Best Answer to: What area of medicine to you plan to pursue at this stage?

[str8flexed]

Honestly, I am not very settled on any one specialty since I believe this is what rotations are for. But how should I ace this question?

Thanks!

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[MinnyGophers]

I am not quite sure of the answer to that question, I am hoping clinical rotations will answer it.

Just to be on the safe side.

 

[njmd55]

I would like to know too!

 

[sanche60]

Honestly, I am not very settled on any one specialty since I believe this is what rotations are for. But how should I ace this question?

Thanks!

During an interview it will probably lead to a better conversation if you have some idea what youre interested in. Its better then just saying, "I dont know". Personally, i think you look silly if you say you have absolutely no idea, even though realistically most people probably dont. If you want to be slick look at the strong departments of the school and say you want to go into that. That gives you a good reason for choosing their school and theyll probably start bragging about how good their school is in that field. Of course you need to know a little about the field to say youre interested in it without looking like a fool.

 

[etf]

when i told one of my interviewers that i was interested in going into neurosurgery, they looked at me as if i had an anus growing out of my forehead. i think next time i'm just going to say peds or something...

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

i'm sure there are a few fields you're more interested in than others: specialist v. primary care, private practice v. teaching position or research, urban/suburban/rural, old patients v young, surgery v medicine, lots of patient contact v. very little or none, longer residency v. shorter residency. you must have some vision of your future life....? i'd use this to guide your answer

 

[BlackBantie]

i'm sure there are a few fields you're more interested in than others: specialist v. primary care, private practice v. teaching position or research, urban/suburban/rural, old patients v young, surgery v medicine, lots of patient contact v. very little or none, longer residency v. shorter residency. you must have some vision of your future life....? i'd use this to guide your answer

I agree, and you can use your clinical experience to backup your explanations.

 

[MinnyGophers]

It's a tricky question though. A lot of schools are now pushing for primary care and not "fancier" specialties . Really, the best would be to read more about the school you're interviewing at and see if they are pushing toward a certain specialty.

 

[Pewl]

The correct answer is "radiation oncology!" followed by an awkward silence. =D

 

[str8flexed]

The correct answer is "radiation oncology!" followed by an awkward silence. =D

is there such a thing as pediatric gynecology?

 

[ShyRem]

I found it easier to say "well, I'm not sure what I area I plan to pursue... there are just so many I don't know enough about to make an informed decision. However, at this early stage I'm not particularly interested in ______" and list what you don't want to do. I didn't want peds, ortho, surgery, ophtho, GI, derm, or OB. I also stated that I might change my mind if I discover an absolute love for say, surgery, in my rotations, but at this time that's what my inclinations are against. Pretty much everything else was still on the table.

Generally this got pretty good reviews since I had a rather open mind about most areas of medicine.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

is there such a thing as pediatric gynecology?

You sick bas....ketball.



-Dr. P.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

The correct answer is "radiation oncology!" followed by an awkward silence. =D

I find that offensive....


the thing is, I want to actually go into rad onc. I'm a physics major so I l would like to see a connection between my undergraduate education and my medical career, and I'm attracted by the heavy research aspect of rad onc as well as the ability to work with a wide variety of other medical professionals. Yeah its a great lifestyle, but I feel that I would want to do it even if it weren't as lucrative as some other specialties.

Is there something wrong with that? Is a valid, reasonable explanation that has been well thought out for entering a "lifestyle" specialty going to hurt me? Or should I say I want to be an FP and hate my life as I refer all the interesting stuff to specialized colleagues? **** that, I want to enter medicine to fix big problems.

I have talked to med students and rad oncologists about this very issue, and they have all told me to tell interviewers about my interest in the field as it should be a positive attribute to my interest in entering medicine. After all, I'm not saying that I am sure I will go into that field, just that it seems potentially cool at this point in time.

 

[TarHeelBorn]

Right now, psychiatry. I was debating whether or not to do a clinical psych Ph.D. or MD w/psych, and it seems like the latter is the better option for me.

 

[LaDoctorFutura]

i always answered with the specialty that I was intersted in, but ended by saying that I was open to experiencing everything. You want to look like you have been thinking about it, but not having made your decision already.

 

[AWhitehair]

i always answered with the specialty that I was intersted in, but ended by saying that I was open to experiencing everything. You want to look like you have been thinking about it, but not having made your decision already.

