Emotionally challenging specialties? Intellectually?

[xnfs93hy]

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Besides Ped onc.

 

[broken tibula]

Actually, my mom's friend was a peds oncology nurse and said that she preferred it to adult oncology. She said that the kids had no idea what was going on, and were usually in good spirits, but the adults were... y'know. Not so happy.

 

[xnfs93hy]

I think the reward is great though. If you can rid a child of cancer. But if it doesn't turn out well...that's rough.

 

[Pepipanda]

I'd say Neonatology, because many babies in the NICU will die or live with moderate to severe handicaps. However, that's what makes the successes all the sweeter.

 

[gabeybaby]

i have a friend who is terrified of feets ... so i guess podiatry will be a prob for her? 😉

it all depends on the type of person though.

like for me, the field of oncology is not so emotionally stressful compared to something like infectious disease.

 

[xnfs93hy]

i have a friend who is terrified of feets ... so i guess podiatry will be a prob for her? 😉

it all depends on the type of person though.

like for me, the field of oncology is not so emotionally stressful compared to something like infectious disease.

I meant in general. Why infectious diseases?

 

[smq123]

Besides Ped onc.

Depends on what you mean by emotionally challenging.

I really disliked parts of my ICU rotation because you're surrounded by death/comatose people all day. During that month-long rotation, 4 patients died. My favorite patient died a few weeks after my rotation ended. 🙁 He was a really nice guy, too. So was his wife, who visited him everyday.

Watching people die in front of you isn't fun.

 

[gabeybaby]

I meant in general. Why infectious diseases?

my family has like cancer in their blood. both my grandmas passed away because of liver, my aunts passed away because of breast, my cousin passed away because of tongue cancer (yeah, i never heard of that too) and some other members that i'm not that close to. because i'm so used to this sort of stuff, i don't really "feel" anything when someone passes away from cancer. it's unfortunate and i just accepts it.

you feel sad when someone passes away, but so does any other deaths, oncology doesn't make someone grieves more.

(it's hard to explain) but infectious disease would be more stressful for me because i am taking a class right now on the topic and some of these diseases are horrifying and it makes me feel bad that these ppl have to endure that type of pain and they have to be in isolation when they're going through this and the fear that is shown on their faces because they don't know what to expect... it's painful :/

 

[strinky]

How about emergency/trauma surgery? Especially in an urban area. Very fast-paced, devastating injuries, lives hanging by a thread if you don't act well and act now. Often the situation is emotionally charged - car accidents (others in the car could be dead, etc), domestic fights, burn victims, etc., and if the patient is conscious there are often tears and panic. And you have to deal with a very panicked family/friend/significant other.

It's going to vary person to person, especially intellectually speaking. Some find certain fields to be more stimulating, and would thus be motivated to be more knowledgeable about them.

 

[ToldYouSo]

Aren't you interested in law now?

 

[xnfs93hy]

Yes. But I still want to go to med school.

 

[TheMagicCookie]

lol...you have a new plan everyday, Jeff. Each new thread you make is never similar, or even in the same ballpark of the others. So now you're going to be Dr. Jefgreen, Esquire?

In terms of emotionally challenging specialties...I would think that adolecent psychiatry would be hard. Think about all the teens and young adults that have mental disorders, eating disorders, are suicidal, or have been abused.

 

[xnfs93hy]

Lol. I'm pretty sure I want to become a Doctor.

What about surgical specialties? Which do you think are among the most emotionally, physically, and intellectually taxing?

 

[ToldYouSo]

Lol. I'm pretty sure I want to become a Doctor.

What about surgical specialties? Which do you think are among the most emotionally, physically, and intellectually taxing?

You should seriously do some more shadowing/exploring during college before making claims of what you want to be... You say doctor now then say medicine isn't for you then you say you want to do medicine again, then ask about dental OMFS then you go onto the law forums and say that your not interested in medicine anymore and then you come back, and it all has one common denominator: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Just do a little more exploring, you still have all of your college years to make a final and definite choice.

 

[Terpskins99]

I think pediatric neurology can be pretty tough emotionally. Of all the locations to have a tumor, the brain is easily the worst and pediatric neurologists are routinely involved in managing children with these. Then you have the congenital malformations, where again malformations of the brain are among the most devastating in medicine.

