convince me of anesthesia

[giants318]

I was fully set applying to EM but didn't match (9 ranks). I happened to SOAP into an anesthesia program with a bunch of fellowships near me and am very happy/lucky i think. I know that critical care and airway management are similar in both. I have adhd and thought EM was perfect for me.
Please, I need some convincing that I will be able to handle anesthesia.
someone sell it to the adhd kid.

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[Southpaw]

I was fully set applying to EM but didn't match (9 ranks). I happened to SOAP into an anesthesia program with a bunch of fellowships near me and am very happy/lucky i think. I know that critical care and airway management are similar in both. I have adhd and thought EM was perfect for me.
Please, I need some convincing that I will be able to handle anesthesia.
someone sell it to the adhd kid.

Honestly, it really annoys me that people regularly switch into anesthesia from other fields or scramble into anesthesia. You'll get no convincing from me. If you've rotated with us and weren't convinced that it's for you, then do the field and yourself a favor and move on.

 

[giants318]

have some sympathy dude. I didn't bash the field at all. I didn't get into EM and thought it was similar in some aspects. What would you have me do? psychiatry? at least these are similar fields. I just wanted some help, not you telling me to move on. maybe you could have told me why you liked the field instead.

 

[naus]

Vs EM,
Don't work many midnight shifts.
Have some quiet time to get reading done.
Always have an updated HPI written by someone else.
Work with some of the better nurses and staff of the hospital, versus the dregs in the ED.
Don't deal with drunkards and their screaming family members.
Actually know how to intubate.
More career diversity after residency.

Vs surgery, don't wipe asses, don't preround at 4am, have minimal clinic, equal if not greater pay, much cushier residency, lunch breaks, relief duty, interesting crazy research. Most importantly, your 500th hernia repair becomes a lot less exciting than doing anesthesia for an ASA4 patient.

As someone in surgery, I'm damn envious of gas.

Regarding CRNAs, emergency physicians aren't exactly immune from APNs either. A monkey can perform protocol medicine and call out the orders.

 

[AnesThrow]

You get to work with some of the most down-to-earth physicians in medicine. From my experience, there's more ego in one cardiothoracic surgeon than a whole group of anesthesiologists (I'm sure there are outliers on both sides) So if you have an ego where you need to feel cherished and important all the time, this field may not be for you. Some patients will ask you if you can go get 'the doctor'.

Instead of having to consult every type of physician in the world (as in ER), you are the one being called to help on things such as difficult intubations. Both ER physicians and Anesthesiologists get ragged on by doctors in other fields so you might have been ready for that but be prepared to have everyone tell you that you're lucky that you get paid for buying stocks on an iPad.

The field is extremely interesting, progressive, and has awesome technology if you're into that kind of stuff. You have so many options after residency and can even see patients in a clinic if that's your forte (Pain medicine).

Women in labor think you are god's gift to earth. This really pisses the OB/GYNs off.

When you're old and tired (well, who knows what's going to happen to medicine in general in the future), you can find jobs where you can work a lot less and have weekends and holidays off.

There's a lot more that's amazing about this field.

 

[yappy]

Anesthesiologists are the Kings of medicine. EM physicians work with low brow patients and low brow EMT's and RN's... they'll worship you though.

Do you want to be a king or regarded as a deity by vagabonds?

 

[stillmed]

I am only a med student so I may just be way off, but I think many things you liked about ER you will also be able to find in anesthesia.

You like doing tons of procedures? Anesthesia got that.
You like a practice where you will have unstable patients that you need to stabilize? Anesthesia got that (CC)
You like a practice where you don't have to round and write lengthy notes on 35 patients q am? Anesthesia got that
You like a practice where you can minimize clinic time and annoying F/U no-shows? Anesthesia got that
You like a practice where drug-seekers scream for a Rx for 2,000 tablets of oxycodon (happened to me recently): Anesthesia got that (pain)


Lastly, the anesthetists and anesthesia residents I have met so far were usually among the most chill physicians in the hospital - there is something to be said for working with likable colleagues

Even though not matching into your number 1 specialty sucks, you managed to scramble into a really cool specialty, congrats. I have no doubt you will enjoy your career

 

[chessknt]

Fellowships will keep this field alive--if you want to AFK from life on ASA 1/2s then the field is going to disappoint you in the near future.

 

[IlDestriero]

Anesthesiologists are the Kings of medicine. EM physicians work with low brow patients and low brow EMT's and RN's... they'll worship you though.

