Do you know what you want to specialize in?

[SupernovaNights]

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I have a bit of a "Rare specialty" complex, it would seem...

In order of how I would prefer them...
Desired specialties
Hematology/Oncology
Neurosurgery
Neurology
Orthopedic Surgery
General Surgery
IM - Cardio

Emergency Med
Infectious Diseases

Neutral
IM - any other specialty
Radiation Oncology
PM&R
Psychiatry

Bad
Anesthesiology
Derm
Plastics
OB/GYN



​

 

[TheDuck]

Yeah, I forgot about Hematology/Oncology. I like the idea of that too.

 

[SupernovaNights]

Yeah, I forgot about Hematology/Oncology. I like the idea of that too.

Its definitely my dream specialty.

 

[el aye]

I thought I did, and then I realized how naive I was about it

 

[Chill Pill]

If you tell a medical school what specialty you want to get into, would that help or hurt you in regards to admission?

 

[Meatwad]

If you tell a medical school what specialty you want to get into, would that help or hurt you in regards to admission?

I don't think it could help at all, but I could see how it could make you look naive and therefore hurt. Truth is, until you've really experienced some specialties, you don't know what you really want. You could say you have some basic interests (neuroscience, emergency situations, etc.) that lend themselves to certain specialties (neurology, EM, etc.). But going into an interview saying "I want to be an X-specialtist," and trying to explain or defend this desire against people who know 10 times more about said specialty than you do could make you look very stupid. I wouldn't do it, personally.

 

[TheRealMD]

If you tell a medical school what specialty you want to get into, would that help or hurt you in regards to admission?

Unless you say "but I still want to keep an open mind to the issue", it hurts a LOT. In any case, I'd take a page from the political playbook and dance around the question without directly answering it, then in the last sentence say something reasonable.

This is where it helps to have shadowed in may different areas and interact with a variety of physician specialists. Also throw in a shameless plug and say that you hope for X medical school to give you an excellent opportunity during your clinical years to fully explore your options before settling on just one specialty. It's a nice way to deflect a "hard" question into praising their school. 👍

 

[blargh]

interventional cardiology

 

[phantomx87]

Just FYI, I've actually worked (you know....for pay?) in a NICU, not just followed someone around as padding for my application. Want to take bets on which of us knows more about this field?

that's rich

 

[EyeballLove]

Any reason in particular?

Too much paperwork and constantly battling with evil insurance companies😕

 

[EyeballLove]

I have a bit of a "Rare specialty" complex, it would seem...

In order of how I would prefer them...
Desired specialties
Hematology/Oncology
Neurosurgery
Neurology
Orthopedic Surgery
General Surgery
IM - Cardio

Emergency Med
Infectious Diseases​

Neutral
IM - any other specialty
Radiation Oncology
PM&R
Psychiatry​

Bad
Anesthesiology
Derm
Plastics
OB/GYN​

No ophthalmology😕 🙁

 

[EBI831]

yay for heme/onc, that's my dream specialty too!! who knew it was so popular...do you ever get tired of people asking you : (1) "are you sure you can handle so much death and reconcile the fact that you will not be saving your patients?" (2) what happens if they cure cancer (as if cancer is not heterogeneous and doesn't affect so many different organs and can just be eradicated with one simple formula), won't you be out of a job? . SIGH. i always want to pummel these people and ask them if dermatologists and gynecologists are out of a job since there's a cure for genital warts or whatever...geez as if just b/c there's a cure for cancer, the incidence of the disease will somehow cease and management/treatment won't be necessary...and then these people talk as if it's a bad thing if cancer did get cured...WOW. sorry for the rant

 

[maestro1625]

ok guys, so I'm a rising freshman starting this month at the University of Michigan - Flint, and I really see myself as a pediatric orthopaedic oncologist who does some cardiology on the side. I expect to get about a 38 or so on the MCAT. what kind of GPA do you think I'll need so I can get into Harvard so I can live out my dream?

 

[UCDavisdude]

gen surgery, maybe emergeny medicine. but who knows, cant really tell until clinical rotations kick in.

 

[souslepont]

This is pointless since we'll all probably change our minds, but here goes. As you can see, my problem is that I want to do almost everything:

Good
EM
General Surgery, with or without Trauma/CC Fellowship
Endocrinology
Pathology w/ forensics fellowship - it would be so cool to do autopsies!
ID
Immunology
Nephrology
Gastroenterology
Cardiology
Plastics
Neurosurgery
Radiology
Unspecialized IM
Anesthesiology

Bad
Psychiatry (I think most of psychiatry's a load of bs)
OB/Gyn (who wants to look at vajayjays all day?)
Geriatrics (I hate old people)
Pediatrics (I hate kids)
Opthalmology (who wants to look at eyes all day?)
Dermatology (who wants to look at rashes all day?)

