MS 4 needs specialty advice asap

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Hey everyone

So I am a 4th year who is (slightly) panicking because ERAS opened >48 hours ago, and I still don't know what I am applying to.

Bottom line: I like OB/GYN, but don't know if I like it enough (aka really really love it) in order to put up with the residency/ lifestyle etc. I've done my homework and I know that many attendings work 3 days/ week, have call every 6 weeks etc. now, but it's still a taxing residency that I'm not sure I want to commit to.

If I don't do OB, I have no idea what to do.

Other options: emergency medicine, which I liked. I still don't think I should apply to this because I met many attendings who were leaving EM to do fellowships in palliative care (can we say 180 degree switch), or who were leaving period. I just feel like the ER is the ER (which can grow really old after awhile) and I would eventually miss having longer relationships with patients.

Internal medicine: I did not like my rotation third year. Hard to say if it was the subject matter ( don't like the chronic problem patients aka COPD/CHF exacerbations etc nor do I like bad diagnoses) or the people (residents/attendings who werent interested in teaching etc). I like cardiology, but i've never done an elective in it. BUT i like the idea of having so many options from IM.......


I am finishing up an OB sub I. My impression is: kinda long hours, some exciting stuff, residents can be bitchy, Im not sure I love vaginal deliveries, but I get excited at the same time.

I like the OR, but how do you know if you really LOVE it, if they never let you do anything?!

Does anyone have advice for a very very late decider? AKA should I apply to all of these and narrow it down, narrow it down and then apply to my decision (but later on, like in October) or do a transitional year or something?


Full disclosure: my boyfriend is a year behind me and I dont really want to leave him, but I also don't want to stay in our med school town for residency. Maybe subconsciously I can't decide because it means more definitely I'll have to leave him...

Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!

I was going to suggest ACGME FM (obviously you're an ACGMEr) with a OB/Women's Health/Reproductive Endocrine fellowship. Alas, unless you move to bumble&#%$ you won't be getting nearly the amount of OR time you seem to desire.

Originally Posted by bananababi22

Hey everyone

So I am a 4th year who is (slightly) panicking because ERAS opened >48 hours ago, and I still don't know what I am applying to.

Bottom line: I like OB/GYN, but don't know if I like it enough (aka really really love it) in order to put up with the residency/ lifestyle etc. I've done my homework and I know that many attendings work 3 days/ week, have call every 6 weeks etc. now, but it's still a taxing residency that I'm not sure I want to commit to.

If I don't do OB, I have no idea what to do.

Other options: emergency medicine, which I liked. I still don't think I should apply to this because I met many attendings who were leaving EM to do fellowships in palliative care (can we say 180 degree switch), or who were leaving period. I just feel like the ER is the ER (which can grow really old after awhile) and I would eventually miss having longer relationships with patients.

Internal medicine: I did not like my rotation third year. Hard to say if it was the subject matter ( don't like the chronic problem patients aka COPD/CHF exacerbations etc nor do I like bad diagnoses) or the people (residents/attendings who werent interested in teaching etc). I like cardiology, but i've never done an elective in it. BUT i like the idea of having so many options from IM.......


I am finishing up an OB sub I. My impression is: kinda long hours, some exciting stuff, residents can be bitchy, Im not sure I love vaginal deliveries, but I get excited at the same time.

I like the OR, but how do you know if you really LOVE it, if they never let you do anything?!

Does anyone have advice for a very very late decider? AKA should I apply to all of these and narrow it down, narrow it down and then apply to my decision (but later on, like in October) or do a transitional year or something?


Full disclosure: my boyfriend is a year behind me and I dont really want to leave him, but I also don't want to stay in our med school town for residency. Maybe subconsciously I can't decide because it means more definitely I'll have to leave him...

Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!

You would miss the long-term patient relationships but also don't like long-term problems?

With how often some people frequent the ER, you'll make some long-term relationships with people who don't have a PCP so come to the ER for a cold.

why not family med?

Although OB residency is taxing, the key is to focus on the long term WORK. Residency is but 1/5th-1/7th (approximately) the amount of time you'll stay in practice. But yes I would agree, that while you don't have to love everything about a field, you have to love most of it.

Have you considered taking some time off and delaying graduation a year - time to figure out what you want, etc. Frankly, if you end up taking 3 months to decide what you want to do, get LORs, etc. your decision will be made for you - ie., not matching at all.

Thanks for pointing this out: " I would miss the long term patients but don't like dealing with chronic problems"

Guess I've never seen it like that! But it's definitely a contradiction.

Anyways thanks for the replies and if anyone has felt so torn so late in the game let me know how you decided.

I am at an md school and I've thought about taking time off to think it thru but my school would charge me tuition for an extra year since I am technically "extending."

