hardest specialty

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MrJosh9788

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in your opinion, what is the hardest specialty?
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MrJosh9788 said:
in your opinion, what is the most difficult specialty?
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The correct terminology is difficult not Hard, thus I took the liberty of restating your question.

PS
am just horsing around don't mind me :laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
Neurosurg, probably - hard to get into, crazy hours, lengthy training. But of course it depends on how you define "hard." Geriatrics and forensic pathology can also be hard, if you are talking about the potential emotional toll.
 
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Gosh, I was thinking bones were harder than brains. Guess there are lots of rock heads out there, though.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist since nobody had said it, yet.
 
HumidBeing said:
Gosh, I was thinking bones were harder than brains. Guess there are lots of rock heads out there, though.
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Haha, that was soooooo lame. You and my dad should hang out, you would be two cool dudes.
 
From an emotional standpoint, probably some form of oncology, particularly peds onc. :(

From technical prowess? Neurosurgery or plastics.
 
Dienekes said:
From an emotional standpoint, probably some form of oncology, particularly peds onc. :(

From technical prowess? Neurosurgery or plastics.
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I wanted to do ped onc- i work with those kids each week during my volunteer hours... but now i am not sure if i want to do that or something more general (either med peds, peds, or family)... I will shadow peds onc in Jan so hopefully that will help me make up my mind

To me Neuro anything would be the most difficult- or cardiovascular surgery.
 
My vote definitely goes to peds onc for most emotionally draining medical specialty...
you can always make a specialty more difficult by adding pediatric in front of its name so pediatric neurosurgery would probably be one of the most technically difficult fields.
 
Drogba said:
My vote definitely goes to peds onc for most emotionally draining medical specialty...
you can always make a specialty more difficult by adding pediatric in front of its name so pediatric neurosurgery would probably be one of the most technically difficult fields.
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I second that opinion, I dont know how they (ped onc) do it, as far as emotional dran I cant think of much that would top that.
 
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From an intellectually demanding standpoint, I think Pediatric Neurology is probably one of the most difficult specialties, if not the most difficult.

They need to know all of their neuroanatomy, and not just at the adult stage of development.

They must also have a good grasp on the fundamentals of adult neurology given that their patient population often extends into the 30's and beyond.

They must be experts at reading EEG's... pediatric EEG is very difficult, much more so than adult.

As with any specialty, they must be good at reading their imaging modalaties... in this case primarily MRI's, CT's and nuc med studies.

Furthermore, almost all inherited metabolic diseases involve the neuro system to some degree. These patients frequently get sent to pediatric neurologists... therefore, Pediatric Neurologists must be adept with biochemistry.

Both neuroanatomy/physiology and biochemistry are difficult areas of study that most docs almost completely brainflush soon after/during med school.

Emotionally, the specialty can be quite taxing, doesn't pay great, and it is quite easy to get sued if one misses a treatable condition.

From a physically taxing standpoint... several of the surgical specialties are a toss up as being the most difficult.
 
I would say anything involving microsurgery would be extremely difficult.

As far as oncology goes, I am extremely happy with prospect of potentially joining the field. I followed two separate radiation oncologists leading up to my application to medical school and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. We do not have a dedicated pediatric oncologist, so I got the chance to see a small girl (~7 yrs old) suffering from cancer. While she did not win her fight against the cancer, you have to remain positive about the extra time that was provided for the patient rather than the end result. All death is inevitable and medicine cannot prevent that no matter how good the doctor or treatments may be.
 
a friend is a cardiologist, couple thoughts that made this specialty seem hard --

-If I added correctly, it was around 14 year training including all fellowships completed -- including the one for heart transplants

-Normal hours are in the 7:30 - 6ish time frame, apparently surgeries are very long and intense.

not sure for the neuro folk what all is involved with that, but cards seems like a pretty tough one in many ways. I guess it depends what one considers "hard". I personally would find surgery hard b/c you need to concentrate so intensely on the physical aspects of the surgery, vs. other areas that see more diagnosis-intensive.
 
