3 Best Specialities from a MD's Perspective...

[OneStrongBro]

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This question is for the people that have already graduated from medical school. From your experience working with colleagues and observing other specialities. What do you consider the 3 best medical specialities?

You don't have to explain. Just list the top 3 from your personal observation.

 

[tiene dolor?]

This question is for the people that have already graduated from medical school. From your experience working with colleagues and observing other specialities. What do you consider the 3 best medical specialities?

You don't have to explain. Just list the top 3 from your personal observation.

The three that you enjoy the most.

 

[turtle md]

Since, unless you change paths, you usually choose only one specialty, the question should be which ONE is best.

For me, that is EM. It fits better than anything else.

 

[robotsonic]

How would anyone know? Most only get to experience one, and it's either THE right one or it's not.

 

[p54]

radiation oncology......starting salary prob around 700,000 when my friend gets out if not more..... 🙂 🙂

 

[tiene dolor?]

radiation oncology......starting salary prob around 700,000 when my friend gets out if not more..... 🙂 🙂

unlikely.

 

[tiene dolor?]

What 3 M&M flavors are the most delicious?

This question is for the people that have already tried eating M&Ms. From your experience eating them, and watching other people eat them. What do you consider the 3 best tasting M&Ms?

You don't have to explain. Just list the top 3 from your personal observation.

 

[kungfufishing]

What 3 M&M flavors are the most delicious?

This question is for the people that have already tried eating M&Ms. From your experience eating them, and watching other people eat them. What do you consider the 3 best tasting M&Ms?

You don't have to explain. Just list the top 3 from your personal observation.

No, man - having to explain at M&M is Bad!

 

[Buck Strong]

Ophtho
ENT
Plastics

 

[dentalman09]

dermatology
opthamologist
plastic
ent

 

[dentalman09]

dermatology
opthamologist
plastic
ent

opps thats 4, that explains why I didn't get into med school

jk

 

[GoPistons]

rad/onc
radiology
orthopedics

 

[Buck Strong]

opps thats 4, that explains why I didn't get into med school

jk

That, and you spelled ophthalmology wrong, hehehe

 

[njbmd]

The three that you enjoy the most.

Hi there,
This is true. There are always going to be specialties that make more money, enjoy less hours and are less physically demanding but I chose my specialty based on what I love most. In the end, it doesn't seem like work even on those marathon days. Pick what you love and it will be the best specialty for you. For me: 1. Surgery 2. Surgery 3. Surgery 😀

njbmd 🙂

 

[Mirror Form]

I think it's important to consider what physicians are the most happy with their jobs and overall lives. In my experience (am currently an intern), the happiest docs are the "ROAD to Happiness:"

Rads, Optho, Anesthesia, and Derm.

 

[plentystupid]

This is a very personal question...

I think the most important thing to do at the very beginning is to ignore salary. If you do it for the money, (1) you probably should have considered a profession outside of medicine, (2) the salary will never be high enough, because you will never be satisfied with what you are earning, and (3) medicine is notorious for dramatic changes in reimbersement.
Not too long ago Nephrologists, OB/Gyns, and Endocrinologists were the highest paid docs around... Many of the "unhappy" docs are unhappy because they may have origionally choosen the field for more monetary reasons. That being said, there are some changes to some fields that have made practicing medicine subjectively "more difficult."

If you follow these simple rules you WILL be happy:

(1) You should do what YOU truly love.
(2) in order to find what you truly love, experience everything.
(3) Think about how you like to approach problems?
(4) Think about what patient population you like to work with
(5) Take the "bread and butter" of the field... Do you like that?
(6) Take the "crappy" part of the field (every field has at least one) if you HAD to do it everyday for the rest of your life, would you still be happy?
(7) Do you find the field rewarding? (Everyone is different, what I find rewarding may not be what you find rewarding)
(8) How will family play a role?
(9) Do you like the people in the field?
(10) Do you like the people the field is attracting?
(11) Is the field mentally challenging enough?
(12) If the Salary was cut in half or more, would you still choose it?
(13) Where is the field going in the future?
(14) Is the research exciting to you?
(15) Did you most like Med, Surg, Ped, or OB/Gyn? Or any combo?
(16) Don't let anyone else TELL you what is the "best" field. (It wouldn't take me or anyone else long to convince you otherwise) Everyfield has its characteristics. Their strengths and weaknesses are completely subjective and one person's weakness is another's strength.
(17) Find a GREAT mentor in the field that excites you.

(18) and MOST important,
Once you think you know what you want to do, rule everything else out.

