Are you happy?

[MonsterAddict]

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I am student choosing family medicine. I find it frustrating that every time I tell someone I am going to do family they always so DONT do x,y,z instead. As a person that doubts every major decision (due to my personality) it really wears on me. I like family for the longitudinal care, peds and working with the underserved. Also, most family docs I have worked with love their job. Those that have been practicing have you had regrets with choosing family?

 

[deleted87716]

There is so much more to happiness than one's job.

You'll find happy docs in every specialty, and you'll find miserable docs in every specialty. Only in a few cases is their happiness or misery the result of their job. Would that it were, as a job is relatively easy to change.

That being said, I'm happy as a family physician. However, I'm not happy because I'm a family physician.

 

[MonsterAddict]

I agree that specialty choice is the end all to happiness. I guess what I was worried about is that every time I tell anyone I am going into family they always advise against it. These are not family physicians saying this. So if you could do it again, would you have still chosen family as opposed to some other speciality?

 

[deleted87716]

I agree that specialty choice is the end all to happiness.

Um...I didn't say that... 😕

I guess what I was worried about is that every time I tell anyone I am going into family they always advise against it. These are not family physicians saying this. So if you could do it again, would you have still chosen family as opposed to some other speciality?

Yes, I would. No question about it.

The reason most people tell you to do something else is because they want to validate their own decision. It doesn't have anything to do with you.

 

[cabinbuilder]

I am totally happy every day because I got the chance to live my dream and be a doctor when the majority of the folks around me didn't think it would ever happen. Granted, I may not have been the best student, but I wasn't the worst either. I scrambled into family because I didn't match - some would be bitter, I looked at it as fate and there was some other reason I was thrust in this track.

Family practice is extremely versitile. You can alway change the way you practice or where you practice. You can work IP/OP/ER/NH/and urgent care. Any or all. You can do or not do OB, you can do occupational health. You can do peds or not. You can do geriatrics or not. You can do sports medicine. It is different every day.

You can work anywhere in the country from NYC inner city to frontier Alaska.
There is nothing better than taking care of someone who doesn't have money and you find a way to make things happen whether transport, or meds, or food for the day. Heck I have been paid back in Salmon and King Crab - now that was a good day.

My point is to do what you like, no what others think you should do. It's your life and your career. Life is too short to be miserable when much of it is spent working.

 

[infantum23]

I think it all depends on you... When I told people I was going into Family Med, I got similar responses from classmates and family. Thing is, family med still isn't all that respected in some circles, although that's changing, and people have negative feelings about it. As a first year resident, I'm working my tail off and I'm pleased to say that I am very happy with it. Contrary to some of my surgical friends who hate their lives, I have time to sleep and still feel like I'm learning vast amounts every day while doing a job that I love.

In the end, you have to evaluate your own priorities and interests. It sucks to hear that your support system isn't doing any supporting but you have to shut them out, hard as it is. I think in the same way that you do and completely understand the notion but stay true to what you feel.

 

[maesunlight]

So, I too wanted to go into family medicine and I was the only person in my class who wanted this. No one supported me, not even faculty other than my FM advisor. I caved and matched into something else, a combined pediatrics program, because I let everyone get to me and I was afraid. I was miserable my intern year because I wanted to "treat the whole patient," and this was not looked upon well by anyone I worked with because most wanted to maintain a narrow focus on their specialty specific problems. This just isn't my style. I am switching to family medicine this year and encourage you learn from my mistake and trust yourself.

 

[Leukocyte]

I am student choosing family medicine. I find it frustrating that every time I tell someone I am going to do family they always so DONT do x,y,z instead. As a person that doubts every major decision (due to my personality) it really wears on me. I like family for the longitudinal care, peds and working with the underserved. Also, most family docs I have worked with love their job. Those that have been practicing have you had regrets with choosing family?

Asking other FM docs "Are you happy?" will not help (and should not affect) your choice to go into FM. It is all about you, and you alone. If, like you said, you "like family for the longitudinal care, peds and working with the underserved", then you might be on the right tract. Most importantly, you should like (or be confortable) "knowing a little about everything", like being a "generalist", and like taking care of people long-term, at all age groups. If you like all of this, then you will be golden in FM. FM needs smart medical students. Do not care what others tell you....it is your career, not their's.

Personally, I will not answer your question, Are you happy?", because it is irrelevant and not important. However, If you really want to know....all I can say is that I am applying through ERAS this year again, for the 3rd time, for a 3rd residency.

Good Luck.

 

[Smokemont]

Asking other FM docs "Are you happy?" will not help (and should not affect) your choice to go into FM. It is all about you, and you alone. If, like you said, you "like family for the longitudinal care, peds and working with the underserved", then you might be on the right tract. Most importantly, you should like (or be confortable) "knowing a little about everything", like being a "generalist", and like taking care of people long-term, at all age groups. If you like all of this, then you will be golden in FM. FM needs smart medical students. Do not care what others tell you....it is your career, not their's.

