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I just started school and have had my first block exam. I am shooting for rural FM, how well do I need to do to get a rural FM residency? Do I need to be in the middle of pack?
I'll rephrase. I'm doing Rural FM because I have a full ride scholarship to do so and I'm a country doc kind of person. Also, let's assume that I am a nontrad that has been around the block a time or two. Now, can anyone tell me the kind of grades, board scores, etc. that I will need to get into a good rural family medicine residency?
As current medical students, we have been around this exact block more than a time or two.
Don't be one of the thousands of medical students who finds out during third year that they hate the specialty that they pigeonholed themselves into.
I didn't really intend for this thread to be about my pursuit of FM. I'm already contractually obligated to enter into primary care. It's too late, couldn't take it back if I wanted to. I can choose between the 5 primary care specialties though. So I'd say I'm already half pigeonholed.
God bless you. Be sure to use OMM daily and have at least two Norman Rockwell paintings in your waiting room.I just started school and have had my first block exam. I am shooting for rural FM, how well do I need to do to get a rural FM residency? Do I need to be in the middle of pack?
I just started school and have had my first block exam. I am shooting for rural FM, how well do I need to do to get a rural FM residency? Do I need to be in the middle of pack?
Thank you everyone for the encouraging words and outpouring of support for my pursuit of FM. I'm going to go cry myself to sleep now.
You can do an ACGME FM to avoid OMM and work as a locum and still rack up those $$$. I would avoid rural FM though. Or if you change your mind and don't want to do primary care anymore, be sure to match into an academic IM so you can get a fellowship later on.
Thank you everyone for the encouraging words and outpouring of support for my pursuit of FM. I'm going to go cry myself to sleep now.
Isn't EM considered primary care too in some locations?
At one of my interviews, when I applied, the school spun it as so. Which, I mean, was cool for all the EM-crazed folks.Isn't EM considered primary care too in some locations?
I love how you guys are ripping this guy/gal to shreds for wanting to become a family doc. Not everyone wants to live in the ER or in an operating room. Also, I am pretty sure most of you told your schools that "you wanted to become a family doc and use OMM to treat your patients better...."
I think what everyone is trying to say is...if you want to be a family doctor, graduate medical school, pass your boards, and become a family doc.
Isn't EM considered primary care too in some locations?
I am not sure schools discourage student from going into FM; it's more like financial circumstances and the way primary care docs are treated these days that force these students to look elsewhere... Most med students are crushed by debt, so it's understandable that a lot of them don't want to go into a specialty that get compensated 180k/year an average while dealing with a bunch of paper work. Others specialties are doing well... why not go where the gravy is? Look at EM now! These docs are making 350k+/year working 12-12hrs shift per month... Reading the EM forum, one would believe that 400k is probably the average salary of that specialty. EM has become the new anesthesia now in term of salary... Lol.I don't think people are criticizing the OP for wanting FM. They just are giving the (very good) advice to work hard. Keeping options open is never a bad thing.
That said, there is a fair amount of anti-FM bias in medicine, and it's not cool. The FM doc I rotated with for my 1st FM rotation was easily as brilliant as any subspecialist I've met. If our health care system and culture put the value on FM doctors that they deserve, untold numbers of patients' lives could be changed for the better. It's a noble specialty, and it's a shame that so many schools and specialists try to deter students from pursuing it.
I am not sure schools discourage student from going into FM; it's more like financial circumstances and the way primary care docs are treated these days that force these students to look elsewhere... Most med students are crushed by debt, so it's understandable that a lot of them don't want to go into a specialty that get compensated 180k/year an average while dealing with a bunch of paper work. Others specialties are doing well... why not go where the gravy easy? Look at EM now! These docs are making 350k+/year working 12-12hrs shift per month... Reading the EM forum, one would believe that 400k is probably the average salary of that specialty. EM has become the new anesthesia now in term of salary... Lol.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/the-budget-of-the-joneses.1154075/
The way compensation is in EM now, one can work for just 15 years and call it a day if you use your money wisely...Yeah, no wonder EM so insanely popular right now. That's another specialty I'd consider as I like the breadth of knowledge it involves. I just imagine having to work nights and holidays and weekends for 30 more years and picture it being sort of like dying slowly.
You also have to consider hours in that FM number. They aren't working 60-70 weeks to make 180. I know FM docs pushing 300... It's all relative.I am not sure schools discourage student from going into FM; it's more like financial circumstances and the way primary care docs are treated these days that force these students to look elsewhere... Most med students are crushed by debt, so it's understandable that a lot of them don't want to go into a specialty that get compensated 180k/year an average while dealing with a bunch of paper work. Others specialties are doing well... why not go where the gravy is? Look at EM now! These docs are making 350k+/year working 12-12hrs shift per month... Reading the EM forum, one would believe that 400k is probably the average salary of that specialty. EM has become the new anesthesia now in term of salary... Lol.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/the-budget-of-the-joneses.1154075/
I love how you guys are ripping this guy/gal to shreds for wanting to become a family doc. Not everyone wants to live in the ER or in an operating room. Also, I am pretty sure most of you told your schools that "you wanted to become a family doc and use OMM to treat your patients better...."
