Do people assume you are going into a specific field because of your appearance?

[AmoryBlaine]

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I snooze a lot and do puzzles: Gas
I have 0 attention span: EM

Can't decide.

How do you focus on the puzzles?

 

[Blesbok]

The same thing happened to me again today at a different hospital with a different attending.

 

[45408]

The same thing happened to me again today at a different hospital with a different attending.

Meat head.

Just start telling them psychiatry.

 

[MrBurns10]

Meat head.

Just start telling them psychiatry.

I have one classmate who got so sick of the "what specialty" question and the stereotyped assumptions that he started answering with an explanation of how he wants to do integrative medicine with a focus on Chinese herbal remedies and accupuncture.

 

[tkim]

 

[Blesbok]

Meat head.

Just start telling them psychiatry.

I usually tell them IR, cardiology, or ortho.

 

[JeffLebowski]

Sounds more like peds than OB.

Yeah, should be more like, "Feminist? OB"

There's something I don't trust about people who say they only want to treat one gender...and if you had to choose, why would you pick women?

I expect I'll get lots of angry female PMS from this post.

 

[alfonzarel]

i've seen that comic up there a dozen times, and it always makes me laugh.

clinking dubloons!

 

[strawberryfield]

Yeah, should be more like, "Feminist? OB"

There's something I don't trust about people who say they only want to treat one gender...and if you had to choose, why would you pick women?

I expect I'll get lots of angry female PMS from this post.

🙄 bleh...I was going to argue this but I just don't have the gumption 😉 if men were the ones having babies, why I'd pick to work with men then... there really isn't much choice in the matter.

 

[JeffLebowski]

🙄 bleh...I was going to argue this but I just don't have the gumption 😉 if men were the ones having babies, why I'd pick to work with men then... there really isn't much choice in the matter.

I can't imagine why someone would choose specifically to work with preggos, male or female.

Sorry, I'll can it. I realize this thread isn't a "let's rip on OB-GYN" session. But if one more person tells us they "get ortho all the time 'cause they're athletic" I'm going to throw myself into traffic. We get it.

 

[strawberryfield]

I can't imagine why someone would choose specifically to work with preggos, male or female.

Although I suspect the epidural would have to be at a higher setting for a baby to claw his way out of a dude's perineum.

I dunno...it's just cool...a baby is basically like a little alien sucking the life out of a woman and putting her body through the ringer in every way imaginable, yet somehow she accommodates all of that for the propagation of the species. crazy really.

also, personally I like the idea of being a big part of a joyful aspect of medicine...of course things go wrong, but for the most part, being preggo and having a baby is one of the only "good" reasons to be in the hospital.

and for the "feminist" aspect of it, to a lot of women, their bodies are confusing, and many, many women just don't understand their bodies...I like the idea of helping to shed some sort of light on what is unknown for a lot of women...just my $.02...I doubt I've swayed anyone to come to the "dark side" who wasn't there already!

I'm not completely sold on OB yet, BTW, that's just where I'm leaning. man I hope 3rd year will help enlighten me! 😳

 

[Blesbok]

I can't imagine why someone would choose specifically to work with preggos, male or female.

Sorry, I'll can it. I realize this thread isn't a "let's rip on OB-GYN" session. But if one more person tells us they "get ortho all the time 'cause they're athletic" I'm going to throw myself into traffic. We get it.

I get ortho all the time 'cause I'm athletic



Don't forget to get someone to film it and post it on here. :x:

 

[JeffLebowski]

I get ortho all the time 'cause I'm athletic



Don't forget to get someone to film it and post it on here. :x:

Knowing you'd pull some smart-alec malarkey, I did it prophylactically twenty minutes ago. Luckily I was just hit by a SmartCar and only sustained a bruise on my shin. Next time you might not be so lucky.

 

[Blesbok]

Knowing you'd pull some smart-alec malarkey, I did it prophylactically twenty minutes ago. Luckily I was just hit by a SmartCar and only sustained a bruise on my shin. Next time you might not be so lucky.

Did you get video of you totalling a smart car with your shin?

 

[JeffLebowski]

Did you get video of you totalling a smart car with your shin?

Yeah I got a video, but I thought it'd be in poor taste to post it. Some of the clowns never made it out of there before it exploded in a tiny plume of earth-friendly fire.

