Poll: What Medical *Specialty* Would You Pick?

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What Medical Specialty Would You Pick?

  • Anesthesiology

    Votes: 18 7.3%

  • Dermatology

    Votes: 9 3.7%

  • Emergency Medicine

    Votes: 32 13.0%

  • Family Medicine

    Votes: 15 6.1%

  • Internal Medicine

    Votes: 22 8.9%

  • Medical Genetics

    Votes: 2 0.8%

  • Neurological Surgery

    Votes: 10 4.1%

  • Nuclear Medicine

    Votes: 1 0.4%

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology

    Votes: 9 3.7%

  • Ophthalmology

    Votes: 3 1.2%

  • Orthopaedic Surgery

    Votes: 18 7.3%

  • Otolaryngology

    Votes: 5 2.0%

  • Pathology

    Votes: 9 3.7%

  • Pediatrics

    Votes: 12 4.9%

  • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

    Votes: 2 0.8%

  • Plastic Surgery

    Votes: 3 1.2%

  • Preventive Medicine

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Psychiatry and Neurology

    Votes: 13 5.3%

  • Radiology

    Votes: 19 7.7%

  • Surgery (General)

    Votes: 15 6.1%

  • Thoracic Surgery

    Votes: 5 2.0%

  • Urology

    Votes: 2 0.8%

  • Don't Know / Other

    Votes: 16 6.5%

  • Radiation Oncology

    Votes: 6 2.4%
  • Total voters
    246
vc7777

vc7777

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Hey, I know Q posted a poll on subspecialties of Internal medicine.

I thought I would broaden the topic to include all of the specialties as recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.


This is a helpful link, and lists sub-specialties, in case you are wondering where your dream career resides in this list:
http://www.abms.org/who_we_help/physicians/specialties.aspx
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For those of you students and residents who know more about these things, I have a question. In what way do internal medicine and family medicine differ? It looks to me like a doctor with an internal medicine residency can do everything that a FM doctor can do and also has the ability to later pick a fellowship. Since IM and FM are both fairly easy to get into, what are some reasons to pick FM?
 
EdLongshanks said:
For those of you students and residents who know more about these things, I have a question. In what way do internal medicine and family medicine differ? It looks to me like a doctor with an internal medicine residency can do everything that a FM doctor can do and also has the ability to later pick a fellowship. Since IM and FM are both fairly easy to get into, what are some reasons to pick FM?
Click to expand...
FM has Peds and OB training.
 
EdLongshanks said:
For those of you students and residents who know more about these things, I have a question. In what way do internal medicine and family medicine differ? It looks to me like a doctor with an internal medicine residency can do everything that a FM doctor can do and also has the ability to later pick a fellowship. Since IM and FM are both fairly easy to get into, what are some reasons to pick FM?
Click to expand...
AAMC has a good site: https://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/cim/63550/specialties/
Nature of the work

A family physician is concerned with the total health care of the individual and the family and is trained to diagnose and treat a wide variety of ailments in patients of all ages. The family physician receives a broad range of training that includes adult medicine and care of the aged, the care of children, women's health, maternity care, preventive medicine, and behavioral science. Special emphasis is placed on the primary care of families, utilizing consultants, and community resources when appropriate.1
Family physicians can receive training in the following subspecialties:

  • Adolescent Medicine- a family physician with multidisciplinary training the unique physical, psychological, and social characteristics of adolescents and their healthcare problems and needs.
  • Geriatric Medicine - special knowledge of the aging process and special skills in the diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive and rehabilitative aspects of illness in the elderly.
  • Hospice and Palliative Medicine - prevent and relieve the suffering experienced by patients with life-limiting illnesses.
  • Sleep Medicine - diagnoses and manages the clinical conditions that occur during sleep, that disturb sleep or that are affected by disturbances.
  • Sports Medicine - trained to be responsible for continuous care related to the enhancement of health and fitness as well as the prevention of injury and illness.
Training/residency information

