Don't know what field I want to enter. Suggestions?

Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
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Poit

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I'll preface by stating that I'm an M3 that hasn't found any particular field in medicine super interesting (nothing has "clicked"). I want to help others and have a comfortable life doing so.

Step 1 = 233
Strong research experience (cardio)
Mid-tier US MD school
Average clinical grades

Preferences for my future field:

1) Doesn't need to be high pay
2) Fairly low stress
3) Comparatively good hours (both for residency and attending life) w/ option for part-time work.
4) Prefer working in a hospital over a clinic
5) Decent job market
 
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Stagg737 said:
Inpatient psych also fits if you don't mind the field, definitely fits all criteria other than maybe #4.
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#4 was one of the reasons that made choose IM over psych... It's usually a 'deal breaker' so to speak for most...

I think OP has to decide whether or not he/she likes the OR and go from there...
 
I'm in a similar situation to yours. Have you considered being a "hospitalist"? the 7/7 on/off schedule seems reasonable. You can always work more if you want by adding shifts, locums, etc.. If someone could elaborate on this lifestyle, that'd be great.
 
gxb said:
I'm in a similar situation to yours. Have you considered being a "hospitalist"? the 7/7 on/off schedule seems reasonable. You can always work more if you want by adding shifts, locums, etc.. If someone could elaborate on this lifestyle, that'd be great.
Click to expand...
Working 12 hour shifts 7 days in a row seems rough even if you then get a week off. Personally, the ED schedule seems more appealing, with three 12 hour shifts (or four 9 hour shifts) a week.
 
DubbiDoctor said:
Working 12 hour shifts 7 days in a row seems rough even if you then get a week off. Personally, the ED schedule seems more appealing, with three 12 hour shifts (or four 9 hour shifts) a week.
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ED is also always on kind of exhaustion and suffers from high burnout. Plus circadian issues with varying shifts is an issue. Also High stress.
07b317e6-3d65-4414-aa41-c648811caca8.jpg
 
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libertyyne said:
ED is also always on kind of exhaustion and suffers from high burnout. Plus circadian issues with varying shifts is an issue.
07b317e6-3d65-4414-aa41-c648811caca8.jpg
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I don't get why FM is so high though. Is it because of the social issues stuff they have to deal with? I did a 6 wks outpatient FM and I thought it wasn't a high stress specialty.
 
libertyyne said:
ED is also always on kind of exhaustion and suffers from high burnout. Plus circadian issues with varying shifts is an issue. Also High stress.
07b317e6-3d65-4414-aa41-c648811caca8.jpg
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EM isn't for everyone - you need to be able to thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. But I'm more concerned about the across-the-board increase in burnout rates. Now I'm not interested in treating skin pathology, but what is up with that increase in derm burnout?
 
W19 said:
I don't get why FM is so high though. Is it because of the social issues stuff they have to deal with? I did a 6 wks outpatient FM and I thought it wasn't a high stress specialty.
Click to expand...
Burnout may be more attributed general dissatisfaction - low pay, lack of perceived respect, up there with anesthesia as the specialty most vulnerable to midlevels - than stress due to the demanding, intense work.
 
W19 said:
I don't get why FM is so high though. Is it because of the social issues stuff they have to deal with? I did a 6 wks outpatient FM and I thought it wasn't a high stress specialty.
Click to expand...
quantity of patients to be seen? IDK.
 
DubbiDoctor said:
Burnout may be more attributed general dissatisfaction - low pay, lack of perceived respect, up there with anesthesia as the specialty most vulnerable to midlevels - than stress due to the demanding, intense work.
Click to expand...

Low pay compared to what! FM average salary is 230k/year for ~50 hrs/wk. They can easily make 300k if they want to work surgeon's hours. Lack of perceived respect! There is a dick-measuring contest in medicine b/t all specialties. FM is not the only specialty at the receiving end.
 
W19 said:
#4 was one of the reasons that made choose IM over psych... It's usually a 'deal breaker' so to speak for most...

I think OP has to decide whether or not he/she likes the OR and go from there...
Click to expand...

OP said they want low stress with good hours in residency and as an attending, that automatically rules out all surgical fields.

Lifestyle, low stress, and great job market fits psych to a T. PM&R also fits that but job market is a bit better for psych imo. If OP doesn't mind working in the field psych is a great choice.

PM&R checks all the boxes without a doubt though.
 
IMO EM is high stress, gotta catch the zebras in a short amount of time. quickly churn through patients. Plus got to deal with retail public.
 
