Competitive Specialties

[peanutbutter45654]

Which specialties are considered the most competitive for residency? I am interested in peds. Is this considered competitive? I am fortunate to have several acceptances. Would it be wise to go to the most prestigious school I have been accepted to?

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[Chibucks15]

Which specialties are considered the most competitive for residency? I am interested in peds. Is this considered competitive? I am fortunate to have several acceptances. Would it be wise to go to the most prestigious school I have been accepted to?

the search bar is your friend. I'm sure you'll find out the questions you have faster than people answering. Peds isn't super competitive; it all comes down to what you value. Prestige v location etc

 

[Dral]

One of the least competitive

 

[Redpancreas]

Which specialties are considered the most competitive for residency? I am interested in peds. Is this considered competitive? I am fortunate to have several acceptances. Would it be wise to go to the most prestigious school I have been accepted to?

Google is is your friend if you want data but in general of the top of my head:

Most Competitive: Surgical Subspecialties (NSG, ENT, Ortho, Plastics, Urology, Vascular, Cardiothoracic), Dermatology, IR

Middle of the Road: Radiology, Psychiatry, Anesthesiology, General Surgery, Internal Medicine (academic), Emergency (for now), Peds (academic)

Less Competitive: Family Medicine, Pathology, PM&R, IM (anywhere), Peds (anywhere).

 

[Browns99]

Google is is your friend if you want data but in general of the top of my head:

Most Competitive: Surgical Subspecialties (NSG, ENT, Ortho, Plastics, Urology, Vascular, Cardiothoracic), Dermatology, IR

Middle of the Road: Radiology, Psychiatry, Anesthesiology, General Surgery, Internal Medicine (academic), Emergency (for now), Peds (academic)

Less Competitive: Family Medicine, Pathology, PM&R, IM (anywhere), Peds (anywhere).

Spot on and I would further say that, NSG, ENT and Plastics are probably the hyper-completive of the bunch.

 

[painballer27]

Agree with others' assessments of competitiveness of various specialties. With regards to your last question, it would be wise to go to the school you want to attend. I personally would factor in location and cost above prestige, but different people value different things.

 

[Ganon]

Which specialties are considered the most competitive for residency? I am interested in peds. Is this considered competitive? I am fortunate to have several acceptances. Would it be wise to go to the most prestigious school I have been accepted to?

For me it would have boiled down to specifics. If you're talking about paying a little more to attend a top 10 or 20 med school, then absolutely. If it's the difference between to middle-of-the-road places, I'd let the cost/location factor much much more.

I read on here a long time ago that if you get accepted to Harvard you attend Harvard, but the rest is various shades

 

[mrbreakfast]

And don't forget radiation oncology, which in 2020 was the overall least competitive specialty, with a 99.2% match rate and the only specialty to receive fewer applications than positions. How the times have changed.

Other than rad onc, pathology and FM are in a league of their own in terms of lack of competitiveness.

Spot on and I would further say that, NSG, ENT and Plastics are probably the hyper-completive of the bunch.

For now, it seems like urology is also part of that group.

 

[Dogruffle01]

For me it would have boiled down to specifics. If you're talking about paying a little more to attend a top 10 or 20 med school, then absolutely. If it's the difference between to middle-of-the-road places, I'd let the cost/location factor much much more.

I read on here a long time ago that if you get accepted to Harvard you attend Harvard, but the rest is various shades

What do you mean “ your accepted to Harvard attend Harvard “ like you’ll go to their residency? 100% of the time go to Harvard if you get in ?

 

[Browns99]

What do you mean “ your accepted to Harvard attend Harvard “ like you’ll go to their residency? 100% of the time go to Harvard if you get in ?

I think what he's saying is that, if you get into Harvard, go, because it will open many doors, including helping getting into a competitive residency.

 

[mrbreakfast]

What do you mean “ your accepted to Harvard attend Harvard “ like you’ll go to their residency? 100% of the time go to Harvard if you get in ?

Translation: there are some decisions to weigh between going to a "good" school and paying a lot vs an "OK" school with a scholarship, when factoring in location, other things, etc, but if you get accepted to an absolute top med school (including Harvard, plus a few others), all of that decision-making goes by the wayside. You go to that med school, period.

 

[peanutbutter45654]

And don't forget radiation oncology, which in 2020 was the overall least competitive specialty, with a 99.2% match rate and the only specialty to receive fewer applications than positions. How the times have changed.

