ENT vs. ortho

[JabsterL]

Hey guys, I really love ENT and ortho because i love the subject matter of both and the medical management and lifestyle of ENT while also having a sports/athletics background and loving the musculoskeletal system from college and med school anatomy...i was wondering, because I'm a pianist and not a wood-shopper who is already skilled with power tools, etc., like so many of the orthos, i'm apprehensive about going into ortho and thus have been favoring ENT over ortho thusfar (i guess because maybe i feel i have more talent at this point in fine motor skills that would be better for head and neck and only really hand surgery in ortho, as opposed to being the skilled wood-shopper that most orthos seem to be)...am i dumb to be basing any of my decision on choosing ortho vs. ent for this reason at all? basically, are any great orthos out there not natural wood shoppers but rather more skilled in fine motor movements like piano like i am (i've heard from lots of neurosurgs that they are great with their fine motor movements in part cuz of stuff like piano so i figure it should help for ENT-head and neck)...what other factors should i consider to decide between ortho and ENT (differences in lifestyle, personality of the field, ent involving medical management and ortho being more surgical, etc.)? how did ENTs who thought about ortho decide against ortho?

thanks so much!

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[TxMed]

i imagine those fine manipulation skills would be quite "handy" in hand surgery

 

[H_Caulfield]

i imagine those fine manipulation skills would be quite "handy" in hand surgery

hahahahha. hahahhahahahahahahaha. yea...sub-specialize in ortho hand, man.

In response to the OP, I don't really think ENT has anything to do with ortho. At all. And why are you limiting yourself to considering only that? There are plenty of fields that call for delicacy and dexterity (neurosurg, vascular surgery, pediatric surg, urology, and more) that all seem, to me, more like what an anti-power-tool ortho-type guy (like yourself) would like. I really think that the inner ear, the tonsils, and snot are a longer throw from what you're really interested in than any of those that I named. There are plenty of delicate surgical fields; I think that ortho is actually an exception in that it's really not.

 

[MossPoh]

Is it that you simply don't like using the tools or that you feel that everyone already used tools a lot before hand? If you don't like it then don't consider ortho but if it is just because you are worried. Well, then give it a chance. I guarentee a lot of people that go into weren't building houses or anything before hand....you'll learn how to use the stuff. None are really too complicated and you generally aren't freehanding with the saw or anything. Using tools before your residency is almost like studying anatomy before you start medschool...while it may give you a very minor jump...in the long run it really wouldn't do much of anything. Just check out the fields and see what you like...

 

[neutropeniaboy]

Anyone's hands can be trained to do pretty much any type of surgery with the right instructor and enough time.

Honestly, the two most difficult things in ENT are sinus surgery and ear surgery since they involve the use of the microscope or an endoscope. Not everyone has the skill to do those types of cases -- but you can learn them. Some people are "naturals." Others develop the skills.

It's the same with ortho. If you're a regular Bob Villa, you may know how to hold a drill and know some basic principles regarding stress and fractures, etc. But, Betty Crocker could ORIF your femur fracture after 5 years of training too.

You just have to decide on what you think you would end up enjoying the most and go with it.

 

[TxMed]

Anyone's hands can be trained to do pretty much any type of surgery with the right instructor and enough time.

Honestly, the two most difficult things in ENT are sinus surgery and ear surgery since they involve the use of the microscope or an endoscope. Not everyone has the skill to do those types of cases -- but you can learn them. Some people are "naturals." Others develop the skills.

It's the same with ortho. If you're a regular Bob Villa, you may know how to hold a drill and know some basic principles regarding stress and fractures, etc. But, Betty Crocker could ORIF your femur fracture after 5 years of training too.

You just have to decide on what you think you would end up enjoying the most and go with it.

100% correct...ever wonder who would be the better surgeon between betty crocker and aunt jemima?

 

[JabsterL]

hey guys, thanks so much for your replies -- really appreciate all the great advice and words of wisdom! i think i'll try to get in some shadowing with various fields and not limit myself to only those fields for which i feel i have the most "natural talent"...

 

[neutropeniaboy]

100% correct...ever wonder who would be the better surgeon between betty crocker and aunt jemima?

aunt jemima: she already has a scrub cap. anyone who always wears a scrub cap is destined to be the better surgeon.