Does anyone else think clinic is a drag?

[undecided3yr]

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Im a 4th year trying to decide on a residency and have noticed one thing:

I really find clinic boring and nonstimulating.

What specialties can I cut out as much clinic time as possible? Im interested in Neuro, ER and Surgery.

 

[Samoa]

You need to figure out exactly what it is about clinic that you dislike.

For example, I thought I hated clinic, but what I really hate are adults with agendas. So I'd rather poke my eye out with a sharp stick than deal with the combination of an adult clinic in a field I don't particularly like. But any kind of pediatric clinic, and any kind of clinic in the field I'm going into is actually kind of fun.

 

[flipflopsnsnow]

I agree with what Samoa said. You have to think hard about what it is about clinic you dont like.

I too thought I hated clinic, until I realized that what wasnt fun was i.e. seeing follow-up surgery patients like 5,000 days afterwards who were totally fine and I had nothing to really ask or check on and the doc had a blast chatting with them, because he knew the patient. After 2 weeks of that I wanted to poke me eyes out...
But I realized I did like the ONE time I had a return patient in peds and the kid remembered me, and this time he looked sick, I could tell since I had seen him healthy.

Good luck!

 

[Winged Scapula]

Still have clinic in Surgery and yes, it is not nearly as much fun as being in the OR - common complaint amongst surgery residents. Neuro has a lot of clinic.

ER has no clinic, so that might be best.

 

[erichaj]

Go into radiology or anesthesiology. No clinic there. Pathology, no people contact there.

 

[Doc Ivy]

Got to agree that you should think about what aspects of clinic you dislike--- I thought I hated clinic, but what I really disliked was primary care medication checks, "are you taking your lisinopril? Let's go over your pressures for the past month..." I know it's important, but to me it feels like babysitting.

I also didn't love seeing 16 sore throats in one morning followed by an afternoon of ear aches. Didn't love vascular clinic, again a lot of primary care type stuff going on there believe it or not.

But surg-onc and transplant which have a fair anount of clinic were awesome, I loved seeing post-op patients in the office, it's like you get a perspective of what surgery has really done to improve their lives. I also like clinic because it always feels better to meet a patient in pre-op who you've seen before in the office

 

[deleted50478]

Still have clinic in Surgery and yes, it is not nearly as much fun as being in the OR - common complaint amongst surgery residents. Neuro has a lot of clinic.

ER has no clinic, so that might be best.

I couldn't disagree more. ER is nothing but clinic with the occasional emergency thrown in.

 

[deleted87716]

ER is nothing but clinic with the occasional emergency thrown in.

Yeah, I kinda thought the same thing.

If you hate clinic so much, I'd suggest hospital medicine (hospitalist, critical care, etc.)

That being said, I think the biggest reason that medical students dislike office medicine is because they don't appreciate the ongoing relationships with patients that they'd have if it was their own practice. That makes all the difference in the world, IMO. Seeing somebody else's patient is a whole different experience from seeing one of my own.

 

[sepsis]

ER is like clinic on speed.

 

[JackBauERfan]

ER is like clinic on speed.

probably with some alcohol, cocaine, heroin, pcp, and some marijuana thrown in. Oh, and some caffeine.

 

[deleted87716]

probably with some alcohol, cocaine, heroin, pcp, and some marijuana thrown in. Oh, and some caffeine.

Are you talking about the patients, or the doctors? 😉

 

[deleted50478]

ER is like clinic on speed.

More like a clinic with speed-dial... to medicine and surgery to come down and actually care for the patients. Ouch!

 

[Winged Scapula]

I couldn't disagree more. ER is nothing but clinic with the occasional emergency thrown in.

I guess so - I was thinking of clinic more along the lines of "same patient, same complaints/problems, etc" but can see how ER would be one LOOOONG clinic with the occasional excitement or procedure thrown in.

Crow to be eaten for dinner tonight.😛

 

[Winged Scapula]

Yeah, I kinda thought the same thing.

If you hate clinic so much, I'd suggest hospital medicine (hospitalist, critical care, etc.)

That being said, I think the biggest reason that medical students dislike office medicine is because they don't appreciate the ongoing relationships with patients that they'd have if it was their own practice. That makes all the difference in the world, IMO. Seeing somebody else's patient is a whole different experience from seeing one of my own.

I liked clinic much more when I saw return patients - although I'm fairly comfortable meeting new people, its always more fun to have a relationship with someone, as you note.

 

[gagolden]

Try PCCM.. Mostly inpt stuff, intellectually stimulating. And you can do as much of/little of pulmonary clinic as you want

 

[ckyuen]

dont want any clinic do radiology or anesthesia. above poster is right er is just clinic most of the time with repeat offenders. or find a specialty with clinic that allows a lot of procedures, b/t endoscopy, irrigations, resections of lesions, lasers i do way more surgery in the clinic than in the OR. and I do a lot of cases in the OR. my busiest week has been 16 cases for three half days.

 

[TPS report]

Im a 4th year trying to decide on a residency and have noticed one thing:

I really find clinic boring and nonstimulating.

What specialties can I cut out as much clinic time as possible? Im interested in Neuro, ER and Surgery.

UMMMM, yes, clinic eats my soul, like jeffrey dahmer eats cute boys. My soul is moth eaten and threadbare and I owe it all to the magic of the clinica!

this is my crushed soul after a day of clinic: