Being on your feet or sitting down all day in psychiatry?

[j_diggity]

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Hello,

I’m a premed interested in psych but one thing that I really want in my career is to be on my feet a good amount of the time. Not all the time like surgery, but I hated sitting at a desk all day in my previous field as a software engineer. I’m somebody who has a lot of energy and needs to move around, and I like action and variety in my day to day work. Does psych tend to have more sitting-down time than other specialties? Are there sub specialties within psych that involve more moving around, eg inpatient psych? How do these specialties compare in terms of money and training with things like outpatient psych where you might be sitting in a chair most of the day?

Thank you!

 

[Taddy Mason]

Hospital psych (e.g., inpatient, ED, C/L) is going to be more conducive to being on your feet and possibly variety in some regards (though this is relative). No real difference in training unless you did a C/L fellowship which is 1 year and not necessary to do C/L work (though my 2 cents is that a C/L fellowship would be worthwhile if you wanted this to be the bulk of your career or have an academic career in C/L, however this is very far down the road for where you are now). Money isn't going to differ considerably, though academic jobs are going to be on the lower end of the spectrum and the ceiling is higher with outpatient private practice.

 

[When is graduation again?]

There are also community psychiatry options where you travel around and treat people with severe mental illness and/or homeless people. You should look into Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams. It's one of the reasons I chose psychiatry and what I plan to do when I graduate residency.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Hello,

I’m a premed interested in psych but one thing that I really want in my career is to be on my feet a good amount of the time. Not all the time like surgery, but I hated sitting at a desk all day in my previous field as a software engineer. I’m somebody who has a lot of energy and needs to move around, and I like action and variety in my day to day work. Does psych tend to have more sitting-down time than other specialties? Are there sub specialties within psych that involve more moving around, eg inpatient psych? How do these specialties compare in terms of money and training with things like outpatient psych where you might be sitting in a chair most of the day?

Thank you!

Get a standing desk….

I mean you can move around all you want in your office I think it’s going to be more a matter of if you like inpatient vs outpatient vs CL and any of the different flavors of those. I wouldn’t base your choice of speciality on how much you have to stand or not unless you have a medical issue that prevented you from standing or something…there are certainly surgeons who do most of their surgeries sitting down and anesthesia sits on a chair in the OR 75%+ of the time.

 

[Taddy Mason]

Get a standing desk….

I mean you can move around all you want in your office I think it’s going to be more a matter of if you like inpatient vs outpatient vs CL and any of the different flavors of those. I wouldn’t base your choice of speciality on how much you have to stand or not unless you have a medical issue that prevented you from standing or something…there are certainly surgeons who do most of their surgeries sitting down and anesthesia sits on a chair in the OR 75%+ of the time.

Just to add to this, beyond consult services or situations where your patients are spread across different units (which is more reflective of the specific hospital than the actual specialty), I didn't appreciate a difference between the total amount of time spent sitting v. standing v. actively moving between specialties during med school and intern year and second this being a low-priority factor in specialty interest unless you have a specific physical limitation.

 

[comp1]

You can absolutely get a pretty physical inpatient or CL job. Just take the stairs. On a side note, I really adore hearing about what college students think they will be basing a medical career on.

 

[j_diggity]

You can absolutely get a pretty physical inpatient or CL job. Just take the stairs. On a side note, I really adore hearing about what college students think they will be basing a medical career on.

Haha, I don’t mean to make it seem like this is what I would base everything off of because I’m not, but now that I am reading these replies I’m laughing at myself a little over here too 😂. I’m totally open minded about which path I will take- just was wondering about the different activity levels available in different parts of psych 🙂.

 

[J ROD]

Inpatient with C/L definitely the most walking around hospital.

 

[Monocles]

I’m a premed

but I hated sitting at a desk all day in my previous field as a software engineer

OP I gotta stop you here.

You had (have?) one of the BEST jobs in the world in terms of lifestyle, pay, and security, and you want to give all that away to do medicine??? I say this in the most kindest and respect way, but why man???

Also not to derail the conversation - I work inpt psych. With most staff meetings and family meetings being virtual these days, I will try to get up and take a whole loop around the unit and just say hi to the kids etc but also to get my steps in. One of the reasons why I cannot stand outpt is the amount of sitting.

 

[NickNaylor]

My therapist (a psychiatrist) who is in a solo private practice has a standing desk with a treadmill that she put under it it. Not a bad idea if you feel the need to move...

 

[Jules A]

My preference for inpatient, ED and CL is mostly due to the ability to be active. It is a totally different environment as compared to being stuck behind a desk working outpatient.

 

[j_diggity]

OP I gotta stop you here.

You had (have?) one of the BEST jobs in the world in terms of lifestyle, pay, and security, and you want to give all that away to do medicine??? I say this in the most kindest and respect way, but why man???

Also not to derail the conversation - I work inpt psych. With most staff meetings and family meetings being virtual these days, I will try to get up and take a whole loop around the unit and just say hi to the kids etc but also to get my steps in. One of the reasons why I cannot stand outpt is the amount of sitting.

Haha, I hate/hated software. I found no joy in it. Every day was a slog. Software is one of the most boring jobs for me. Yeah building stuff is cool, but the day to day just kills me. I really want to work with people and I want to be on my feet and I want to help others. And I love science. I recently became an EMT and volunteer at a clinic as an MA and I am soooo energized whenever I come home from the clinic. I can’t wait to go back after each volunteer shift. So, now I’m doing the crazy thing and going back to school 🙂. I’ll admit I’m a little crazy for leaving the cushy job. If it doesn’t work out - because medicine is competitive - at least I’ll have the skills to fall back on a career lucrative enough to help me recover from the loans and still live a normal life. But I’ll only do it if I have to, and only until I figure something else out, because software is not for me.

Thank you for sharing your experiences in psych! It seems like inpatient could be the way to go for me. I cant wait to learn more.

 

[j_diggity]

My therapist (a psychiatrist) who is in a solo private practice has a standing desk with a treadmill that she put under it it. Not a bad idea if you feel the need to move...

I don’t understand how people do this, or things like work at a computer or read on a treadmill. I’ve tried it and every time I step, my vision shakes. I can’t read a screen or a book when I’m walking. I admire people who can though. I’d try this if it were a bicycle 🤪

 

[TexasPhysician]

Go into academics. Supervise a bunch of resident clinics. Constantly hear report and walk around to check-in with patients.

 

[Monocles]

Haha, I hate/hated software. I found no joy in it. Every day was a slog. Software is one of the most boring jobs for me. Yeah building stuff is cool, but the day to day just kills me. I really want to work with people and I want to be on my feet and I want to help others. And I love science. I recently became an EMT and volunteer at a clinic as an MA and I am soooo energized whenever I come home from the clinic. I can’t wait to go back after each volunteer shift. So, now I’m doing the crazy thing and going back to school 🙂. I’ll admit I’m a little crazy for leaving the cushy job. If it doesn’t work out - because medicine is competitive - at least I’ll have the skills to fall back on a career lucrative enough to help me recover from the loans and still live a normal life. But I’ll only do it if I have to, and only until I figure something else out, because software is not for me.

Thank you for sharing your experiences in psych! It seems like inpatient could be the way to go for me. I cant wait to learn more.

Ah fair enough. Gotta do what makes you happy in the end. Good luck and I hope you end up finding what you want! 🙂