DKM's short list
-EM or EM followed by a CCM fellowship

Where can you do EM and a CCM fellowship? Forgive my ignorance, but I thought you had be IM, Surgery or Anesthesia to do that.

 

[MNIkid87]

the way it looks right now would

Neurosurgery
Neurology
Radiology (focus on Neuroradiology)
Psychiatry


would be my top choices

 

[CBG23]

Plastics or general surgery

 

[funkydrmonkey]

Colorectal Surgery for me. 😀 And I am serious.

 

[capn jazz]

the good:
pediatrics/neonatology
neurology
heme/onc
cardiology
nephrology
EM
endo

the bad:
GI
family
OB/gyn
general surgery
psych

the ugly:
neurosurgery
geriatrics
anesthesiology
plastics
derm
radiology
ophthalmology

 

[da8s0859q]

the good:
pediatrics/neonatology
neurology
heme/onc
cardiology
nephrology
EM
endo

the bad:
GI
family
OB/gyn
general surgery
psych

the ugly:
neurosurgery
geriatrics
anesthesiology
plastics
derm
radiology
ophthalmology

pretty sure a lot of people would beg to differ. Different reasons, though.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

oncology all the way. here's to a life of gloom but hopefully i'll cure cancer....

Just not in Hawaii......

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Where can you do EM and a CCM fellowship? Forgive my ignorance, but I thought you had be IM, Surgery or Anesthesia to do that.

There are several, UPMC being the one that comes to mind off the top of my head. To be boarded via US standards (versus the European boards which are accepted at an ever increasing number of places as equivalent to the US boards) currently you have to do one of the traditional routes of IM, surg or gas although this is likely to change before any of us get out of medical school.

 

[salmanjafri]

Cardiology, hematology/oncology, endocrinology, immunology, radiology, and infectious disease are the most interesting fields to me now, but who knows what the future holds ...

 

[medguy83]

If you tell a medical school what specialty you want to get into, would that help or hurt you in regards to admission?

One school's secondary asked me what specialty I was considering. I decided to dance around it; gave a few suggestions such as internal medicine or general surgery, but left it kind of open ended in that I still approach my education with an open mind concerning specialties. I think if you say something like I want to be a cardiothoracic surgeon or neurosurgeon, adcoms will kind of get the picture you just want money, fame, and glory. For me it's:

1. Internal Med, or Gen. Surgery
2. Ophthalmology
3. Peds
4. Oncology
5. EM

Don't get me wrong, if you would die if you didn't become a heart surgeon or something then by all means do what you please. I just wouldn't be overly zealous in my secondaries or interviews. Another thing to consider is the stability of your specialty and the likelihood of lawsuits. Thanks to a few cases many OB/GYN's are having to suggest C-sections in order to cover all bases in likely cases of children with cerebral palsy. There are numerous other physicians who have to record depositions over the phone with patients. I know of a surgeon who had to quit his practice and go into engineering because of malpractice insurance hikes. Anesthesiology used to be the most competative residency to get into(still pretty tough); now thanks to CRNA's many med students are starting to shy away from the specialty. All in all, there is a lot to consider when approaching specialization; something that should really be more earnestly considered once you're in med school and exposed to different areas.

 

[mirakate]

Gen/Trauma surgery/surg onc for me.

Unless I end up sucktastic at rotations, then it's ped heme/onc.

Or both. I appear to have developed a habit of squishing random things together.

 

[da8s0859q]

... Unless I end up sucktastic at rotations, then it's ped heme/onc. ...

God bless you - I couldn't do it.

 

[AggieSean]

ok guys, so I'm a rising freshman starting this month at the University of Michigan - Flint, and I really see myself as a pediatric orthopaedic oncologist who does some cardiology on the side. I expect to get about a 38 or so on the MCAT. what kind of GPA do you think I'll need so I can get into Harvard so I can live out my dream?

I love it

Long live the "rising" freshmen/sophomores/whatevers 🙄

 

[mirakate]

I love it

Long live the "rising" freshmen/sophomores/whatevers

Call me pedantic, but technically, a first-term greenie is an entering freshman.

Entering= first term
Rising= second term

God bless you - I couldn't do it.

I like to think I'm brave.

 

[capn jazz]

pretty sure a lot of people would beg to differ. Different reasons, though.

I know, but I want more patient interaction (there goes rads and gas), I want to have a family (goodbye neurosurg), I don't want to spend the rest of my life treating eyes, and I think I'd feel like I wasted a medical education if I went into nose lifts and acne treatment.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

.....wasted a medical education if I went into nose lifts and acne treatment

Depends on how much money I would be making doing that.

 

[PT2MD]

1. Family Med
2. IM
3. IM/Peds
4. PM&R
5. Emergency Med

 

[Auron]

Definitely specializing, either Ophthalmology or Radiology. Interventional Cardiology is another top choice of mine.

 

[maestro1625]

Call me pedantic, but technically, a first-term greenie is an entering freshman.

