Anyone regret *not* doing Anesthesiology?

[mymembernames]

Seems like EM vs Anesthesia is a very common question, and in the end it ends up being a personal preference. Just curious if any of you who considered Anesthesiology seriously regretted not going that way. Thanks!

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[bearstanley]

LOL

 

[EM2018orBUST]

in the end it ends up being a personal preference.

Isn’t this true of any specialty decision?

 

[RustedFox]

 

[emergentmd]

Gas was my 3rd choice. Boy I am glad Em was my first. I currently sit in a FSER pulling in as much or more than my fellow Gas is making while having seen only 2 pts in the past 16 hrs.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

I wish I would have looked at anesthesia a little more closely in med school. I think it would have been my second choice. No regrets though, since I'm sure it wouldn't have overtaken EM for me. As it was, OB was my second choice....shudder...that would have been a mistake.

 

[miacomet]

I wish I would have looked at anesthesia a little more closely in med school. I think it would have been my second choice. No regrets though, since I'm sure it wouldn't have overtaken EM for me. As it was, OB was my second choice....shudder...that would have been a mistake.

Nah. Reproductive endocrinology is a great field

 

[engineeredout]

I wish I would have looked at anesthesia a little more closely in med school. I think it would have been my second choice. No regrets though, since I'm sure it wouldn't have overtaken EM for me. As it was, OB was my second choice....shudder...that would have been a mistake.

Exactly this. I had anesthesia as a late MS4 elective, might have given it a little more consideration if I had it sooner. OB was second choice as well (at the time... so glad I didn't go down that route). No regrets here.

 

[Birdstrike]

I think I might have liked anesthesiology. It sure as heck would have made the path into a Pain Fellowship a lot easier. I didn't give anesthesiology a whole lot of thought, though. But I don't have any regrets about the path I've taken. It all happens for a reason. And the experiences I've had, have made me who I am today. Anesthesia has its pro's and con's, just like EM, and all specialties. It's not about what's "the best," but about finding the best fit for you, now and in the future.

 

[Angry Birds]

I think I might have liked anesthesiology. It sure as heck would have made the path into a Pain Fellowship a lot easier. I didn't give anesthesiology a whole lot of thought, though. But I don't have any regrets about the path I've taken. It all happens for a reason. And the experiences I've had, have made me who I am today. Anesthesia has its pro's and con's, just like EM, and all specialties. It's not about what's "the best," but about finding the best fit for you, now and in the future.

This is a great post. Good way to think about it.

 

[Arch Guillotti]

 

[Psai]

Ob is cool as a field but the people are just...

 

[emergentmd]

Ob is cool as a field but the people are just...

Looking at Stinky places all day.
Stressful situations where bad outcomes are REALLY BAD. EM have bad outcomes but I can live with oldies passing away as the norm rather than a healthy kid as a norm
Having a full clinic all day and running to the hospital to deliver your patient's babies. Then be on call all night and potentially having to stay up most of the night doing deliveries. Then turn around with another full day of clinic with more babies.

That is too much COOL for me.

 

[naijacardriodoc]

Gas was my 3rd choice. Boy I am glad Em was my first. I currently sit in a FSER pulling in as much or more than my fellow Gas is making while having seen only 2 pts in the past 16 hrs.

yea but this is def a pro for people who go into anesthesia...i love that they can focus on... for the most part...one patient at a time.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

yea but this is def a pro for people who go into anesthesia...i love that they can focus on... for the most part...one patient at a time.

I think he was pointing out that he is seeing 2 pts in the past 16 hours in the FSED rather than the gas guy seeing 2 pts in 16 hours (although this is also true depending on the type of surgery being done).

 

[emergentmd]

yea but this is def a pro for people who go into anesthesia...i love that they can focus on... for the most part...one patient at a time.

I saw 2 patients requiring about 30 min of work time in 16 hrs making as much as Anesthesia. And the environment where they are sitting down taking care of 1 pt at a time is fleeting given the continued proliferation of CMGs and CRNAs.

I would equate a Gas model of 4:1 supervision as me supervising 4 PAs and signing my name on 80 charts.

 

[coffeebythelake]

I saw 2 patients requiring about 30 min of work time in 16 hrs making as much as Anesthesia. And the environment where they are sitting down taking care of 1 pt at a time is fleeting given the continued proliferation of CMGs and CRNAs.

I would equate a Gas model of 4:1 supervision as me supervising 4 PAs and signing my name on 80 charts.

You think your current EM model will last?

 

[RoyBasch]

I will admit I didn't know anything about gas until the end of medical school. As time has gone on I have become much more impressed with their skill set and consistently they are one of my favorite specialist to work with however infrequently. I like that they do more of some of my favorite things in EM such as procedures (intubating, central lines, sedations) and the critical care.

However, I also enjoy that EM is largely a diagnostic specialty. Although anesthesia has some diagnostics as well (DDx for interoperative hypotension, hypoxia, etc.) its not nearly as broad as EM. Now that I work with medical students who are trying to pick a specialty I actually encourage the people who come my way interested in EM to consider anesthesia, particularly if the parts of EM they are most excited about are procedures and resuscitation (which I find frequently to be the case with students).

This may sound ridiculous, but I am glad I wound up in EM over anesthesia for the simple reason that I really hate mornings and I can't imagine 5 days a week starting before 0600 for the rest of my life. Sure EM day shift starts early, but between days off, mid shifts, night shifts, etc. I think I am waking up before 0600 only 5 days a month or so.

 

[Groove]

I never really understand these gas vs EM comparisons. To me, they are diametrically different specialties. The only times I've regretted EM are when I'm just burnt the F out. Inevitably, with a little rest and a vacation or two going down some icy slopes in Co or Lake Tahoe...I generally stop hating life and start to feel better. If I got paid less for what I do in the ER? Maybe.... but it's tough to complain when you're making 500K each year (working for a CMG no less). I honestly don't feel like I work that much, though I probably work a lot more than most. Anytime I feel like complaining, I just stop, look at the big picture and pretty quickly realize just how good I really have it in this specialty. Sure, sometimes the grass looks greener....but it's plenty green enough on my side of the fence.

It's a fun field, but ANY specialty can start to bitch and moan about a few things and start to get envious of "perceived" better lifestyles in other specialties which are generally almost always misperceptions. It's really tough to beat the lifestyle we would all have if we decided to work say... 8-10 shifts a month which would still put us making more than most with a ridiculous amount of time off each month. I don't care if you scheduled me all nights...that's still a great lifestyle in my book.

 

[Redrox]

Agree with groove, they are reeeeeeeally different fields on a day to day basis. For better and worse feel like I'm more in field of customer service but I like people so *shrug*.

Also agree it's hard to hate anything much at just 8-10 shifts a month. I'm at 11 m'self. Life's good, no complaints.