Any practicing dermatologists that were considering plastic surgery?

[melanoma4me]

I am an MS3 trying to make the decision between dermatology and plastic surgery so that I can plan my 4th year schedule. I am very interested in cutaneous oncology and want to stay in academics. I am extremely torn about which way to go.

Any practicing dermatologists that considered plastics (or plastic surgeons that were considering derm)? Why did you decide the way you did? What do you love about what you do now? If you had it to do over again, would you choose the same way?

Thanks in advance for any help.

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[asmallchild]

There are some overlaps between the fields but the biggest thing is choosing what you really like to do

If you prefer surgery and can stomach a surgical residency, choose plastics

If you prefer medicine and can stomach a primarily clinic-based residency, choose dermatology

 

[MOHS_01]

Right here, kid. Both the residency of dealing with copious amounts of unfounded gen surgery narcissistic grandiosity, decubitus ulcers, BS facial trauma call, sternal wound infections, etc -- and a life thereafter of dealing with hospital BS was enough for me to see the beauty of office based surgery. The money was pretty equivalent, I have more control of my life, and, at the time at least, there was not the same level of open cutthroat hostility between practitioners.

Now they're continually f'ing with my cash flow, we've overtrained (and thus engendering the BS hostility I so hoped to avoid), and increasing regulations make office based surgery less and less the unencumbered profession that it was just a few short years ago.

Had I to do it over, I would have worked out a sweetheart deal with the local Mohs guy and done integrated plastics, joined their practice, done the Mohs fellowship, and owned the mf'ing world as God intended. Heh.

- MOHS

 

[DermViser]

Right here, kid. Both the residency of dealing with copious amounts of unfounded gen surgery narcissistic grandiosity, decubitus ulcers, BS facial trauma call, sternal wound infections, etc -- and a life thereafter of dealing with hospital BS was enough for me to see the beauty of office based surgery. The money was pretty equivalent, I have more control of my life, and, at the time at least, there was not the same level of open cutthroat hostility between practitioners.

Now they're continually f'ing with my cash flow, we've overtrained (and thus engendering the BS hostility I so hoped to avoid), and increasing regulations make office based surgery less and less the unencumbered profession that it was just a few short years ago.

Had I to do it over, I would have worked out a sweetheart deal with the local Mohs guy and done integrated plastics, joined their practice, done the Mohs fellowship, and owned the mf'ing world as God intended. Heh.

- MOHS

I'm guessing this can't be done much, now that these fellowships have to be ACGME accredited.

 

[MOHS_01]

I'm guessing this can't be done much, now that these fellowships have to be ACGME accredited.

Probably not -- but back in the dark ages a decade ago that would have been sweet -- especially if you had an ASC to operate in (no getting bumped when you own the place).