W19 said:
Low pay compared to what! FM average salary is 230k/year for ~50 hrs/wk. They can easily make 300k if they want to work surgeon's hours. Lack of perceived respect! There is a dick-measuring contest in medicine b/t all specialties. FM is not the only specialty at the receiving end.
Click to expand...
Well obviously not low pay compared to food-services workers. Low pay compared to other physicians, who on average make around 330k a year. Many FPs do not feel good about making significantly less than their classmates .
 
DubbiDoctor said:
EM isn't for everyone - you need to be able to thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. But I'm more concerned about the across-the-board increase in burnout rates. Now I'm not interested in treating skin pathology, but what is up with that increase in derm burnout?
Click to expand...

Dermatologists see A LOT of patients. I knew one who saw 45-50 per day. That takes a toll.
 
What are your thoughts about opthal for my (OP's) situation? Feel like I may be a little late in the game for that...
 
W19 said:
I don't get why FM is so high though. Is it because of the social issues stuff they have to deal with? I did a 6 wks outpatient FM and I thought it wasn't a high stress specialty.
Click to expand...
I find clinical medicine to be draining. Emotional energy takes it's toll depending on how many patients you are seeing day in and day out.
 
Why isn't FM being recommended to OP? I thought that specialty was not as demanding as the more competitive ones.
 
libertyyne said:
see #4
Click to expand...

Well technically... FM docs do have hospitalist job openings in certain areas (more rural) nowadays. I was talking to a 4th year who just matched FM, and her father is a physician that also does consulting for job contracts on the side (has a law background as well).

He has been seeing contracts that outline full packages for FM inpatient and outpatient duties 1 hour out from cities of 400-500K people starting at $350K with call once-twice a month. Weekends are off as well.

That is RIDICULOUS for FM lol

I know that people crap on FM on here all the time but some of y'all are SLEEPING on FM and some of the opportunities it provides.

That may be a n=1 type of deal but FM can afford opportunities that some people overlook if ur willing to be flexible where you wanna live.
 
QueenJames said:
Well technically... FM docs do have hospitalist job openings in certain areas (more rural) nowadays. I was talking to a 4th year who just matched FM, and her father is a physician that also does consulting for job contracts on the side (has a law background as well).

He has been seeing contracts that outline full packages for FM inpatient and outpatient duties 1 hour out from cities of 400-500K people starting at $350K with call once-twice a month. Weekends are off as well.

That is RIDICULOUS for FM lol

I know that people crap on FM on here all the time but some of y'all are SLEEPING on FM and some of the opportunities it provides.

That may be a n=1 type of deal but FM can afford opportunities that some people overlook if ur willing to be flexible where you wanna live.
Click to expand...
In some communities FM docs work as hospitalists, FM docs also work as EM docs. I even know an FM doc who works as an OB with full operating privileges at a hospital. Exceptions are not the rule tho.

Especially when op could just go IM and accomplish that and not limit the areas where OP wants to work to rural communities.
 
Poit said:
I'll preface by stating that I'm an M3 that hasn't found any particular field in medicine super interesting (nothing has "clicked"). I want to help others and have a comfortable life doing so.

Step 1 = 233
Strong research experience (cardio)
Mid-tier US MD school
Average clinical grades

Preferences for my future field:

1) Doesn't need to be high pay
2) Fairly low stress
3) Comparatively good hours (both for residency and attending life) w/ option for part-time work.
4) Prefer working in a hospital over a clinic
5) Decent job market
Click to expand...

Do hospitalist work.
 
Stagg737 said:
Inpatient psych also fits if you don't mind the field, definitely fits all criteria other than maybe #4.
Click to expand...

Why would it not fit #4??? Inpatient psych can easily be in a hospital, as can CL psych, addiction psych, geri psych, etc.
 
Mona nucleosis said:
I'll attempt to give a fair review as someone that's rotated in the field and considering it for residency.

Pros of the field:
-lowest three board scores of any specialty, along with family med and psych
-easy to match
-decent hours
-msk/anatomy is the best

Cons
-low pay. Basically equals family med + 20k
-notes, notes, notes + a never ending stack of disability and insurance forms. I've yet to see a field with more paperwork.
-you're the intern twice. You do a prelim program, and when you start your advanced program, you're the intern doing all the notes/dispos/transfers again
-jobs are limited given how small the field is. Few inpatient rehab units that aren't already staffed. And in outpatient, Ortho always gets first referral. You feed on ortho's scraps
-forget working in/near LA, NYC, Boston, chicago if you want >200k
-some of the most depressing patients in medicine. Everyone has debilitating issues and many will never get better.

