Medical Specialty Aptitude Test

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proclus

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I stumbled on this today and took it out of mild curiousity:

http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/specialties/

My results:

[SIZE=-1]1-[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]radiology ([/SIZE][SIZE=-1]45)[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=-1]-neurology ([/SIZE][SIZE=-1]44)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]3-[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]pathology ([/SIZE][SIZE=-1]43)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]4-[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]psychiatry ([/SIZE][SIZE=-1]43)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]5-[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]dermatology ([/SIZE][SIZE=-1]42)[/SIZE]

I expected to score high for radiology, but didn't know it would be #1! ...

Get rid of the neurology and it looks like I'm lifestyle specialty all the way, haha. ;)

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Rank Specialty Score
1 urology 45
2 otolaryngology 45
3 plastic surgery 44
4 orthopaedic surgery 43
5 neurology 43
6 neurosurgery 42
7 pathology 42
8 thoracic surgery 42
9 colon & rectal surgery 42
10 general surgery 41

Wonder what field I will probably go in?
 
Rank Specialty Score
1 hematology 46
2 occupational med 45
3 radiation oncology 45
4 physical med & rehabilitation 44
5 general internal med 44
6 rheumatology 43

7 med oncology 43
8 nephrology 42
9 dermatology 42

10 colon & rectal surgery 42
20 Endocrinology 40
21 Infectious diseases 41
34 Family Practice 35

Bold are what I'm actually interested in...

I retook the test with more "strong" opinions, and it made it worse!

The things most interesting to me came up as:
14 Infectious disease 42
25 Endocrinology 40
26 Gen Internal Med 40
27 Emergency Med 40
28 Family Practice 39

Very interesting!
 
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4 occupational med
5 aerospace med
6 PM&R
8 preventative med
11 med oncology
12 general internal med
13 emergency med

All on the top of my personal list. To bad they didn't have toxicology. I love tox but I didn't see it in their mix of specialties. On the bottom of my personal list and theirs as well, anything surgery. Turns out I'm a big life style type. Nice to see my own personal view reflected in their test. Thanks for the link OP that was fun.
 
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1 emergency med 49
2 dermatology 45
3 occupational med 41
4 aerospace med 40
5 anesthesiology 40

I'm really surprised by this. EM seems to be the opposite of Derm. Interesting.
 
ChemMed - we need to swap. A bunch of stuff on mine that I have absolutely no interest in that you seem to like


Rank Specialty Score
1 physical med & rehabilitation 45
2 pulmonology 45
3 hematology 45
4 emergency med 44
5 obstetrics/gynecology 44
6 thoracic surgery 44
7 preventive med 44
8 occupational med 44
9 aerospace med 43
10 radiation oncology 43
 
1 pathology 46
2 otolaryngology 43
3 general surgery 43


:confused:
 
That was a very repetitive test. Listed below are my top 10 and the bolded are the specialities that I wouldn't mind picking up.

Nuclear Medicine -radiation!
Gastroenterology (44)- not my cup of tea
Psychiatry (43)- its too quiet sometimes on the floor
Neurology (42)- neuro!!! This was always a fascinating topic for me.
Physical Med and Rehab (41)- sounds cool but not really my thing
Pediatrics - wouldn't mind doing this but kidlets don't like me
Pathology - don't want to be dissecting people all day
Radiology (41)- one of my choices for lifestyle
Infectious Diseases (41)- actually really like this
Hematology - hmmm...

I'm sure my choices will change as I go through school. :D
 
Dermatology
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Radiation Oncology
Allergy and Immunology
Ophthalmology
Neurology
Otolaryngology
Gastroenterology
Medical Oncology
Pediatrics

radiology was dead last for me.
 
