For all of you otolaryngologists or those in training, what excites you about your field and keeps you charged about it day after day? What about it makes you look forward to the future in the field? What about it do you wish you could do without, day after day?
I'm relatively new to the forum, so you may not be checking this much anymore. I agree with The Throat, one of the nice things about ENT is that you can tailor your practice however you want. I know of a guy in Texas for example, not The Throat (I don't think), who only does thyroid surgery only. Nothing else and is doing fairly well.
I love the technology of our field. I love learning new techniques on the cutting edge of the field. For example, I've started using ballooon sinuplasty even though it is controversial and has only been FDA approved for less than a year. Same for Pillar implants, same for base of tongue coblation, etc etc.
I love the anatomy, IMO the most complex in the body. I love that ENT involves a little peds, a little onc, a little primary care, a little ortho, and little neuro, a little infectious disease, a little plastics, a little endoscopy, and a wide wide variety of procedures.
When I was a med student, what I hated about medicine or all non-surgical specialties was that a patient would get admitted, you'd write some notes on a page, maybe some orders, and the patient would go home. What I liked about ENT was that I could fix something. Someone came in with a problem, I excised it, patient happy--sometimes. More than other surgical specialties what I like about ENT was that I had more fun in the ENT clinic than in any other clinic. I hated general slavery clinic.
My general surgery internship chairman invited me to stay in general surgery if I wanted instead of going on into ENT. I told him, "Sir, thanks, but I don't even like my own colon, I don't want to spend my life taking care of other people's."
I can't really speak as to what I don't like about practice yet. I'm serving 3 yrs in the USAF right now and hate all of it totally. However, from the amount of research I've done and what I learned from residency, I know I won't like dealing the all of the regulations of payors and the constant headaches regarding reimbursement. I also know that I'm concerned about staffing issues. I'm starting a solo practice next summer and so obviously am concerned about being financially solvent after my guarantee ends after 12 months.
Otolaryngology is great. I love it. I can't see myself as happy doing anything else. I know I could make more money elsewhere. I know I could have more time doing something else. But putting it all together, it's awesome.