 

[ecca58]

For me, these two little kids were arguing that I was (a) a dentist (how on earth did they get that?) or (b) a nurse.

Then, at the ER, patients/EMTs/some doctors always assume that I would go into surgery, because I supposedly look like Dr. Yang from Grey's Anatomy. I don't think I look like her. I guess all Asians look the same, though.

 

[Long Dong]

My classmates thought I was going into pathology, and I am, after derm.

 

[Blesbok]

My classmates thought I was going into pathology, and I am, after derm.

Would have been funnier if you said urology?



Also, what does it feel like to be the epitome of the lazy, money hungry doctor?

 

[MrBurns10]

Also, what does it feel like to be the epitome of the lazy, money hungry doctor?

Sigh...you know, some people actually like dermatology and aren't just doing it for the money and hours. And not everyone thinks the 80 hour work week is a fun way to live.

As someone who wants to go into radiology, I get that comment more than I'd like and it can get pretty frustrating/annoying.

 

[Blesbok]

Sigh...you know, some people actually like dermatology and aren't just doing it for the money and hours. And not everyone thinks the 80 hour work week is a fun way to live.

As someone who wants to go into radiology, I get that comment more than I'd like and it can get pretty frustrating/annoying.

I am not talking about derm, but specifically derm path. AFAIK, derm path is the field with the most money per hour worked out of all of medicine.

 

[SoCuteMD]

Sigh...you know, some people actually like dermatology and aren't just doing it for the money and hours. And not everyone thinks the 80 hour work week is a fun way to live.

As someone who wants to go into radiology, I get that comment more than I'd like and it can get pretty frustrating/annoying.

I suggest you get used to it! Don't worry, all that $$$ will make you feel better!

 

[smq123]

Yeah, should be more like, "Feminist? OB"

There's something I don't trust about people who say they only want to treat one gender...and if you had to choose, why would you pick women?

I can't imagine why someone would choose specifically to work with preggos, male or female.

Sorry, I'll can it. I realize this thread isn't a "let's rip on OB-GYN" session.

* Good mix of clinic, hospital time, and OR time.

* Liked being in the OR, but didn't like any of the surgical subspecialties.

* Acute situations on L&D means that you have a chance to save an innocent new baby. Acute situations on trauma means that you have the chance to save a drug dealer who was shot by the police after assaulting an elderly lady....AND babysit him for every day of his 8 month hospital stay. (I really, really, really hated trauma.)

* Liked babies - but didn't really like peds that much.

 

[MrBurns10]

I suggest you get used to it! Don't worry, all that $$$ will make you feel better!

No! I refuse to get over it! Come here, Ben Franklin. That's it...ease the pain.

 

[SoCuteMD]

No! I refuse to get over it! Come here, Ben Franklin. That's it...ease the pain.

Actually I totally get the appeal of rads. I just laugh at the required "clinical correlation required" at the end of every radiology reading 😛

 

[MrBurns10]

Actually I totally get the appeal of rads. I just laugh at the required "clinical correlation required" at the end of every radiology reading 😛

Yes, that's called "put the lawsuit on someone else." Effective, if you ask me.

In truth, t's not "required" but I do laugh whenever I see it.

 

[Long Dong]

Also, what does it feel like to be the epitome of the lazy, money hungry doctor?

I am not talking about derm, but specifically derm path. AFAIK, derm path is the field with the most money per hour worked out of all of medicine.

I don't know I only made 39K last year as an intern working 80 hours a week most rotations averaging ~$9/hour. I'll let you know after I finish res and fellowship what it's like to pull 7 figures a year working 9-5 mon-fri.😀

Actually in med shool I didn't know dermpath paid so well. All I knew was that I liked path alot (have good visual skills), still wanted to see patients and do some minor procedures, so derm and then a path fellowship seemed like the obvious choice. My personal statement said something to this affect. Only after matching I started to read the path forums and read about how most of the path residents all wanted to do dermpath and all the mad cheese it makes. Even if dermpath reimbursements gets slashed I'd still do it cuz pounding threw patients in clinic can wear you down and breaking up clinic time with path slide reading 2-3 days a week would be my dream practice.

 

[humuhumu]

Last week students on the OB/GYN rotation gave 10-min presentations in front of classmates and the rotation director, a brilliant OB/GYN attending who said that students don't pick specialties, specialties pick students. After each presentation she gave her impression of which field the student belonged in. It was hilarious - reminded me of the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter. After my talk on treating fibroids with uterine artery embolization, she predicted that I would go into rad onc or interventional radiology. Interesting...is there a rad onc or IR stereotype?