This is what I would do too.

 

[SitraAchra]

I find that offensive....


the thing is, I want to actually go into rad onc. I'm a physics major so I l would like to see a connection between my undergraduate education and my medical career, and I'm attracted by the heavy research aspect of rad onc as well as the ability to work with a wide variety of other medical professionals. Yeah its a great lifestyle, but I feel that I would want to do it even if it weren't as lucrative as some other specialties.

Is there something wrong with that? Is a valid, reasonable explanation that has been well thought out for entering a "lifestyle" specialty going to hurt me? Or should I say I want to be an FP and hate my life as I refer all the interesting stuff to specialized colleagues? **** that, I want to enter medicine to fix big problems.

I have talked to med students and rad oncologists about this very issue, and they have all told me to tell interviewers about my interest in the field as it should be a positive attribute to my interest in entering medicine. After all, I'm not saying that I am sure I will go into that field, just that it seems potentially cool at this point in time.

Well we're all just very proud of you.

 

[chanjurban]

I find that offensive....

If you've seen any of Pewl's other posts, you'd realize that he's serious about rad onc too.... No need to get offended. He's probably just relaying his own experiences.

 

[SitraAchra]

whoops.

 

[masterMood]

The one that makes the most money 8 years from now.

 

[mshollywoodmd]

is there such a thing as pediatric gynecology?

I find this disturbing and I am hoping you didn't fully think it through before you posted it.

 

[Mr. McDuck]

I think he was joking. Furthermore, if that is a picture from those McDonald's commercials, I hate you.

 

[mshollywoodmd]

I found it easier to say "well, I'm not sure what I area I plan to pursue... there are just so many I don't know enough about to make an informed decision. However, at this early stage I'm not particularly interested in ______" and list what you don't want to do. I didn't want peds, ortho, surgery, ophtho, GI, derm, or OB. I also stated that I might change my mind if I discover an absolute love for say, surgery, in my rotations, but at this time that's what my inclinations are against. Pretty much everything else was still on the table.

Generally this got pretty good reviews since I had a rather open mind about most areas of medicine.

I totally agree with this post. It gives the impression that you have consciously thought about the pros and cons of different areas but you aren't fully committed nor or you ruling out any one field before you have more exposure

 

[mshollywoodmd]

I think he was joking. Furthermore, if that is a picture from those McDonald's commercials, I hate you.

Hate is a strong word and I would advise you to use your emotions on something more worthwhile.

 

[Mr. McDuck]

There was no emotion in that. I don't really hate you--I don't even know you. But seriously, is that the McDonald's commercial in your avatar? If it is, I'd more likely hate myself for knowing that.

 

[mshollywoodmd]

There was no emotion in that. I don't really hate you--I don't even know you. But seriously, is that the McDonald's commercial in your avatar? If it is, I'd more likely hate myself for knowing that.

No it isn't one of the McDonald's commercial's icons. It is a Meez avatar. Sorry that it disturbs you to the point of hating me or yourself but oh well life goes on...

 

[Mr. McDuck]

Haha. I just really dislike those commercials.

 

[strawberryfield]

i'm sure there are a few fields you're more interested in than others: specialist v. primary care, private practice v. teaching position or research, urban/suburban/rural, old patients v young, surgery v medicine, lots of patient contact v. very little or none, longer residency v. shorter residency. you must have some vision of your future life....? i'd use this to guide your answer

too busy drooling over your avatar to answer this question seriously....

 

[tacrum43]

is there such a thing as pediatric gynecology?

Well, I think there is pediatric urology...but you kind of wonder who would go into that. I guess it's necessary to have them, however.

Maybe there's special rules or something to make sure a nurse is present all the time during the exam? Or the parents?

 

[Rafa]

^ There *are* actually pediatric gynecologists. They typically handle things associated with development and health of the child & the reproductive system. Incidentally, one of the more telling signs of child abuse is an STD in a child (since children generally aren't sexually active). For things like child pregnancies - which occur far more often in the US than people talk about - pregnancies are managed by obgyns specialized in child and adolescent physiology.

edit: as you can imagine, male pediatric gynecologists are few and far between. Here's a link typically summarizing what pobgyns do:
http://www.obgyn.wustl.edu/Divisions/pediatric.html

 

[Sondra]

I found it easier to say "well, I'm not sure what I area I plan to pursue... there are just so many I don't know enough about to make an informed decision. However, at this early stage I'm not particularly interested in ______" and list what you don't want to do. I didn't want peds, ortho, surgery, ophtho, GI, derm, or OB. I also stated that I might change my mind if I discover an absolute love for say, surgery, in my rotations, but at this time that's what my inclinations are against. Pretty much everything else was still on the table.