Do you want to be a king or regarded as a deity by vagabonds?

While I would never want to work in the ED for many reasons, it's the surgeons who are the medicine royalty because they bring in the money. That's all anyone cares about. More now than ever. We're more like the king's trusted advisor. They need us, but they don't want to admit it, and they certainly view us as replaceable.

 

[Dwindlin]

Anesthesiologists are the Kings of medicine. EM physicians work with low brow patients and low brow EMT's and RN's... they'll worship you though.

Do you want to be a king or regarded as a deity by vagabonds?

Don't know about the nurses....but the proper term for us is "knuckle dragging."

 

[Idiopathic]

we take care of patients when EM docs cant?

i kid because i care.

 

[naus]

While I would never want to work in the ED for many reasons, it's the surgeons who are the medicine royalty because they bring in the money. That's all anyone cares about. More now than ever. We're more like the king's trusted advisor. They need us, but they don't want to admit it, and they certainly view us as replaceable.

Surgeons sure don't get treated like royalty by most hospitals. Ever see a general surgeon troll the EDs in the middle of the night or skimming through CTs on PACS to find a inflamed gallbladder for him to operate and pocket that $400 Medicare reimbursement? Not exactly royal.

Royalty is the hospital director with a BS in Business.

 

[IlDestriero]

No, I've never seen that.
Surgeons are the ones bringing patients to the OR. The OR is the financial engine that powers the hospital. That Medicaid gallbladder may only pay him $400 for the ~60 min it takes, but the hospital is getting >20 times that for the procedure and admission. They know what's up.
When we're all fighting for a bigger slice of the pie, the surgeons will be fine. They can also just go cut somewhere else.

 

[kazuma]

Surgeons sure don't get treated like royalty by most hospitals. Ever see a general surgeon troll the EDs in the middle of the night or skimming through CTs on PACS to find a inflamed gallbladder for him to operate and pocket that $400 Medicare reimbursement? Not exactly royal.

Royalty is the hospital director with a BS in Business.

Lol that reminds me of a vascular surgeon who used to troll the dialysis floor looking for potential fistula work. But that was because there were too many vasculars guys in a relatively small town.

 

[Sonny Crocket]

I had A LOT of ED docs tell me, when I was an intern, that they wish they would have done anesthesia.

 

[watercolor]

Er docs are not chained to the anesthesia machine for hours at a time watching the surgeon operate on a stable case without a bathroom break. How doyou like that for fun? That happens constantly in anesthesia. The excitement in anesthesia happens but its not excitement anymore, its my career can end if i dont save this patient. Anesthesiologists are not CHILL, they are judgemental and passive/aggressive as a lot. The surgeons have made us this way. There is way more deman now for ER docs and there pay is about the same. ER is three years and anesthesia is 4 and i think they want to make fellowship mandatory.. so 5 years. And who knows if there will be demand in the future.. Sort of like CT surgeons. The future is very bleak indeed for anesthesia..

 

[watercolor]

Anesthesiologists are the Kings of medicine. EM physicians work with low brow patients and low brow EMT's and RN's... they'll worship you though.

Do you want to be a king or regarded as a deity by vagabonds?

I love how you are a premed spouting off this non sense.

And there is no such thing as low brow patients. They are all patients, learn to respect them or you will never get anywhere.

 

[naus]

Er docs are not chained to the anesthesia machine for hours at a time watching the surgeon operate on a stable case without a bathroom break. How doyou like that for fun? That happens constantly in anesthesia. The excitement in anesthesia happens but its not excitement anymore, its my career can end if i dont save this patient. Anesthesiologists are not CHILL, they are judgemental and passive/aggressive as a lot. The surgeons have made us this way. There is way more deman now for ER docs and there pay is about the same. ER is three years and anesthesia is 4 and i think they want to make fellowship mandatory.. so 5 years. And who knows if there will be demand in the future.. Sort of like CT surgeons. The future is very bleak indeed for anesthesia..

That surgeon isn't exactly having a bathroom break either.

 

[CambieMD]

While I would never want to work in the ED for many reasons, it's the surgeons who are the medicine royalty because they bring in the money. That's all anyone cares about. More now than ever. We're more like the king's trusted advisor. They need us, but they don't want to admit it, and they certainly view us as replaceable.

This is exactly correct. Surgeons bring patients to the hospital. They can grow their practice and in doing so enrich their hospital. a strong IM group can contribute greatly to the financial well being of a hospital.Anesthesiologists are considered expendable.

