General Surgery or Psychiatry

[Chief Resident]

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Anybody like both these specialties even though they are so different? If you did what ultimately made you choose psych residency over surgery residency?

 

[allendo]

Anybody like both these specialties even though they are so different? If you did what ultimately made you choose psych residency over surgery residency?

My only worry about psych is that the psychologist are trying to exstend their practice rights and in some states have.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

My only worry about psych is that the psychologist are trying to exstend their practice rights and in some states have.

In reality this is NO more of a worry to a psychiatrist than a PA's ability to perform minor office procedures is to a surgeon. I work with a variety of mid-level prescribers as it is. There is PLENTY of work to go around in both fields.

(edited due to omitted negative!)

 

[Poety]

My favorite clerkships were Sugery (CT), OBGYN, and Psych - I chose psych for my daughter and lifestyle and NEEDING to be free of medicine when I am not on.

Family for me comes first so thats why I chose this specialty, I love all 3 of them equally. I also don't want to be tied into a hospital if I don't have to be, whereas I feel the other two would require that I spend most if not an ENORMOUS amount of in hospital time which turned me off.

Poety

 

[cyanocobalamin]

It depends on how invasive you want to be in your patient's life. Psych is by far more invasive, and there's more continuity of care.

 

[Poety]

so true, I should've added I like to be invasive as well

 

[MDgonnabe]

Anybody like both these specialties even though they are so different? If you did what ultimately made you choose psych residency over surgery residency?

this is going to be a hurried post, so apologies in advance if i come off the wrong way. but i too was in this dilemma for a bit. i realized halfway that the two fields aren't all that different. sure, one is hands on and the other hands off. the surgeon lifestyle is considerably more involved in terms of hours than the psych's. but below the surface of that there are many truths:

neither really fit neatly into the stereotypical "culture" of medicine (eg: rounding 423523.8 hours per day and debating esoteric articles in the nejm).

both attract their share of "crazies." by "crazies" i mean psychs are typically more open-minded and tolerant of odd things, and those who go into surgery have got to have their fair share of different personality attributes to tolerate that lifestyle. an almost alarming number of surgeons i know are either married to psychs or have best friends who're psychs etc.

attendings in both fields have got to be very confident when it comes to their diagnoses. psych is still a relatively subjective thing: when you make a diagnosis sometimes all you have to go off of is your "gut feeling." and surgeons must be confident because they have the element of time running against them: you make a decision and stick to it or else people die.

both fields are highly artistic. psych involves so many different aspects of human life and there are no algorithms. it's all so off the cuff... surgery is more artistic in the literal, hands on kinda way. but you get the drift...

anyway, this is all off the top of my head. i think there were others but i can't recall at the moment. btw, i'm going into psych not at all b/c of hours but b/c i didn't like the bitchiness of people in the o.r.

 

[50960]

Oldpsychdoc...you are on target about the psychologist prescribing thing. There will always be a need for psychiatrists!

 

[Milo]

Oldpsychdoc There will always be a need for psychiatrists!

<sniff> Why Psisci, that is just the nicest thing I've ever heard you say. <wipes tear with tissue>

 

[redstorm]

My only worry about psych is that the psychologist are trying to exstend their practice rights and in some states have.

I doubt highly there will be psychologists.. rounding on patients in the psych ward, seeing crazies in the ER, dealing with icu delirium, and seeing all the ****ing loonies there are in this world.. yeah psychologists may take away patients like housewife syndrome etc.. but not the real loons.. I think your territory is pretty safe there..

 

[50960]

Um yaaa.... You are very well informed. 😉

 

[PublicHealth]

I doubt highly there will be psychologists.. rounding on patients in the psych ward, seeing crazies in the ER, dealing with icu delirium, and seeing all the ****ing loonies there are in this world.. yeah psychologists may take away patients like housewife syndrome etc.. but not the real loons.. I think your territory is pretty safe there..

I'm sure psychologists would be fine with this set-up! It's a hell of a lot easier to pharmacologically manage outpatient housewives with no real medical problems. Perhaps this should be built into their legislation for RxP?