Dying Fields in Medicine vs. Fields with a Future

[318038]

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Not sure how many med students will have experience with this topic but I thought I would post here anyway.

I know many of us here rumor after rumor, "Radiology will be outsourced to China/India", "Primary care is the future under Obamacare", and "People will always need general surgeons."

What sorts of things have you guys heard in regard to fields that are up and coming in comparison to those that are being phased out slowly? If you post, try to make it something you heard from a credible, preferably unbiased source. It may give some of us a good idea as to what fields may be good choices for the future. Thanks! 🙂

 

[PharmaTope]

Not sure how many med students will have experience with this topic but I thought I would post here anyway.

I know many of us here rumor after rumor, "Radiology will be outsourced to China/India", "Primary care is the future under Obamacare", and "People will always need general surgeons."

What sorts of things have you guys heard in regard to fields that are up and coming in comparison to those that are being phased out slowly? If you post, try to make it something you heard from a credible, preferably unbiased source. It may give some of us a good idea as to what fields may be good choices for the future. Thanks! 🙂

lol radiology outsourced to china???? wtf that will NEVER EVER EVER HAPPEN.

china doesnt regulate anything and that would put so many people in need.

if you are hands on in my opinion you are secure. you dont get paid for knowledge.

 

[318038]

lol radiology outsourced to china???? wtf that will NEVER EVER EVER HAPPEN.

china doesnt regulate anything and that would put so many people in need.

if you are hands on in my opinion you are secure. you dont get paid for knowledge.

China was a horrible example my bad!

 

[PharmaTope]

China was a horrible example my bad!

i dont know, i really wish we knew what the future is

 

[Mr hawkings]

lol radiology outsourced to china???? wtf that will NEVER EVER EVER HAPPEN.

china doesnt regulate anything and that would put so many people in need.

if you are hands on in my opinion you are secure. you dont get paid for knowledge.

Considering that one of my mentors does half her radiology consults on her iphone while we're in lab i can see that field being a more "work from home" specialty if not outsourced completely.

 

[thechad]

Considering that one of my mentors does half her radiology consults on her iphone while we're in lab i can see that field being a more "work from home" specialty if not outsourced completely.

Sure, as long as they pass all their Steps, do a residency in the US, and obtain a medical license in the US, I guess they can do it from India/China/wherever.

 

[pulmonary kid]

Not sure how many med students will have experience with this topic but I thought I would post here anyway.

I know many of us here rumor after rumor, "Radiology will be outsourced to China/India", "Primary care is the future under Obamacare", and "People will always need general surgeons."

What sorts of things have you guys heard in regard to fields that are up and coming in comparison to those that are being phased out slowly? If you post, try to make it something you heard from a credible, preferably unbiased source. It may give some of us a good idea as to what fields may be good choices for the future. Thanks! 🙂

I have a strong feeling sleep medicine is going to be huge in the future. So using that logic, I project both Neurology and Pulmonology should be strong in the coming years. Basically every pulmonologist I know is getting heavily into sleep.

Edit : my sources would be my experience with our hospital constantly losing docs who are opening sleep labs, and the huge number of sleep referrals I'm seeing lately.

 

[thedrjojo]

For surgery field, laparoscopic and robotics are very much in and will be hot for the future. They are making this one of the core competencies of residencies now, and the fellowships will remain hot.

Many predict a resurgence of CT surgery when all these stents begin to fail and the interventionalists can't do anything about them, but I don't believe that will be the case... instead, the newer hybrid fellowships where surgeons learn both IR and open procedures might become the only survival for CT surgeons... that and the streamlined residencies that are beginning to open up (same with Vascular Surgery).

Diagnostic Radiology is being outsourced to india, and no, I don't think the people reading the results are US trained/licensed physicians. Interventional Rads will remain and steal lucrative cases from Cards, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Vascular surgery.

Pain management is also another booming field.

 

[gluon999]

Considering that one of my mentors does half her radiology consults on her iphone while we're in lab i can see that field being a more "work from home" specialty if not outsourced completely.