I liked the first response to the op. Find a specialty that you love and work in that specialty.

Cambie

 

[Consigliere]

Er docs are not chained to the anesthesia machine for hours at a time watching the surgeon operate on a stable case without a bathroom break. How doyou like that for fun? That happens constantly in anesthesia. The excitement in anesthesia happens but its not excitement anymore, its my career can end if i dont save this patient. Anesthesiologists are not CHILL, they are judgemental and passive/aggressive as a lot. The surgeons have made us this way. There is way more deman now for ER docs and there pay is about the same. ER is three years and anesthesia is 4 and i think they want to make fellowship mandatory.. so 5 years. And who knows if there will be demand in the future.. Sort of like CT surgeons. The future is very bleak indeed for anesthesia..

Finally! Someone who knows what they're talking about.

 

[ProwlerturnGas]

Er docs are not chained to the anesthesia machine for hours at a time watching the surgeon operate on a stable case without a bathroom break. How doyou like that for fun? That happens constantly in anesthesia. The excitement in anesthesia happens but its not excitement anymore, its my career can end if i dont save this patient. Anesthesiologists are not CHILL, they are judgemental and passive/aggressive as a lot. The surgeons have made us this way. There is way more deman now for ER docs and there pay is about the same. ER is three years and anesthesia is 4 and i think they want to make fellowship mandatory.. so 5 years. And who knows if there will be demand in the future.. Sort of like CT surgeons. The future is very bleak indeed for anesthesia..

This has been my experience as well. Sorry to say.

 

[watercolor]

Fellowships will keep this field alive--if you want to AFK from life on ASA 1/2s then the field is going to disappoint you in the near future.

Another medical student who thinks he knows..

The fellowship monster is exactly what is destroying the field by fractionating it. I heard there is rumor of making peds fellowship two years. CMON are you serious. They make it sound like pedi cases are all over the place. They are not. Vast majority of them are tonsil and ear tubes on kids that have very little in the way of medical problems. A general anesthesiologist can do that after a 4 year residency. So dont spout off something you DONT KNOW. THere is a place for pedi trained docs but 2 years? CMON!!!!

My advice.... go into ER or hospital medicine or one of the surgical subspecialties so you can control how you practice.

 

[BLADEMDA]

Just a short while ago I would never have recommended ER over Anesthesia. How times are a changin. IMHO, ER has surpassed Anesthesia in terms of career stability and long term job prospects.

Maybe the med students who rank ER over Anesthesia in terms of competitiveness are smarter than some us give them credit for.

I agree a surgical subspecialty is a "better" choice in terms of income, career stability and control over one's hours compared to Anesthesia or ER.

 

[IlDestriero]

The reason some programs want to make the peds fellowship 2 years is so that they can incorporate significant dedicated research time to prepare for an academic career. Our CC fellowship is one year and most graduate with no research project at all. The peds critical care fellowship is 3 years, and if you don't complete a project started in the first year you probably won't graduate at all. Our specialty is very service driven and over values clinical duties.
Also, the goal of the fellowship is to train experts in complex pediatric anesthesia, not T&A and circumcision superstars.

 

[chessknt]

Another medical student who thinks he knows..

The fellowship monster is exactly what is destroying the field by fractionating it. I heard there is rumor of making peds fellowship two years. CMON are you serious. They make it sound like pedi cases are all over the place. They are not. Vast majority of them are tonsil and ear tubes on kids that have very little in the way of medical problems. A general anesthesiologist can do that after a 4 year residency. So dont spout off something you DONT KNOW. THere is a place for pedi trained docs but 2 years? CMON!!!!

My advice.... go into ER or hospital medicine or one of the surgical subspecialties so you can control how you practice.

Fellowships destroying the field eh? I thought adding specializing to your skillset was a good thing, I guess the anonymous poster who joined last month to spew doom/gloom knows better.

Also, hospitalists and ED docs are hospital employees, they are subject to the whims of their employer just as much as anesthesiologists are to surgeon schedules.

 

[lushmd]

This entire thread is presumptuous. Convince you? Enter the field if you want to, do something else otherwise. The fact that random opinions may sway your opinion in one direction or the other speaks volumes as to the strength of your conviction.

 

[BobBarker]

I'd like to convince you to take a bath with your toaster instead.

 

[pgg]

So, do you walk up to the fat girl at the party who just watched you get shot down by a bevy of hot chicks, and say "Hey, uh, I need you to convince me that I'll still respect myself in the morning if I let you come home with me."