The residency training for family practice is three years. An additional year of training is required to be certified in a subspecialty.
Salary information

The annual salary ranges from approximately $175,000 to $220,196.2
Click to expand...
Nature of the work

A personal physician who provides long-term comprehensive care in the office and the hospital, managing both common and complex illness of adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Internists are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of of cancer, infections, and diseases affecting the heart, blood, kidneys, joints and digestive, respiratory, and vascular systems. They are also trained in the essentials of primary care internal medicine which incorporates an understanding of disease prevention, wellness, substance abuse, mental health, and effective treatment of common problems of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system, and reproductive organs.1



  • Adolescent Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
  • Gastroenterology
  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Hematology
  • Hospice and Palliative Medicine

  • Infectious Disease
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Medical Oncology
  • Nephrology
  • Pulmonary Disease
  • Rheumatology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Sports Medicine
  • Transplant Hepatology

Training/residency information

The residency for general internal medicine is three years. To practice in an internal medicine subspecialty requires from one to three years of additional training.
Salary information

The annual salary ranges from $184,200 to $231,691.2
Click to expand...
 
MCAT guy said:
I used to think EM would be awesome. Then I read a lot in the EM forums.

I think the only scary part about EM, is like anesthesia/CRNA, nurses are focusing all their attention on autonomy/practice rights in the ED.

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but full disclosure is important IMO. :)

If you understand the pros and cons, and you still are game, then more power to you.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I read over there too and have read that before....I still want to do it regardless. There are a few other specialities I am interested in so I will see what happens but it is at my top.
 
I guess this is the poll for the month now. :D

(and this is a shameless bump +pad+ )

I chose EM - still very appealing to me. I have had a lot of exposure to it, and I am not detracted by any of the down sides. Unfortunately, ever career has stuff you don't like. It's all about maximizing your happiness and priorities in life. :)
 
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vc7777 said:
I guess this is the poll for the month now. :D

(and this is a shameless bump +pad+ )

I chose EM - still very appealing to me. I have had a lot of exposure to it, and I am not detracted by any of the down sides. Unfortunately, ever career has stuff you don't like. It's all about maximizing your happiness and priorities in life. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, every specialty has downsides.

The only thing about EM is the changing of shift work. Being a zombie on my day off wouldn't be fun. But EM seems like one of the more interesting specialties that is full of variety (which would be cool).
 
Thoracic Surgery... that's right, sir, I'm holding your still-beating heart in my hand.:zip:
 
i am torn between pediatrics, EM, internal medicine, ortho, gen surg, radiology, anesthesiology, urology, or something similar. i honestly don't know and when I feel like i make a fairly educated decision, I see another aspect of a different specialty that I love. i am sure I will decide in my 3rd and 4th years.
 
this poll has a surprisingly evenly dispersed range of specialties.
 
I'm sure I don't want to do any sort of surgical specialty. Maybe I'll change my mind, but I doubt it.

Some days I think I want to do something that requires no office or continuing relationship with patients such as anesthesia, radiology, path, or even hospitalist. I have been working in EM for so long, I think I am done with it as a career, I don't really want to do it for the rest of my life. I am interested in the post IM fellowships though like GI and cardiology.

I am really trying to keep an open mind because as I learned from nursing rotations, you can think you want to do one thing, and then you rotate somewhere that you would never think you liked and its like wow, I can really see myself doing this.
 
If I was younger, I'd do Endocrinology (IM), but I'm not younger, soooo I'm going to do family med (or likely will)...
 
have my eye on ID right now (no love on this poll for infections?)

possibly general IM though. I can appreciate the broad knowledge base required.

still, ID simultaneously horrifies and fascinates.
 
Charles English said:
have my eye on ID right now (no love on this poll for infections?)
Click to expand...
If you follow the link in my first post, you will find that ID is a subspecialty of internal or pediatric medicine (I have met both kinds here at The Clinic, and they are all very chill and interesting people. I also like any podcast by Mark Crislip who is an ID doc.)

