choosing your specialty

[NemoFish]

Hello,

I'm a currently a third-year medical student, starting to wind down my clinical rotations. I'm getting kind of worried because I really have no idea about what specialty to choose. Nothing has struck me as attractive (I've done surgery, psychiatry, pediatrics, and family practice so far). Does anyone know of any good books to read or resources on this issue?

Thank you!

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[mountebank]

Iverson, "preparing for residency" I think that's the title.

I recommend making the distinction between Med/Surg and starting from there. if you like Med, but non internal then maybe a subspecialty...and the same goes for surgery.

do you like procedures? Surg/EM/Subspecialty surg/
do you not like patients? Path, Radiology

you get the point....make a list of what you like in medicine.

good luck.

 

[2ndyear]

The book 'Iserson's Getting into a Residency' has good advice and descriptions of specialties as well as how to choose. Be warned that data on competitiveness, job outlook, salaries, etc. changes very quickly so take it with a grain of salt and use these forums for the true story.

If you think broadly you'll come up with some things for yourself. Do you want to work in the hospital or office most of the time? Would you feel bad if you never set foot in the OR again? Do you like chronic health problems and promotion or do you need constant stimulation? Adults, kids, or all ages? It looks like you haven't done medicine yet? That's usually a pretty good starting point, are you more surgery or more medicine. It's OK if you're in the middle, lots of people are. Things like OB combine both pretty nicely. There are also so many cool specialties that you never are exposed to in 3rd year like ENT, ophtho, PM&R, path, urology, most of the medicine subspecialties, anesthesia. Choosing is tough. An idea to throw out there might be to post your experiences in each clerkship that you've done, what you liked and didn't and let other people give you ideas. It's worth a shot.

 

[Lonestar]

Dude,
don't hang around here. Follow other specialists in your free time. Best advice I can give. Trust me, first hand knowledge is the best.

 

[uclacrewdude]

read freeman, "choosing a specialty"

 

[Galaxian]

take iserson's with a grain of salt...that book has kind of a doomsday tone to it. "you have to know what you want to do by june of fourth year," or "you have to do your subI first to get letters of rec." IMHO, Iserson's is most helpful for the student who knows he/she wants to go into a competitive specialty (optho, ortho, rads, etc.), because it teaches you a little about playing the game (and I learned so much more that isn't in the book while I was on the interview trail). It's not gonna help if you don't know what you want to do, because for that experience and how well you know yourself are the best indicators. I used to freak out about not knowing what I wanted to do, and was really afraid to make a decision because I thought I would be stuck with it for life. But I've met more than enough people who have switched careers, or are double and triple boarded, that the thought that if I don't like something I can always change has become a comfort. Good luck with your choice, and you've got lots of time, its only february...

 

[ecf1975do]

I agree with the above poster. That isersons book is not very good. It is really more about the residency process and what you need to do (timeframes, ERAS, LOR's, etc with alot of meaningless graphs). check out the book:

The ultimate guide to choosing a medical specialty by Brian Freeman, MD.

It has chapters on all specialties written by current residents. very informative, includes their emails if you have any questions, current salary and match stats. It was helpful in me deciding to go the anesthesiology route...

 

[drsarah04]

I strongly agree with all the above advice. I'd also recommend Anita Taylor's book "How to Choose a Medical Specialty." It profiles the specialties really well, gives you some personality tests and written exercises to assess your interests in medicine, explains how to change specialties, etc. I was clueless going into 4th year, so I used this book as a guide, rotated in specialties I was interested in, and talked to every resident in every specialty I could find, and finally chose something. Definitely not an easy process (for me anyway, others are much more directed than I was.) Oh, I did not find Iserson's to be particularly helpful, though I know people who used it a lot. Good luck!

 

[drvlad2004]

Originally posted by drsarah04
I strongly agree with all the above advice. I'd also recommend Anita Taylor's book "How to Choose a Medical Specialty." It profiles the specialties really well, gives you some personality tests and written exercises to assess your interests in medicine, explains how to change specialties, etc. I was clueless going into 4th year, so I used this book as a guide, rotated in specialties I was interested in, and talked to every resident in every specialty I could find, and finally chose something. Definitely not an easy process (for me anyway, others are much more directed than I was.) Oh, I did not find Iserson's to be particularly helpful, though I know people who used it a lot. Good luck!

Speaking of Anita Taylor's book, here is an online medical specialty aptitude test from her book: http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/specialties/. Maybe this will give an idea of what specialty may be right for you. I also found myself uninterested in any of specialties during my 3rd year. You do have some time, early in the 4th year, to decide your career choice. Fields like PM&R, anesthesiology, rads, and any surgical subspecialties are very exciting fields to take a look at.

I also agree with the above poster about Iserson's. It's good for ERAS timeline and organizing LORs. I disagreed with their recommendation to schedule interviews towards January and February. It is not that easy to schedule some places at that time. It is not great at telling you which specialties may be right for you. Neither does most books. I think personal characteristics and specific interests are major factors in what specialty is right for you.

 

[ecf1975do]

regarding that book by anita taylor, having read it I have to honestly say that it is a worthless piece of ****. She has a masters in education. where does someone get off writing a book on choosing a medical specialty who never went to medical school??? definitely check out Dr. Freeman's book. It is a real eye-opener....

 

[uclacrewdude]

Originally posted by ecf1975do
regarding that book by anita taylor, having read it I have to honestly say that it is a worthless piece of ****. She has a masters in education. where does someone get off writing a book on choosing a medical specialty who never went to medical school??? definitely check out Dr. Freeman's book. It is a real eye-opener....

everyone, please take this posters advice with a grain of salt: he's the brother of dr. freeman.

 

[Goofyone]

I also HATED Anita Taylor's book with a passion. Her approach to picking a specialty is just way too simplistic.

You can sum up the whole thing in one sentence: everything is way to overcrowded to even consider except for family practice. Quite frankly the book disgusted me and made me sad by the time I finished reading it.

I didn't find the quiz very helpful either. They rely on a few key phrases that you're supposed to either identify with, or not. They are repeated over and over again, and some of them didn't even make sense to me. For example, it kept asking me whether I "look for possibilities." WTF is that supposed to mean?

[edit] By the way I am no relation to Dr. Freeman
But I will be checking his book out.

 

[MasterintuBater]

I like Mountebank's idea of starting with deciding med vs. suourgery. I also received some other great advice as well. Decide whether or not you like working IN the hospital. This can help steer you toward a more team oriented environment vs. a more stand-alone environment. Making this determination goes a long way in matching your specialty to your personality.

But...the BEST strategy is to hang around the specialties, like another poster said. Don't take 2nd hand information. The only way to really find out is to expose yourself to the field. However, I also recommend NOT making your decision based on one enjoyably rotation or that "really cool" attending whose life you want for your own. Also, IMHO, books are a terrible way to decide your future.

 

[supahfresh]

Who do you party (hang out) with?

 

[Mirror Form]

If you read The House of God, there's a really good chapter that at the end that goes over how to select a specialty.

 

[seattledoc]

I found an interesting website, usefull? Maybe, but take the answers with a grain of salt.
Get a high speed connection or you'll go nuts waiting.

http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/specialties/