For me, I was going to be a Urologist, then found what I truly loved when I was trying to rule everything else out.

That is a good start... If I come up with more... I will let you know

- Plentystupid

 

[Lonestar]

I second the ROAD specialties. From my experience so far, as far as lifestyle AND happiness these specialties are second to none. I have met so many happy practitioners in Rads and anesthesia personally. So i can attest to those two from my experience.

 

[tiene dolor?]

I think it's important to consider what physicians are the most happy with their jobs and overall lives. In my experience (am currently an intern), the happiest docs are the "ROAD to Happiness:"

Rads, Optho, Anesthesia, and Derm.

Again it's all relative.

When I was a med student I wanted to love radiology sooo bad. The pay & lifestyle are great! The only problem is that it is sooo freaking boring...for me at least. And what happens when radiology pay falls - as it is likely to do? I for one am glad that there are others willing to sit in a darkened room all day for me, and that I don't have to do it. Also, I always wonder why the radiology residents are so damn grouchy whenever you page them regarding a study? I thought they were supposed to be do damn happy?

Optho is pretty cool, but way too specialized for my tastes. The routine would kill me.

Anesthesia, again, way too boring for me. All that sitting around in chilly ORs, not to mention having to spend so much time around surgeons...no thanks.

Derm! "Ooooooh, a rash! Let's get you some steroid cream for that, shall we?" Noooooooooo thanks!

It's like I said - "different strokes for different folks."

 

[billydoc]

Again it's all relative.

When I was a med student I wanted to love radiology sooo bad. The pay & lifestyle are great! The only problem is that it is sooo freaking boring...for me at least. And what happens when radiology pay falls - as it is likely to do? I for one am glad that there are others willing to sit in a darkened room all day for me, and that I don't have to do it. Also, I always wonder why the radiology residents are so damn grouchy whenever you page them regarding a study? I thought they were supposed to be do damn happy?

Optho is pretty cool, but way too specialized for my tastes. The routine would kill me.

Anesthesia, again, way too boring for me. All that sitting around in chilly ORs, not to mention having to spend so much time around surgeons...no thanks.

Derm! "Ooooooh, a rash! Let's get you some steroid cream for that, shall we?" Noooooooooo thanks!

It's like I said - "different strokes for different folks."

Hey tiene dolor?
What is your specialty? Unless I read it wrong I couldn't pick it from your post.
Thanks

 

[turtle md]

Hey tiene dolor?
What is your specialty? Unless I read it wrong I couldn't pick it from your post.
Thanks

From the way he/she describes the other specialties, my guess is EM - the coolest specialty around 😎 .

 

[tiene dolor?]

From the way he/she describes the other specialties, my guess is EM - the coolest specialty around 😎 .

Right you are! 🙂

 

[(nicedream)]

radiation oncology......starting salary prob around 700,000 when my friend gets out if not more..... 🙂 🙂

I'm sorry, there must be a problem with my computer display. It looks like you said 700! Or maybe your keyboard is messed up. You might want to call tech support and tell them your 3 and 7 keys are reversed.

 

[GoPistons]

rads sitting in a dark room vs. GI where you're up somebody's anus with a camera... hmmm.. which one would I pick... or ER... where one slip of the needle and you're taking HAART therapy... hmmm. which one should I pick... or... ob/gyn... I don't think I really have to provide any imagery for that one... Rads is the only one that can be a 9-5 desk job in front of a computer... like most other jobs in America...

granted you might not get off on being in front of a computer, but the argument that Rads is in the "basement" is pretty lame... I'd rather be there than have my finger up someon's arse feeling for nodules in their prostate...

 

[tiene dolor?]

rads sitting in a dark room vs. GI where you're up somebody's anus with a camera... hmmm.. which one would I pick... or ER... where one slip of the needle and you're taking HAART therapy... hmmm. which one should I pick... or... ob/gyn... I don't think I really have to provide any imagery for that one... Rads is the only one that can be a 9-5 desk job in front of a computer... like most other jobs in America...

granted you might not get off on being in front of a computer, but the argument that Rads is in the "basement" is pretty lame... I'd rather be there than have my finger up someon's arse feeling for nodules in their prostate...

hey, if it's the least of all evils in your mind's eye - go for it. i would simply observe that you're defending a specialty by stating that, at least it is better than performing rectals...not exactly a ringing endorsement is it?

i might also add that - in many hospitals - radiology IS in the basement. 😉

 

[GoPistons]

the point is that you are NEVER doing those things...

if doing a rectal on the FIRST floor in the ED is better than being in the BASEMENT in front of a computer while checking your e-mail and sipping on cappucino than more power to you...

