Does IM give one the most flexibility?

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What can one go into if they choose IM? I hear it is flexible, how so?


Are there other specialties that have flexibility?

 

[surftheiop]

What can one go into if they choose IM? I hear it is flexible, how so?


Are there other specialties that have flexibility?

There are probably a couple reasons people say its flexible:

1) After doing IM you can further specialize into many fields like cardiology, GI, nephrology, oncology, allergy, endocrine, etc.

2) Even with just IM you can have many work environments such as "normal" inpatient, hospitalist inpatient, outpatient, some of both, etc.


Pediatrics is also really flexible b/c you can sub specialize into the kids versions of those things mentioned above.

 

[mmmcdowe]

What can one go into if they choose IM? I hear it is flexible, how so?


Are there other specialties that have flexibility?

I guess it depends on what you mean by flexibility. If you mean flexibility in terms of sub-specialties with very different scopes then, as metioned IM, pediatrics, and also general surgery have many options. Any time you subspecialize you are also likely focusing on some specific aspect of the field. It might not seem so at first in some specialties, but a spinal and vascular neurosurgeon are pretty much as far apart as an endocrinologist and a pulmonologist (perhaps not quite though seeing as they have a much longer overlap before fellowship). If you mean flexibility in terms of being able to pick and choose what you want to do in a given specialty, I think you will find that in many specialties. OB/GYN, for example, has docs who just focus on essentially the baby birthing aspects.

 

[Transmogrifier]

IM and Peds both have the largest scope of subspecialties.

Surgery also has quite a number (vascular, colorectal, cardiothoracic, surgical oncology, plastics, etc.)

So they're flexible in that if you're undecided on what you want to do, there are a lot of paths to take. I think most people have a good idea of what subspecialty they'll pursue by the time they choose a residency.

Pretty much every specialty has various subspecialties within it, but not as many as IM or Peds or Surg. Emergency Medicine has toxicology. ENT has neuro-otology. Anesthesia has pain and critical care. And the list goes on and on.

If you want career/time/practice flexibility, that's a whole 'nother story.

 

[tremulousNeedle]

http://www.aamc.org/students/cim/specialties.htm

Here is a link to one of the careers in medicine pages from aamc, it is a pretty exhaustive list of subspecialties after residency. It also includes salary and residency information.