Generally this got pretty good reviews since I had a rather open mind about most areas of medicine.

I answered similarly.

I also told them the field that I had the most interest in at the present time -- geriatrics (which my ECs supported). I gave reasons why I was interested, but I also said that I didn't know enough about other fields and am open to discovering something that I may love during rotations. I then talked about fields that I was not interested in such as peds, dialysis/nephro and stated the reasons why I wasn't interested.

 

[mshollywoodmd]

^ There *are* actually pediatric gynecologists. They typically handle things associated with development and health of the child & the reproductive system. Incidentally, one of the more telling signs of child abuse is an STD in a child (since children generally aren't sexually active). For things like child pregnancies - which occur far more often in the US than people talk about - pregnancies are managed by obgyns specialized in child and adolescent physiology.

edit: as you can imagine, male pediatric gynecologists are few and far between. Here's a link typically summarizing what pobgyns do:
http://www.obgyn.wustl.edu/Divisions/pediatric.html

I guess too much Law and Order:SVU has caused my incessant paranoia....Thanks Rafa for the link...I had never heard of this field. I guess we learn something new everyday...its still a little disturbing but hey if its backed by AMA who am I to judge

 

[Hrabbit]

I want to know why NSW is considered so special to study medicine?
IS anyone doing Medicine in NSW?
I would like to apply there.
Appreciate your response.
Thanks

 

[Mr. McDuck]

What's disturbing is the potential for doctors with less than moral intentions entering the field. But, that's a risk in peds urology or general peds as well. Kids need care too, even gynecological.

 

[mshollywoodmd]

What's disturbing is the potential for doctors with less than moral intentions entering the field. But, that's a risk in peds urology or general peds as well. Kids need care too, even gynecological.

I'm beginning to think you are stalking me. Maybe I should change my avatar to a restraining order stating you have to be at least 50 posts or more away from mine . After all you do hate me.

After reading the link, I realized that there obviously is a need for the field otherwise there probably would not be one. I am not so much disturbed by the people who specialize in this area than by the fact that it is an area in which to specialize. When I think kids, I think colds, immunizations, cuts, and bruises = general peds. As a female who has had the pleasure of experiencing gynecological exams (note the underlying sarcasm), I don't want to imagine my future daughter having to experience anything similar ,prior to her being mentally mature to handle such an exam. I hope that however if I ever have to take my future daughter to a pediatric gynecologist it will be a female (sorry guys, just my preference) with moral intentions (because women can be just as immoral as men but less statisical so)

 

[jackieMD2007]

i always answered with the specialty that I was intersted in, but ended by saying that I was open to experiencing everything. You want to look like you have been thinking about it, but not having made your decision already.

I agree with this. We should be thinking about it, but how can we be expected to make a reasonable decision without doing rotations?

 

[jackieMD2007]

^ There *are* actually pediatric gynecologists. They typically handle things associated with development and health of the child & the reproductive system. Incidentally, one of the more telling signs of child abuse is an STD in a child (since children generally aren't sexually active). For things like child pregnancies - which occur far more often in the US than people talk about - pregnancies are managed by obgyns specialized in child and adolescent physiology.

edit: as you can imagine, male pediatric gynecologists are few and far between. Here's a link typically summarizing what pobgyns do:
http://www.obgyn.wustl.edu/Divisions/pediatric.html

Wow, I could imagine the need for this sort of thing. I think it would take a really special kind of person (kind of like the same people who take on social work with abused children) to go into this specialty.

Whoever joked about this is incredibly insensitive, and it was not funny.

 

[mshollywoodmd]

Wow, I could imagine the need for this sort of thing. I think it would take a really special kind of person (kind of like the same people who take on social work with abused children) to go into this specialty.

Whoever joked about this is incredibly insensitive, and it was not funny.

Ditto

 

[Beau Geste]

I agree with this. We should be thinking about it, but how can we be expected to make a reasonable decision without doing rotations?

