Advice Needed Please...Is Neurology for me?

[Leukocyte]

I am is a delima. I was recently offered a position in Neurology, but I am torn. Should I accept the position or not? Should I go into Neurology or not?

I am going to be completely honest here:

-I have never done a Neurology elective in medical school, so I am not sure how Neurology residency is like.

-I am old. I am not young any more. I am a practicing primary care physician who has completed a primary care residency before, including a fellowship in primary care. But, I do not like clinical medicine. My ideal medical specialty is a non-clinical specialty like Pathology or Radiology.

-Neurology is not my first choice as a medical speciality. As mentioned above, I like relitavely non-clinical specialties like Pathology or Radiology. My personality is more in-line with Pathology and Radiology. I applied to Pathology and Radiology residencies MULTIPLE TIMES before through the match, but I was never successful in matching in any of these 2 specialties.

-As a "Plan B" to Pathology or Radiology, I applied to Neurology because I like Neuroscience, Neuro-anatomy, and Neuro-physiology. I loved my Neuroscience and Neuroanatomy classes in medical school. But the problem is that I do not like Internal Medicine, nor clinical medicine in-general. Is Neurology a "good fit" for a person who likes Neuroscience, Pathology and Radiology, but hates Internal Medicine/clinical medicine?

-If I go into Neurology, my plan is to do a fellowship in a relitavely "less clinical" sub-specialty like Neuro-radiology or Neuro-ophthalmology. Is this a reasonable plan? Are there any fellowships in Neurology that are relatively "less clinical" and more focused than general Neurology?

Thank you very much for your honest advice.

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[Thama]

Though there will be better people to answer this than me (I'm an MS4 doing neuro), neurology is a clinical specialty. I love internal medicine and most neuro residents I know made their final decision between neuro and IM. There are few paths out of neurology that don't involve a lot of patient care. Also neuroscience courses in med school are a lot different than clinical neurology, perhaps more than any other specialty.

 

[primadonna22274]

I've followed your course for years and I think neuro is absolutely the wrong field for you.
I worry you won't be happier, and suffering through another residency after literally suffering as much as you did through your first residency just sounds like self-flagellation.

 

[bustbones26]

I am is a delima. I was recently offered a position in Neurology, but I am torn. Should I accept the position or not? Should I go into Neurology or not?

I am going to be completely honest here:

-I have never done a Neurology elective in medical school, so I am not sure how Neurology residency is like.

-I am old. I am not young any more. I am a practicing primary care physician who has completed a primary care residency before, including a fellowship in primary care. But, I do not like clinical medicine. My ideal medical specialty is a non-clinical specialty like Pathology or Radiology.

-Neurology is not my first choice as a medical speciality. As mentioned above, I like relitavely non-clinical specialties like Pathology or Radiology. My personality is more in-line with Pathology and Radiology. I applied to Pathology and Radiology residencies MULTIPLE TIMES before through the match, but I was never successful in matching in any of these 2 specialties.

-As a "Plan B" to Pathology or Radiology, I applied to Neurology because I like Neuroscience, Neuro-anatomy, and Neuro-physiology. I loved my Neuroscience and Neuroanatomy classes in medical school. But the problem is that I do not like Internal Medicine, nor clinical medicine in-general. Is Neurology a "good fit" for a person who likes Neuroscience, Pathology and Radiology, but hates Internal Medicine/clinical medicine?

-If I go into Neurology, my plan is to do a fellowship in a relitavely "less clinical" sub-specialty like Neuro-radiology or Neuro-ophthalmology. Is this a reasonable plan? Are there any fellowships in Neurology that are relatively "less clinical" and more focused than general Neurology?

Thank you very much for your honest advice.

Consider neuropathology. Have to do some basic anatomic pathology first (maybe a year?) and then you can finish your neuropathology training.

 

[neglect]

But, I do not like clinical medicine. My ideal medical specialty is a non-clinical specialty like Pathology or Radiology.

