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Sorry for the long post, there's so many factors! I'm a 3rd year medical student getting ready to submit applications for interview rotations in peds and/or surgery. So far here is what I have:
1)Peds+ Fellowship in ER/NICU/Cardiology
They are a group patients that intrinsically need help and what you do can directly can help their future. I find myself truly invested in their well being. Also I love working in the hospital. What concerns me is that ER/NICU/Cardiology won't be procedural enough to get me through. Peds ER has the very occasional lac that needs stitches, that's sad. Attendings have told me I have a great personality and work ethic for ER, but for some reason when I tell people I want to do peds they just say oh. I'm energized by kids and they respond great to me but outside of that I am focused and motivated to finish the work that needs to be done, so maybe I come off too serious in the work setting?
2) General surgery (So I can still have the occasional teenager).
Because I am so drawn to the pediatric population, I find that at times I lose sympathy for adults, especially in instances where they have directly caused the outcomes for which they need the surgical procedure. Smoker -> lung cancer, you get the idea. However, when they are draped and it becomes anatomy and procedurally driven, that's what excites me. Surgery with a pediatric fellowship would be the dream however realistically I know that as a DO candidate I would be climbing an even steeper cliff. Also does an intermittent lack of sympathy make a bad candidate for general surgical residency? Through conversations, attendings from several different rotations have told me that I have the mind set of pursuing a surgical residency and more than once suggested I look into general surgery. They also commented on my ability in the OR, I guess 15 years of playing the violin gave me great dexterity.
I'm a female that went into medical school right after college, so I'm willing to dedicate 5 years to an intense residency so that's not a factor. I'm trying to decide if fact that I may almost never work exclusively with kids again, is the ultimate deal breaker. Or if never being in an OR again is the ultimate deal breaker. As with all the millennials of my generation, I'm also interested in having an ok lifestyle as an attending. Peds+ER, great hours. I know that certain general surgery jobs in a bigger group to share call, and maybe day surgery can have a predictable Mon-Friday lifestyle. Also I think there's enough Peds EDs in Massachusetts and general surgery job openings that it wouldn't been too difficult finding a position either way am I correct?
I feel the same level of passion doing procures as I do working with kids. Any advice? Have I missed other factors to consider? Thanks in advance!
1)Peds+ Fellowship in ER/NICU/Cardiology
They are a group patients that intrinsically need help and what you do can directly can help their future. I find myself truly invested in their well being. Also I love working in the hospital. What concerns me is that ER/NICU/Cardiology won't be procedural enough to get me through. Peds ER has the very occasional lac that needs stitches, that's sad. Attendings have told me I have a great personality and work ethic for ER, but for some reason when I tell people I want to do peds they just say oh. I'm energized by kids and they respond great to me but outside of that I am focused and motivated to finish the work that needs to be done, so maybe I come off too serious in the work setting?
2) General surgery (So I can still have the occasional teenager).
Because I am so drawn to the pediatric population, I find that at times I lose sympathy for adults, especially in instances where they have directly caused the outcomes for which they need the surgical procedure. Smoker -> lung cancer, you get the idea. However, when they are draped and it becomes anatomy and procedurally driven, that's what excites me. Surgery with a pediatric fellowship would be the dream however realistically I know that as a DO candidate I would be climbing an even steeper cliff. Also does an intermittent lack of sympathy make a bad candidate for general surgical residency? Through conversations, attendings from several different rotations have told me that I have the mind set of pursuing a surgical residency and more than once suggested I look into general surgery. They also commented on my ability in the OR, I guess 15 years of playing the violin gave me great dexterity.
I'm a female that went into medical school right after college, so I'm willing to dedicate 5 years to an intense residency so that's not a factor. I'm trying to decide if fact that I may almost never work exclusively with kids again, is the ultimate deal breaker. Or if never being in an OR again is the ultimate deal breaker. As with all the millennials of my generation, I'm also interested in having an ok lifestyle as an attending. Peds+ER, great hours. I know that certain general surgery jobs in a bigger group to share call, and maybe day surgery can have a predictable Mon-Friday lifestyle. Also I think there's enough Peds EDs in Massachusetts and general surgery job openings that it wouldn't been too difficult finding a position either way am I correct?
I feel the same level of passion doing procures as I do working with kids. Any advice? Have I missed other factors to consider? Thanks in advance!