Debunking or verifying a myth...

[alwaysaangel]

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So I get tired of hearing premeds say things over and over again with no basis for what they're saying. Everyone says that 90% of people change what they want to go into between whent they start and end medical school - I just want to see how true that is.

So my question is...how many of you changed the specialty you wanted to go into between when you entered medical school and when you applied for residency? And how extreme was the change?

 

[Mumpu]

I recall reading a study that said 50% change their mind from the start of med school, and 50% of those change back to their original specialty. We'll see if the polls pan out.

 

[Hurricane]

I seriously entertained the thought of other specialties, but always came back to my original favorite (psych) although all of my runner-ups had something to do with brains.

 

[emtji]

went from emergency to radiology. best decision ever.

 

[DrMom]

Not only did I change my mind, but my 1st choice as an entering med student is essentially my absolute least favorite thing to do in medicine.

That said, I took advantage of various shadowing opportunities through specialty clubs during MS1 and found what I loved and stayed with after 1 semester.

 

[EctopicFetus]

Not only did I change my mind, but my 1st choice as an entering med student is essentially my absolute least favorite thing to do in medicine.

That said, I took advantage of various shadowing opportunities through specialty clubs during MS1 and found what I loved and stayed with after 1 semester.

Agree with above

 

[mamadoc]

Based on the wording of the choices, I should've voted for "changed only slightly," because I went into med school thinking IM, or maybe an IM subspecialty like heme-onc, and I ended up FM instead.

But honestly the change in my thinking was so profound that I had to vote for the "big change." So you can count my vote in whichever change column you want 😀 but FP is not at ALL what I originally envisioned myself doing, even though it's still primary care.

 

[deleted87716]

I started out thinking EM (based on my EMS experience), but ultimately decided on FM. I consider this a "slight change," compared to something like CT surgery to psychiatry (which is what one of my classmates did.)

 

[Tired]

I would imagine a fair number of people who radically change their intended specialty do so because their scores don't allow them to go into the competitive specialties. I know a number of people who come into med school all hot for Ortho, Neuro, Urology, etc. but then don't get high enough Step I scores to do it.

 

[IndyXRT]

I would imagine a fair number of people who radically change their intended specialty do so because their scores don't allow them to go into the competitive specialties. I know a number of people who come into med school all hot for Ortho, Neuro, Urology, etc. but then don't get high enough Step I scores to do it.

Some of that is certainly happening. However, I think the shift in specialty choice is largely because many people just don't know what their specialty of choice really involves before they get to medical school. Many, like me, had very limited experience in working in a hospital setting. Once you start to see what your day-to-day life will be like in a given specialty, it can significantly alter your specialty of choice.

 

[gutonc]

I did the switch/switch-back thing. Went in thinking IM/Onc, after my PhD, planned to do Path, gave serious consideration to Peds/Onc, quickly switched to a lifestyle specialty w/ patient contact (Derm) and then, back to IM/Onc.

 

[Sugar72]

I started thinking I wanted to do EM - you know lets face it shift work kind of rules. I am with Dr Mom.....it was my least favorite rotations and I basically abhored every minute I was there. I just finished up my ED rotation as an intern and it wasn't as bad as my med school rotation....but seriously my soul would die if I had to do that for the rest of my life.

So anesthesiology here I come!

PS
This comment is in no way an insult to people who love EM - different strokes for different folks I really liked all of the ED peeps I have worked with.

 

[EctopicFetus]

I would imagine a fair number of people who radically change their intended specialty do so because their scores don't allow them to go into the competitive specialties. I know a number of people who come into med school all hot for Ortho, Neuro, Urology, etc. but then don't get high enough Step I scores to do it.

Sometimes though it goes the other way, where people want to do IM then realize they could have a better life in a different field because they scored 275 on Step 1.

Lastly, I had a med school buddy who scored over 250 and was hot for ortho forever then decided he wanted EM.

 

[McDoctor]

I started med school wanting Psych, but eventually ended up in Family Medicine. I only consider this a slight change, since most of my patients are still crazy.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Started out wanting to do either an IM speciality (like Endocrine) or FP and ended up in Surgery. Farthest thing from my mind at the time.

 

[edinOH]

I started dead-set on EM, flirted with Surgery, anesthesia and (omg!...OB/GYN) and ultimately stayed with EM. I felt it important to try to talk myself out of EM so that I was sure I had given other fields proper consideration. I was ultimately unable to change my mind.

I had a classmate who came in as an ortho gunner who ultimately matched psych. Interesting choice. He had the scores for ortho if he wanted it.

You never know.

 

[8744]

I had no clue. In medical school I liked surgery but could see that the lifestyle was a deal-breaker. Hated medicine and pediatrics. liked OB a little. Was cool towards family medicine. I really liked Emergency Medicine so I was relieved to have something to aim for because until that time I really was beginning to think that medical school had been a waste of time.

 

[JackBauERfan]

I really wasn't sure what I wanted at first, that first year I didn't get in (they said because I didn't have enough medical experience, which was true since I didnt' even have volunteer experience and most people did stuff for dying kids in Africa!)

That year I got my EMT-Basic license, and started paramedic classes just in case I didnt' get in another year, I was planning on finishing up paramedic and applying for a third time! I really wanted to get in haha. But I got in on my second try and about 6 months before that had decided on EM since it had all the qualities I wanted in a job/career! So in retrospect I guess it was good I didn't get in that first time, but then again, maybe I would have found out I liked EM then too, you never know.

So I was EM all the way!