Plastics>Derm>Rad onc>ENT>Ns or ortho>rad>all else
 
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BrnDc said:
From an intellectually demanding standpoint, I think Pediatric Neurology is probably one of the most difficult specialties, if not the most difficult.

They need to know all of their neuroanatomy, and not just at the adult stage of development.

They must also have a good grasp on the fundamentals of adult neurology given that their patient population often extends into the 30's and beyond.

They must be experts at reading EEG's... pediatric EEG is very difficult, much more so than adult.

As with any specialty, they must be good at reading their imaging modalaties... in this case primarily MRI's, CT's and nuc med studies.

Furthermore, almost all inherited metabolic diseases involve the neuro system to some degree. These patients frequently get sent to pediatric neurologists... therefore, Pediatric Neurologists must be adept with biochemistry.

Both neuroanatomy/physiology and biochemistry are difficult areas of study that most docs almost completely brainflush soon after/during med school.

Emotionally, the specialty can be quite taxing, doesn't pay great, and it is quite easy to get sued if one misses a treatable condition.

From a physically taxing standpoint... several of the surgical specialties are a toss up as being the most difficult.
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wow... Sounds like a winner!
 
Personally I think hardest depends on each individuals personality...

I am highly interested in doing Peds Hem/Onc but many people don't want to because of the emotional stress

I however think doing solely geriatrics or plastic surgery would be hardest for me just because I am not that into old people and don't like vain stuck-up people (not that all plastics is vain but a majority is)
 
KyleSBU said:
I second that opinion, I dont know how they (ped onc) do it, as far as emotional dran I cant think of much that would top that.
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I knew a ped onc. he said many more of his patients lived than general oncologists. they had some absurdly high remission and survival rate. he said the kids were always significantly more optimistic than adults. So, it still may be hard, but I wonder how the emotional drain would compare to working with terminal adults.
 
Stixman28 said:
I knew a ped onc. he said many more of his patients lived than general oncologists. they had some absurdly high remission and survival rate. he said the kids were always significantly more optimistic than adults. So, it still may be hard, but I wonder how the emotional drain would compare to working with terminal adults.
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:thumbup:

i've heard several ped. onc. talks at grand rounds and they have mentioned that their survival rates are generally high. i think the most difficult thing about it is that most onc. research funding and data is focused on adults, since childhood cancers are generally pretty rare, so a lot of typical treatment modalities and schedules just don't apply to kids. he made it sound like ped. oncs. have to resort to a lot of off-label drug treatments. plus you go home everyday knowing that you're working your hardest in a field that R&D doesn't really care about because it's not a very lucrative market.
 
Hard is relative. Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu is a "hard" piano piece. It is extremely fast, has 4 on 3 rhythms with funky rests, crazy accents, and all sorts of other elements that make the piece "hard". Yet, it is a piece of cake for me. The fingerings are forever embedded in my cerebellum.

The same idea applies within a specialty, the hard things (to others) become second nature to the one doing it all the time. To me, "hard" depends on how long it takes to become proficient at a given task, whether that be dextrous or mental. So, in this line of thought, whatever has the longest required training is probably the "hardest" overall.

What about hardest single tasks? There are myriad that vie for that distinction. Microsurgery? Maybe, but I'm doing a microsurgery rotation right now, practicing on rabbit and rat vessels and nerves, and I don't find this too difficult. Others have told me that laproscopic suturing is the most single most difficult surgical skill to learn well.

I have to give a plug for anesthesiologists. They accomplish with ease many things that are incredibly difficult to those not in the field. I've been 1/2 jokingly told that only the first 10,000 femoral arterial and venous lines in premature infants are difficult. Afterward they become a piece of cake.