Other than rad onc, pathology and FM are in a league of their own in terms of lack of competitiveness.


For now, it seems like urology is also part of that group.

Interesting, why do you think radiation oncology is so unpopular?

 

[Schwifty]

Interesting, why do you think radiation oncology is so unpopular?

No job market

 

[mrbreakfast]

Interesting, why do you think radiation oncology is so unpopular?

Because it requires a massive investment in equipment (guessing tens of millions of dollars) and staffing (dozen or more people) to treat a relatively small, set number of people per year in the united states; it's also a laid-back, non-technical job that people can do into their 70s. There are only so many jobs, and once those are full, you get a situation similar to what rad onc is experiencing right now, where residency graduates are finding that there's no open positions and won't be any time soon. Just a few years ago it was one of the most competitive specialties; now people are walking out in the middle of their residency programs for other specialties.

No one can predict the trends, but if you're looking into specialties as a medical student, it's useful to look into specialties where there is a massive, unfilled demand for a skill that only physicians trained in that specialty can provide.

 

[i-doctor]

The weakness of this whole system is that the “best and brightest” mostly become super-specialized…. when in fact the reality is (in my opinion) that the best and brightest are needed in the primary care fields. The breadth of knowledge needed for FM is huge. And I believe that general surgery is the hardest field in medicine, because it requires great knowledge of both surgery and medicine.
(I myself am a surgical sub-specialist. It’s not that hard. Way easier intellectually than general surgery).

 

[Browns99]

The weakness of this whole system is that the “best and brightest” mostly become super-specialized…. when in fact the reality is (in my opinion) that the best and brightest are needed in the primary care fields. The breadth of knowledge needed for FM is huge. And I believe that general surgery is the hardest field in medicine, because it requires great knowledge of both surgery and medicine.
(I myself am a surgical sub-specialist. It’s not that hard. Way easier intellectually than general surgery).

If you were so worried about primary care, what made you enter a sub-surgical speciality? And no, the system is not broken because the "best and brightest" want to become "super-specialized." Do you want a person that sits near the bottom of the class or as you have referred to yourself as a "slacker" in medical school, performing complex brain surgery, I think not, but hey, just my humble opinion?

I will agree with you that, we certainly need some of the best and brightest people entering primary care fields, which you do find, especially when they have a passion for primary care.

 

[i-doctor]

If you were so worried about primary care, what made you enter a sub-surgical speciality? And no, the system is not broken because the "best and brightest" want to become "super-specialized." Do you want a person that sits near the bottom of the class or as you have referred to yourself as a "slacker" in medical school, performing complex brain surgery, I think not, but hey, just my humble opinion?

I will agree with you that, we certainly need some of the best and brightest people entering primary care fields, which you do find, especially when they have a passion for primary care.

I went into the field I liked the most, in which I admit that both income and lifestyle were factors.
In regards to your neurosurgeon reference, I agree that people with good hands performing complex high-risk procedures need to be compensated properly. Higher than others. (However, an interesting fact that is only the very top students academically can match into neurosurgery. Being “good with one’s hands” isn’t really a criteria that is evaluated beforehand).

 

[LadyDustyBlue]

For me it would have boiled down to specifics. If you're talking about paying a little more to attend a top 10 or 20 med school, then absolutely. If it's the difference between to middle-of-the-road places, I'd let the cost/location factor much much more.

I read on here a long time ago that if you get accepted to Harvard you attend Harvard, but the rest is various shades

Yesterday, a professor of mine who went to Harvard actually told me of how other schools just didn’t compare to the aid she got from Harvard for grad school. So I still think this rings true, whatever your program.

People pick the top schools if the cost of attendance doesn’t impede on your everyday survival through your program & generally, people will sacrifice location to make sure they don’t accrue with more debt from education.

Which specialties are considered the most competitive for residency? I am interested in peds. Is this considered competitive? I am fortunate to have several acceptances. Would it be wise to go to the most prestigious school I have been accepted to?

Pick the best school that promises you the most love (be that financial aid, the most attention as in focused mentor/leadership, opportunities to thrive, etc.) & long-term success for your chosen field (which could mean proximity to friends/family) not necessarily the most prestige, OP.

You gotta know what you love about that school & only you can confirm what kind of stuff you value most.

Congrats on your acceptances!