Personally, I will not answer your question, Are you happy?", because it is irrelevant and not important. However, If you really want to know....all I can say is that I am applying through ERAS this year again, for the 3rd time, for a 3rd residency.

Good Luck.

Based on your previous posts you really don't like clinical medicine. Trying to get into path, rads, gas, psych, genetics......may I ask what you despise so much about it?

 

[MOHS_01]

Asking other FM docs "Are you happy?" will not help (and should not affect) your choice to go into FM. It is all about you, and you alone. If, like you said, you "like family for the longitudinal care, peds and working with the underserved", then you might be on the right tract. Most importantly, you should like (or be confortable) "knowing a little about everything", like being a "generalist", and like taking care of people long-term, at all age groups. If you like all of this, then you will be golden in FM. FM needs smart medical students. Do not care what others tell you....it is your career, not their's.

Personally, I will not answer your question, Are you happy?", because it is irrelevant and not important. However, If you really want to know....all I can say is that I am applying through ERAS this year again, for the 3rd time, for a 3rd residency.

Good Luck.

This. Happiness is a state of mind wholly contained within the individual and outside of the constraints of reproducible external metrics. To chase it based upon other's experience is an exercise in folly. Good luck.

 

[deleted87716]

This. Happiness is a state of mind wholly contained within the individual and outside of the constraints of reproducible external metrics. To chase it based upon other's experience is an exercise in folly. Good luck.

I concur. 😉

 

[Kal EI]

This. Happiness is a state of mind wholly contained within the individual and outside of the constraints of reproducible external metrics. To chase it based upon other's experience is an exercise in folly. Good luck.

Well said.

 

[sair]

Blue Dog, i love the picture...lol

 

[Toohotinvegas33]

Based on your previous posts you really don't like clinical medicine. Trying to get into path, rads, gas, psych, genetics......may I ask what you despise so much about it?

explain how psych and genetics aren't part of clinical medicine?

 

[Smokemont]

explain how psych and genetics aren't part of clinical medicine?

Obviously medical genetics and psych are clinical medicine. It was used to describe the rads, gas and path, but I like your attention to detail 🙄

 

[styphon]

I am also happy being a family medicine doctor.

It depends on what you want and what will make you happy. I love variety, want to do everything, and have a short attention span. I also value being able to change what I am doing if I feel the need.

Right now I do urgent care and ob. I plan on adding hospitalist to this. I find it very gratifying.

 

[JustPlainBill]

I'm in an academic setting for another couple of months so that will color my response -- the people I work with are pinheads more impressed with 'evidence based medicine' than with treating patients, but what the heck.

I'm happy with my choice -- it worked for me and my wife supported whatever I wanted to do -- she flat out told me that we would make the family situation work with whatever I wanted to do, just so long as I was happy - I looked at surgery (had a chance for Mass General), Ortho, EM, IM, Peds, PM&R -- but kept coming back to Family.

I love being a GP, taking care of everything that walks through the door with appropriate referrals. My only regret is where I wound up for residency and it was my first choice. Things underwent a major change about a month after I got here and it went from a 'way cool, I like that direction' to a 'you gotta be kidding me' type of place. But, no one could have predicted it. The hard part is really knowing what you can do and maintaining your sense of self worth around these people -- it is truly toxic.

But - I'm setting up my rural practice right now, working with a kick ass old time GP who actually delivered babies, did minor surgery and is now focusing on prevention. The local hospital admin is a go-getter type who really wants to re-vamp the healthcare in this small farming community and use all available technology that we can to engage people in their health. Gonna be fun.

yeah, it's mainly medicare/medicaid but the whole place is low cost -- I already know this is not a moneymaker but I'm ok with that ---

Yeah, I'm happy.....but like BD said, most people want to validate their own choices -- you have to decide for yourself what YOU like doing -- for me, the whole thing was a good fit

I do not like working weekends/nights -- the people I care about work during the day and are at home on nights/weekends, so that was important to me. I enjoy helping others and like variety and problem solving -- FM was a good fit.

 

[prometheus09]

I'm in an academic setting for another couple of months so that will color my response -- the people I work with are pinheads more impressed with 'evidence based medicine' than with treating patients, but what the heck.

I'm happy with my choice -- it worked for me and my wife supported whatever I wanted to do -- she flat out told me that we would make the family situation work with whatever I wanted to do, just so long as I was happy - I looked at surgery (had a chance for Mass General), Ortho, EM, IM, Peds, PM&R -- but kept coming back to Family.

I love being a GP, taking care of everything that walks through the door with appropriate referrals. My only regret is where I wound up for residency and it was my first choice. Things underwent a major change about a month after I got here and it went from a 'way cool, I like that direction' to a 'you gotta be kidding me' type of place. But, no one could have predicted it. The hard part is really knowing what you can do and maintaining your sense of self worth around these people -- it is truly toxic.