Entering= first term
Rising= second term

I like to think I'm brave.

I actually saw the "rising" term used today in a news article 😱

 

[Meatwad]

I have a bit of a "Rare specialty" complex, it would seem...

In order of how I would prefer them...
Desired specialties
Hematology/Oncology
Neurosurgery
Neurology
Orthopedic Surgery
General Surgery
IM - Cardio

Emergency Med
Infectious Diseases​

Rare? How so? Every pre-med and their MCAT studybuddy wants one of those bolded specialties.

 

[Meatwad]

I actually saw the "rising" term used today in a news article 😱

Me too! I naively thought it was coined by self-important premeds.

 

[Sir Buckethead]

Yeah! I finally learned what "rising" means!

Orthopedic surgery is cool as all get out. 'course, I probably wont go into any surgery. Not so much because I "want to have a life" but because I really like sleeping.

Still it's cool.

 

[Tartheheel]

Anything BUT geriatrics, pediatrics, family practice, nephrology, OB/GYN, urology.

 

[8744]

Money should be the number one consideration or at least should be the deciding factor between specialties that you like well enough but are not absolutely crazy about.

On the other hand, if you are absolutely gaga over any specialty and are sure about it (because as familiarity breeds contempt, rotating in the specialty might change your mind) you should probably go in that direction. The problem is that medical training basically sucks hind titty almost independent of specialty and it is sometimes hard to separate the medical school and residency lifestyle from the actual practice of the specialty.

And you may find you don't actually like anything at all about medicine enough to get enthusiastic about it. It happens. I know a lot of residents who regret mightily their decision to go to medical school.

Over-repeated and never-heeded warning repeated for the 300,000th time on SDN: You have no idea what you are going to like three years from now. Mr. Gung Ho for orthopedic surgery may discover a love for primary care and happily match into Family Practice. The point is to not get so hung up on one specialty that you talk yourself into doing something you don't really want to do (like going to medical school, for instance).

 

[powerful_squib]

Intially I wanted to do neurosurgery, but I'm looking into orthopedics now...

 

[baby methuselah]

Want to take bets on which of us knows more about this field?

wow, i know this guy has been living on these forums for a long time and maybe can get away with crap like his avatar, etc.

but this is exactly the kind of doctor that i hope stays on those "nip/tuck" shows and i never have to deal with. come back with something smart, murphy, but confidence and arrogance are two different things.

 

[mirakate]

wow, i know this guy has been living on these forums for a long time and maybe can get away with crap like his avatar, etc.

but this is exactly the kind of doctor that i hope stays on those "nip/tuck" shows and i never have to deal with. come back with something smart, murphy, but confidence and arrogance are two different things.

And earned arrogance and unearned arrogance are two different things again. :cry: Why oh why am I so darned pedantic? It's totally ruining my rep.

Do you capitalize in real life?

 

[littlealex]

I don't know exactly what I want to do, but I know I want to be outside the realms of primary care.

 

[da8s0859q]

Do you capitalize in real life?

Oh my.

 

[mirakate]

Oh my.

I know, I know...🙁

Iz teh intarwebs, it r srs biznes but prpr spelin & gramer r not rekwired.

It just amuses me with all the
"omg I made a mistake in my grammar or my spelling and I am going to fail omg"-ness going around.

 

[TheRealMD]

Rare? How so? Every pre-med and their MCAT studybuddy wants one of those bolded specialties.

And with the number of people that actually wade through all the **** to get there, that's what makes it "rare".

It's not rare to want it, it's rare to get it. 😉

 

[Laurenb]

Neonatology- I love the babies 🙂

 

[Laurenb]

what year are you?
who did you contact about your nicu shadowing??
thanks

 

[maestro1625]

Me too! I naively thought it was coined by self-important premeds.

well most self important premeds end up as English majors by the time college is over...so your naive thought is probably still true.

 

[Daedalus]

I'm still debating between EM and some sort of Surgery (trauma or general, most likely)

 

[DropkickMurphy]

wow, i know this guy has been living on these forums for a long time and maybe can get away with crap like his avatar, etc.

but this is exactly the kind of doctor that i hope stays on those "nip/tuck" shows and i never have to deal with. come back with something smart, murphy, but confidence and arrogance are two different things.

I suppose your thread about how sex is the reason you aren't going to do well on the MCAT is the yardstick of intelligence when it comes to posting? 🙄

while working and studying for the past couple months, i've been under lots of stress and i've been a lot more... i don't know a word for it other than horny. so my wife and i have had sex almost every day for the past month and it still isn't getting old (for me anyways). however, i know some sources claim that sex causes lack of motivation and kills brain cells, etc. and i always hear these things about jacking off (along with dead kittens and hairy palms). so, in all seriousness, is it good or bad for concentration to have sex often?

SOURCE: http://drslounge.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=431661