What are the most difficult medical specialities that challenge drs intellectually and emotionally?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

mrh125

Membership Revoked
Removed
10+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2013
Messages
2,371
Reaction score
621
I've been thinking more and more about what I want to do in medical school and I want to seek out a speciality that challenges me both intellectually, but emotionally. I want to be pushed to my very limits, challenged, be required to learn new material constantly, and be put in difficult situations that I normally would backdown from.

What are the most difficult medical specialities that challenge drs intellectually and emotionally?

Members don't see this ad.
 
This is more a personal question than an objective one. Every field in medicine has challenges. Whether you are interested in those challenges and want to face them is a different question altogether.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Members don't see this ad :)
It will be different for each person. Take inventory of your qualities and read up on various specialties to attempt to answer this question.
 
Certainly this is unique for each person, but for me...

Neurosurgery
Emergency medicine
Pediatric oncology
Palliative medicine

Pediatric oncology and Emergency medicine were definitely two I thought of.
 
Dermatology, ophthalmology, outpatient psych in affluent areas, and no others
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: 3 users
I can imagine Emergency Medicine as one of them. Doctors I've shadowed basically told me they had to go through a "to do list" on each patient that visits the ED, whether it was necessary or not, or else they could be sued.
 
Pediatric oncology. The ones I used to work with had the blackest senses of humor.


I've been thinking more and more about what I want to do in medical school and I want to seek out a speciality that challenges me both intellectually, but emotionally. I want to be pushed to my very limits, challenged, be required to learn new material constantly, and be put in difficult situations that I normally would backdown from.

What are the most difficult medical specialities that challenge drs intellectually and emotionally?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
You don't know what you're asking for. Going to second pedi oncology though- I've got a heart of stone and yet it cracks a bit every shift I spend in the PICU. The saddest cases are often cancer, and oncology is about as mentally challenging as it gets.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Besides pediatric oncology, for me it would also be anything trauma related - like being a trauma surgeon in level 1 ER.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
EM, Ped Onc, probably most trauma and burns specialties.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
EM, Ped Onc, probably most trauma and burns specialties.

don't you just put some balm on a burn and its good to go?

Anyway, my guess would be radiology. Its challenging in that it is competitive. It is intellectually stimulating in that it involves many modalities and lots of the technology/information science. I guess its not very emotionally challenging though.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I heard specialists in television medicine are challenged daily.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I've been thinking more and more about what I want to do in medical school and I want to seek out a speciality that challenges me both intellectually, but emotionally. I want to be pushed to my very limits, challenged, be required to learn new material constantly, and be put in difficult situations that I normally would backdown from.

What are the most difficult medical specialities that challenge drs intellectually and emotionally?

Radiology
Radiation Oncology
Ophthalmology
Anesthesiology
Dermatology
Pathology
PM&R
 
I just want to confirm that you're joking... you're joking right?
Sadly I don't think so. He also said that the specialty of Radiology is challenging bc it's competitive to get into.
 
I just want to confirm that you're joking... you're joking right?

Well, sometimes, when I burn my tongue on hot coffee I don't see a doctor. Just wait it out.
 
By the way, in theory, a burn may be emotionally difficult and reconstruction of serious burns is difficult too ... BUT I don't thin it would be that challenging intellectually. I mean, there wouldn't be any advanced diagnosis to do or figure out. Its like - this patient has a burn.

Unlike say oncology. Where even if you know it is cancer.. there is SO much still to learn about the type, biochemistry, and mechanisms of the disease. not to mention its treatment.
 
By the way, in theory, a burn may be emotionally difficult and reconstruction of serious burns is difficult too ... BUT I don't thin it would be that challenging intellectually. I mean, there wouldn't be any advanced diagnosis to do or figure out. Its like - this patient has a burn.

Unlike say oncology. Where even if you know it is cancer.. there is SO much still to learn about the type, biochemistry, and mechanisms of the disease. not to mention its treatment.

This is kinda like rifle's style of trolling, minus the angle of being an overall ****ty person. There's WAY more to burns than you're implying. All thing that you suggest that make oncology interesting are relevant to burns.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
By the way, in theory, a burn may be emotionally difficult and reconstruction of serious burns is difficult too ... BUT I don't thin it would be that challenging intellectually. I mean, there wouldn't be any advanced diagnosis to do or figure out. Its like - this patient has a burn.

Unlike say oncology. Where even if you know it is cancer.. there is SO much still to learn about the type, biochemistry, and mechanisms of the disease. not to mention its treatment.

Do you actually have any experience shadowing/volunteering in a burn unit, or is this just what you imagine burn treatment is like? This is troll-level ignorance and oversimplification.

This will be my last comment though, because one premed arguing with another premed about the specifics of a medical specialty is silly. Maybe @DermViser and/or some other experienced members will chime in and enlighten you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
By the way, in theory, a burn may be emotionally difficult and reconstruction of serious burns is difficult too ... BUT I don't thin it would be that challenging intellectually. I mean, there wouldn't be any advanced diagnosis to do or figure out. Its like - this patient has a burn.

Unlike say oncology. Where even if you know it is cancer.. there is SO much still to learn about the type, biochemistry, and mechanisms of the disease. not to mention its treatment.

Yeah, it's not like burns are different from one person to another. Nope they're all treated exactly the same. Just like all hernias are the same. All gallbladder removals are the same, etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Yeah, it's not like burns are different from one person to another. Nope they're all treated exactly the same. Just like all hernias are the same. All gallbladder removals are the same, etc.
Oooo, burrrrnnnnn (sorry, couldn't resist).
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Yeah, it's not like burns are different from one person to another. Nope they're all treated exactly the same. Just like all hernias are the same. All gallbladder removals are the same, etc.

Dude. All hernias ARE treated the same. You just push it back in. If it's stuck, push harder. (At least that's what I learned on Ob/Gyn, especially when that baby is herniating out the birth canal... PUSH HARDER!).
 
Top