-Neurology is not my first choice as a medical speciality. As mentioned above, I like relitavely non-clinical specialties like Pathology or Radiology. My personality is more in-line with Pathology and Radiology. I applied to Pathology and Radiology residencies MULTIPLE TIMES before through the match, but I was never successful in matching in any of these 2 specialties.

-As a "Plan B" to Pathology or Radiology, I applied to Neurology because I like Neuroscience, Neuro-anatomy, and Neuro-physiology. I loved my Neuroscience and Neuroanatomy classes in medical school. But the problem is that I do not like Internal Medicine, nor clinical medicine in-general. Is Neurology a "good fit" for a person who likes Neuroscience, Pathology and Radiology, but hates Internal Medicine/clinical medicine?

-If I go into Neurology, my plan is to do a fellowship in a relitavely "less clinical" sub-specialty like Neuro-radiology or Neuro-ophthalmology. Is this a reasonable plan? Are there any fellowships in Neurology that are relatively "less clinical" and more focused than general Neurology?

Thank you very much for your honest advice.

Avoid neurology like the plague. Please read what you wrote. I feel like I already know you better than you know yourself. In neurology you don't get to sit around and discuss neuroscience. You can discuss it with patients if you like, but if you want to be less clinical, then that's not going to work. It just doesn't sound like a good fit for you.

Neurology is a highly clinical specialty. We deal, 100%, with patients. There are no subspecialties with no clinical exposure, even EEG readers have to interact with patients. Furthermore, it isn't even your passion. If you loved neuroscience and could tolerate or grow into clinical medicine, then there would be some hope. But since you don't, there isn't.

 

[Leukocyte]

Thank you everyone for your input. Yes, in an ideal world I would have not considered Neurology as a specialty (or any clinically oriented medical/surgical field for that matter). In an ideal world, I would have gone to Pathology or Radiology, no questions asked. But unfortunately, I am living in the real world and being offered very few options. Pathology or Radiology seem to be unattainable for me. So my only other alternative to primary care clinical practice, is a specialty with a LESS PAINFUL clinical practice. I guess my reasoning to go into Neurology was that...."although it is a clinical field, it is AT LEAST better than being a primary care physician". By "better", I mean more focused clinically, and not all over the place like primary care clinical practice, thus making Neurology LESS PAINFULL clinically than primary care.

So yes, you guys are correct. Neurology is a very clinical specialty....but compared to my current alternative (primary care clinical practice), Neurology will, at least, be a better choice than primary care clinical practice due to the focused nature of the specialty. In addition, Neurology allows you to sub-focus your clinical experience if you want.

Do you think I am correct in this assumption?

 

[danielmd06]

Thank you everyone for your input. Yes, in an ideal world I would have not considered Neurology as a specialty (or any clinically oriented medical/surgical field for that matter). In an ideal world, I would have gone to Pathology or Radiology, no questions asked. But unfortunately, I am living in the real world and being offered very few options. Pathology or Radiology seem to be unattainable for me. So my only other alternative to primary care clinical practice, is a specialty with a LESS PAINFUL clinical practice. I guess my reasoning to go into Neurology was that...."although it is a clinical field, it is AT LEAST better than being a primary care physician". By "better", I mean more focused clinically, and not all over the place like primary care clinical practice, thus making Neurology LESS PAINFULL clinically than primary care.

So yes, you guys are correct. Neurology is a very clinical specialty....but compared to my current alternative (primary care clinical practice), Neurology will, at least, be a better choice than primary care clinical practice due to the focused nature of the specialty. In addition, Neurology allows you to sub-focus your clinical experience if you want.

Do you think I am correct in this assumption?

Choosing a career based on what you *don't* have to do as opposed to what you *get* to do is risky. It seems to me like a plan that could easily backfire and make you miserable. Granted, I've known people that did this. Have you considered a job with a pharmaceutical company or imaging company? Something that could use your background but would not involve practicing clinical medicine. Research maybe?