Anesthesiology or Radiology

[Nexus7]

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Applying for residency. Trying to decide rad vs anesthesiology. Liked both rotations, but concerned w future for both but still do want to go into one of them. Seems like both are easy to get into these days. From what I understand, Rad has too many residents and jobs are competitive and offers are very low these days. Work hours increased etc. Anesthesiology is going thru the same thing but starting salary is better but also facing strong competition from nurses and is one of the more stressful specialties to begin with. Both pretty much require fellowship these days to land a job, I'm guessing in 5 years it'll be 2 fellowships.

Can anyone give me some words of wisdom? (something other than quit medicine, or go into something else altogether; anything else is probably cool).

I originally posted this in auntminnie, but it is a rad forum. Wanted to try opinions here to get a complete picture.

 

[bashwell]

These are from the past, and a lot has changed, but they might still be helpful?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/anesthesiology-versus-radiology.604173/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/anesthesiology-vs-radiology.908971/

 

[bashwell]

Also I'd personally prefer the NVIDIA Shield over the Nexus 7. 😉

 

[anbuitachi]

Isn't that expensive, a NVIDIA is like 500$ vs a 200 for nexus 7?

 

[bashwell]

Isn't that expensive, a NVIDIA is like 500$ vs a 200 for nexus 7?

To be fair both are good. I think it mainly depends on what you want out of it?

Check out this review for example from an anesthesiology resident who says he's tech savvy:

https://rk.md/2014/exchanged-ipad-air-nvidia-shield-tablet/

 

[criticalelement]

Both fields have their own sets of problems. Radiology is falling victim to technology and the ability to send images all over the world and being read. So increased efficiency and consolidation will displace radiologists.
If salaries fall much more in anesthesiology physicians wont be able to do it. Below a certain amount of money ya just cant do it. Just too taxing on the soul.

 

[anbuitachi]

Both fields have their own sets of problems. Radiology is falling victim to technology and the ability to send images all over the world and being read. So increased efficiency and consolidation will displace radiologists.
If salaries fall much more in anesthesiology physicians wont be able to do it. Below a certain amount of money ya just cant do it. Just too taxing on the soul.

im sure with the 1700 new grads every year, theres enough who are willing to take a bad job for pay over unemployment with 250k debt

 

[imfrankie]

Can anyone give me some words of wisdom? (something other than quit medicine, or go into something else altogether; anything else is probably cool).

Radiologists can become interventionalists. If you like procedures and the opportunity to develop new ways of treating patients, that's where I'd go. We have a problem with mid-levels in anesthesiology; which is an encroachment I don't see occurring in interventional rads anytime soon. Just my two.

 

[FistLength]

Can anyone give me some words of wisdom? (something other than quit medicine, or go into something else altogether; anything else is probably cool).

Radiologists can become interventionalists. If you like procedures and the opportunity to develop new ways of treating patients, that's where I'd go. We have a problem with mid-levels in anesthesiology; which is an encroachment I don't see occurring in interventional rads anytime soon. Just my two.

Interventional radiologists have their own turf wars that are not pretty. I believe with vascular surgeons.

 

[IkeBoy18]

Interventional radiologists have their own turf wars that are not pretty. I believe with vascular surgeons.

at least between 2 MD fields... that helps not to cheapen either specialty

 

[Ignatius J]

Just remember that every field fights their own battle of either 1.) Kissing someone's ass, 2.) Encroachment/Outsourcing, or 3.) Both.

The grass is always greener.

It happens. No matter where you look, no one specialty is without flaws. Do what you enjoy doing. My 2 cents.

 

[Biochemist21]

Based on my perceptions of both specialties, I would argue that a fellowship is more of a requirement for employment in rads than in anesthesia, though I don't doubt the enhanced marketability you have with a gas fellowship. I'm sure it is seen as a requirement by some PP groups (ie. they specifically need peds, CV, etc.). Keep in mind that one of the reasons that so many people in rads are doing fellowship (or so I've been told by my colleagues) is because you can't become board certified until 15mos after completion of residency.

http://www.theabr.org/ic-dr-landing

Interventional radiologists have their own turf wars that are not pretty. I believe with vascular surgeons.

IR's turf wars are very hospital specific (cards/vascular/GI). They have a different scope of procedures they handle at my residency hospital as compared to stuff that they did at my medical school hospital.

 

[Psai]

Based on my perceptions of both specialties, I would argue that a fellowship is more of a requirement for employment in rads than in anesthesia, though I don't doubt the enhanced marketability you have with a gas fellowship. I'm sure it is seen as a requirement by some PP groups (ie. they specifically need peds, CV, etc.). Keep in mind that one of the reasons that so many people in rads are doing fellowship (or so I've been told by my colleagues) is because you can't become board certified until 15mos after completion of residency.

http://www.theabr.org/ic-dr-landing



IR's turf wars are very hospital specific (cards/vascular/GI). They have a different scope of procedures they handle at my residency hospital as compared to stuff that they did at my medical school hospital.

Sounds like a manufactured system that forces people to go through fellowship so that some fatcats can obtain cheap labor

 

[deleted171991]

Sounds like a manufactured system that forces people to go through fellowship so that some fatcats can obtain cheap labor

You've just described the graduate medical education system worldwide.

 

[anbuitachi]

Based on my perceptions of both specialties, I would argue that a fellowship is more of a requirement for employment in rads than in anesthesia, though I don't doubt the enhanced marketability you have with a gas fellowship. I'm sure it is seen as a requirement by some PP groups (ie. they specifically need peds, CV, etc.). Keep in mind that one of the reasons that so many people in rads are doing fellowship (or so I've been told by my colleagues) is because you can't become board certified until 15mos after completion of residency.

http://www.theabr.org/ic-dr-landing



IR's turf wars are very hospital specific (cards/vascular/GI). They have a different scope of procedures they handle at my residency hospital as compared to stuff that they did at my medical school hospital.

Wow that kind of makes no sense. who came up with the 15 month #... might as well get rid of that requirement and make residency 1 year longer

 

[Biochemist21]

Wow that kind of makes no sense. who came up with the 15 month #... might as well get rid of that requirement and make residency 1 year longer

Sounds like a manufactured system that forces people to go through fellowship so that some fatcats can obtain cheap labor

Maybe there's a good reason for the 15mo delay, but from my somewhat ignorant view of radiology residency, I tend to side with @Psai 's view 🙂.