Anyone know what they wanna specialize in yet?

[futuredoc4432]

Just curious if you were leaning towards a specific field? Most dr's I have shadowed/volunteered with said they changed multiple times during medical school. The one said he never heard of his field (ophthamalogy) until his rotations.

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[ShyRem]

80% or more of all medical students change their minds during rotations. Even those that are "SO SURE". Seriously, the president of the OBGyn club found out she absolutely HATED OBGyn during rotations at my school. This stuff really does happen.

I changed my mind too. Thought I would do EM, but found out it rather bored me (and I have a very strong EM background). I'm doing IM instead. But I was really surprised at how much I loved my rotations like psych, surgery, ophthalmology (REALLY liked this one - it was fascinating!), enjoyed Peds but the parents drove me nuts, didn't like FM, rads was ok but not my thing. Discovered phlebology which is really fun. Psych surprised me the most - I really liked it. Seriously considered doing psych.

Really, most med students change their minds from what they come in thinking they want to do. You never really know until you start truly working at the different specialties during rotations.

 

[futuredoc4432]

hah I have already changed my mind at least 6 times and I'm not even in med school yet

 

[PsychDO]

I am open to change, but I'm pretty sure I want to go into adolescent addictions psychiatry (I know...I am about as specific as it gets).

Since I can remember, have only ever been interested in professions where I can work with traumatized youth. All my experience in this field and doing full-time addictions research has only made me more excited!

I won't lock myself in and say I'll never change my mind, but I really can't imagine doing anything else.

 

[KTownGT]

Double Spec. in Infectious Diseases and Nephrology.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Double Spec. in Infectious Diseases and Nephrology.

Lay off the Vicodin ...

I try not to even guess because, like Shy said, everyone changes their mind.

 

[tndoc12]

i think its good to go into med school with ambitions. it gives you something to strive for. i'm thinking rural or mission medicine of some kind. probably the gen surg route...

 

[MN premed]

I don't know what I want to do... So hard to decide! I definitely need more experiences to figure it out.

Do students ever join multiple interest groups at the beginning? Say anesthesiology, pediatrics, emergency med, and orthopedics? Or is that just ridiculous to do lol

 

[mechanictodr]

Anything with power tools and the less geriatric patients the better.

 

[thethethe]

i want to be a cardiologist, plastic surgeon and neurosurgeon all at the same time

 

[thethethe]

Anything with power tools and the less geriatric patients the better.

you should deliver babies

 

[mechanictodr]

you should deliver babies

One day on the L&D floor and I wanted to strangle every over emotional, removed from reality, ditzy aid and nurse. No way. That part of my rotations will be pure hell. I want to work with athletes who actually care about good health and people in the age range of 15-40 who would like to improve their physical health from whatever point they are at. I'm thinking physical rehab or sports othro or something like that.

No babies, no old people. I've seen enough old people's butts and smelled their smells enough for a lifetime. I also can't feel good in knowing that all I'd be doing for them is extending their typically dull end a few more years. Youth have a lifetime of life left. I can feel good in making more of that better and longer.

If none of this can be achieved then I want pathology or something with everyone sedated... like what our ICU hospitalist/intensivist does. He has a sweet job. Very few stories to listen to and lots of cool procedures, and he works with the best nurses ever hands down.

 

[sedaniel]

I had thought OBGYN before, but since spending a week assisting on a surgical mission trip I have always thought surgery, either general or ortho. It was such a rush

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

One day on the L&D floor and I wanted to strangle every over emotional, removed from reality, ditzy aid and nurse. No way. That part of my rotations will be pure hell. I want to work with athletes who actually care about good health and people in the age range of 15-40 who would like to improve their physical health from whatever point they are at. I'm thinking physical rehab or sports othro or something like that.

No babies, no old people. I've seen enough old people's butts and smelled their smells enough for a lifetime. I also can't feel good in knowing that all I'd be doing for them is extending their typically dull end a few more years. Youth have a lifetime of life left. I can feel good in making more of that better and longer.

If none of this can be achieved then I want pathology or something with everyone sedated... like what our ICU hospitalist/intensivist does. He has a sweet job. Very few stories to listen to and lots of cool procedures, and he works with the best nurses ever hands down.

You do sound like pathology would be your gig.

As for me, I know I'll probably change my mind but: Rural FM. I'm also interested in IM and Psych.
I may have to jump off a ledge of some really elevated undisclosed height if OB/GYN ends up being my calling. Pretty much open to anything else.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Neurology & Psychiatry

 

[Practitioner]

Surgical pedes specialty.

It changes now and then and a lot of how I feel about a specialty involves the doctors. What I mean is that I tend to prefer the concept of training under specific people more than training in a specific area, if that makes sense.