This is what I would expand on in med school interviews.

 

[LO281OK]

I just listed my interests going into medical school in alphabetical order...

Anesthesiology
Orthopaedic Surgery
Pathology
Radiology

and then before they could come back with a "why this" or "what about that"? I said, "and my personality profile said I would enjoy psychiatry." So they can see that I have thought seriously about it, but I am still open to experience. Be sure to be able to say why something is on your list... One guy drilled me as to why gas? I also told one interviewer DEFINITELY NOT OB/GYN!! He laughed.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

because women can be just as immoral as men but less statisical so

sexism works both ways I suppose

plz enlighten me with some evidence...

 

[diosa428]

I wouldn't bother mentioning what you're NOT interested in. Remember, during this process it's better to be positive rather than negative. Just mention a couple of specialties that you might be interested in and then say "but I'm not sure, I'll probably be able to make a better decision after my clinical rotations". It's better not to be gung-ho about one specific specialty and not interested in anything else, because then they will question you about what you will do if you end up not liking that specialty. I said something like "well, I'm a neuroscience major and am interested in neurology, but I also think that ob/gyn, internal medicine and infectious disease are really interesting".

 

[mshollywoodmd]

sexism works both ways I suppose

plz enlighten me with some evidence...

Women were 6.6% of the State prison inmates in 2001, up from 6% in 1995.
Sixty-four percent of prison inmates belonged to racial or ethnic minorities in 2001.
An estimated 57% of inmates were under age 35 in 2001.
About 4% of State prison inmates were not U.S. citizens at yearend 2001.
About 6% of State prison inmates were held in private facilities at yearend 2001.
Altogether, an estimated 57% of inmates had a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Among the State prison inmates in 2000:
-- nearly half were sentenced for a violent crime (49%)
-- a fifth were sentenced for a property crime (20%)
-- about a fifth were sentenced for a drug crime (21%

If women represented 6.6%, Who represents the remaining 93.4%? You guessed it.......Men

So either women are less immoral or better at not getting caught but with those percentages I vote for the former.

 

[Pewl]

I find that offensive....


the thing is, I want to actually go into rad onc. I'm a physics major so I l would like to see a connection between my undergraduate education and my medical career, and I'm attracted by the heavy research aspect of rad onc as well as the ability to work with a wide variety of other medical professionals. Yeah its a great lifestyle, but I feel that I would want to do it even if it weren't as lucrative as some other specialties.

Is there something wrong with that? Is a valid, reasonable explanation that has been well thought out for entering a "lifestyle" specialty going to hurt me? Or should I say I want to be an FP and hate my life as I refer all the interesting stuff to specialized colleagues? **** that, I want to enter medicine to fix big problems.

I have talked to med students and rad oncologists about this very issue, and they have all told me to tell interviewers about my interest in the field as it should be a positive attribute to my interest in entering medicine. After all, I'm not saying that I am sure I will go into that field, just that it seems potentially cool at this point in time.

... Dude, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. I told the OP to say "radiation oncology" followed by an awkward silence because I feel that RADIATION ONCOLOGY IS AN AWESOME FIELD and that no further explanation was necessary. All of my work in graduate school was in radiation oncology and I was the treatment planning physicist for ucla's veterinary radiation oncology. I did internal and external dosimetry with stereotactic radiosurgery machines such as the Novalis and Cyberknife, both LDR and HDR brachytherapy, tomotherapy, and I've hammered out over a hundred treatment plans for veterinary oncology. Just like you, I enjoy physics. I'm currently a licensed medical physicist so you'd better believe that I am familiar with the field and that I, too, think highly of it.

You need to calm the hell down. I really hope you don't get wound up this quickly in real life over an ambiguous comment that someone makes as a JOKE. =P

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Women were 6.6% of the State prison inmates in 2001, up from 6% in 1995.
Sixty-four percent of prison inmates belonged to racial or ethnic minorities in 2001.
An estimated 57% of inmates were under age 35 in 2001.
About 4% of State prison inmates were not U.S. citizens at yearend 2001.
About 6% of State prison inmates were held in private facilities at yearend 2001.
Altogether, an estimated 57% of inmates had a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Among the State prison inmates in 2000:
-- nearly half were sentenced for a violent crime (49%)
-- a fifth were sentenced for a property crime (20%)
-- about a fifth were sentenced for a drug crime (21%

If women represented 6.6%, Who represents the remaining 93.4%? You guessed it.......Men

So either women are less immoral or better at not getting caught but with those percentages I vote for the former.