1 med oncology (49)
2 psychiatry (48)
3 preventive med (46)
4 pediatrics (46)
5 general internal med (46)
6 emergency med (46)
7 family practice (45)
8 gastroenterology (44)
9 occupational med (44)
10 aerospace med (43)

aerospace med? really...what exactly is that....find it interesting that I abhor anything surgery related and my bottom 9 were all surgery related + pathology
This is pretty cool
 
That's it. This thing is a racket. Run by pm&r to get some good PR. How could something nobody goes into be Everyone's fave. The one on the Careers In Medicine you get with your aamc or whatever is a better read I feel. I'm not sure you get access until your med school puts you on their list though.

It nailed my two interests. And didn't bother to rank rheumatology as my #1. Like rheumotogists have an archetypal "personality." Nobody's Bubbie always knew they were going to be a rheumatologist. How the F do you even spell it.
 
This test is a load of bollocks!
 
yeah, not sure of the accuracy. the reptition is to determine the consistency of your answers. it's common in psych. testing.

My top 10 were:
Rank
Specialty
Score
1. Radiology
2. Ortho.
3. Pulm
4. heme
5. neurology
6. neurosurgery
7. rheum.
8. derm
9. anesthesia
10. allergy & immunology

Some I see, some that I think I'd be really interested in were clear at the bottom like EM and ID. I don't see myself picking rads, I want to actually see patients. :laugh:
 
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Rank Specialty Score
1 nuclear med 48
2 general internal med 47
3 dermatology 46
4 nephrology 46
5 gastroenterology 46
6 pediatrics 46
7 pathology 46
8 occupational med 46
9 radiation oncology 46
10 hematology 45
 
1 physical med & rehabilitation
2 pediatrics
3 ophthalmology
4 rheumatology
5 infectious disease
6 hematology
7 gastroenterology
8 emergency med
9 allergy & immunology
10 anesthesiology


Those are probably my top three choices (going in), so at least it wasn't completely off. Dunno where PM&R came from.
 
1 occupational med 47
2 aerospace med 46
3 psychiatry 46
4 preventive med 46
5 rheumatology 46
6 infectious disease 46
7 nephrology 45
8 radiology 45
9 pathology 45
10 physical med & rehabilitation 45

I had never considered Aerospace Medicine. This quiz is prob bs.
 
I took this weeks ago and didnt save the results, but I remember EM topping the rest by several points. Taken with a grand helping of salt.
 
I've taken two of these types of quizzes so far. Radiation Oncology, PM&R, Derm, and Anesthesia ended up in my top 5 with both quizzes.

I'm actually very interested in learning about PM&R, my former neighbor is a Physiatrist, she was a resident when she lived next to me.

I'm going to have to ask her if I can come in and observe her at work.
 
I actually think that one is more accurate and informative :) Plus its results made more sense to me.

And what were the results??? Do tell!!! Do tell!!!

The second one gave results I'm happier with:
Nephrology
Cardiology
Family Practice
Gastroenterology
Neurology
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Pulmonary / Critical Care Medicine
Pediatrics
Internal Medicine
Urology
Orthopaedic Surgery
Geriatric Medicine
Otolaryngology
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Infectious Diseases
 
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Preventive Medicine
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Radiation Oncology
Dermatology
Pathology
Radiology - Diagnostic
Emergency Medicine
Family Practice
Rheumatology
Otolaryngology
 
I actually think that one is more accurate and informative :) Plus its results made more sense to me.

I think the first one was actually more accurate for me. The second one ranked a bunch of surgical specialties really high, presumably because I said I didn't mind working a lot and having a crazy schedule. Which is true...but I really don't have much interest in being a surgeon.
 
I think the first one was actually more accurate for me. The second one ranked a bunch of surgical specialties really high, presumably because I said I didn't mind working a lot and having a crazy schedule. Which is true...but I really don't have much interest in being a surgeon.

That's why you should weight the "mechanical aptitude" factor low! Did you try that? That would probably change your results away from the surgery stuff.

And what were the results??? Do tell!!! Do tell!!!

Well, okay :) Psych, ob/gyn, internal medicine, path, rads all ranked very low, which correlates strongly with my own impressions (I prefer definite answers and solutions, more scientific thought process, more hands-on, direct patient contact).