That is, you must complete either training before pursuing ID.

possibly general IM though. I can appreciate the broad knowledge base required.
Click to expand...
See above, you are correct. Or see this link:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2077493_become-infectious-disease-doctor.html
:laugh:
still, ID simultaneously horrifies and fascinates.
Click to expand...
Indeed
 
vc7777 said:
I also like any podcast by Mark Crislip who is an ID doc.
Click to expand...

yeah, before i knew about his quackcast (which is great), i had been listening to his puscast.

next time i'm in Portland, i want to buy him a beer.
 
How does someone actually end up in colon and rectal surgery? Is it a calling?
 
I have a long way to go, but I have been interested in: Pediatrics, Child Psychiatry.

I should add I kind of enjoyed my own colonoscopy...until they drugged me more because I wouldn't stop talking about how interesting it was :)
 
J DUB said:
Radiation Oncology.....google it.
Click to expand...

lol "point missed"

I was asking why it wasn't included in the poll. I know it is boarded the same as radiology, but it is a distinct specialty (not even a subspecialty) and it deserves to be a poll option.
 
MCAT guy said:
Derm?

I don't see a lot of people out for Derm, but it is the perfect lifestyle specialty.

Super competitive though.
Click to expand...

I second the emphasis on "Super competitive". I have 3 good friends who are dermatologists who all do interviews for residencies. The types of applicants they get and reject is INSANE. In fact, one of the Derms said she didn't think she could get a derm residency if she were applying now.

Not to say that it is impossible, or to crush your dreams - it is also relatively less difficult to get a derm residency in another location - but you DO have to be exceptional in terms of academics (given) and other accomplishments (zillions of publications, awards, etc. etc.).
 
LLB2MD said:
I second the emphasis on "Super competitive". I have 3 good friends who are dermatologists who all do interviews for residencies. The types of applicants they get and reject is INSANE. In fact, one of the Derms said she didn't think she could get a derm residency if she were applying now.

Not to say that it is impossible, or to crush your dreams - it is also relatively less difficult to get a derm residency in another location - but you DO have to be exceptional in terms of academics (given) and other accomplishments (zillions of publications, awards, etc. etc.).
Click to expand...

I asked to shadow a DO who had done some derm work on me. He told me that I could, but "do you really want to look at skin rashes all day long?"

He convinced me. I don't want to make a hoard of money that way.
 
WashMe said:
Where the F is RadOnc???
Click to expand...
I added it.

Interesting that EM is the most popular specialty.

EdLongshanks said:
I asked to shadow a DO who had done some derm work on me. He told me that I could, but "do you really want to look at skin rashes all day long?"

He convinced me. I don't want to make a hoard of money that way.
Click to expand...
I don't know how or why, but there are dermatologists out there who really are in the field for the love of it. I remember my second year we had a lecture about derm from a young derm attending who was so enthusiastic about how awesome the field is that it made me hope I could love *any* field as much as she loved derm.
 
I picked EM, but I am also interested in neurology and endocrinology.
 
QofQuimica said:
I added it.

Interesting that EM is the most popular specialty.


I don't know how or why, but there are dermatologists out there who really are in the field for the love of it. I remember my second year we had a lecture about derm from a young derm attending who was so enthusiastic about how awesome the field is that it made me hope I could love *any* field as much as she loved derm.
Click to expand...


I know my friends love it. They see a lot of interesting things (amongst the acne etc) and they certainly have a fabulous lifestyle. One of my friends removed a skin cancer on an elderly man's ear and then reconstructed that ear - she certainly found that to be quite fulfilling!

P.S. I love your avatar pic - I'm an orgo geek. :)
 
stefspets said:
I picked EM, but I am also interested in neurology and endocrinology.
Click to expand...

For those of you who are interested in ER, does the fact that you never know Paul Harvey's "Rest of the Story" bother you?
 
vc7777 said:
Hey, I know Q posted a poll on subspecialties of Internal medicine.

