how would you answer my friend?

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so i was talking to a friend of mine who isn't in medicine or anything about residencies choices and all and how you need to choose a certain field to do a residency in after med school....so then he asks me, "wait, i don't get it, why doesn't everyone just want to do neurosurgery? isn't that the most sought after residency?" what would you say to my friend?

 

[Dr Love]

No it's not the most sought after residency, it's one of the least sought after residencies. It pays a lot and is very difficult to get into, but the workload is so terrible hardly anyone wants to do it.

 

[dr zaius]

Different strokes for different folks?

 

[SpecterGT260]

Different strokes for different folks?

That's what she said

 

[GoSpursGo]

Not everyone likes surgery. Even the ones that do, not all of them like brains. Even the ones that do, not all of them love them so much that they would tolerate the workload.

 

[cowme]

so i was talking to a friend of mine who isn't in medicine or anything about residencies choices and all and how you need to choose a certain field to do a residency in after med school....so then he asks me, "wait, i don't get it, why doesn't everyone just want to do neurosurgery? isn't that the most sought after residency?" what would you say to my friend?

Wait, I don't get it, why doesn't everyone just goto Harvard? Isn't that the best college?

 

[DeadCactus]

"Why doesn't everyone want to be a physician? Isn't that the most sought after career?"

 

[HopeTo99]

Wait, I don't get it, why doesn't everyone just goto Harvard? Isn't that the best college?

LOL. Win.

 

[GladifImakeit]

Several years ago I would have totally gone with McDreamy. Now I'm sort of into plastics. April and Jackson are totally the new Mer-Der.

 

[jcu]

what would you say to my friend?

It's time we're no longer friends.

 

[NK Cell]

That's like asking "Why doesn't everyone just have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast?"

Because the world might run out of peanut butter and jelly if we all did.

 

[gooze]

i had a very similar question from one of my friends...he just couldn't believe me when i told him that derm/ENT/uro/radiology/ortho are some of the most competitive specialties to get into from med school. just like many others in the general public, he thought that fields like EM, IM, neurology were super super competitive b/c of what he's seen glamorized on tv and what not. i mean it wasn't his fault, there's no way of knowing what fields are competitive or not without going through the whole process of med school...but i do wish sometimes that the general public was a little more educated on residency choices and such.

 

[JackShephard MD]

i had a very similar question from one of my friends...he just couldn't believe me when i told him that derm/ENT/uro/radiology/ortho are some of the most competitive specialties to get into from med school. just like many others in the general public, he thought that fields like EM, IM, neurology were super super competitive b/c of what he's seen glamorized on tv and what not. i mean it wasn't his fault, there's no way of knowing what fields are competitive or not without going through the whole process of med school...but i do wish sometimes that the general public was a little more educated on residency choices and such.

Well, the funny thing is these specialties are only competitive because of the American practice environment. 20 years ago, Orthopedics wasn't competitive at all. Dermatology isn't popular in any country that pays physicians similar salaries because what makes it great in America is $/lifestyle. If ortho reimbursement gets cut by 40% then people will flock to something else. Radiology is seeing an exodus right now while Urology is losing their PSA screening $. Competitive is synonymous with the best combination of controllable lifestyle, great reimbursements or private insurance/out-of-pocket payors, and low work hours.

The public doesn't know all the factors that make medical students so interested in specialties. They just see the superficial medical side (TV drama, technical skill, interesting procedures), hence they think Neurosurg seems really amazing and most medical students would avoid it like the plague.

Who knows what will be competitive 20 years from now, it depends on the technological advances and what the gov't decides to reimburse.

 

[Alvarez13]

Several years ago I would have totally gone with McDreamy. Now I'm sort of into plastics. April and Jackson are totally the new Mer-Der.

What the hell are you talking about?

Edit: Nvm. Just figured out how to use the google button on the internet machine.

 

[dr zaius]

Well, the funny thing is these specialties are only competitive because of the American practice environment. 20 years ago, Orthopedics wasn't competitive at all. Dermatology isn't popular in any country that pays physicians similar salaries because what makes it great in America is $/lifestyle. If ortho reimbursement gets cut by 40% then people will flock to something else. Radiology is seeing an exodus right now while Urology is losing their PSA screening $. Competitive is synonymous with the best combination of controllable lifestyle, great reimbursements or private insurance/out-of-pocket payors, and low work hours.

The public doesn't know all the factors that make medical students so interested in specialties. They just see the superficial medical side (TV drama, technical skill, interesting procedures), hence they think Neurosurg seems really amazing and most medical students would avoid it like the plague.

Who knows what will be competitive 20 years from now, it depends on the technological advances and what the gov't decides to reimburse.

qft

This is why I think it's important to pick a specialty you enjoy. With the current reimbursement climate it seems difficult to really predict where things will be in the next 15 years. You could end up doing a job you hate for many more hours/week than you thought you would. But what do I know. I am but a rising third year.

 

[Valadi]

qft

This is why I think it's important to pick a specialty you enjoy. With the current reimbursement climate it seems difficult to really predict where things will be in the next 15 years. You could end up doing a job you hate for many more hours/week than you thought you would. But what do I know. I am but a rising third year.

I think this is a reason a lot of specialties are adopting aesthetic services into their practice. Have heard of ENT, oral surg, and ob/gyn doing breast augs, optho doing rhino/facelifts, and just about everyone doing botox.