Best outlook for a specialty

[drmoon]

Can anyone tell me which specialty might have the greatest need in the future?? How about the most impacted?

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[jabroni108]

After taking a class on health care delivery in the US, I would have to argue that the greatest need in medicine in the future is going to be geriatrics. We (society) are completely unprepared for the aging of the baby boomers. For example, less than 5% of people have saved for retirement purposes. Average cost of a nursining home for one elderly person is about $34,000 a year. This is quite expensive (just like med school I guess, except they just hang out and do nothing). The health care situation (in the US) is a ticking time bomb. I dont know if geriatrics is a speciality yet, but I can foresee one; and why not, there is a specialty called pediatrics?

 

[BB]

I agree. I'm studying for my MPH right now, and through all my studies I've learned geriatrics is where the 'hot' spot of medicine will be.

 

[macman]

I agree-geriatrics will be huge...problem...kind of like school teachers and pediatricians pay is likely to be low. I would imagine most reinbursement (sp) will be federal ins. form this patient pop.-which means low bucks. Not that I personally need a high income...but how will this field attract the numbers it will need. Bush needs to get off his butt and start adding $, not cutting it. See <a href="http://www.aacom.org" target="_blank">www.aacom.org</a> for details

 

[Detroit Mick]

Agree... I believe the largest growing proportion of the US population in the 65+ group.

Michael

 

[jhug]

with geriatrics comes cardiology, oncology, ortho's-- things that elderly may need.

 

[Freeeedom!]

That may be what they are trying to sell, but the job actually "blows". Many/most work in nursing homes as medical directors etc etc...if you want to PROFIT off of the aging population, go into Joint replacement in orthopedics! Or perhaps cardiology...at a certain age, EVERYONE ends up with a cardiology consult, and after my cardiology rotation, I can tell it is BIG BUSINESS!

 

[intraining]

well since we are in the osteopathic forum I would say that primary care is what most DOs end up in.

 

[Dr JPH]

intraining

Absolutely.

In fact, the numbers put out by the osteopathic schools would say that as well.

Peds, IM, Family Med, OB/GYN are some of the most popular areas of medicine for DOs.

 

[PalCareGrl]

Actually, I was kind of wondering why the government and health care organizations don't recognize geriatrics as a general practice specialty like peds is? I wanted to apply for the NHSC scholarship, but since I want to go into geriatrics, I couldn't. How is psych more general that geriatrics? (Logically an argument could be made but...)

 

[Aloha Kid]

NHS probably wants to see immediate payback by limiting the number of training years. Of course Geriatrics is a valuable field, but aren't IM and Fam docs techinically qualified to handle geriatrics? Throw the burden on the GPs appears to be the answer.