I have adhd and thought EM was perfect for me.

You're a little deep into this medical career choice to be leaning on that pre-emptive excuse, aren't you?

Please, I need some convincing that I will be able to handle anesthesia.

In seriousness, you'll be fine. Right now you know about as much anesthesia as the guys who joined their school's Anesthesia Club as MS1s and are about to be your CA0 classmates.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Fellowships destroying the field eh? I thought adding specializing to your skillset was a good thing, I guess the anonymous poster who joined last month to spew doom/gloom knows better.

Also, hospitalists and ED docs are hospital employees, they are subject to the whims of their employer just as much as anesthesiologists are to surgeon schedules.

what exactly makes "adding specializing to your skillset" a good thing?

i'm not saying you're right or wrong, but you're a medical student with an opinion of something you have no experience.

i'd honestly like to know your thoughts. i'm currently a resident and i am at a cross-roads in terms of fellowship or not. i can see a fellowship being beneficial if you want to do a lot of something specific in your career, but otherwise, what makes it such a good thing that it ought to be done and be made a bigger part of anesthesia training?

if we start going on these fellowship binges, i can see it progressing into a field similar to radiology where one would HAVE to do a fellowship just to land a job. a general anesthesiologist out in the community is able to handle most types of cases. the push for a fellowship is fine for academic jobs, but i am not convinced it's needed out in the community except sleep and pain, possibly critical care if you can land a non-academic gig. do you really need to have a peds fellowship when a kid is in the OR? a cardiac fellowship just in case you have a CABG or AVR? etc.


so, turn this specialty into a 5-6 year training program before going out to practice? how is this a good thing?

You can control your schedule in EM and hospital medicine much more than anesthesia. EM/Hospitalist medicine is pure shift work. Hospitalist is even more ideal as you can work just days for 14 straight and then be off another 14. Or you can work nights, etc. EM is also shift work but it has its extremes and swings in shifts. Nonetheless, the hours are defined.

In anesthesia, it's not as defined. You may or may not be working 24 and post-call, you may or may not be in-house for calls, etc. depending on how the practice and group or employers have it set up. Also, our schedule is more or less tied to the surgeon's schedule. If a trauma comes in in the middle of the night, we must be available. Doesn't matter if it's hour 10 or hour 24.

 

[chessknt]

what exactly makes "adding specializing to your skillset" a good thing?

i'm not saying you're right or wrong, but you're a medical student with an opinion of something you have no experience.

i'd honestly like to know your thoughts. i'm currently a resident and i am at a cross-roads in terms of fellowship or not. i can see a fellowship being beneficial if you want to do a lot of something specific in your career, but otherwise, what makes it such a good thing that it ought to be done and be made a bigger part of anesthesia training?

I agree that some fellowship exposure should be added in to a normal anesthesia residency (primarily critical care medicine), but the reality is that anesthesiologists are going to be pushed out of the "regular cases" by more cost-efficient midlevels because it is politically OK and it saves money, so politicians have no risk in doing this. If you want to be able to command an MD level salary, you need to do something less midlevels feel comfortable doing, namely cards/peds cases. While you may feel comfortable enough to do these sans-fellowship, the extra exposure to the specific field is going to make you better at it in addition to fully developing special skills (TEE), which makes you both a better physician and a more attractive candidate.

Of course I am not ignoring the monetary gain by fellowship programs in perpetuating this, but if medicine teaches you anything it is that you have to play the game to win.

 

[Stellar Clouds]

I agree that some fellowship exposure should be added in to a normal anesthesia residency (primarily critical care medicine), but the reality is that anesthesiologists are going to be pushed out of the "regular cases" by more cost-efficient midlevels because it is politically OK and it saves money, so politicians have no risk in doing this. If you want to be able to command an MD level salary, you need to do something less midlevels feel comfortable doing, namely cards/peds cases. While you may feel comfortable enough to do these sans-fellowship, the extra exposure to the specific field is going to make you better at it in addition to fully developing special skills (TEE), which makes you both a better physician and a more attractive candidate.

Of course I am not ignoring the monetary gain by fellowship programs in perpetuating this, but if medicine teaches you anything it is that you have to play the game to win.

There are anesthesia programs that require residents to do more than the minimum 4 months of required critical care.

 

[Medalot]

So much pessimism from so many on this forum. That's a sure fire way to destroy an otherwise awesome specialty and discourage top medical students from considering Anesthesiology.