Pathway Evaluation Program said:
Otolaryngology (#1 choice) 23.01
Pulmonary / Critical Care Medicine 23.35
Plastic Surgery
Radiation Oncology
Orthopaedic Surgery
Gastroenterology 27.02
Sports Medicine
Urology (#2 choice) 27.97
Neonatal - Perinatal Medicine
Colon and Rectal Surgery
Dermatology
Ophthalmology 30.66
General Surgery
Neurology
Cardiology 31.69
...
Internal Medicine 59.44
...
Pathology 69.37
...
ob/gyn 85.28
...
Radialogy - Diagnostic 93.60
...
Psychiatry/Child Adolescent Psychiatry dead last at 97.97 and 117.58 respectively (!!)

Interestingly enough, EM was ranked in the middle of the list which is my #3 choice, but I agree with the placement -- I love the acuity and thought process of EM, but I would definitely have to get over the lack of patient continuity, and the decidedly grey area that most of the decision-making falls under. FM was ranked higher than EM though which is pretty messed up. FM has not been very interesting at least judging by the shadowing I've done. I like acute and critical care, I don't think I would enjoy taking care of chronic diseases as much.

Also, my favorite part of the Pathway Evaluation Program is the Specialty Profiles section. It gives an in-depth look at each specialty based on surveys of actual practicing physicians in different practice environments.
 
Interestingly both of these test were completely different for me.

The first (UVA)

1 Pathology 50

2 Urology 48
2 Plastic Surgery 48

3 Occupational med 47 (I don't even know what this is...)

4 Nephrology 46
4 Infectious disease 46

5 Neurosurgery 45

5 Dermatology 45
5 Plastic surgery 45
5 Orthopedic surg 45
5 Nuclear med 45

Of those I'm only really interested in the bolded two, but Pathology for number 1? WTF!? :confused:

On the Pathways test:

1) Neonatal - Perinatal Medicine 48.89 (interestingly it placed OB/Gyn last at 158.94)
2) Sports Medicine 50.13
3) Plastic Surgery 50.25
4) Neurological Suregery 50.72
5) Anesthesiology 51.27
6) Orthopaedic Surgery 53.48
7) Colon and Rectal Surgery 53.82
8) Emergency Medicine 53.82
9) Otolaryngology 54.52
10)Radiation Oncology 54.8


Number 4 and 5 are my top two choices outside of neurology, which is 19th on the list.

It's interesting to not how my compatibility with number 1, is much lower (higher number) than Evergrey's #15... Maybe mine is saying I shouldn't be a doctor... :laugh: In reality though, where were a number of factors I didn't really care about one way or the other, so my number was ~3, which becomes the multiplier of the initial squared value (factors)... I suppose that explains my high numbers... but it's still funny to see.
 
The first one ranked radiology as number 1 for me and the Pathways one ranked Peds as number 1. Offhand, I don't think I'd like either one. Rad is not enough patient contact for me and I am completely unsuited to working with children all day. Seriously.
 
I stumbled on this today and took it out of mild curiousity:

http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/specialties/

My results:

[SIZE=-1]1-[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]radiology ([/SIZE][SIZE=-1]45)[/SIZE]
spacer.gif
[SIZE=-1]2[/SIZE]
spacer.gif
[SIZE=-1]-neurology ([/SIZE][SIZE=-1]44)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]3-[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]pathology ([/SIZE][SIZE=-1]43)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]4-[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]psychiatry ([/SIZE][SIZE=-1]43)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]5-[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]dermatology ([/SIZE][SIZE=-1]42)[/SIZE]

I expected to score high for radiology, but didn't know it would be #1! ...

Get rid of the neurology and it looks like I'm lifestyle specialty all the way, haha. ;)

The pathway survery ranked me as:

1-radiation oncology
2-PMR
3-preventive medicine
4-dermatology
5-psychiatry

Oddly my #1 from the previous survery, radiology, was WAY down the list this time.
 
They seem to be very different for everyone... I like the second one, but that's bias for ya!
 