I imagine it'll be the same after med school. I'll end up in a field that I am most comfortable with a mentor in. I'm pretty certain it'll be a pediatric surgical field of study, just not specifically which one. Right now orthopaedics (focus on spine surgery) and general surgery top my list. Neurosurgery and cardiovascular after that.

 

[judasreznor]

Anything from IM to Ortho. I would prefer not to practice peds or OB/GYN, but I certainly won't rule them out.

 

[Poliscidoc]

Specialize in first getting an acceptance and then going from that point on.

 

[judasreznor]

Specialize in first getting an acceptance and then going from that point on.

Ha! Wow...

 

[Neuron14]

Internal medicine if I get the NHSC scholarship. Neurology if I don't.

 

[aidama]

Family Practice or EM.
99.9% certain I don't want to do surgery, peds, or obgyn.

 

[unhappytnt]

Probably anything but surgery. I am a really, really clumsy person and even though I heard many people say that the skills required to be a surgeon is acquired over time, I am scared that I will end up inadvertently cutting someone's aorta while operating.

 

[PeachyPhd]

I have a feeling that I going to be that girl whose specialty preference changes as often as my rotations do.

Calls home. "Mom, I'm going into Peds." Next month. "Mom, for real this time, I'm going into Surg." Two months go by, "Okay Mom, its IM." Lather, rinse, repeat. Have any of ya'll OMS3's and 4's experienced this?

I've been reading a lot of the books from the Suggested Reading forum, and a few more that I've gathered along the way, and it seems that even Interns are often still indecisive about Specialty and how they are going to spend their days (and nights) after residency.

For me, should I gain acceptance to a US medical school, I'm predicting Med-Peds. We'll see how things turn out in 8 years when an unsuspecting someone bumps what will be a 7 year old thread.

 

[YaBoyAR]

what initially drew me into medicine was surgery, but as stated above, we'll see if that changes

 

[futuredoc4432]

anyone know where I can find a list of the most competitive specialties to get into? At what point do you actually apply to the specialties - end of 4th year?

 

[zetabetazeta]

I want to be a pediatrician! But who knows what's going to happen in the future? I might change my mind, but at this moment I'd love to work with kids

 

[judasreznor]

anyone know where I can find a list of the most competitive specialties to get into? At what point do you actually apply to the specialties - end of 4th year?

The most competitive specialties generally have the best lifestyle/income to hours of work. These include, but are not limited to:

ROAD (Radiology, Ophthalmology, Anesthesiology, Dermatology)
Orthopedics
Integrated Plastic Surgery
ENT
Neurosurgery

Also, even the specialties that aren't considered competitive have competitive aspects to them (i.e. the institution at which the residency takes place). For example, IM at a community hospital might not be competitive, but IM at Johns Hopkins is.

 

[JaggerPlate]

The most competitive specialties generally have the best lifestyle/income to hours of work. These include, but are not limited to:

ROAD (Radiology, Ophthalmology, Anesthesiology, Dermatology)

With the exception of derm ... I really think this is going to change HARD in the next decade.

 

[Mute98]

99.9% certain I don't want to do surgery, peds, or obgyn.

agreed though Ive been considering Neurology, Psych and Derm

 

[Mute98]

With the exception of derm ... I really think this is going to change HARD in the next decade.

im not trying to say youre wrong, but can you please elaborate? I know I hear Radiology will be more outsourced or something but why would the others change?

 

[CookDeRosa]

Just curious if you were leaning towards a specific field? Most dr's I have shadowed/volunteered with said they changed multiple times during medical school. The one said he never heard of his field (ophthamalogy) until his rotations.

>>

Yep. OB-GYN. I have spent 10 years as a labor doula, postpartum doula, childbirth educator, lactation counselor, and I work for a midwife. My only decision, is which midwifery program to go to if I can't get into DO school....and I'll likely apply to all/most of the DOs just to be sure. It's pregnancy/birth/woman's health for me all the way.

 

[taylormade2006]

What do you guys think the "ROAD" of the next ten years will be?

 

[judasreznor]

With the exception of derm ... I really think this is going to change HARD in the next decade.

Dude, I think your viewpoint is money on this one. I think they will be moderately competitive at best because they will still have decent hours, but the pay is going to drop tremendously in the ROAD (sans derm, but ROA looks unusual to me) specialties. Betcha specialties like EM and IM become much more competitive around the same time.

 

[ilovebiology]

Ha the specialty changes like weekly for me and I'm not even in med school...currently? anesthesiology. but then it always goes back to infectious diseases.

 

[JaggerPlate]

im not trying to say youre wrong, but can you please elaborate? I know I hear Radiology will be more outsourced or something but why would the others change?

Rads - just took like a 15% (I think, something big) medicare cut across the board, and insurance companies will follow suit/catch on to how sweet of a gig it is. That's how it works in medicine ... something is great for a while, people catch it, and it ceases to be good. I've heard mixed things on "outsourcing" ... I don't know if it will actually happen. It's a possibility (I guess), but not the biggest issues - reimbursement cuts and other specialties reading their own scans (this will take a while to progress, but I think it will).