All I have to say is this: If you ask doctors of any other specialty if they could do it over again, what specialty would they go into, most often you will hear "Anesthesiology." (If not their own specialty). If a doctor of another specialty is to envy any other specialty, it's quite often Anesthesiology.

 

[chessknt]

There are anesthesia programs that require residents to do more than the minimum 4 months of required critical care.

Right, but in the real world you need to be board certified and there are no residencies I am aware of that allow for that within the standard 4 years. Plus I am not sure how it would even be received by an employer.

 

[Medalot]

Anesthesiology is way better than EM. =)

1. You're an expert, not a jack of all trades.
2. Higher income potential.
3. Master of your domain, nobody else in the hospital has clue what the heck you do or how you do it (similar to #1). (except, some CRNAs who think they know even more...hehe).
4. More diversity of care and settings (OR, IR, GI suites, ICU, wards w/ pain, OB/labor suites, clinic, PACU).
5. No nurse or pharmacy to block your actions...you administer the treatment directly. (Which also means no protective barrier also).
6. Sounds "smarter" than ER doc to the public (although a lot of people think ER docs are the same as Trauma Surgeons). .
7. In the end, the buck really stops with you. Although most of the time you may be taken for granted by many in the hospital, when you do speak up....EVERYONE listens! Surgeons, internists, nurses, techs all listen and do as told.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

There are anesthesia programs that require residents to do more than the minimum 4 months of required critical care.

and/or allow.

my program has us doing 2 months MICU as an intern, 2 months SICU as a CA-2. We can do up to 3 more months of ICU as a CA-3 (I could, example, do a month of NICU, month of PICU, month of CCU... or all 3 months of SICU, or whatever combination).

of course, with CCM it should be separate and if you want to do that you should do a real fellowship. same with pain. want to do only potentially sick hearts or kids? do a fellowship.


Unfortunately, the political climate is as such, but if we have to do a fellowship just to be able to clinically distinguish ourselves from CRNAs, then medical education as a whole needs a massive overhaul.

To keep on tacking on year or 2 year long-fellowships just to "distinguish" ourselves and "add credentials" to our resume, furthering us from attaining an actual salary is a disservice to us as a whole.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

So much pessimism from so many on this forum. That's a sure fire way to destroy an otherwise awesome specialty and discourage top medical students from considering Anesthesiology.

All I have to say is this: If you ask doctors of any other specialty if they could do it over again, what specialty would they go into, most often you will hear "Anesthesiology." (If not their own specialty). If a doctor of another specialty is to envy any other specialty, it's quite often Anesthesiology.

this has to do with the grass is always greener mentality, unless of course you're IM or possibly gen surg.

 

[BLADEMDA]

Anesthesiology is way better than EM. =)

1. You're an expert, not a jack of all trades.
2. Higher income potential.
3. Master of your domain, nobody else in the hospital has clue what the heck you do or how you do it (similar to #1). (except, some CRNAs who think they know even more...hehe).
4. More diversity of care and settings (OR, IR, GI suites, ICU, wards w/ pain, OB/labor suites, clinic, PACU).
5. No nurse or pharmacy to block your actions...you administer the treatment directly. (Which also means no protective barrier also).
6. Sounds "smarter" than ER doc to the public (although a lot of people think ER docs are the same as Trauma Surgeons). .
7. In the end, the buck really stops with you. Although most of the time you may be taken for granted by many in the hospital, when you do speak up....EVERYONE listens! Surgeons, internists, nurses, techs all listen and do as told.

ER is a much more difficult match than Anesthesiology. Maybe, med students are much more aware of the problems facing Anesthesiology in 5-7 years?

I do think ER is vastly over-rated by Medical Students in terms of income potential, job satisafaction and job market opportunities. But, the same argument holds true for some on SDN regarding Anesthesiology.

The botttom line is this: Do you need the Hospital or does the Hospital need you? A Specialty where the hospital must compete for your business is the one to pick.

 

[Medalot]

ER is a much more difficult match than Anesthesiology. Maybe, med students are much more aware of the problems facing Anesthesiology in 5-7 years?

I do think ER is vastly over-rated by Medical Students in terms of income potential, job satisafaction and job market opportunities. But, the same argument holds true for some on SDN regarding Anesthesiology.

The botttom line is this: Do you need the Hospital or does the Hospital need you? A Specialty where the hospital must compete for your business is the one to pick.

I repeat...see #32.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I repeat...see #32.

you just matched, right?

ah, to be bright eyed and bushy tailed.