Huh? Is she specifically making diagnoses based on images seen on an iphone? I don't believe it. Not only would it be illegal, it would be outright stupid.

As far as work from home, you have to read from a monitor that meets the standard criteria.

 

[gluon999]

Diagnostic Radiology is being outsourced to india, and no, I don't think the people reading the results are US trained/licensed physicians.

Proof?

Interventional Rads will remain and steal lucrative cases from Cards, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Vascular surgery.

Uh, WTF? It is the other way around and been that way since the 1970's. Guess who invented the cardiac cath? That's right, IR!


Sounds like you are just perpetuating rumors.

 

[DoctwoB]

Interventional Rads will remain and steal lucrative cases from Cards, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Vascular surgery.
.

This one is way off (though IR will remain). IRs problem has always been referrals, as they have 0 control over their referral base. PCPs refer directly to cardiologists and neurosurgeons (who refer to other interventional cards and endovascular neurosurgeons, instead of IR people), and IRs get cut out of the loop.

 

[bronx43]

There's a difference between a specialty having a safe future as far as the relevance of their work and how lucrative a certain specialty will become/remain. Something like radiology will always be in demand, because it's a staple in western medicine, but it most likely won't remain as lucrative as it currently is. Outsourcing radiology isn't a likely scenario, but the cost will be driven down domestically.

 

[thedrjojo]

Proof?

I was talking about Nighthawk... I wasn't necessarily stating that all of it was being outsourced

Uh, WTF? It is the other way around and been that way since the 1970's. Guess who invented the cardiac cath? That's right, IR!

I don't feel like getting into a turf war/pissing contest on the forum. IR and the "competing" fields have each created some of the techniques, have worked together on some of the techniques... The endovascular AAA was first authored by a Vascular Surgeon and second authored by an Interventional Radiologist. The cards/vascular/neuro people will argue that they are better suited due to continuity of care (preop, op, and post-op care vs IR primarily is in consult, does the procedure, and then the referring doctor does the followup) while the IR people will argue better technical skills due to more experience/familiarity. Just because someone invented something (which stole procedures from CT surgery, but did so at improved patient care so no fault being blamed here, just saying they did encroach upon another fields turf), does not mean they are best suited to do it, as explained above.

 

[Slack3r]

There's a difference between a specialty having a safe future as far as the relevance of their work and how lucrative a certain specialty will become/remain. Something like radiology will always be in demand, because it's a staple in western medicine, but it most likely won't remain as lucrative as it currently is. Outsourcing radiology isn't a likely scenario, but the cost will be driven down domestically.

Yea, medicine is interesting in the fact that an increase in demand for services actually drives DOWN the costs of those services.

 

[bronx43]

Yea, medicine is interesting in the fact that an increase in demand for services actually drives DOWN the costs of those services.

Yeah, all types of crazy things can happen when an industry doesn't follow free market principles.

 

[gluon999]

Diagnostic Radiology is being outsourced to india, and no, I don't think the people reading the results are US trained/licensed physicians.

I was talking about Nighthawk... I wasn't necessarily stating that all of it was being outsourced

There are two problems with what you said. Most of Nighthawk is based in Australia and Europe. The India experiment done by rads group at a prominent hospital on the east coast, was a failure.

Secondly, they ARE most definitely licensed to practiced in the US. Otherwise, it would be illegal for them to read the study. And the ones who try to game the system by 'ghosting' or otherwise can face decades in prison.

http://www.radrounds.com/profiles/blogs/radiologist-faces-20-years-in

 

[christina30]

There are two problems with what you said. Most of Nighthawk is based in Australia and Europe. The India experiment done by rads group at a prominent hospital on the east coast, was a failure.

Secondly, they ARE most definitely licensed to practiced in the US. Otherwise, it would be illegal for them to read the study. And the ones who try to game the system by 'ghosting' or otherwise can face decades in prison.

http://www.radrounds.com/profiles/blogs/radiologist-faces-20-years-in

i love talking to those Australians from Nighthawk! ...now continue with your discussion. 😀