Help, what specialty am I actually looking for?!

[DMC0303]

Let me first give you a little intro about myself: I'm an art major, psych minor, and pre-med. Which may sound a bit out of left field to be an art major, but hey Frank Netter was an artist before he became a doctor! I love the idea of artistry and science being combined.

The first thing that pops into mind is plastics, and I've shadowed in plastics (and many other fields) but really I'm mostly interested in the reconstructive side. Then, when I think about it even further the things that interest me the most are facial reconstruction and breast reconstruction. Even just doing facial reconstruction, I'd be happy. Which makes me wonder if plastics is really where I'm wanting to go?

Should I be looking into even dental school with an OMFS residency? And perhaps a possible cranio fellowship? Stick with the plastics idea? Someone mentioned to me ENT? And one physician told me to look into a "breast and microsurgery fellowship" (like the one at UT Southwestern for example that trains you for facial and breast reconstruction). Then someone recommended doing residency in Otolaryngology followed with a fellowship in facial/plastic reconstruction. It's all confusing what direction is best -.-

I just have no idea what would be the best option? The only reason I'm asking now is because I need to know if dental school (with OMFS after) or med school is what I should be looking at apply to? D:

In the end the idea of working with trauma to the face (gunshots, car crashes, blunt force, burns, acid attack, etc) and reconstruction of the face (like cleft lip/palate and tumors/cancer) with breast reconstruction being a plus but I have no idea where on earth to start? Question is: WHO gets these cases in the hospital?

Sorry for the long post guys!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[MrBigglesworth]

OMFS is hard to get into.
Plastics and ENT is hard to get into.

If you couldn't get into any of those, would you rather do general dental work or one of the other medical specialties?

 

[22031 Alum]

If the reconstructive surgery path didn't work out, would you rather be a doctor or a dentist??

 

[DMC0303]

OMFS is hard to get into.
Plastics and ENT is hard to get into.

If you couldn't get into any of those, would you rather do general dental work or one of the other medical specialties?

I deff know Plastics and OMFS are hard to get into, no doubt. Didnt realize ENT was that competitive too? Interesting. The thing that would worry me is if I didnt get the OMFS then I'd be stuck being a regular dentist, which isnt terrible but not super exciting either. I'd rather do something like EM if I didnt get into plastics or something. But my GPA is considered more competitive for dental than med school, so theres that /:

 

[Psai]

Every single thing you mentioned is pretty hard to get into. Go into medical school and see what you like. Most of my friends are not going into what they thought they would at the beginning of medical school except for the orthopedic surgeons and the pediatricians

 

[takeurmeds02]

You're better off going into medicine; there's more opportunity to see where else you can realize your interests

 

[doc05]

go to dental school and enjoy a better quality of life.

 

[VisionaryTics]

I'd rather do something like EM if I didnt get into plastics or something.

If you're saying stuff like this, it means you really have no idea what you want. Plastics and EM are diametrically opposed fields.

Just go into medicine, it leaves plenty of doors open. And if it really does turn out that facial reconstructive surgery is your life's passion, then there is very little that OMFS does that ENT or plastics can't do in that realm.

 

[DMC0303]

I realize plastics and EM are totally different, very much so, but I did a clinical internship for three months over the summer in EM and enjoyed it, but didnt love it as much as plastics, so thats why I said that.