The real difficulty in most specialties is not the technical skills, but rather the knowledge, wisdom, and experience to make correct choices quickly and consistently.
 
everyone knows that arithmancy is the most difficult... sheesh.
 
nontrdgsbuiucmd said:
a friend is a cardiologist, couple thoughts that made this specialty seem hard --

-If I added correctly, it was around 14 year training including all fellowships completed -- including the one for heart transplants

-Normal hours are in the 7:30 - 6ish time frame, apparently surgeries are very long and intense.

not sure for the neuro folk what all is involved with that, but cards seems like a pretty tough one in many ways. I guess it depends what one considers "hard". I personally would find surgery hard b/c you need to concentrate so intensely on the physical aspects of the surgery, vs. other areas that see more diagnosis-intensive.
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I think you mean cardio surgeon? A cardiologist does a 3 year IM residency and a 3 year general cards fellowship. If interested in further specialization that can be followed by a 1-2 year specific fellowship.
 
penisclaw said:
I think you mean cardio surgeon? A cardiologist does a 3 year IM residency and a 3 year general cards fellowship. If interested in further specialization that can be followed by a 1-2 year specific fellowship.
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I thought a cardiothoracic surgeon styarted with GS...and cardio does a 4 year IM, 2 or 3 year cardio fellowship and then 1 or2 more years if they wanna sub specialize.
 
Some of you need to stop stroking your ego with the right hand (seldom users of the left hand). ALL specialties in medicine are important. I feel that the most important areas of medicine involve critical care, emergency medicine, surgery, and pathology.

Critical care: you are trying to save ones life, afterall.

Surgery: Fix broken bones, try to cure diseases (deep brain stimulation)

Pathology: These are the people who make the diagnosis...not the internal medicine, oncologist, neurologist, etc.

Emergency medicine: The true emergency situations.
 
besmart said:
Some of you need to stop stroking your ego with the right hand (seldom users of the left hand). ALL specialties in medicine are important. I feel that the most important areas of medicine involve critical care, emergency medicine, surgery, and pathology.

Critical care: you are trying to save ones life, afterall.

Surgery: Fix broken bones, try to cure diseases (deep brain stimulation)

Pathology: These are the people who make the diagnosis...not the internal medicine, oncologist, neurologist, etc.

Emergency medicine: The true emergency situations.
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this thread isnt about the most important specialty, its about the hardest. The Op really didnt define what hemeant by hard, so i stated the hardest to get into.
 
besmart said:
Some of you need to stop stroking your ego with the right hand (seldom users of the left hand). ALL specialties in medicine are important. I feel that the most important areas of medicine involve critical care, emergency medicine, surgery, and pathology.

Critical care: you are trying to save ones life, afterall.

Surgery: Fix broken bones, try to cure diseases (deep brain stimulation)

Pathology: These are the people who make the diagnosis...not the internal medicine, oncologist, neurologist, etc.

Emergency medicine: The true emergency situations.
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You need to read better and stop incorrectly talking down because
a) you read the thread title/op post wrong which will have harsh impacts on your career in medicine as you fail the verbal section of the MCAT
b) you'll also fail the essay because you won't read the topic correctly
c) wtf, we gave our opinions on hardest, not most important specialty. Clearly the most important specialty is plastic surgeon
 
Whatever you're not good at is the hardest. For a GP, the technical demands of surgery might be hard. For a surgeon, the emotional toll of oncology might be hard. For an oncologist, dealing with kids and their mothers might be hard. For a pediatrician, dealing with old people might be hard. This could go on and on. Everyone has a different skill set that is more suited to certain specialties. Neurosurgeons might not find the actual act of neurosurgery particularly hard b/c they have great focus, hand-eye coordination, steady hands, etc. It's all relative. If you call one specialty the "hardest," then that doc should be able to handle any other specialty, since they're all "easier" and that's just not the way it is.
 