--
Personally,
I loveeeeee MSK. I would do Ortho if I had a 240+ since it's 3x the pay without the cons.

That said, I have a 230. So I'm pretty torn on balancing my interest in MSK vs the cons. EM and Anesthesia keep pulling me since they're as attainable residencies, same lifestyle, and 2x the income.

At the end of the day, despite my 12/10 love for pm&r's subject matter, the cons are enough to make me second guess it and start gearing up to dual apply to pm&r and anesthesia. I'm even considering applying to some token family med spots since the residency is shorter and the job market in urban areas is way hotter. Not to mention that family med can change their mind, do a 1 year sports med fellowship and take most of pm&r's outpatient pts.
Click to expand...

Thank you!
 
Mona nucleosis said:
I'll attempt to give a fair review as someone that's rotated in the field and considering it for residency.

Pros of the field:
-lowest three board scores of any specialty, along with family med and psych
-easy to match
-decent hours
-msk/anatomy is the best

Cons
-low pay. Basically equals family med + 20k
-notes, notes, notes + a never ending stack of disability and insurance forms. I've yet to see a field with more paperwork.
-you're the intern twice. You do a prelim program, and when you start your advanced program, you're the intern doing all the notes/dispos/transfers again
-jobs are limited given how small the field is. Few inpatient rehab units that aren't already staffed. And in outpatient, Ortho always gets first referral. You feed on ortho's scraps
-forget working in/near LA, NYC, Boston, chicago if you want >200k
-some of the most depressing patients in medicine. Everyone has debilitating issues and many will never get better.

--
Personally,
I loveeeeee MSK. I would do Ortho if I had a 240+ since it's 3x the pay without the cons.

That said, I have a 230. So I'm pretty torn on balancing my interest in MSK vs the cons. EM and Anesthesia keep pulling me since they're as attainable residencies, same lifestyle, and 2x the income.

At the end of the day, despite my 12/10 love for pm&r's subject matter, the cons are enough to make me second guess it and start gearing up to dual apply to pm&r and anesthesia.
I'm even considering applying to some token family med spots since the residency is shorter and the job market in urban areas is way hotter. Not to mention that family med can change their mind, do a 1 year sports med fellowship and take most of pm&r's outpatient pts.
Click to expand...
You don't seem to be all in for PM&R... If income is a big factor for you, you should apply anesthesia. You don't need any back up with 230... Gas docs are still commanding 350k-450k with 8-16 wks vacations.
 
Do pathology then consider a fellowship in forensics. I did 4 weeks of it and if you can stomach autopsies it's really interesting work and there's a big shortage right now. Plus from what I hear it's pretty easy to match into. Even if forensics isn't for you anatomic pathology itself has an amazing life. The residents do like 8 to 5 and their "call" involves just staying at home and not drinking.
 
Poit said:
I'll preface by stating that I'm an M3 that hasn't found any particular field in medicine super interesting (nothing has "clicked"). I want to help others and have a comfortable life doing so.

Step 1 = 233
Strong research experience (cardio)
Mid-tier US MD school
Average clinical grades

Preferences for my future field:

1) Doesn't need to be high pay
2) Fairly low stress
3) Comparatively good hours (both for residency and attending life) w/ option for part-time work.
4) Prefer working in a hospital over a clinic
5) Decent job market
Click to expand...
Surgery! Show off that anatomy training
 
hamstergang said:
How does inpatient psych not fit #4?
Click to expand...
Mass Effect said:
Why would it not fit #4??? Inpatient psych can easily be in a hospital, as can CL psych, addiction psych, geri psych, etc.
Click to expand...

Because many people do not see an inpatient psych unit as being similar to the med/surg floors or the rest of the hospital. I know quite a few people who absolutely love working in the hospital setting but couldn't stand the psych unit because it didn't feel like the rest of the hospital (which I think is more of a difference in the field/patient population, but relevant to OP's criteria imo).

I had forgotten about C&L for psych, so that would certainly fit all the criteria.
 
Stagg737 said:
Because many people do not see an inpatient psych unit as being similar to the med/surg floors or the rest of the hospital. I know quite a few people who absolutely love working in the hospital setting but couldn't stand the psych unit because it didn't feel like the rest of the hospital (which I think is more of a difference in the field/patient population, but relevant to OP's criteria imo)
Click to expand...

That depends on where you work and whether it's a voluntary or involuntary unit.
 
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