But - I'm setting up my rural practice right now, working with a kick ass old time GP who actually delivered babies, did minor surgery and is now focusing on prevention. The local hospital admin is a go-getter type who really wants to re-vamp the healthcare in this small farming community and use all available technology that we can to engage people in their health. Gonna be fun.

yeah, it's mainly medicare/medicaid but the whole place is low cost -- I already know this is not a moneymaker but I'm ok with that ---

Yeah, I'm happy.....but like BD said, most people want to validate their own choices -- you have to decide for yourself what YOU like doing -- for me, the whole thing was a good fit

I do not like working weekends/nights -- the people I care about work during the day and are at home on nights/weekends, so that was important to me. I enjoy helping others and like variety and problem solving -- FM was a good fit.

Out of curiosity, especially since I am trying to rank programs, what changed about the program you were a part of? Or what should applicants look at/ avoid or ask about that could tip an applicant about a toxic program?

 

[ams81]

I am probably gonna blasted by you guys but ...um...I was in an FP residency, and was fortunate to switch to IM, and it was the best thing that happend to me.

Here were my reason's why
a. My old program absolutely sucked
b. I felt that I wanted to be in the action managing patients on the floor, I wanted that complicated patient, instead of having to consult left right and center...and then writing a summary of all the consultants notes.
c. I felt that we were just following guidelines, I hated knowing a little about a alot.
d. I hated OB/GYN, and how my program would require alot more than what was expected by the ABFM
e. I hated how things would just get dumped on the primary
f. I hated how all the other specialties didn't take FP's seriously, and that most of the FPs had some sort of insecurity complex....(no offese, this is what I noticed at my hospital, in the beautiful suburbs of the Chicagoland area)

Here is what I enjoyed about family
a. I enjoyed the relationships I built with my patients
b. I enjoyed doing out patient procedures.
c. I enjoyed the free time

I guess wasn't being true to myself. FP wasnt for me and also my program was a horrible enviroment, and the teaching was non existence. I found myself drawn to the floors and ICU. And so I was fortunate to switch to IM, and now plan to pursue a fellowship in Pulm/CCM.

I think the true FPs are the rural docs, I have respect for them, especially the old school docs that were true masters, and could handle it all. If you love the out patient side of things, love to make and grow relationships, then FP is for you. Make sure that you go to a good and reputable program, and you will be very happy.

If your true to yourself and follow your heart, no matter how the health care system changes, no matter how much extra or less you work, you will be happy because your doing what you truly love to do. Best of luck

 

[deleted87716]

I hated how all the other specialties didn't take FP's seriously, and that most of the FPs had some sort of insecurity complex.

Blame the cause, not the effect.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

My responses in bold...

I am probably gonna blasted by you guys but ...um...I was in an FP residency, and was fortunate to switch to IM, and it was the best thing that happend to me.

Here were my reason's why
a. My old program absolutely sucked This pretty much handles most of your next points
b. I felt that I wanted to be in the action managing patients on the floor, I wanted that complicated patient, instead of having to consult left right and center...and then writing a summary of all the consultants notes. program dependent. At my residency, we only consulted for either procedures or the occasional super rare "what the hell is going on" patient
c. I felt that we were just following guidelines, I hated knowing a little about a alot. Then you should've read more and learned alot about alot
d. I hated OB/GYN, and how my program would require alot more than what was expected by the ABFM Going beyond the minimum guidelines is good. Plus, if you knew you hated OB why didn't you pick a program that was OB light?
e. I hated how things would just get dumped on the primary That won't change if you end up staying general IM. Instead, everything will get dumped on you just in a different setting
f. I hated how all the other specialties didn't take FP's seriously, and that most of the FPs had some sort of insecurity complex....(no offese, this is what I noticed at my hospital, in the beautiful suburbs of the Chicagoland area) Location dependent plus depends on the rep of your program

Here is what I enjoyed about family
a. I enjoyed the relationships I built with my patients
b. I enjoyed doing out patient procedures.
c. I enjoyed the free time

I guess wasn't being true to myself. FP wasnt for me and also my program was a horrible enviroment, and the teaching was non existence. I found myself drawn to the floors and ICU. And so I was fortunate to switch to IM, and now plan to pursue a fellowship in Pulm/CCM.

I think the true FPs are the rural docs, I have respect for them, especially the old school docs that were true masters, and could handle it all. If you love the out patient side of things, love to make and grow relationships, then FP is for you. Make sure that you go to a good and reputable program, and you will be very happy.

If your true to yourself and follow your heart, no matter how the health care system changes, no matter how much extra or less you work, you will be happy because your doing what you truly love to do. Best of luck

 

[VenusinFurs]

I think the true FPs are the rural docs, I have respect for them, especially the old school docs that were true masters, and could handle it all. If you love the out patient side of things, love to make and grow relationships, then FP is for you. Make sure that you go to a good and reputable program, and you will be very happy.

I don't think you should go solely on reputation. It's important to go somewhere you will get a good education, but it's also important you go somewhere you will actually be happy, where you will fit in with the predominant culture of the residents and the area at large. You have to spend a LOT of time with your fellow residents and they might end up being your only friends if you are new to the area and don't get out much, like me. If you end up hating most of them, you will be miserable and you might not make it through residency purely due to not being happy and not feeling supported.