 

[Medalot]

you just matched, right?

ah, to be bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Nope....assumptions...assumptions...how it has gotten us into so much trouble in the past...

 

[BLADEMDA]

Nope....assumptions...assumptions...how it has gotten us into so much trouble in the past...

Reality. It is happening throughout the nation. AMCs or Hospital employment. Yes, there are good privately controlled groups but that number is SHRINKING while hospital employed models or AMCs are increasing in number.

ER or Anesthesia and the end result is the same; you are still likely working for a hospital or AMC.

 

[DannyB]

ER is a much more difficult match than Anesthesiology. Maybe, med students are much more aware of the problems facing Anesthesiology in 5-7 years?

I do think ER is vastly over-rated by Medical Students in terms of income potential, job satisafaction and job market opportunities. But, the same argument holds true for some on SDN regarding Anesthesiology.

The botttom line is this: Do you need the Hospital or does the Hospital need you? A Specialty where the hospital must compete for your business is the one to pick.

ER is not a 'much more difficult match' than anesthesia. It might have less unfilled spots, but this is not a good way to assess competitiveness as I'm sure you understand. If you take a look at the numbers anesthesia has a higher step 1 score than ER

 

[BLADEMDA]

ER is not a 'much more difficult match' than anesthesia. It might have less unfilled spots, but this is not a good way to assess competitiveness as I'm sure you understand. If you take a look at the numbers anesthesia has a higher step 1 score than ER

From posts on SDN it appears more med students FAIL to match into ER than Anesthesia.
This seems to be the trend at the local Med Schools around me as well

I could be wrong but it appears that ER is a more Competitive match than Anesthesia these days in terms of landing a spot.

U.S. Seniors 81.9% for ER vs 69.7% for Anesthesia (2013 data)

 

[BLADEMDA]

Here is the data from 2013:

Plastic Surgery 95%
ENT 94.5%
Neurosurgery 93.1%
Ortho 91.8%


ER 81.9%
Anesthesia 69.7%


These percentages represent US Seniors matching to that specialty for 2013. The higher the number the more U.S Seniors landing a spot in that specialty vs the overall applicant pool. Assuming US Residencies prefer Us seniors (which they do) then those specialties with high percentages are the most competitive. Hence, ER is more competitive than Anesthesia in 2013.

 

[BobBarker]

I think anesthesia has a very strong history of being a DO friendly specialty. DO's aren't counted as US seniors. Also, the DO ER programs are much more numerous and thought to be higher quality than the DO anesthesia residencies, so you have a larger number of DOs aggressively perusing allopathic anesthesia residencies.

 

[txhorn]

My classmates had a much tougher time matching into their top choices in EM this year vs anesthesia.

 

[DannyB]

Here is the data from 2013:

Plastic Surgery 95%
ENT 94.5%
Neurosurgery 93.1%
Ortho 91.8%


ER 81.9%
Anesthesia 69.7%


These percentages represent US Seniors matching to that specialty for 2013. The higher the number the more U.S Seniors landing a spot in that specialty vs the overall applicant pool. Assuming US Residencies prefer Us seniors (which they do) then those specialties with high percentages are the most competitive. Hence, ER is more competitive than Anesthesia in 2013.

Since you have the data in front of you, what is the difference in step 1 scores? Then we can decide which is 'much more competitive'

 

[DannyB]

My classmates had a much tougher time matching into their top choices in EM this year vs anesthesia.

Sounds scientific

 

[BLADEMDA]

I think anesthesia has a very strong history of being a DO friendly specialty. DO's aren't counted as US seniors. Also, the DO ER programs are much more numerous and thought to be higher quality than the DO anesthesia residencies, so you have a larger number of DOs aggressively perusing allopathic anesthesia residencies.

http://www.nrmp.org/data/advancedatatables2013.pdf

There is the link. The data speaks for itself. ER is a more competitive match based on that data. Of course, you could argue the data is flawed due to the number of DO applicants. But, I think DOs matched into ER as well ( I looked at their data base).

Overall, the OP of this thread is just one more anecdotal story of an ER applicant being unable to match into ER but landing an Anesthesia spot.

Did you notice the 20% increase in Anesthesia Residency positions over the past few years? That is NOT a good thing for those looking to keep a high paying job.

 

[IGotGas]

Did you notice the 20% increase in Anesthesia Residency positions over the past few years? That is NOT a good thing for those looking to keep a high paying job.

EM has had a significant increase in residency positions over the past few years as well.