 

[xnfs93hy]

Agreed. What about pediatric neurosurgery? or Pediatric Heart Surgery (Idk what it's called)?

 

[smq123]

Agreed. What about pediatric neurosurgery? or Pediatric Heart Surgery (Idk what it's called)?

Pediatric cardiothoracic surgery. Also called peds CT.

All specialties are potentially emotionally challenging (with the possible exception of radiology and pathology).

 

[gabeybaby]

You should seriously do some more shadowing/exploring during college before making claims of what you want to be... You say doctor now then say medicine isn't for you then you say you want to do medicine again, then ask about dental OMFS then you go onto the law forums and say that your not interested in medicine anymore and then you come back, and it all has one common denominator: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Just do a little more exploring, you still have all of your college years to make a final and definite choice.

there's a law forum on here?😕

 

[ToldYouSo]

there's a law forum on here?😕

http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/p...tml#msg5272046

 

[Thrombomodulin]

.

 

[Terpskins99]

Agreed. What about pediatric neurosurgery? or Pediatric Heart Surgery (Idk what it's called)?

Peds neurosurgery often goes hand in hand with peds neurology. However, the peds neurologist usually will be following their patients for years.

Nothing wrong with saying peds heart surgery (though you may be thinking of the term "cardiothoracic").

Obviously, both situations tough. But I think neuro patients tend to have a much more dramatic outward presentation of their disease. Seizures, severe mental ******ation, dystonia...

 

[xnfs93hy]

Peds neurosurgery often goes hand in hand with peds neurology. However, the peds neurologist usually will be following their patients for years.

Nothing wrong with saying peds heart surgery (though you may be thinking of the term "cardiothoracic").

Obviously, both situations tough. But I think neuro patients tend to have a much more dramatic outward presentation of their disease. Seizures, severe mental ******ation, dystonia...

Definitely the people I want to work with. I want to do surgery but when you are a surgeon you are just operating on people. I mean, when you are the patients Neurologist you would probably know more about the patient, on a personal (social?) level. I could be wrong though. It is nice actually getting to really know people.

EDIT: Yes, I was thinking of cardiothoracic.

 

[olemissbabydoc]

neonatology and ped onc are two of my top choices. Guess I'm the emotional type 🙂

 

[smq123]

Definitely the people I want to work with. I want to do surgery but when you are a surgeon you are just operating on people. I mean, when you are the patients Neurologist you would probably know more about the patient, on a personal (social?) level. I could be wrong though. It is nice actually getting to really know people.

Depends on the type of surgeon that you are.

Surgical oncologists (which include breast surgeons) often get to know their patients very well - their patients tend to develop very close relationships with these types of surgeons. Same can be true for some transplant surgeons.

 

[oldbearprofessor]

I'm not particularly convinced that it is harder emotionally working with sick children, whether as a pediatric subspecialist (e.g. neonatologist, pedi heme/onc) or as a surgical subspecialist (e.g. CT, NS) than it is with adults. Certainly some folks find it so and don't want to do this.

However, most folks who make the care of children their career not only like being around kids, but generally find them resilient patients who are enjoyable to care for, even when they are seriously ill. As far as having patients die, this is no fun in any field of medicine. In pediatrics, as hard as it may sound, doing ones job well - that is, ensuring that the child doesn't suffer needlessly, that the family is well cared-for, and that you've done the best you can for the child, has it's rewards too.

The toughest part of being a neonatologist from the emotional end is having to give families really bad news and help them understand its consequences. Nonetheless, one gets used to it and it's part of the job. Learning how to deliver such news effectively and compassionately takes time and can only be learned from observation and experience, mostly experience.

The positives of taking care of very sick children are substantial too. Many do very well, in all fields. Even those with substantial long-term health problems can have lives that are positive for them and their family and are not a burden to provide care for.

Bottom line is that to do pediatric care, especially for children with very serious conditions or who are critically ill, requires accepting what you can and can't do and enjoying and appreciating the opportunity to work with kids. That isn't so bad emotionally, I think.

 

[vpv]

http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/p...tml#msg5272046

You traitor!

 

[Justine]

I'd say Neonatology, because many babies in the NICU will die or live with moderate to severe handicaps. However, that's what makes the successes all the sweeter.

Not exactly true...