I also really did not like my family practice rotation but maybe I should reconsider...

Originally Posted by bananababi22

Thanks for pointing this out: " I would miss the long term patients but don't like dealing with chronic problems"

Guess I've never seen it like that! But it's definitely a contradiction.

That actually seems pretty in-line with OB/GYN. Long term relationships with relatively healthy patients or at least patients who often have their chronic health managed by someone else...

Originally Posted by bananababi22

Thanks for pointing this out: " I would miss the long term patients but don't like dealing with chronic problems"

Guess I've never seen it like that! But it's definitely a contradiction.

Sounds like peds too - you see the kids for 18y plus you can know the parents for longer if they have multiple kids...

Originally Posted by bananababi22

Thanks for pointing this out: " I would miss the long term patients but don't like dealing with chronic problems"

I also really did not like my family practice rotation but maybe I should reconsider...

Uh...I'd stay away from FM if you don't like chronic problems.

Originally Posted by Winged Scapula

Uh...I'd stay away from FM if you don't like chronic problems.

I just realized that your name has to do with damage to the long thoracic nerve.

Originally Posted by kpcrew

I just realized that your name has to do with damage to the long thoracic nerve.

Or a tacky/awful tattoo .

Originally Posted by kpcrew

I just realized that your name has to do with damage to the long thoracic nerve.

Ok, let the pimping begin.

1) Why did I choose that as my new user name (when we went from using our real names) and 2) When is a winged scapula considered normal?

Originally Posted by Bacchus

Or a tacky/awful tattoo .

Yeah I'm all inked up.

Originally Posted by Winged Scapula

Ok, let the pimping begin.

1) Why did I choose that as my new user name (when we went from using our real names) and 2) When is a winged scapula considered normal?



Yeah I'm all inked up.

Oh no you didn't. Luckily that student can't PIMP up. I guess I could guess the answer bc I know what you do for a living.

Originally Posted by Winged Scapula

Ok, let the pimping begin.

1) Why did I choose that as my new user name (when we went from using our real names) and 2) When is a winged scapula considered normal?



Yeah I'm all inked up.

1) Because you're a breast surgeon and it's a not unheard of complication of breast surgery? Not sure really... You have your real name in your signature still, so it's not like you're trying to hide anything.
2) Beats me.

Originally Posted by Raryn

1) Because you're a breast surgeon and it's a not unheard of complication of breast surgery? Not sure really... You have your real name in your signature still, so it's not like you're trying to hide anything.

Yes, score a point for you. Also because I have a horrible imagination - its what keeps me off dating sites because I am not creative enough to come up with a profile and user name.

And you'd be surprised at the number of SDNers who don't recognize that I'm talking about myself with Lee's quote in my sig.

2) Beats me.

Of course, you really mean, "I don't recall but I'll look it up and get back to you tomorrow", right?

A. Pre-adolescents

Q. What is the functional problem with a Winged Scapula?

Originally Posted by Winged Scapula

Yes, score a point for you. Also because I have a horrible imagination - its what keeps me off dating sites because I am not creative enough to come up with a profile and user name.

And you'd be surprised at the number of SDNers who don't recognize that I'm talking about myself with Lee's quote in my sig.

If I remember right, it's still a damn rare complication

Of course, you really mean, "I don't recall but I'll look it up and get back to you tomorrow", right?

Try again. M4, post-ERAS submission. The pimping, it slides right off.

A. Pre-adolescents

Q. What is the functional problem with a Winged Scapula?

Serratus anterior palsy iirc.

Originally Posted by Raryn

Try again. M4, post-ERAS submission. The pimping, it slides right off.

Serratus anterior palsy iirc.

Which means?... What happens?

(and you have all night to answer because Im going to bed)

Originally Posted by bananababi22

Hey everyone

My impression is: kinda long hours, some exciting stuff, residents can be bitchy,

This is my impression of all residencies. . OB-GYN offers tons of versatility and areas of specialization. It's one field where you can opt to do as much or as little as you want (procedure-wise) later on, and you get clinic and OR time, should you choose to go that route. I think if you are interested in it, you should go for it as it seems like it is at the top of your list and you can tailor it to your interests in the future.

Originally Posted by Bacchus

Or a tacky/awful tattoo .

Originally Posted by Winged Scapula

Which means?... What happens?

(and you have all night to answer because Im going to bed)

Weak scapular protraction. You would ruin Ali's career.

Originally Posted by VisionaryTics

Weak scapular protraction. You would ruin Ali's career.

Really? There's no other muscular contribution? The serratus is that important?

Originally Posted by Winged Scapula

Really? There's no other muscular contribution? The serratus is that important?

I'm just so unprepared for this.

Originally Posted by Raryn

Try again. M4, post-ERAS submission. The pimping, it slides right off.

heard that!