 

[nka1985]

Apparently everyone else thinks so too. Every resident and attending I have worked with so far automatically assumes I am going into ortho.

which may be correct : o

Are you about 6 feet tall and strong looking? Because I've yet to meet a little tiny ortho doc. They all tower over me.

Whenever classmates hear that I'm thinking about surgery, they say something like, "Yeah, I can see you as a surgeon." I don't know why. I'm 5'2" girl, so I don't think I look like a stereotype...

Although my preceptor last year told me I would be good at family practice or oncology because he said I'm great at talking with patients...neither of which am I interested in.

 

[Long Dong]

. Interesting...is there a rad onc or IR stereotype?

Yeah it's called rich.

 

[Blesbok]

Are you about 6 feet tall and strong looking? Because I've yet to meet a little tiny ortho doc. They all tower over me.

Whenever classmates hear that I'm thinking about surgery, they say something like, "Yeah, I can see you as a surgeon." I don't know why. I'm 5'2" girl, so I don't think I look like a stereotype...

Although my preceptor last year told me I would be good at family practice or oncology because he said I'm great at talking with patients...neither of which am I interested in.

I am 6', but I feel just like you, because it feels like all the surgeons I ever talk to are always like 6'5" and they always run in packs so they always tower over me.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

. Interesting...is there a rad onc or IR stereotype?

I've never met a student who even knew rad onc existed (most people think it's a specialty of medical oncology...) so no idea.

Of the people who are "gung ho" IR I've met, they seem to be "surgery-lite" type personalities. Kind of a similar rough sense of humor and focus on getting stuff done, but they care more on money/lifestyle than being "the most important doctor in the hospital."

That being said, a Radiology PD tells me of those they admit who "Want to do IR" probably only a quarter end up doing it so, it's hard to say.

 

[Blesbok]

I've never met a student who even knew rad onc existed (most people think it's a specialty of medical oncology...) so no idea.

Of the people who are "gung ho" IR I've met, they seem to be "surgery-lite" type personalities. Kind of a similar rough sense of humor and focus on getting stuff done, but they care more on money/lifestyle than being "the most important doctor in the hospital."

That being said, a Radiology PD tells me of those they admit who "Want to do IR" probably only a quarter end up doing it so, it's hard to say.

I have heard the same thing about IR. Most people I have talked to say that a lot of people planning on doing IR realize the lifestyle of radiology and the lack of fellowship requirement and decide not to do IR. I have also heard that it is to the point that IR fellowships aren't nearly as competitive as many other field's fellowships. But this is just word of mouth.

 

[Law2Doc]

I have heard the same thing about IR. Most people I have talked to say that a lot of people planning on doing IR realize the lifestyle of radiology and the lack of fellowship requirement and decide not to do IR. I have also heard that it is to the point that IR fellowships aren't nearly as competitive as many other field's fellowships. But this is just word of mouth.

I think a lot of people get sidetracked and never do that fellowship. You have to start out with a prelim year and then a diagnostic radiology residency, and by then most people say scrw it, I'll just be a regular radiologist and earn a decent wage, and never push on. The folks who do push on tend to be folks who went down the rads path but realize they want more of a hands on procedural role. Or the "true believer" types who see the future of surgery as being through radiology, because they control the technology.

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

My now former career (as of last Friday!) involved working with babies and toddlers, so people assume I'm going into peds. Right now peds is the LAST thing I want to do. I was never sick so much in my life as when I worked around the kids. Ugh.

I also love the off-handed comments internet posters make on other boards (that don't even know me!) to the effect of "I can't believe someone let you in med school" or "I hope I never end up in your ER!".

 

[Jwax]

Funny, I got lots of "I can't believe they are going to let you become a doctor" 😳

I've gotten the comment "And you're going to be a doctor?" 😱 by quite a few people when I make a stupid comment, don't know the answer for something, admit that I am really grossed out by spit/snot, or have a "ditz" moment. Nothing irritates me more... yes, doctors don't always know the answer... and medical student frequently don't know the answer.

 

[DickyV]

I've never met a student who even knew rad onc existed (most people think it's a specialty of medical oncology...) so no idea.

