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So for somebody who has struggled in med school academically, what are the easiest fields to be proficient in that require the least amount of memorization.
I think he was referring to easiest fields in terms of least competitive, least amount of knowledge required, etc.In general, it seems like the fields that may be easier in however you define it (better hours, narrower scope of work, etc), are usually those that require higher board scores, better grades, and published research to match into.
You don't get something for nothing in this world.
In general, it seems like the fields that may be easier in however you define it (better hours, narrower scope of work, etc), are usually those that require higher board scores, better grades, and published research to match into.
You don't get something for nothing in this world.
Awe come on guys - this will be fun! I'll start.
1. Dermatology - you can see exactly what the problem is. Plus treatment options include: 1) Topical steroids and 2) biopsy.
2. Somewhat surprising: Anesthesia. Its definitely easier to get into, especially compared with Derm. There aren't that many drugs to know but you do need to know when to use them. You have to be good at airways - that is not so much knowledge as it is skill. I think it requires a lot of skill but less knowledge.
I'm sure you didn't intend it but this question will result in insults against whatever specialty anyone throws up to meet your requirements. You'd probably do better to list what types of things you're looking for in a specialty and go from there.
I think i'm going to cut my losses, i quit....i think i'm going to find a job selling bananas in St. Maarten.
Somewhat surprising: Anesthesia. Its definitely easier to get into, especially compared with Derm. There aren't that many drugs to know but you do need to know when to use them. You have to be good at airways - that is not so much knowledge as it is skill. I think it requires a lot of skill but less knowledge.
I would love to see the type of response you would get if you posted this in the anesthesia forum
Let me rephrase my badly phrased original thread....
Of the fields the fields that are the easiest to get into....Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Neurology, PMR, OB-Gyn and IM....which would require me to memorize the least and achieve a 100k per yr salary working 40 hrs a wk. I'm thinking it would be Psychiatry. I think their job is an important one but requires less memorization than some of the other fields and a cusher lifestyle.
Let me rephrase my badly phrased original thread....
Of the fields the fields that are the easiest to get into....Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Neurology, PMR, OB-Gyn and IM....which would require me to memorize the least and achieve a 100k per yr salary working 40 hrs a wk. I'm thinking it would be Psychiatry. I think their job is an important one but requires less memorization than some of the other fields and a cusher lifestyle.
Somewhat surprising: Anesthesia. Its definitely easier to get into, especially compared with Derm. There aren't that many drugs to know but you do need to know when to use them. You have to be good at airways - that is not so much knowledge as it is skill. I think it requires a lot of skill but less knowledge.
I was perfectly comfortable with the SICU rounds run by anesthesia attendings;
Does this still exist? I never saw an anesthisiologist round on patients in a SICU. I always thought that this is now a legend.
Yale has an anesthesiologist and an emergency physician attending in its SICU.Does this still exist? I never saw an anesthisiologist round on patients in a SICU. I always thought that this is now a legend.
2. Somewhat surprising: Anesthesia. Its definitely easier to get into, especially compared with Derm. There aren't that many drugs to know but you do need to know when to use them. You have to be good at airways - that is not so much knowledge as it is skill. I think it requires a lot of skill but less knowledge.
Anesthesia isn't as simple as it seems judging by my anesthesia rotation during residency.Haha. I disagree on both counts...I'm not a derm resident or a dermatologist, but the derm residents i know got 250+ on their USMLEs and both said that the knowledge base that had to be mastered in residency was vast..
As far as anesthesia, I dont know how a medical student judges the anesthesia knowledge base, but it is intimiately related to critical care and complex. All fields of medicine have pretty deep knowledge bases. I wouldn choose a field based on what I thought was "simplest", because its very hard for a medical student to judge.
Go with what interests you.
Does this still exist? I never saw an anesthisiologist round on patients in a SICU. I always thought that this is now a legend.
Anesthesia isn't as simple as it seems judging by my anesthesia rotation during residency.
Yes, there are plenty of times that anesthesiologists sit around reading a magazine. However, when the crap hits the fan, the crap can really go flying. They have to think quickly when patients start crumping during surgery. I disagree with their limited amount of medicines they have to know. They have to know a lot of medicines actually, not only to give the medicines, but also to judge any interactions with what the patient will receive during surgery.
I disagree on both counts...I'm not a derm resident or a dermatologist, but the derm residents i know got 250+ on their USMLEs and both said that the knowledge base that had to be mastered in residency was vast..