I thought I would broaden the topic to include all of the specialties as recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.


This is a helpful link, and lists sub-specialties, in case you are wondering where your dream career resides in this list:
http://www.abms.org/who_we_help/physicians/specialties.aspx
Click to expand...

For me:

Otolaryngology > OrthoSurg > GI >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Other specialties
 
Pons Asinorum said:
(Families) + (generous time off) - (on call) - (competitive match) = Nontrads loving some EM
Click to expand...
I actually don't think that EM is particularly family-friendly in terms of schedule, especially for residents and junior attendings. What I mean is that you'll be working irregularly timed shifts where you might not see your school-aged children for several days, working on Christmas and birthdays, etc. EM is not an uncompetitive match either; it's pretty solidly in the middle in terms of competitiveness. The things that EM does have going for it though are that the training time is relatively short, and the people who are attracted to the specialty tend to be a little more off the beaten path. That includes more than a fair share of nontrads. However, if I were looking for a less competitive, family-friendly specialty with regular hours, I'd probably choose PM&R--you don't have too many rehab emergencies! That specialty is probably the best-kept secret in medicine, in no small part because so few medical students take PM&R rotations.
 
QofQuimica said:
That specialty is probably the best-kept secret in medicine, in no small part because so few medical students take PM&R rotations.
Click to expand...

Tell me, Q, what is the most Marcus Welby like specialty? For those of us who have this delusion, which specialty is least likely to mess with our minds?
 
EdLongshanks said:
Tell me, Q, what is the most Marcus Welby like specialty? For those of us who have this delusion, which specialty is least likely to mess with our minds?
Click to expand...
Any chance you have a time machine that will take you back 50 years???

All kidding aside, I don't think you'd be able to practice like that in the US any more, especially in urban areas. Medicine is so much more specialized and technology-based now, and the scope of what even FPs do is narrower now than it was in the 1970s. For international medicine like you're planning, I don't know.
 
QofQuimica said:
I actually don't think that EM is particularly family-friendly in terms of schedule, especially for residents and junior attendings. What I mean is that you'll be working irregularly timed shifts where you might not see your school-aged children for several days, working on Christmas and birthdays, etc. EM is not an uncompetitive match either; it's pretty solidly in the middle in terms of competitiveness. The things that EM does have going for it though are that the training time is relatively short, and the people who are attracted to the specialty tend to be a little more off the beaten path. That includes more than a fair share of nontrads. However, if I were looking for a less competitive, family-friendly specialty with regular hours, I'd probably choose PM&R--you don't have too many rehab emergencies! That specialty is probably the best-kept secret in medicine, in no small part because so few medical students take PM&R rotations.
Click to expand...

Shhh.....dont mention PMR...:eek:
 
Residency in Diagnostic Radiology + fellowship in NeuroRad. Then on to work in a community hospital. :thumbup:
 
QofQuimica said:
Any chance you have a time machine that will take you back 50 years???

All kidding aside, I don't think you'd be able to practice like that in the US any more, especially in urban areas. Medicine is so much more specialized and technology-based now, and the scope of what even FPs do is narrower now than it was in the 1970s. For international medicine like you're planning, I don't know.
Click to expand...

So now is not the time to ask about the Norman Rockwell painting of the doctor examining the little girl's doll?
 
mmdp said:
I should add I kind of enjoyed my own colonoscopy...until they drugged me more because I wouldn't stop talking about how interesting it was :)
Click to expand...

Uhhh....OK..?

Pretty sure if you were awake for the whole thing you wouldn't find it so fun. There's a reason you get Propofol for that one. . .Thank God!
 
RFHawks said:
Residency in Diagnostic Radiology + fellowship in NeuroRad. Then on to work in a community hospital. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Most community hospitals won't have much use for a neurorad attending, if I were to go out on a limb. Not much use for such highly specialized/highly compensated physician when you most likely don't have the capital equipment to bill it out. Just an opinion.
 
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