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Hey all, I'm in my clerkship year and also looking to get involved with research projects, which is pushing me to narrow my field decision. I am struggling to decide between ENT and IM, which I've heard isn't a very common dilemma. I am someone who likes medical management of patients in clinic, but I also like variety in my work week and taking hands-on action to improve my patients' health, so I would likely choose a more hands-on specialty like interventional cards or GI if I were to go that route. I love all of the thinking involved in the management of complex physiology in IM and from my shadowing, I can't tell if I would have the opportunity to engage my mind in that kind of thinking in ENT. Conversely, I really like the idea of being able to do a lot for my patients without having to refer them every time they require intervention. I like working with patients of all ages, and I like that a lot of ENT patients tend to be healthier, but I am also not someone who is frustrated (yet) by treating conditions that were more lifestyle-induced. I am not somebody who craves to do procedures or surgery 24/7; I truly enjoy all aspects of medical care, though I do enjoy surgery and procedures. Did any of you in ENT ever consider IM? What swayed you towards ENT? Do you have any regrets?
Also, on that note...I am looking to get involved in more research. I love research and would like to get involved with some projects directly related to my future field, but I think I need to just go ahead and get started. At this point, would it be better to do research in ENT since it's a more competitive residency to get into than IM? Thanks in advance for your advice.
It sounds like you would be happier in a procedure-heavy medicine subspecialty. ENT is not really "IM plus surgery" or "surgery-lite". It's a surgical field that just happens to have a lot of clinic. There's a lot of complex problems in ENT, but we're not doing the kind of physiologic stuff that you seem interested in. From my limited experience, the med students that had the "ENT vs. IM" dilemma solved it pretty quick when doing an ENT rotation.
Hey all, I'm in my clerkship year and also looking to get involved with research projects, which is pushing me to narrow my field decision. I am struggling to decide between ENT and IM, which I've heard isn't a very common dilemma. I am someone who likes medical management of patients in clinic, but I also like variety in my work week and taking hands-on action to improve my patients' health, so I would likely choose a more hands-on specialty like interventional cards or GI if I were to go that route. I love all of the thinking involved in the management of complex physiology in IM and from my shadowing, I can't tell if I would have the opportunity to engage my mind in that kind of thinking in ENT. Conversely, I really like the idea of being able to do a lot for my patients without having to refer them every time they require intervention. I like working with patients of all ages, and I like that a lot of ENT patients tend to be healthier, but I am also not someone who is frustrated (yet) by treating conditions that were more lifestyle-induced. I am not somebody who craves to do procedures or surgery 24/7; I truly enjoy all aspects of medical care, though I do enjoy surgery and procedures. Did any of you in ENT ever consider IM? What swayed you towards ENT? Do you have any regrets?
Also, on that note...I am looking to get involved in more research. I love research and would like to get involved with some projects directly related to my future field, but I think I need to just go ahead and get started. At this point, would it be better to do research in ENT since it's a more competitive residency to get into than IM? Thanks in advance for your advice.