hey all, currently a med student trying to decide what field best suits me and which to pursue. i've narrowed it down to uro vs. ortho but not sure which to choose yet...haven't done designated electives in either yet but have has some exposure to both
i've read many threads about uro vs ortho as i see it is a common decision many medical students have to make...but wanted to see if there is anything else that someone could add/say..
what are the hours for both after training? job outlook? compensation? are attendings happy? lifestyle? etc..
anyone who has insight into one or both fields and feels like sharing their thoughts, i'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
I also was deciding between the same fields and can give you my thoughts based on my own research, though obviously having not actually practiced in either I have only limited insight.
(1) Lifestyle during training. During training I'd definitely think Ortho is tougher. They're both surgical fields and the hours in residency will be long in both, but in general ortho call will be much more brutal due to trauma. It will definitely vary by program though, as some urology programs can be extremely busy due to very frequent home call in which you cover multiple hospitals. In general Urology seems like its a little more laid back with fewer malignant attendings and less strict hierarchy, though once again this will vary greatly based on individual programs.'
(2) Lifestyle after training. This will be much more variable. In general, Urology call will be much more benign then Ortho call, but if you subspecialize (as most do), ortho sports and hand will generally have an easier lifestyle. Also it is more and more common for docs (both Ortho and Uro) to be in large groups with highly spread out call responsibilities. After that your lifestyle will be based on what you want. Want to see more patients in clinic, operate more, do bigger whacks, and make more money? You'll be a lot busier then someone who accepts less cash in exchange for a less packed schedule.
(3) Job Outlook: I don't know about Ortho, but Urology is very much in demand. A lot more practitioners are retiring then graduating and the population is only getting older. Like any field it will be a lot harder to get an attractive job in SF or NYC, but outside of the most competetive markets the job outlook for Uro is pretty excellent from all sources I've talked to. A lot fewer urologists do fellowships relative to orthopedics as well, though the trend has been towards increased subspecialization.
(4) Compensation: According to all the major surveys, Ortho (especially spine and joints) makes more then Uro. Both are well compensated, and no one knows what things will look like by the time you graduate residency in terms of reimbursement, but Ortho definitely wins for now.
(5) Happiness: I've met happy and unhappy attendings in every field, Urology and Ortho included. If you pick a field that interests and excites you, your happiness will depend a lot more on you then on the specific field. There will be headaches and downsides to every specialty.