1 radiology 44
2 neurology 42
3 general internal med 42
4 pediatrics 41
5 urology 41
6 emergency med 40
7 gastroenterology 39
8 dermatology 38
9 family practice 38
10 allergy & immunology 38

Interesting, I've always been interested in pathology but that's #29 in my list. Neurology is interesting though!
 
These tests are accurate if they confirm the specialty that I am in the mood today to favor.
 
Agree with Ed except that they may cover the major forks in the road.

Surgical vs. non-surgical, kiddos vs no kiddos, va-jj vs. no va-jj's, touchy feely vs. treatem and streetem, comprehensive vs specialty.

Of course those are pretty straight forward questions. Which, if you don't know, you've slipped through the medical school admissions process without having a clue what you're gettting yourself into. Not all that uncommon. Hence these tests come to think of it.

The real work of career decisions after these basic ones. Requires a lot of digging and self-reflection. And talking to people. And reading your eyes off in the sdn resident forums.

Unless you're like the Todd from scrubs and were born to be a surgeon. But chances are you'll be like me, hyperactively crunching every conceivable scenario, or you'll arrive into 3rd 4th year in desperate confusion, short on contacts and career corner people.
 
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...short on contacts and career corner people.

Ah, yes, there speaks the experienced small industry insider. Here's a case where the skills of the musician and the skills of the doctor coincide.... NETWORKING....
 
Agree with Ed except that they may cover the major forks in the road.

Surgical vs. non-surgical, kiddos vs no kiddos, va-jj vs. no va-jj's, touchy feely vs. treatem and streetem, comprehensive vs specialty.

Of course those are pretty straight forward questions. Which, if you don't know, you've slipped through the medical school admissions process without having a clue what you're gettting yourself into. Not all that uncommon. Hence these tests come to think of it.

The real work of career decisions after these basic ones. Requires a lot of digging and self-reflection. And talking to people. And reading your eyes off in the sdn resident forums.

Unless you're like the Todd from scrubs and were born to be a surgeon. But chances are you'll be like me, hyperactively crunching every conceivable scenario, or you'll arrive into 3rd 4th year in desperate confusion, short on contacts and career corner people.

I agree. Not to mention, the specialty you might choose could be different depending on the school you attend. For instance, if you have an awesome surgery rotation at school A, but would have had a not so good rotation at school B (malignant program), then if you go to school A you would likely be considering surgery, but if you're at school B you would probably shift your interests, unless you're dead set on surgery beforehand.
 
Ah, yes, there speaks the experienced small industry insider. Here's a case where the skills of the musician and the skills of the doctor coincide.... NETWORKING....

Right. And another thing is this is kind of an ideal scenario. Unfeatered by human limitations. Probably normalized to young medical graduates.

I was reading somewhere in the outter forums and noted this advice:

"Don't marry for money. Hang out with rich people and marry for love."

Besides being funny it is also shrewd and perceptive. Something along the lines of not only what is sought but the the climate and context of doing the seeking. This is hard to arrive at with a personality profile for Rheumatolgists. Or surgeons.

I came here with a list of things to evaluate and had tons of clinical experience to inform this list. Everyone here should do that. I was able to knock radiology off my list clean by going to some radiology conferences with some very nice attendings. I was like. Thought that might be laid back and chill but....no way could I do that for the next 40 years.

Then you start paing dues. You start seeing what doing certain things will cost. How will that effect where you want to go. And! How you want to spend your years getting there. <<<Why that doesn't enter into most people's calculus is strange to me. Like 7-10 years of training is just another box to check on some abstract road to a place in your head. But fine. Less people on the road I'm looking for.

Towards the end of first year you'll have a pretty good idea of where your position is in the dork pyramid is. Then you can get serious. And start laser focusing your efforts.

They make it sound like you have all the time in the world to decide. Like you can just stroll into it at the last minute. Sure. If you're packing academic donkey junk. But for the medically average--ie most of us. You need some developement behind your application. A lot of field really appreciate a well articulated, well planned interest in their field. If you have evidence for that, you look a lot less average to them.

