on what you said you were looking for ($$$ and lifestyle). Internal medicine, peds, even surgury are much more for the idealistics like myself.

I am pretty sure there are some people that have factored into consideration compensation per RVU (relative value units) for GI and cards as well as lifestyle for allergy/rheum. Similarly, I don't think graduates of the top programs in internal medicine are always bound for academics and some go into private practice. Categorical programs usually list where their graduates go for fellowship, but only a few track what happens after fellowship.

so if u have about a step 1 in the 220s, and hp in preclinicals, two honors in third year (medicine, ob) and the rest passes in third year, are you guys saying its possible for rads.

To be honest, I would rather have a doctor with a great bedside manner who went into IM for the wrong reasons than a cocky jacka'$ that is truly passionate about the field. Let's get real, no one goes into any field for altruistic reasons alone. Anyone who says that is full of it. Lifestyle, compensation, and yes interest are all part of the equation.

Sometimes, it's nice to have a regular person enter the field because they are people you can relate to as opposed to the dork who wanted to go into internal medicine since they were 9 years old.

You sound angry...didn't mean to push your buttons. BTW, I have a great beside manner, and I didn't want to go into medicine until I was 14. It's hard not being a little cocky when you are this good and all the ladies love you for it. :laugh:

so if u have about a step 1 in the 220s, and hp in preclinicals, two honors in third year (medicine, ob) and the rest passes in third year, are you guys saying its possible for rads.

Definitely!

I might be weird, but cockiness doesn't bother me if he is a good doctor. As long as he's going to do a great job, I don't care if he's a jerk. I didn't go to him for a date, I went to get fixed.

I get the whole not being into it = less likely to work hard and or care. I also agree though that just because a doctor wants to make money doesn't make him/her automatically bad/not empathetic. I just think that in todays medical society it would be advisable to make as much money as quickly as you can because everything is so up in the air. I will probably stick with GAS, but I was just curious what everyone thinks about medicine.

I just think that in todays medical society it would be advisable to make as much money as quickly as you can because everything is so up in the air.

If money is all you love, then that's what you'll receive. :rolleyes:

Amen sacrament, amen.