Deciding on specialty ...

[bkpa2med]

As a soon to be MS2, I'd like to know if any MS3s, MS4s decided on a field to pursue based on a certain system they liked in the basic sciences.

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[Buckeye4life]

Here is a list that I think is helpful: straight out of The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty
anatomy --> surgery, radiology
histology --> pathology, dermatology
biochemistry --> internal medicine
neuroscience --> neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, pm&r
immunology --> pathology, infectious disease
physiology --> surgery, internal medicine, anesthesiology
behavioral science --> psychiatry
genetics --> pediatrics
molecular biology --> pathology
microbiology --> infectious disease
pathology --> pathology
pharmacology --> anesthesiology, internal medicine

 

[Old_Mil]

As a soon to be MS2, I'd like to know if any MS3s, MS4s decided on a field to pursue based on a certain system they liked in the basic sciences.

I think you'll find that a lot of speciality decisions get made not only based on what people like during all four years of medical school, but what they find to be completely intolerable once they get into their clinical rotations.

OB, for instance.

 

[box29]

I think you'll find that a lot of speciality decisions get made not only based on what people like during all four years of medical school, but what they find to be completely intolerable once they get into their clinical rotations.

Anything with incessant rounding...

OB, for instance.

...

 

[bkpa2med]

Here is a list that I think is helpful: straight out of The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty
anatomy --> surgery, radiology
histology --> pathology, dermatology
biochemistry --> internal medicine
neuroscience --> neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, pm&r
immunology --> pathology, infectious disease
physiology --> surgery, internal medicine, anesthesiology
behavioral science --> psychiatry
genetics --> pediatrics
molecular biology --> pathology
microbiology --> infectious disease
pathology --> pathology
pharmacology --> anesthesiology, internal medicine

Thanks dude! BTW, do you have a link to the online quiz that tells you what specialty your ideal for?

 

[Buckeye4life]

Thanks dude! BTW, do you have a link to the online quiz that tells you what specialty your ideal for?

I don't know if this is what you want, but . . .
http://www.aamc.org/students/cim/

 

[Lamborghini1315]

I understand the idea of choosing a specialty correlating with the subject of interest during medical school but i must add your interest is usually often formulated from outside experience and also the type of patient population you are more likely to be associated with in your practice. For instance, i know i am not interested in oncology because it would be really awful for me personally to treat patients that are terminally ill and i can't get myself to work knowing that i may not see someone i have treated ever again. It takes a unique personality for every speciality..i believe i will find satisfaction in a surgical field simply because i can see myself getting out of bed to operate on someone than go through H&P'S, trying to come up with differentials and coming up with treatment regimens. Surgeon's have a lot of pre-op and post-op care to keep up with but i find more confidence when you have a team of physicians (primary-care) that will help you with the accurate diagnosis and give you the responsibility of being in charge of the operating room. So yeaa my point is don't simply say i love pathology so i need to be a pathologist or an oncologist..everything translates to work environment, type of patients, and self-satisfaction that you attain from your job. I doubt i would want to go into dermatology despite of its lucrativeness because i would feel dissatisfied with my body of work..so get the idea? I will stop blabbering now..

 

[ArcherM2]

I loved and did very well in pathology and anatomy. Coincidentally, I will be going into general surgery - a perfect melding of the two. I found my solid knowledge of both path and anatomy helped a TON on surgery, so I would say knowing what you like/what you're good at during your first two years could have an impact on your career decision making.

 

[studentDO]

Thanks dude! BTW, do you have a link to the online quiz that tells you what specialty your ideal for?

This is what you are looking for:

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

I have taken this quiz at least 20 times and no matter how hard i am on myself it ALWAYS comes up with the same specialties at the top. It is kind of spooky. It tells me I should be a neurosurgeon but that sounds like a lot of work to me.

 

[Iquitos]

I think you'll find that a lot of speciality decisions get made not only based on what people like during all four years of medical school, but what they find to be completely intolerable once they get into their clinical rotations.

OB, for instance.

Or they base it upon what they hate the least. For instance, a friend of mine just matched into general surgery because he hated surgery the least, even though his 3rd year surgery rotations were the "worst months of his life." Whatever floats his boat.

 

[Lamborghini1315]

Or they base it upon what they hate the least. For instance, a friend of mine just matched into general surgery because he hated surgery the least, even though his 3rd year surgery rotations were the "worst months of his life." Whatever floats his boat.

Surgical rotations are generally not a good way to judge your interest in surgery. Think about it..what you get to do during your rotations? You will be standing for hours retracting the skin and its rare that you will get a chance to jump in to put in sutures. I mean you are there to get a feel for the environment but not truly grasp the surgical experience..which won't happen until your residency. My 2 cents.

 

[fabu1ous]

Or they base it upon what they hate the least. For instance, a friend of mine just matched into general surgery because he hated surgery the least, even though his 3rd year surgery rotations were the "worst months of his life." Whatever floats his boat.

Sooo not giving me much to look forward to...

 

[Lamborghini1315]

Sooo not giving me much to look forward to...

Don't worry on the flip side medicine is probably one of the best professions you could be part of..i can't imagine doing anything else. You will enjoy learning new stuff everyday and sort of get addicted to the idea of learning something new instead of repetition..i personally hate learning material i already know hehe