...you're stepping into a mine field with a post like that.

Whatever statistics say, sexism does work both ways. That's not to say that one sex is or is not more immoral than the other.

Arguing either side is dangerous and pretty pointless.
-Dr. P.

 

[TauPathology]

Women were 6.6% of the State prison inmates in 2001, up from 6% in 1995.
Sixty-four percent of prison inmates belonged to racial or ethnic minorities in 2001.
An estimated 57% of inmates were under age 35 in 2001.
About 4% of State prison inmates were not U.S. citizens at yearend 2001.
About 6% of State prison inmates were held in private facilities at yearend 2001.
Altogether, an estimated 57% of inmates had a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Among the State prison inmates in 2000:
-- nearly half were sentenced for a violent crime (49%)
-- a fifth were sentenced for a property crime (20%)
-- about a fifth were sentenced for a drug crime (21%

If women represented 6.6%, Who represents the remaining 93.4%? You guessed it.......Men

So either women are less immoral or better at not getting caught but with those percentages I vote for the former.

Dr. P is right. Statistics cannot prove your point, and its probably not a point you should actively pursue. Being an immoral person is not a crime, and thus many immoral people are not sent to jail. Many of the people in jail are more moral than you think, and resort to crime out of desperation. Your crime statistic is misplaced and tactless.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

... Dude, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. I told the OP to say "radiation oncology" followed by an awkward silence because I feel that RADIATION ONCOLOGY IS AN AWESOME FIELD and that no further explanation was necessary. All of my work in graduate school was in radiation oncology and I was the treatment planning physicist for ucla's veterinary radiation oncology. I did internal and external dosimetry with stereotactic radiosurgery machines such as the Novalis and Cyberknife, both LDR and HDR brachytherapy, tomotherapy, and I've hammered out over a hundred treatment plans for veterinary oncology. Just like you, I enjoy physics. I'm currently a licensed medical physicist so you'd better believe that I am familiar with the field and that I, too, think highly of it.

You need to calm the hell down. I really hope you don't get wound up this quickly in real life over an ambiguous comment that someone makes as a JOKE. =P

sorry for the misinterpretation, I just interpreted it as if you made the comment like "I want to become a dermatologist" which would be followed by an awkward silence that would definitely be bad. If I knew your background I wouldnt have gotten so worked up, I just don't take the time to look at user's comment histories.

 

[braluk]

you should say i want to be a diagnostician. Also show the tatto of Dr. House MD that you put on your ass. thatll get em. They might even recommend to the adcom that ur a go getter

Glad i could help

 

[Rafa]

Dr. P is right. Statistics cannot prove your point, and its probably not a point you should actively pursue. Being an immoral person is not a crime, and thus many immoral people are not sent to jail. Many of the people in jail are more moral than you think, and resort to crime out of desperation. Your crime statistic is misplaced and tactless.

What Tau and P said. Hollywood, it might not be best to point to statistics in order to trout superiority over ~3 billion people, the overwhelming majority of whom you've never seen, heard, or spoken to. Situations like incarceration, poverty, wealth, and happiness have a lot more to do with the social strata one is born into than a person's propensity for (im)morality.

 

[Jwax]

I found it easier to say "well, I'm not sure what I area I plan to pursue... there are just so many I don't know enough about to make an informed decision. However, at this early stage I'm not particularly interested in ______" and list what you don't want to do. I didn't want peds, ortho, surgery, ophtho, GI, derm, or OB. I also stated that I might change my mind if I discover an absolute love for say, surgery, in my rotations, but at this time that's what my inclinations are against. Pretty much everything else was still on the table.

Generally this got pretty good reviews since I had a rather open mind about most areas of medicine.

I was informed that answering with "these are the areas I know I'm not interested in _____" is unwise... considering that there are generally MD's interviewing you, you might have an MD in that field. I've known forever that I am least interested in dermatology... and of course, a dermatologist was on my interviewing committee. It would have been bad to say I'm not into what he does for a living. I recommend an honest answer, that is positive. If you don't know for sure, give possibilities that you are considering, but follow with "I plan on waiting until I've gone through my rotations before I really settle on anything." My $0.02.