General Surgery vs Internal Medicine Residency

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Handsome

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Hi Guyes;
I am a 5th IMG from Jordan(hope know some geography!!)
I wonder if we can ask this question, surgery or IM. But really i have been trying answering it for 2 years but nonfruitfully. I accuse the cause sometimes to that both directions have contradictory attractive advantages and disadvantages. in other worsds what attracts u to IM isn't found in surgery ind vice versa. examples r obvious and many, IM residents enjoy being loaded of much much more knowledge than even specialist surgeons which makes them confident in dealing with the traditional daily "street" cases that ur family and neighbours often ask u about and willing that "surely" u would know it (although much of the sciece an Internist would learn is theoritical and just for keeping by heart, but the applicable knowledge in daily cases still serves an internist or FM more than a surgeon). in the other hand surgeons have much practice and interesting field of dealing with pathologies with hands and instruments, seeing renewable cases, little of chronic patients and respect socially. all these advantages r lacking in medicine and its subs.
I know that much of diffrences r still not mentioned waiting ur generous opinion to share me deciding the career of life as these weeks i live r serious to make my mind.
thanks alot.
:rolleyes:

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Handsome said:
Hi Guyes;
I am a 5th IMG from Jordan(hope know some geography!!)
I wonder if we can ask this question, surgery or IM. But really i have been trying answering it for 2 years but nonfruitfully. I accuse the cause sometimes to that both directions have contradictory attractive advantages and disadvantages. in other worsds what attracts u to IM isn't found in surgery ind vice versa. examples r obvious and many, IM residents enjoy being loaded of much much more knowledge than even specialist surgeons which makes them confident in dealing with the traditional daily "street" cases that ur family and neighbours often ask u about and willing that "surely" u would know it (although much of the sciece an Internist would learn is theoritical and just for keeping by heart, but the applicable knowledge in daily cases still serves an internist or FM more than a surgeon). in the other hand surgeons have much practice and interesting field of dealing with pathologies with hands and instruments, seeing renewable cases, little of chronic patients and respect socially. all these advantages r lacking in medicine and its subs.
I know that much of diffrences r still not mentioned waiting ur generous opinion to share me deciding the career of life as these weeks i live r serious to make my mind.
thanks alot.
:rolleyes:


both are good and interesting. you have to ask yourself, try to look at in the future, like many years from now, if you ar e asurgeon, and the thought of being in the OR all the time for the rest of you career, and if you like that thought then ok. But if you crave some more medical and theoretical cases like in Medicine and specialties, then you go that way. remember also that noone one doc or specialty does everything. i used to think that way a long time ago. surgeons refer sometimes to other surgical specialties, med refers to surgery, fm refer to surgery, if someone has a cancer then the oncoligst comes too, etc. etc. everyone works in a cooperative manner and all are collegeaus.. keep that in mind
 
General surgery is traditionally more difficult to get a residency position than internal medicine.

It is possible that someone might not be absolutely certain which specialty to choose, even after 2 years. That's just an example of decision making. Try to make your decision carefully and wisely and then do it. Good luck.
 
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Thanks every body, ans so sorry that i wasn't in the room coz am so bussy in electives and study, but really i open the forum to see ur replies every now and then even i sometimes don't reply on them.
so i wait for more sharing and thanks again.
 
Something to thing about:
As a surgeon I might not be all up to date on all the "street" questions asked by family and friends but niether is the internest when family has questions on surgical issues. No one knows everything. However, it is all in the books and journals. So for the curb side questions that I can't answer I usually will respond with an I don't know, I go look it up, I learn something in the process, and I come back usually with the information.
Now ask yourself another question: if a hospital could only have ONE doctor, what specialty would it be?

Thats why I chose to be a surgeon. If I had to do the internist's job, all I need is the books. He can't do mine.
 
A good surgeon once said, "The best doctor is the one that knows when not to operate."

If you focus on being the best doctor you can be, and learn to know where your limitations lie (whether it's in the OR, cath lab, wards, etc.), then you'll be set. The problem is when arrogance usurps your good faith and prevents you from consulting when needed.

With this is mind, both are great fields with a different approach to medical problems. It's really not about better or worse, or debauching one or the other. It's about knowing how to work together to find the best approach/treatment for a patient's need, whether it be medical, surgical, or a combination of the two. Both IM and surgery are exciting disciplines, and one should be honored to have the opportunity to master one of these two fields.

Good luck with your decision.
 
:) look here everyone..........
i'll be joining residency when im 25 and will be board certified by 30 (i hope so).......
on an avg i'll live for 60 yrs......
so i'll have 30 yrs left in me......after boards...ok

now u must have heard the gr8 saying
A PHYSICIAN IS LIKE A WINE, THE OLDER THE BETTER;
A SURGEON IS LIKE A PROSTITUTE, THE YOUNGER THE BETTER.
so i think my dear friends as i have little life left after boards to get more practise......i'll go for physician or IM as the older i get the more patients i get....................got it. :cool:

i plan to setup pvt practice.... :)
thanx .....
 
medisid said:
:) look here everyone..........
i'll be joining residency when im 25 and will be board certified by 30 (i hope so).......
on an avg i'll live for 60 yrs......
so i'll have 30 yrs left in me......after boards...ok

now u must have heard the gr8 saying
A PHYSICIAN IS LIKE A WINE, THE OLDER THE BETTER;
A SURGEON IS LIKE A PROSTITUTE, THE YOUNGER THE BETTER.
so i think my dear friends as i have little life left after boards to get more practise......i'll go for physician or IM as the older i get the more patients i get....................got it. :cool:

i plan to setup pvt practice.... :)
thanx .....


I hope that you expect your patients to live at least a little bit longer than you expect for yourself. that's depressing, man.
 
medisid said:
:) look here everyone..........
i'll be joining residency when im 25 and will be board certified by 30 (i hope so).......
on an avg i'll live for 60 yrs......

Dude.....

In the US we have ivermectin.........you can plan to live longer if you match here.
 
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