nogolfinsnow said:
Whatever you're not good at is the hardest. For a GP, the technical demands of surgery might be hard. For a surgeon, the emotional toll of oncology might be hard. For an oncologist, dealing with kids and their mothers might be hard. For a pediatrician, dealing with old people might be hard. This could go on and on. Everyone has a different skill set that is more suited to certain specialties. Neurosurgeons might not find the actual act of neurosurgery particularly hard b/c they have great focus, hand-eye coordination, steady hands, etc. It's all relative. If you call one specialty the "hardest," then that doc should be able to handle any other specialty, since they're all "easier" and that's just not the way it is.
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So what specialty would cater best to my hate of people in general?:smuggrin:
 
Kaustikos said:
So what specialty would cater best to my hate of people in general?:smuggrin:
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pathology. They literally don't see patients. We get a lot of lectures 2nd year from pathologists, who are very good teachers, and one of them was trying to remember the word "stethoscope" but had a tough time. He never uses one and hasn't in years. It was pretty funny.
 
nogolfinsnow said:
pathology. They literally don't see patients. We get a lot of lectures 2nd year from pathologists, who are very good teachers, and one of them was trying to remember the word "stethoscope" but had a tough time. He never uses one and hasn't in years. It was pretty funny.
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There's hope! :laugh:
 
nogolfinsnow said:
Whatever you're not good at is the hardest. For a GP, the technical demands of surgery might be hard. For a surgeon, the emotional toll of oncology might be hard. For an oncologist, dealing with kids and their mothers might be hard. For a pediatrician, dealing with old people might be hard. This could go on and on. Everyone has a different skill set that is more suited to certain specialties. Neurosurgeons might not find the actual act of neurosurgery particularly hard b/c they have great focus, hand-eye coordination, steady hands, etc. It's all relative. If you call one specialty the "hardest," then that doc should be able to handle any other specialty, since they're all "easier" and that's just not the way it is.
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This may be a stupid question to many of you. I admittedly know little about the process, I'm not there yet.

How do you know if surgery is right for you? Surgery requires some technical, physical/psychological skills that you cannot just learn...

You have to make a decision about trying to match for it when you're in school... before performing anything significant, correct?

Thanks.
 
Conky said:
This may be a stupid question to many of you. I admittedly know little about the process, I'm not there yet.

How do you know if surgery is right for you? Surgery requires some technical, physical/psychological skills that you cannot just learn...

You have to make a decision about trying to match for it when you're in school... before performing anything significant, correct?

Thanks.
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I hear starting in gross anatomy there are some people who know pretty quickly if they like to cut or not. In med school there are lots of interest groups for various specialties. And as a med student shadowing is REALLY easy, you can scrub into some surgeries and see if it seems cool to you. Also everyone at every medical school has a mandatory surgery 3rd year rotation, after that you will have a pretty good idea if you are the surgical type or not. If you are you can take some surgical subspecialty clerkships 4th year.
-Roy
 
It's the one you didn't want to go into.
 
RoyBasch said:
I hear starting in gross anatomy there are some people who know pretty quickly if they like to cut or not. In med school there are lots of interest groups for various specialties. And as a med student shadowing is REALLY easy, you can scrub into some surgeries and see if it seems cool to you. Also everyone at every medical school has a mandatory surgery 3rd year rotation, after that you will have a pretty good idea if you are the surgical type or not. If you are you can take some surgical subspecialty clerkships 4th year.
-Roy
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Thanks Roy... I feel like it would be totally different with a cadaver versus a live person, but you've given me something to begin thinking about.
 
DeadCactus said:
porn star
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:thumbup:

OP also failed to specify most difficult specialty to get into or to go through. Plastics is incredibly difficult to get into but a pretty cushy life after you're in.
 
littlealex said:
:thumbup:

OP also failed to specify most difficult specialty to get into or to go through. Plastics is incredibly difficult to get into but a pretty cushy life after you're in.
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I read that those guys still work a lot of hours. Tho after you have been putting in the hours for years and years I imagine its kind of a personality/habitual thing.
-Roy
 
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