I think what everyone is trying to say is...if you want to be a family doctor, graduate medical school, pass your boards, and become a family doc.
Thats really not at all whats happening here. The advice is to not set low goals before you know what you are doing.
Also, you have been in medical school for about 1 week. You will see this too when you get to rotations.
I'll be honest, it was nice to hear that I can get into FM with lower than average stats, but I don't plan on slacking off. I am in the middle-ish of my class and hopefully I can stay there. I know it might sound crazy to some of you city dwellers, but I am built for rural medicine.
How can I help you?@YankeeCandle1141
Did rural primary care do something to personally offend you? Isn't it possible that maybe, JUST maybe, I do know what I'm getting myself into and I'm completely OK with that?
@cabinbuilder Help me out please!
@YankeeCandle1141
Did rural primary care do something to personally offend you? Isn't it possible that maybe, JUST maybe, I do know what I'm getting myself into and I'm completely OK with that?
@cabinbuilder Help me out please!
How can I help you?
Rural medicine. Access to care is limited. People do not have money. You cannot prescribe the latest hot drug, you stay with the standard and the cheapest. People don't have money for gas so you can't send them to the specialist who is 100 miles away because they will never get there. You put a shot of rocephin in the butt of every child who comes through who is filthy and in rags because that is probably THE ONLY medication he will receive for days until payday. Rural people are very tough and only come in as a last resort when something that has been tolerable for the past 2 months is now a huge raging problem that is interfering with the horse ranching, or farming, or fishing. You better be pretty savvy with improvising with what you have, it may not be the latest equipment, etc. You better be good at cutting things open, draining pus, taking out cysts, setting bone, splinting, casting. You need to know when someone needs to be in the hospital and you better be pretty damned convincing when money is tight and going to work is more important that being well. Know that people don't trust the ER in rural places, will come to urgent care death warmed over. You better be good at your belly exams. Be able to read your own CT and xrays because you may not have a radiologist on site and it may take many hours to get a report. Better be up on your derm because the nearest one is 8 hours drive away. Be able to do your own biopsies. No rheumatology or nephrology either usually.I was hoping you could shed some light on rural primary care for those of us that are interested. I would love to hear a few pros and cons(mainly to keep YankeeCandle from blowing a gasket) from someone living it.
I was hoping you could shed some light on rural primary care for those of us that are interested. I would love to hear a few pros and cons(mainly to keep YankeeCandle from blowing a gasket) from someone living it.
Rural medicine. Access to care is limited. People do not have money. You cannot prescribe the latest hot drug, you stay with the standard and the cheapest. People don't have money for gas so you can't send them to the specialist who is 100 miles away because they will never get there. You put a shot of rocephin in the butt of every child who comes through who is filthy and in rags because that is probably THE ONLY medication he will receive for days until payday. Rural people are very tough and only come in as a last resort when something that has been tolerable for the past 2 months is now a huge raging problem that is interfering with the horse ranching, or farming, or fishing. You better be pretty savvy with improvising with what you have, it may not be the latest equipment, etc. You better be good at cutting things open, draining pus, taking out cysts, setting bone, splinting, casting. You need to know when someone needs to be in the hospital and you better be pretty damned convincing when money is tight and going to work is more important that being well. Know that people don't trust the ER in rural places, will come to urgent care death warmed over. You better be good at your belly exams. Be able to read your own CT and xrays because you may not have a radiologist on site and it may take many hours to get a report. Better be up on your derm because the nearest one is 8 hours drive away. Be able to do your own biopsies. No rheumatology or nephrology either usually.
I don't even know what this means?
I don't even know what this means? WTF???
QFT = Quoted for the Truth
My hometown is not nearly as rural as some of those place where there are barely any doctors. However, they do travel miles just to see one in my hometown. I have few friends from those areas tell me stories that scared the s*** out of me. Getting comprehensive healthcare is very difficult in the really rural parts.
@YankeeCandle1141
Listen kid, and yes I do mean kid, I've got more experience in rural medicine than you have post-high school education. I been in the field for over a decade doing all that crap you deem undesirable. I know what poverty is, I've lived it. I know I'm not like most, but I came back to school to help out the rural communties I've lived in. Everything @cabinbuilder just said sounds just like my home town and like it or not that's where I'm headed. Now let's agree to disagree and move along.
@YankeeCandle1141
Listen kid, and yes I do mean kid, I've got more experience in rural medicine than you have post-high school education. I been in the field for over a decade doing all that crap you deem undesirable. I know what poverty is, I've lived it. I know I'm not like most, but I came back to school to help out the rural communties I've lived in. Everything @cabinbuilder just said sounds just like my home town and like it or not that's where I'm headed. Now let's agree to disagree and move along.
I don't know anything about being a physician yet, but I am the technical supervisor for a large reference lab. As far as the method goes, the rapid strep performs pretty well when compared to cultures.