can't decide btw surg or anes

[ALTorGT]

hi all
can't decide whether i wanna do surg or anesthesia. Wanna be in the OR. Wanna do procedures. Like acute management and physio/pharm bent of anesthetics. Also like the idea of "fixing" a blockage or removing a "tumor" part of surgery. Have other been confronted with the same dilemma? What factors tilted you either way. Something that bothers me a little about anesthetics (and correct me if im wrong) is that it doesn't appear to be a field where exciting developments will take place in the next 2 decades as opposed to surgery - robotics, gene therapies, etc. etc.

any thoughts.
thanks.

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[MS3NavyFS2B]

hi all
can't decide whether i wanna do surg or anesthesia. Wanna be in the OR. Wanna do procedures. Like acute management and physio/pharm bent of anesthetics. Also like the idea of "fixing" a blockage or removing a "tumor" part of surgery. Have other been confronted with the same dilemma? What factors tilted you either way. Something that bothers me a little about anesthetics (and correct me if im wrong) is that it doesn't appear to be a field where exciting developments will take place in the next 2 decades as opposed to surgery - robotics, gene therapies, etc. etc.

any thoughts.
thanks.

I'm in exactly the same situation. I like the idea of fixing the problem rather than facilitating the fix. I don't like the surgeon mindset. I like thinking about medicine. I like procedures. I like feeling relaxed. I like cash. I like time off. I like to feel needed, and I like the prestige associated with surgery. I don't like being in the hospital all day and night. I like caring for one patient at a time.

I'm between interventional rads, anesthesia, and surgery. Ophthalomology, ENT, cards, and GI are also tempting for those reasons.

This is a really tough decision.

 

[vanelo]

I'm in exactly the same situation. I like the idea of fixing the problem rather than facilitating the fix. I don't like the surgeon mindset. I like thinking about medicine. I like procedures. I like feeling relaxed. I like cash. I like time off. I like to feel needed, and I like the prestige associated with surgery. I don't like being in the hospital all day and night. I like caring for one patient at a time.

I'm between interventional rads, anesthesia, and surgery. Ophthalomology, ENT, cards, and GI are also tempting for those reasons.

This is a really tough decision.

There are a couple of guys from my group that liked Int Med when we were in MEdicine, Surgery when we did surgery, Ped when.... you get the point.

Their final decision: Surgery.

 

[gasgodess]

hi all
can't decide whether i wanna do surg or anesthesia. Wanna be in the OR. Wanna do procedures. Like acute management and physio/pharm bent of anesthetics. Also like the idea of "fixing" a blockage or removing a "tumor" part of surgery. Have other been confronted with the same dilemma? What factors tilted you either way. Something that bothers me a little about anesthetics (and correct me if im wrong) is that it doesn't appear to be a field where exciting developments will take place in the next 2 decades as opposed to surgery - robotics, gene therapies, etc. etc.

any thoughts.
thanks.

Ultimately, no one can make this decision for you only you can. However, anesthesiology has some great things on the forefront in terms of technology, but it really all just comes down to what role do you want to play. Do you want to just be purely technical, highly skill based,(cut it out..sew it up) or do you want to be involved in what happens next ( he cut it, has sewn it up, the crap has hit the fan and everyone looks to you and says "Now what?!" ) or even better while he's doing his job something goes wrong at the same time . We all have a role, they are equally important, but you just need to find what's right for you. What I would suggest is doing electives early on in surgery and anesthesiology to see where you feel the most comfortable. Also, you'll get the most current info on what's coming out in terms of technology and probably the opportunity to be involved in cases where it is used. There is a time in late third year/early fourth year when it all just clicks into place and you finally just know where you are supposed to be.

 

[2ndyear]

Check out the Wired article for some cool stuff coming into anesthesia. Here's the link:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.02/pain.html

 

[MD Dreams]

I share the same dilema. However, I don't have a good answer for you because I'm just a second year student right now. However, I have always been in love with surgery and to think that I would deviate from my goal makes me sad. However, I don't know if a surgeons life style will make me happy. I guess I'll just have to wait until my rotations to figure it out. Good luck.

 

[Jeff05]

the only way to really decide in all your cases is to do rotations in both anes and surg. anes and surg are blatantly different in practice. one of the only things in common is the fact that both work in the OR for some part of their practice.

do rotations until you can decide. i would recommend 2 months of surg and one month of anes (aug-sept) you won't need to make the 'final' decision until mid october senior year.

I share the same dilema. However, I don't have a good answer for you because I'm just a second year student right now. However, I have always been in love with surgery and to think that I would deviate from my goal makes me sad. However, I don't know if a surgeons life style will make me happy. I guess I'll just have to wait until my rotations to figure it out. Good luck.

 

[Tenesma]

there are a lot of people who can't decide between surgery and anesthesia.... both are good options.

One thing that may be helpful - talk to the surgeons who switch into anesthesia - then talk to the anesthesiologists who switched into surgery... unfortunately, i don't know anybody who falls into the latter group

 

[ALTorGT]

btw im an intern
what about those whove done electives in all kindsa surgery and like it and electives in anaesthisia and liked it for different set of reasons too...how do u choose then

i narrowed it down using this logic..i like surgery for its emphasis on "fixing" a problem, and given that surgery is surgery and choosing one over another is difficult, look at other aspects of all specialities. lifestyle, call etc. and then choose a sub speciality with an outpatient rapid case turnover workload like urology or ent or plastics. stay away from neuro and Gs and ortho. And then anaesthesia comes along and messes up my thinking.

jeez.
decisions.....