I have a question for anyone who is well into a general surgery residency, or any practicing surgeons who might be on here....If you had it to do all over again, would you still choose general surgery? I know that I want to do something surgical, and until just this month I was sure I wanted to do GS. Now I am rotating on some specialty surgeries, and all I keep hearing is about how horrible the lifestyle of a GS is....I guess I am just trying to figure out whether it is better to do what I like best and have no life, or do something I like a little less for a better lifestyle. Any input on whether or not you would choose differently would be much appreciated!!!
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Choosing a specialty
Started by butterfly0660
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For me, I know I'd always wish that I had gone into surgery. I knew I'd miss it and regret not taking the plunge, lifestyle and all. If you think about surgery while you're on other rotations, you should probably go for it.
Just my 3 cents.
Just my 3 cents.
Well take this with a grain of salt as my intern year starts in a couple of weeks so I don't know the pain of being an Intern yet.
However, I worked in fields and factories all my life, I had 12 years in at the factory when I quit to finish my education. I have had several jobs some great and some awful. I have lots of experience in the real world and have learned one very important thing.
ANY job is great if you love it, and NO job is easy if you hate it.
Did I have second thoughts about picking surgery? Sure I did, a man my age would be crazy if he didn't. I don't have the energy now I did when I was 25, but I honestly can't see myself being happy doing anything else, hard times and all.
However, I worked in fields and factories all my life, I had 12 years in at the factory when I quit to finish my education. I have had several jobs some great and some awful. I have lots of experience in the real world and have learned one very important thing.
ANY job is great if you love it, and NO job is easy if you hate it.
Did I have second thoughts about picking surgery? Sure I did, a man my age would be crazy if he didn't. I don't have the energy now I did when I was 25, but I honestly can't see myself being happy doing anything else, hard times and all.
B
Blade28
No regrets. I love what I do.
Go with what feels best and see how you like it. I saw a lot of people come and go in my program that were miserable as sugery residents and blossomed in the specialty they eventually settled in. I didn't love working long hard hours or missing my family. I did love surgery and all of the great training that came with it. I now use only a fraction of that training but I would not give up that experience for anything.
Don't worry too much. There are few choices you make at this point that are not reversable. Program directors and the like understand that some people dont choose the specialty of their dreams on the first pass. I see no shame in changing your mind if it doesn't work out. I think we are too perfecion oreinted sometimes.
Goog Luck!
Don't worry too much. There are few choices you make at this point that are not reversable. Program directors and the like understand that some people dont choose the specialty of their dreams on the first pass. I see no shame in changing your mind if it doesn't work out. I think we are too perfecion oreinted sometimes.
Goog Luck!