 

[tiene dolor?]

if doing a rectal on the FIRST floor in the ED is better than being in the BASEMENT in front of a computer while checking your e-mail and sipping on cappucino than more power to you...

those must be some awful tasting cappucinos that they're sipping, 'cause our rads residents always seem to be in a sour mood...

 

[BKN]

those must be some awful tasting cappucinos that they're sipping, 'cause our rads residents always seem to be in a sour mood...

Some are born for the ED, some are born for Rads (opth, derm, anes, surg, etc).

The OP wanted to know what folks thought. Personally I'd stick a nail in one eye to disqualify myself from Rads. But that's just me.

 

[tiene dolor?]

Some are born for the ED, some are born for Rads (opth, derm, anes, surg, etc).

The OP wanted to know what folks thought. Personally I'd stick a nail in one eye to disqualify myself from Rads. But that's just me.

it wouldn't work! reading films doesn't require depth perception - one eye is more than enough.

 

[trent05]

If your talking about docs that are happy with their jobs, you gotta throw Pathology (especially derm-path) into the mix. One of the few specialties where you have the potential for virtually no call and no nights or weekends. Good pay, good lifestyle, and relatively low stress.

 

[LADoc00]

If your talking about docs that are happy with their jobs, you gotta throw Pathology (especially derm-path) into the mix. One of the few specialties where you have the potential for virtually no call and no nights or weekends. Good pay, good lifestyle, and relatively low stress.

I disagree, nothing to see here, please move along.

 

[mcfaddens]

Path, Rads, Anast. Your gonna work no matter what, Its not so easy .
I think beside Derm as a cush job PMR is moving up and easier to get- you open up a large practice have everyonelse do the work and have free time to live your life. i think you can do pain mngt in PMR as well

 

[DrRobert]

1. Derm
2. Rad Onc
3. Ophtho

 

[Solideliquid]

What about Psychiatry? Almost no call, don't have to go into the hospital and every psych doc I've met in private practice is making at least $200k....

 

[turtle md]

What about Psychiatry?

That's crazy!!!

 

[monkey7247]

What about Psychiatry? Almost no call, don't have to go into the hospital and every psych doc I've met in private practice is making at least $200k....

You'd have to pay me at least twice as much to deal with the patients. 😱

 

[willow212]

You'd have to pay me at least twice as much to deal with the patients. 😱

I concur with solideliquid that the lifestyle in psychiatry is good, and it's also a really fascinating field, with huge amounts of research opportunities since it's one of the fields that is still in its infancy as far as knowledge base. If you're into getting to know your patients well in a meaningful way and being able to spend time with them, that's in psychiatry too.

I do agree with monkey that it's not for everyone - you'd definitely have to be more intrigued than annoyed with the patients and their pathologies.

Of course, some of the patients drive us psychiatrists batty too, though the good news is that our training is focused on learning how to work with this kind of stuff (and it's kinda neat to be the only one in the room who knows how to deal with the frantically screaming agitated patient or frustrating borderline splitter).

 

[Poety]

Psych is awesome - minus the private practice patients that want their xanax/valium refilled grrrr (which is usually the type of practice that usually commands lots of mula)

Give me a psychotic over other patients anyday, I'm with you willow - fascinating stuff 🙂

But, if you don't like psych, and you go into it for lifestyle/money you will hate your life -this is definitely a field that a lot of people just can't tolerate.

 

[Hurricane]

This is a bogus question. There are no absolute "three best fields." Everyone can come up with a list of the three "best" fields, but that list is going to be different for everybody, as everybody has different interests, aptitudes, and priorities.

For me, psych is the "best" field, pretty much for the reasons willow stated:

I concur with solideliquid that the lifestyle in psychiatry is good, and it's also a really fascinating field, with huge amounts of research opportunities since it's one of the fields that is still in its infancy as far as knowledge base. If you're into getting to know your patients well in a meaningful way and being able to spend time with them, that's in psychiatry too.

Other people probably hate psych for those same reasons. Viva le difference.

I chose psych because I loved the practice of it, the patients, and the exciting research opportunities. The nice lifestyle is an added bonus, but not the deciding factor. As for the money, it's true that psych isn't up there with anesthesia or neurosurg or whatever, but I think I can live comfortably on pretty much any of the salaries I've seen listed for various specialties. I don't need to make enough to buy ipods every day and toss them in the lake.

 

[Nikiforos]

In no particular order, dermatology, radiation oncology, and ophthalmology.