And so on. Things they don't tell you as you get off the boat with your camera strapped to your chest excited for no reason in particular.
 
I agree. Not to mention, the specialty you might choose could be different depending on the school you attend. For instance, if you have an awesome surgery rotation at school A, but would have had a not so good rotation at school B (malignant program), then if you go to school A you would likely be considering surgery, but if you're at school B you would probably shift your interests, unless you're dead set on surgery beforehand.


Excellent point. Exactly why occ. med and pm&r at the top of everybody's list is hilarious. Nobody even knows what those guys do. You have to go and find that stuff. And the motivation to do that is not typical.

To mirror what you're saying with a case in point. I've expressed interest in meeting with people from different fields to discuss my potential interest and to seek mentorship throughout this year. With mostly blase results.

I discovered psychiatry after it having never entered into my mind to look at it before this year. I contacted a psychiatrist at my school who is also a Dean. He opened up himeself to me very warmly and encouraged all of my questions and asked plenty of his own. As if he wasn't in the middle of doing thousands of things.

This was the mentoring relationship I was looking for. Now. This may not have determined my future career plans but it's hard to estimate just how much encouragement can effect your choices.

I'm pretty sure after a few months of research psychiatry is my #1. Just in time to meet some attendings and try to get some work in on some projects during the summer break. See the pattern of early career planning....?


One last note.

It's been told to me that if you can read the scholarship of a field with even some interest. Then that's your field. This is certainly the case with me. I can read psych journals with some interest.

Anything else. I want to stab my eyes with a dull fork after reading the abstract.
 
1) Thoracic Surgery. Hmmm... never thought of it before. Have to start learning a little more about it.
 
BPlaysItCool

What was your MCAT writing score? Did you. Use sentences. When you wrote. Your Essays?

Just curious bro! Your posts always crack me up.
 
BPlaysItCool

What was your MCAT writing score? Did you. Use sentences. When you wrote. Your Essays?

Just curious bro! Your posts always crack me up.

I got an M. I wrote a couple of sentences and took a long break. One little prissy interviewer wanted to know why my personal statement and extensive literature course work didn't spell MCAT writing success. I told him I didn't like to play word games that aren't fun. Just to impress people. He smiled weakly as if he wanted to puke. The interview was over. We played some more word games. And I was glad at least I partied with my old buddy the night before.

I try to type. In the rhythm of my words as I say them to myself while typing. With little to no editing. If that makes you laugh. Sweet. If it makes me seem like I'm trying to be cute. Then I'll try harder to not think about it. And just be. Bro.
 
I absolutely want to go into surgery, and definitely have never considered pulmonology, urology or pathology. I'm really surprised Emergency Med didn't make it to the top 20, considering I'm a medic and I love emergency med. :D


Rank Specialty Score
1 pulmonology 47
2 neurosurgery 46
3 urology 46
4 thoracic surgery 46
5 pathology 46
6 otolaryngology 46
7 orthopaedic surgery 46
8 obstetrics/gynecology 45
9 aerospace med 45
10 preventive med 44
 
From Pathway:

17.65 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
22.86 Radiation Oncology
27.44 Infectious Diseases
28.21 Rheumatology
28.63 Psychiatry

Siiiiiick! :thumbup: I'd better start hitting the boards material a lot harder though...
 
It's been told to me that if you can read the scholarship of a field with even some interest. Then that's your field. This is certainly the case with me. I can read psych journals with some interest.

Anything else. I want to stab my eyes with a dull fork after reading the abstract.

This could be true. If even the driest material catches your interest...

I'm one of those people that decided not to make a decision before med school on a specialty so these tests bother me. Feel like I have no idea what I want and I need someone else to tell me.

I try to type. In the rhythm of my words as I say them to myself while typing. With little to no editing. If that makes you laugh. Sweet.

Very Kerouac.


From Pathway:

Siiiiiick! :thumbup: I'd better start hitting the boards material a lot harder though...