One guy in my class has wanted to go into rad-onc from the beginning. That said, he had a Ph.D. in nuclear physics and had been a professor for many years before starting med school.

 

[nka1985]

I've gotten the comment "And you're going to be a doctor?" 😱 by quite a few people when I make a stupid comment, don't know the answer for something, admit that I am really grossed out by spit/snot, or have a "ditz" moment. Nothing irritates me more... yes, doctors don't always know the answer... and medical student frequently don't know the answer.

My favorite is when someone hears I'm in medical school...I nearly always get asked, "So, what, you're going to be a nurse?" Huh? Nurse? No thanks. I don't know if that's a gender stereotype or what.

 

[Blesbok]

I've gotten the comment "And you're going to be a doctor?" 😱 by quite a few people when I make a stupid comment, don't know the answer for something, admit that I am really grossed out by spit/snot, or have a "ditz" moment. Nothing irritates me more... yes, doctors don't always know the answer... and medical student frequently don't know the answer.

I am talking about from friends outside of med school though...

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

My favorite is when someone hears I'm in medical school...I nearly always get asked, "So, what, you're going to be a nurse?" Huh? Nurse? No thanks. I don't know if that's a gender stereotype or what.

It always confuses me how people derive nursing when you say you're going to MEDICAL school. I've heard this too!

 

[Long Dong]

My favorite is when someone hears I'm in medical school...I nearly always get asked, "So, what, you're going to be a nurse?" Huh? Nurse? No thanks. I don't know if that's a gender stereotype or what.

A few times I've meet girls at club and eventually what do you do eventually came into the conversation. I told them I'm a dermatolgy resident and they said "so you're an esthetician?" and if I could hook them up with facial.

 

[JeffLebowski]

A few times I've meet girls at club and eventually what do you do eventually came into the conversation. I told them I'm a dermatolgy resident and they said "so you're an esthetician?" and if I could hook them up with facial.

I hope you pounced on that like a wily leopard.

 

[indo]

While stereotypes don't always work, I can usually spot an orthopod from across the room. I've found that one to be pretty accurate so far.

They're the only surgeons who don't regret every minute of their career choice.

 

[Ashers]

They're the only surgeons who don't regret every minute of their career choice.

lol.

Anytime I'm on call, I keep getting asked if I want to switch yet. Basically the resident asks me anywhere between 0000 and 0200.

People never guess ortho for me without knowing me.

 

[BlondeDocteur]

I love medical stereotypes since, as the cliche goes, they're grounded in truth.

Surgery = quick, to-the-point, hard-driven personality, frequently in solo endurance sports or music (that's the endurance versus performance divide).
Ortho = muscular, tall, jocky guys who frequently play team sports and love man's man type things (cars, gizmos, chicks)
Urology = surgeons + softer personalities and introspection
Plastics = surgeons + utter perfectionists + gentle personalities + artistic impulses + venality
ENT = incredibly detail-obsessed, meticulous people who opt for 'surgery lite'
Pediatrics = women who are thwarted kindergarten teachers
Medicine = generalists who love learning, love variety, are deeply intellectually interested in the science behind medicine, are thorough and precise but not concise
Psychiatry = deep, introspective, empathetic, non-judgemental people whose interests outside medicine are usually things like classical epigraphy or opera or something very non-sporty and arcane. They generally majored in something besides science in undergrad and love psychiatry as a means to get back to that side of themselves.
Neurology = the armchair intellectual, as in the comic. Brilliant, impractical, cheerful people who are introspective, like problem-solving, enjoy patient relationships without worrying too much about treatment plans and the like.
OB/gyn = women who are harried, get-it-done-now types who are passionately devoted to women's health and other like causes. A duality exists: those who like babies are often ultra-girly. Those who like everything else are not.
Radiology = people not too concerned about appearance, "cold," detached, enjoy the intellectual thrill of diagnosis
Pathology = the nerd's nerd. Obsessed with science to a ludicrous degree. Went through most of first and second year frustrated because the topics were too 'surface.'
Dermatology = women who use medicine as a means of filling their closets with designer items.

And people absolutely pigeon-hole you by appearance.

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

I love medical stereotypes since, as the cliche goes, they're grounded in truth.