As far as anesthesia, I dont know how a medical student judges the anesthesia knowledge base, but it is intimiately related to critical care and complex. All fields of medicine have pretty deep knowledge bases. I wouldn choose a field based on what I thought was "simplest". Go with your natural interests.
Does this still exist? I never saw an anesthisiologist round on patients in a SICU. I always thought that this is now a legend.
Oh I'm sure they'll be here in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
Does this still exist? I never saw an anesthisiologist round on patients in a SICU. I always thought that this is now a legend.
I stick by my Dermatology opinion.
One of the things I really enjoyed about my anesthesia rotation (it was a month long) was the focus on physiology. I just didn't feel like there was a ton of memorization (once you got passed the drugs). It was more understanding physiology and making appropriate decisions based on what is happening. I was close to going into anesthesia. I'm actually going into a field that gets ridiculed constantly for a variety of reasons.
psychiatry
The easiest specialty is the one you enjoy the most.
Seriously, you won't be able to motivate yourself to do the hard work in residency if you don't love what you are doing. 40 hours per week doing something you don't like will feel 100. And yes, even 40 hours per week as a resident in (insert your idea of easy residency here) can be hard work.
Speaking of academic performance . . . I'm curious where you are in medical school. If you're stuggling through the pre-clincal years then I wouldn't worry about it. Your grades in the 3rd year are much more important and are based on an entirely different skill set.
Find what you enjoy. Otherwise you will be miserable.
I would not say anesthesia. There is a lot of cush work in anesthesiology but it can get really hairy, really fast.
I will give my 2 cents here about "easier" specialties:
Competitive: Derm, Rad Onc
Non-Competitive: Allergy/Immunology, Endocrinology, Occupational Medicine, PM&R, Psych
Hmmm, are we trying to be PC? Well, you can say that about almost ANY medical specialty.....even Psychiatry!
Sorry Anesthesiologists. I may have my own (mostly negative) personal views about general anesthesiology as a field, BUT as a fellow MD, I will fight with you till the end against those CRNAs.
Allergy fellowships are actually quite competitive. And both allergy and endocrine are fellowships requiring "non-easy" residencies first.
Though I stand by saying that none of them are easy. Just the ones you personally like will be easier for you.
There are MANY specialties where it would be rather rare to non-existent to have someone die whilst under your direct care. This happens in anesthesiology.
Interesting, what are some of those "many" specialties?
Even Pathologists (were most of their patients are dead anyway) can "have someone die whilst under their direct care". For example, I scrubed on a Whipple case were the patient was diagnosed (via bx prior to sx) with pancreatic ca. After the case, the resected pancrease was sent to pathology for examination...turns out it is completely normal! Well, the patient died few weeks after the sx from complications of a sx he did not need in the first place. All thanks to that pathologist who sent him to the OR.
I scrubed on a Whipple case were the patient was diagnosed (via bx prior to sx) with pancreatic ca. After the case, the resected pancrease was sent to pathology for examination...turns out it is completely normal! Well, the patient died few weeks after the sx from complications of a sx he did not need in the first place. All thanks to that pathologist who sent him to the OR.
The pathologist simply looked at some slides. The surgeon is the one who made the decision to take the patient to the OR.
And with a morbidity of 30% and a mortality of 5%, it's not unexpected the patient would have developed something bad postop.
I would say Family Medicine in an institutional setting, or in a group with other doctors (Not family medicine in a rural setting)
You can probably mis-handle 99% of the patients straight out of med school.
Interesting, what are some of those "many" specialties?
Even Pathologists (were most of their patients are not dead anyway) ....
Interesting, what are some of those "many" specialties?
Even Pathologists (were most of their patients are dead anyway) can "have someone die whilst under their direct care". For example, I scrubed on a Whipple case were the patient was diagnosed (via bx prior to sx) with pancreatic ca. After the case, the resected pancrease was sent to pathology for examination...turns out it is completely normal! Well, the patient died few weeks after the sx from complications of a sx he did not need in the first place. All thanks to that pathologist who sent him to the OR.
Interesting, what are some of those "many" specialties?
Even Pathologists (were most of their patients are dead anyway) can "have someone die whilst under their direct care". For example, I scrubed on a Whipple case were the patient was diagnosed (via bx prior to sx) with pancreatic ca. After the case, the resected pancrease was sent to pathology for examination...turns out it is completely normal! Well, the patient died few weeks after the sx from complications of a sx he did not need in the first place. All thanks to that pathologist who sent him to the OR.
...
I would not say anesthesia. There is a lot of cush work in anesthesiology but it can get really hairy, really fast.