That's unfortunately how I've been feeling now. I didn't think I'd want anything too competitive and this test made me think I might. Lol.

I'm actually gonna have to work really hard (just in case) now ;).
 
For me, this brings up the questions about age and being able to be "done" with the process. I WANT to be an endocrinologist. I have graves' disease, and my father is a diabetic, it has been what I wanted since I was a kid, but now... I'm 'older' and I don't know if I want to put in the time for the IM residency PLUS 3-4 years of fellowship before I actually might be able to start paying off my student loans! I'll be almost (46-48?) 50 if I do! So, I figure if I do IM or FP, I can still see people with graves' and diabetes, but not be 45-50 when I'm finally ready to practice... Is anyone else thinking this when looking at these quizzes? or is it just me ;)
 
Good luck you guys. SB, I think an extra 2-3 years fellowship really won't make a difference if it's something you want to do. Endodrinologists, from what I hear, are in such demand that your time would likely be well compensated. Perhaps enough to make up the ground over some years. Close enough anyway that it should be more about your other limitations. I thought at first as the loan application were being processed that money would matter more to me. I won't be making money until my mid 40's. This was really stressful at first. But after pounding the academics of medicine. You--or at least I--started to realize the death knell it would be too study and work in something that was uninteresting. As say. Some of the stuff in biochemistry. You really should only decide based on stuff your interested in. The money can be broken even. Maybe that's just me. Breaking even has always seemed like an adequate goal. And living good. Fresh crossaints and coffee. Burmese food. Plenty of my favorite cold drinks. Some fancy beer in the fridge. An apartment in California. Close enough to smell the ocean. All of this affordable even as a heavily indebted pediatrician.

And with regards to effort and sustained performance. There is huge variation in what is required to gain entrance to different specialties. The variation is wider than I imagined. Maybe because the gradient of high performance in medical school is so steep. And the hot fields with so few spots.

If you guys really want to go after some of these sexy specialties you better bring it from go. And maybe work on your fellatio technique too. Being good aint good enough for some of these careers. You gotta work your routine. Dance mf'er Dance.

Or. You figure out you don't have it in you. And look around for what's left. And what do you know. Some of those things are probably what would have made you happier anyway. If your lucky. Like me.
 
Lol. I won't quote you B, but that was funny...and inspiring.
 
1 nuclear med
2 radiology
3 neurology
4 dermatology
5 allergy & immunology
6 gastroenterology
7 endocrinology
8 general internal med
9 pathology

I don't know diddly about nuclear med.
 
Good luck you guys. SB, I think an extra 2-3 years fellowship really won't make a difference if it's something you want to do. Endodrinologists, from what I hear, are in such demand that your time would likely be well compensated. Perhaps enough to make up the ground over some years. Close enough anyway that it should be more about your other limitations. I thought at first as the loan application were being processed that money would matter more to me. I won't be making money until my mid 40's. This was really stressful at first. But after pounding the academics of medicine. You--or at least I--started to realize the death knell it would be too study and work in something that was uninteresting. As say. Some of the stuff in biochemistry. You really should only decide based on stuff your interested in. The money can be broken even. Maybe that's just me. Breaking even has always seemed like an adequate goal. And living good. Fresh crossaints and coffee. Burmese food. Plenty of my favorite cold drinks. Some fancy beer in the fridge. An apartment in California. Close enough to smell the ocean. All of this affordable even as a heavily indebted pediatrician.

I have wanted to go into endo since I was diagnosed at 11 years old. However, I guess I just looked at IM/FP/GP as a compromise due to age. I am not sure how fellowships (etc) work, so I assumed it takes more time with not very much money. I guess my feeling is that I would like to be able to see patients that I can let know that I relate to their situation (at least some of them), and that I can say from personal experience what will happen, not just the words of a doctor...

don't know, I'm sure to some it sounds wishy-washy, touchy-feely, but I think it is that kind of relationship that builds trust and allows patients to really feel cared about, and not just another number...
 
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