Human Sexuality Subspecialty?

[goodlookinrebel]

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Hello. I am very interested in human sexuality (and the chemical basis of) and relationships in general, and was wondering what the best specialty would be. I am assuming either reproductive endocrinology, urology, or private practice psychiatry, but I really don't know. Am I overlooking any other subspecialties here? I understand that an academic PhD position would sound like the most obvious, but I wish to be a clinician, and specifically and medical doctor.

 

[shiftingmirage]

If you are interested in sexual reassignment surgery, you will have to do a surgery residency. From what they show on TLC, even though you are a surgeon, you deal with the hormones, and the psych aspects as well. And I would assume the hormones and psych aren't limited to just reassignment, but it seems to provide the mix you are interested in.

 

[Web MD]

As someone focusing on human sexuality throughout undergrad, and hopefully refining my skills throughout the stressful years of med school, I think this is a proud and noble endeavor champ 👍

 

[Mattabet]

If you're thinking 'relationships in general', it's psychiatry, in my book. Although all the 'experts' in human sex that taught were Psychologists. I feel like sexuality falls more under the psychology category than psychiatry, but there's probably room for a medical opinion if you want to make that your job. (Just not many drugs, and the ones there are can be prescribed by a 4-year old, "take this for your penis, if you go blind or it doesn't stop, come back and see me")

 

[MegaProjectile]

Hello. I am very interested in human sexuality (and the chemical basis of) and relationships in general, and was wondering what the best specialty would be. I am assuming either reproductive endocrinology, urology, or private practice psychiatry, but I really don't know. Am I overlooking any other subspecialties here? I understand that an academic PhD position would sound like the most obvious, but I wish to be a clinician, and specifically and medical doctor.

Sigmund Freud and Alfred Kinsey revolutionized the field of psychological and ,to some extent psychiatry ,when they expounded on the topic of Human Sexuality. So far, human sexuality has remain in the domain of those two fields. At this point, human sexuality is still very theoretical and not an empirical science. As a result, it's very academic and an MD/Phd would be ideal and would give you the versatility to approach the topic clinically(diagnosing and treating sexual dysfunction) and theoretically.

Answer: MD/Phd in Psychiatry with expertise in Human Sexuality.

 

[TopSecret]

Hello. I am very interested in human sexuality (and the chemical basis of) and relationships in general, and was wondering what the best specialty would be. I am assuming either reproductive endocrinology, urology, or private practice psychiatry, but I really don't know. Am I overlooking any other subspecialties here? I understand that an academic PhD position would sound like the most obvious, but I wish to be a clinician, and specifically and medical doctor.

Psychiatry.

 

[DeadliestSnatch]

Reproductive endo would be pretty boring if you're interested in sexuality & relationships...all you'd do all day is talk to women who can't conceive. Seems pretty depressing/annoying. And urology...meh. Not really related to relationships, and the sex part is probably more minimal than you'd think.

So yeah, definitely Psychiatry. There is a HUGE need for sex-friendly Psychiatrists (that sounded wrong, but you know what I mean).

 

[goodlookinrebel]

Well there are probably not a lot of sex friendly psychiatrists because sex is dirty, not to mention unpleasant👎, I thought that would be obvious. That was me being facetious. Thanx for the replies all....sounds like psych is a good bet, but I plan on taking endo and urology clerkships just to really learn the chemistry and what have you inside and out. And of course lots of neuro and perhaps some neuro-endo, if that is a possible clerkship to get.

 

[apumic]

Honestly, you're going to get more of what you're asking for from a biologically-based clinical psych PhD program w/ an emphasis in human sexuality (which also leads to being a clinician, albeit a psychologist) than from medicine if you're wanting to continue work in human sexuality. Most of the empirical research on human sexuality has been done by psychiatrists, including both behavioral and neurobiological research. What exactly do you hope to do as a clinician? How do you intend to actually treat people (what illnesses, what types of treatments, etc.)?

 

[muhali3]

You could try a combined IM-psych or neuro-psych residency.