Better lifestyle: Rads or anesthesia?

[IJL]

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Thoughts?

Seems like they both have pros and cons and seem to equal out, but I honestly don't know.

 

[cowme]

Typical Workweek:

Anesthesiologists run on surgeon hours. That means start your day around 6 AM. The day is very unpredictable. While some days can end by 2 PM, some days you may end at 6 PM.

Most radiologists still start at 8 AM (9 AM in academics), and end at 5 PM. It's a pretty regular schedule

Call:

Both need to cover hospitals at all hours, and both will need to be in house, and usually busy.

Right now, radiologists have it a little better with nighthawk systems in place, meaning most rads only take weekend day call occassionally, but this will probably end soon. Regardless, even when night call does happen, we will still have the option to take call from our homes

 

[shark2000]

It is not about hours. The type of work is way different.
I'd rather take a shift from 8pm to 8am and read 120 studies than do a 7am to 4 pm anesthesiology.
On the other hand, there are people who prefer the opposite. See whoch one fits you.

 

[gasblaster]

Anesthesiologists run on surgeon hours. That means start your day around 6 AM. The day is very unpredictable. While some days can end by 2 PM, some days you may end at 6 PM.

Anesthesiology is actually more shift work. Surgeons go until they finish their case, but an anesthesiolgist will have someone releave them if the case goes longer than their shift, whether it be in the middle of the case or not.

 

[loljkttyl]

Agree with shark2000. I'd rather take a shift from 8pm to 8am and read 120 studies than do a 7am to 4 pm anesthesiology.

It is not about hours. The type of work is way different.
I'd rather take a shift from 8pm to 8am and read 120 studies than do a 7am to 4 pm anesthesiology.
On the other hand, there are people who prefer the opposite. See whoch one fits you.

 

[Asp]

It's not about the hours. Work satisfaction is about achieving flow. When the task is challenging, but yet routine enough to be doable for hours on end. This is much more easily achieved in radiology.

Anesthesia and OB and primary care are similar - minimal intellectual component, a lot of waiting, and can be done 100% as well 95% of the time by non-MDs (CRNAs, midwives, PAs, NPs).

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

It's not about the hours. Work satisfaction is about achieving flow. When the task is challenging, but yet routine enough to be doable for hours on end. This is much more easily achieved in radiology.

Anesthesia and OB and primary care are similar - minimal intellectual component, a lot of waiting, and can be done 100% as well 95% of the time by non-MDs (CRNAs, midwives, PAs, NPs).

The rare resident who has completed anesthesia, OB, and FM residencies! I salute you!

 

[copes]

This thread is just asking for trouble.

 

[yesno]

Also interested in this. I know it would be harder to match radiology as a DO. And if I do match to a city that I do not like, that means 5years of terrible lifestyle? But then residency is about learning, so I could sacrifice that if it means better lifestyle afterwards. But it is very important for me to have a stable job. I do have an interest anesthesia but am cautious because I am not good with people. As ms2 I am trying to figure out some "intellectual" aspects of radiology. For example would you try to distinguish on ct scan between a liver abscess, a liver cell adenoma, hcc, and vasculitis and thromboses, using findings from your referral to help you narrow it down? Or if a lesion could be any one of them, you just list all of them as possibilities without making any diagnosis? In that case how would a good radiologist distinguish himself from someone who is unemployed? Is getting a nice job in radiology about who you know or about how much bookworm knowledge you have accumulated throughout medschool/residency?

 

[shark2000]

Also interested in this. I know it would be harder to match radiology as a DO. And if I do match to a city that I do not like, that means 5years of terrible lifestyle? But then residency is about learning, so I could sacrifice that if it means better lifestyle afterwards. But it is very important for me to have a stable job. I do have an interest anesthesia but am cautious because I am not good with people. As ms2 I am trying to figure out some "intellectual" aspects of radiology. For example would you try to distinguish on ct scan between a liver abscess, a liver cell adenoma, hcc, and vasculitis and thromboses, using findings from your referral to help you narrow it down? Or if a lesion could be any one of them, you just list all of them as possibilities without making any diagnosis? In that case how would a good radiologist distinguish himself from someone who is unemployed? Is getting a nice job in radiology about who you know or about how much bookworm knowledge you have accumulated throughout medschool/residency?

1- If you are not good with people avoid radiology. You have to interact with some of the smartest, yet arrogant people in the hospital, i.e. other doctors constantly. Your interactions should be mature, smart and favorable.
2- Despite all the ups and downs, if you are a little flexible, you will be able to have a stable job, no matter what specialty you do.
3- Intellectually, nothing in medicine beats radiology at all. Nothing is even close.
4- Those lesions you named can be diagnosed 90% of the time by CT or MR even without clinical history. Don't worry.
5- It is better to be lucky than to be good. Also nothing is even close to connections when ot comes to job hunt. Findind a job is 100% about whom you know, unless you are really horrible (not going to work, being less competent than a second year resident,...

 

[IJL]

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