 

[AlteredScale]

Which specialties are considered the most competitive for residency? I am interested in peds. Is this considered competitive? I am fortunate to have several acceptances. Would it be wise to go to the most prestigious school I have been accepted to?

Surgical subspecialties, dermatology. specific IM subspecialties (GI and cardiology), particularly within the T10-20 programs are equally as competitive as these surgical subspecialties and attract the very top of each medical school class.

Pediatrics is not that competitive but again the top programs such as CHOC, CHOP, Radys/UC San Diego, are competitive.

You should go to the school that has the resources and opportunities that you are interested in.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

Which specialties are considered the most competitive for residency? I am interested in peds. Is this considered competitive? I am fortunate to have several acceptances. Would it be wise to go to the most prestigious school I have been accepted to?

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Google is is your friend if you want data but in general of the top of my head:

Most Competitive: Surgical Subspecialties (NSG, ENT, Ortho, Plastics, Urology, Vascular, Cardiothoracic), Dermatology, IR

Middle of the Road: Radiology, Psychiatry, Anesthesiology, General Surgery, Internal Medicine (academic), Emergency (for now), Peds (academic)

Less Competitive: Family Medicine, Pathology, PM&R, IM (anywhere), Peds (anywhere).

What are the biggest differences (both day to day and post opportunities) between academic and non academic residencies?

 

[DOVinciRobot]

What are the biggest differences (both day to day and post opportunities) between academic and non academic residencies?

If you want an academic job an academic residency makes that easier, also a difference with research. If you want to join private practice it matters very little where you trained as long as you are competent.

As for day to day I can speak to general surgery: typically the big academic centers see the more rare, complex cases, think complex polytrauma, advanced vascular, complex surgical oncology, etc. Many community places do more bread and butter, (example, I know academic programs where the 5s can do whipples solo but would struggle with a lap Nissen, as well as community places where the 5s can do advanced MIS at an elite level but might have only seen 1 open gallbladder their entire residency and aren’t comfortable with big open surgery). Obviously not a hard and fast rule but a broad generalization.

Programs are just different, and what is the best program for you will depend greatly on what you want your career to look like.

 

[Doc mu]

If you want an academic job an academic residency makes that easier, also a difference with research. If you want to join private practice it matters very little where you trained as long as you are competent.

As for day to day I can speak to general surgery: typically the big academic centers see the more rare, complex cases, think complex polytrauma, advanced vascular, complex surgical oncology, etc. Many community places do more bread and butter, (example, I know academic programs where the 5s can do whipples solo but would struggle with a lap Nissen, as well as community places where the 5s can do advanced MIS at an elite level but might have only seen 1 open gallbladder their entire residency and aren’t comfortable with big open surgery). Obviously not a hard and fast rule but a broad generalization.

Programs are just different, and what is the best program for you will depend greatly on what you want your career to look like.

based on what you said if one wants a PP career, it would be wise to join a community program as you would not be doing complex/advanced cases in PP (as you would refer them to academic centers)

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

If you want an academic job an academic residency makes that easier, also a difference with research. If you want to join private practice it matters very little where you trained as long as you are competent.

As for day to day I can speak to general surgery: typically the big academic centers see the more rare, complex cases, think complex polytrauma, advanced vascular, complex surgical oncology, etc. Many community places do more bread and butter, (example, I know academic programs where the 5s can do whipples solo but would struggle with a lap Nissen, as well as community places where the 5s can do advanced MIS at an elite level but might have only seen 1 open gallbladder their entire residency and aren’t comfortable with big open surgery). Obviously not a hard and fast rule but a broad generalization.

Programs are just different, and what is the best program for you will depend greatly on what you want your career to look like.

Thank you!

 

[DOVinciRobot]

based on what you said if one wants a PP career, it would be wise to join a community program as you would not be doing complex/advanced cases in PP (as you would refer them to academic centers)

It’s not black and white like that.

 

[Dogruffle01]

Would you all say that for competitive specialties ( Derm particular ), it is easier to match if one is aiming for and applying to more small community programs rather than large famous academic institutions?

As a midwesterner who isn’t opposed to the Nebraska country life this is of great interest to me.

 

[i-doctor]

Would you all say that for competitive specialties ( Derm particular ), it is easier to match if one is aiming for and applying to more small community programs rather than large famous academic institutions?

As a midwesterner who isn’t opposed to the Nebraska country life this is of great interest to me.

Yes