Ophthalmology - check out the Ophthal boards ... starting salaries at 150k, super difficult time landing fellowships, a lot of practices abusing new recruits (hiring them on with promises of partner eventually, working them like dogs and then cutting them), far too much competitive for lucrative procedures (like lasik), and encroachment from ODs (debatable, but I think it's significant).

Anesthesiology - Already fallen from "competitive" to "non-competitive" in the match this year. Gas has several problems 1. They screwed up and opened up way too many spots during a "shortage." This means the supply and demand thing has leveled out, and this is never good for business. 2. CRNA issues ... huge midlevel problem. I personally think within a decade, Anesthesiologists will simply manage CRNAs in hospitals. It's more cost advantageous to the hospital, so it most likely will happen.

Derm - as long as they keep the number of residency slots low, they will be okay. Large patient population, good marketability for cash based cosmetics, etc.

Keep in mind that I don't start med school for a month, so take my opinions with a grain of salt. Also, I'm not saying these fields still aren't a nice gig ... I'm just saying that they seem to be on the verge of changing, and too many people are catching on and want a piece of the pie. I think what's hot will change in the next decade.

 

[mechanictodr]

I think gastro will become more of a "hot" field. Everyone has a butt, and everyone needs it looked at. Scopes are fast and pay well and gastro is not competitive.

 

[mpHWizzKid]

Internal medicine if I get the NHSC scholarship. Neurology if I don't.

Similar for me, without scholarship:
1) IM-Gastroenternology
2) IM-Infectious Disease
3) Anesthesiology

....but i still kinda maybe sorta really wanna be a PCP, so idk...im a confused kid

 

[mpHWizzKid]

I think gastro will become more of a "hot" field. Everyone has a butt, and everyone needs it looked at. Scopes are fast and pay well and gastro is not competitive.

Ha, i was writing my reply as you submitted this....and i think i agree!

 

[JaggerPlate]

I think gastro will become more of a "hot" field. Everyone has a butt, and everyone needs it looked at. Scopes are fast and pay well and gastro is not competitive.

Same.

 

[taylormade2006]

I also think that there is increased awareness of things like inflammatory bowel diseases that will increase demand for GIs.

 

[paintballswimgu]

I'm thinking geriatrics. I just love talking to old people. Plus, their problems usually involve multiple systems, so they're just one big puzzle.

I'm working as a medical assistant this summer for a urologist. I can say for sure, that i have no interest in urology. I have seen way to many scopes go in and out of people and i just don't find it interesting anymore. On top of that stint removals make me wince with pain for the people. However, it has sparked my interest in surgery somewhat. I get to see a surgery about every 2 days or so. I only go to the ones that sound interesting to me. So the surgery aspect has been pretty cool.

 

[Sam212]

I think gastro will become more of a "hot" field. Everyone has a butt, and everyone needs it looked at. Scopes are fast and pay well and gastro is not competitive.

Gastro is very competitive, ask anyone who applied within past few years.

 

[wolverinepwns]

Having worked in a hospital for 5 years now, I would say Emergency Medicine due to the style of living (not being oncall, fixed schedule, ...)! but if that was out of question and I didn't mind being on call and everything else I would do Intervention Cardiologist!

 

[mechanictodr]

Gastro is very competitive, ask anyone who applied within past few years.

Not where I work it wasn't. Only the ortho program was kind of competitive, but this was the first year for both of those at this hospital.

 

[FutureCTDoc]

Vitreoretinal surg and med, a great mix of surgical and medical procedures. High pay, great hours and a practice that I can walk right into.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

Gastro is very competitive, ask anyone who applied within past few years.

Yeah, I thought GI fellowships were the second most competitive for IM, trailing only cards.

 

[WildEMDoc]

Hmm I know the things I don't want to do are OB/GYN, Peds and FP.

But as to what I actually want to do I really don't have anything set in stone, but right now I'm thinking:

1. IM - Pulmonary and Critical Care, Sleep Medicine (mostly because of all the exposure I have had to it, since my dad is all of those)
2. IM - Oncology
3. Radiation Oncology

 

[gocatgo]

I like what Shyrem posted. I don't know what I'll ultimately be interested in but I do know I don't want to go into: OB/Gyn, Peds, and surgery.

 

[Daedra22]

I'm very drawn to genetics... I've done a lot of research on what Medical Geneticists do, and I find it fascinating. I'm completely open to changing my mind, though, as I also find psych, pediatrics and pathology interesting. Definitely don't want to do surgery of any kind. The lifestyle isn't for me.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Although I am open to anything except (Ob/gyn, Rad, Derm, Geriatrics, and gas), I am heavily leaning toward Ortho and ENT. However, I echo everyone who say that I WILL change my mind many times before actually settling on something.