Surgery = quick, to-the-point, hard-driven personality, frequently in solo endurance sports or music (that's the endurance versus performance divide).
Ortho = muscular, tall, jocky guys who frequently play team sports and love man's man type things (cars, gizmos, chicks)
Urology = surgeons + softer personalities and introspection
Plastics = surgeons + utter perfectionists + gentle personalities + artistic impulses + venality
ENT = incredibly detail-obsessed, meticulous people who opt for 'surgery lite'
Pediatrics = women who are thwarted kindergarten teachers
Medicine = generalists who love learning, love variety, are deeply intellectually interested in the science behind medicine, are thorough and precise but not concise
Psychiatry = deep, introspective, empathetic, non-judgemental people whose interests outside medicine are usually things like classical epigraphy or opera or something very non-sporty and arcane. They generally majored in something besides science in undergrad and love psychiatry as a means to get back to that side of themselves.
Neurology = the armchair intellectual, as in the comic. Brilliant, impractical, cheerful people who are introspective, like problem-solving, enjoy patient relationships without worrying too much about treatment plans and the like.
OB/gyn = women who are harried, get-it-done-now types who are passionately devoted to women's health and other like causes. A duality exists: those who like babies are often ultra-girly. Those who like everything else are not.
Radiology = people not too concerned about appearance, "cold," detached, enjoy the intellectual thrill of diagnosis
Pathology = the nerd's nerd. Obsessed with science to a ludicrous degree. Went through most of first and second year frustrated because the topics were too 'surface.'
Dermatology = women who use medicine as a means of filling their closets with designer items.

And people absolutely pigeon-hole you by appearance.

I like this

 

[MrBurns10]

Radiology = people not too concerned about appearance, "cold," detached, enjoy the intellectual thrill of diagnosis

Actually, all of the radiologists I've met are super chill and nice, not "cold" in the least. As far as the not concerned about appearance comment, you know what they say...everyone's good-looking in the dark.

well, "they" meaning me

 

[indo]

radiology: people who measure their penises by # of random anatomical trivia questions answered correctly in a row + ability to make other radiologists answer incorrectly.

 

[muzi]

who can say never or ever... i'm not sure if just wishing to do something is enough for the target but i think first step must be strong believe... if u believe somehing u ll get force your on that side..after u won't hear other people what they put onto u. and what assume from u..

 

[Excelsius]

The ER doc and OBGYN comics were very funny. And that chart has some basic truth in it. I know people are saying "You don't know what specialty you'll pick until you're in med school," but some of us are really "mean" in certain ways (usually confidence is misinterpreted as hubris) and working with people won't work that well, ergo have to choose specialty with little people contact, like surgery.

People usually joke about me being a doctor because no one can understand my handwriting, including me (if the sample is old enough). I know how nurses hate the bad handwriting.

Have you guys noticed a trend with good looks and specialty? People are definitely biased when it comes to looks and if your residency interviewer has the same bias, then maybe they could create a selective filter based on looks.

Check this test - it is supposed to tell you what specialty you'll fit in after you answer 130 questions: http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/specialties/TestStructure.cfm

Another thing I wonder is the relationship between psychometrics (Myers-Briggs, Keirsey, etc) and specialty. I'm guessing surgery = introverted.

 

[smq123]

I know people are saying "You don't know what specialty you'll pick until you're in med school," but some of us are really "mean" in certain ways (usually confidence is misinterpreted as hubris) and working with people won't work that well, ergo have to choose specialty with little people contact, like surgery.

I'm guessing surgery = introverted.

That does not mesh with my experience at all.

In my experience, surgeons are often quite extroverted, and are often good story tellers with great senses of humor. Surgery is very much a "team sport," and your fellow surgeons will be your teammates. That means that you MUST be a good communicator, and keep each other updated frequently. An introvert actually might have trouble fitting in on a surgery service, for this reason.

I actually had some of my most meaningful patient encounters on surgery, by the way.

Radiology and Pathology have far less patient interaction than surgery does.

People usually joke about me being a doctor because no one can understand my handwriting, including me (if the sample is old enough). I know how nurses hate the bad handwriting.

It isn't just nurses.

It's other doctors and medical students. Particularly when you consult them.

Whenever I have to read a consult note that is sloppily written, I start cursing furiously under my breath. When you have shi**y handwriting, "kerlix" and "keflex" look VERY similar, but mean entirely different things. (And, sadly, sometimes the handwriting is so bad that you can't even guess based on context.) Bad handwriting is such a pain to deal with.