EM or SURG that is the ?

[tjmDO]

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I am a second year at AZCOM and have years of ER experience, but I can't decide between EM and surgery. I know that I am only a 2nd yr, but I also know that you should structure your rotations toward your top choices. Can anyone tell me why I should or shouldn't choose Surg over EM? OR just why you chose EM over surg.

thanks

TJMDO

 

[Seaglass]

I chose EM over surg because I wanted to see a larger variety of patients and didn't like the hours you have to work even as an attending in Surg compared to EM.

 

[Flipchick]

You're going to have to see if you like the OR or not. Surgeons LOVE being in the OR. I had the same dilemma after finishing my surgery rotation, but when I did my EM rotation, I realized that what I loved was doing procedures and other hands-on stuff, NOT the OR.

Don't stress, you're only a 2nd year, you'll have multiple opportunities ahead to figure out what's meant for you.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

If there is nothing you like more than cutting into someone, be a surgeon. If there is something you like more (such as sports, outdoors, thinking about your patients, family life, eating, or sleeping) do EM. Easy decision for the sane.

 

[DrQuinn]

Most surgeons I know hate everything about medicine except being in the OR. There, they are home, they get excited, and they love it. I admit, being in the OR is pretty cool (especially putting on the gloves), but that's about it. I can't stand there for four hours doing a case (which they would love to do).

Q, DO

 

[bustinbooty]

Yes, the best advice I have received about surgery is:
Don't do surgery unless there is absolutely nothing else in medicine besides surgery that makes you reasonably happy.

 

[roja]

I remember very clearly when I realized surgery was not for me, despite still harboring some thoughts of vascular. My chief resident was covering *2* hospitals and working like a dog. Like a premeds nightmare of medicine on crack.

I looked at her and told her she was insane. She just looked at me and told me she *loved* what she did. And she did. She was dog ass tired, worked to the bone and couldn't imagine doing anything else.

I have a friend who is a pgy2 in surgery and she feels the same way. If you don't absolutely love being in surgery, don't do it.

 

[NinerNiner999]

Yep - pretty much the same story for me. If you are married to anyone other than a trophy wife/husband, if you want to see your children (let alone have the time to conceive them), and if there is anything else in medicine that you can see yourself doing, then don't go into surgery. Every time I hear people say that being a doctor requires sacrifice - I think of surgeons, who literally give up everything to do what they love. My hats are off to them for doing what they do - I couldn't.

One of my best friends who is a surgery PGY2 now summed it up well - go into any field to find a means to and end, go into surgery and that is the end.