ID vs Clinical Genetics

[Lawgiver]

So even though Im years away I like thinking about it when I have the time. I'm more interested in the cerebral and esoteric side of medicine, not the side with procedures or with using my hands. But I also want to interact with patients as well. Also, while income is not a top concern for me, it does appear on average ID docs make 50-70k more a year starting out.

I like ID because it seems there is more I can actually do to make an immediate difference. Genetics I just find fascinating and can't get enough of it. But it seems all the really cool stuff is decades away.

And it seems there should be a lot of overlap between ID and CG? I'd like to do ID if I could also spend a lot of time focusing on the genetic aspects of infection.

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[Ivos]

What

 

[Lawgiver]

Thanks.

 

[Ivos]

Ok,
ID: low pay, not very cerebral, quite a bit of procedures
CD: not related to ID at all. Really about as different as they come. Cool stuff is happening pretty much now, with wide genome sequencing becoming cheap and fast.

You seem like you might prefer neuro or rheuma. Also, pay in 5-10 years could well be vastly different, plan for personal happiness instead.

 

[gutonc]

Perhaps in Sweden ID docs do procedures, but not in the US. In fact, rheumatologists and neurologists do way more procedures than ID.

Medical genetics is an almost non-clinical type of job. Lots of reading, research if that's the kind of job you have and reviewing the data collected by the MS, PA, NP (usually MS) who works with you before giving the actual recommendations. 99% of Med Gen can be done in the complete absence of an actual patient. The remaining 1% is how you get paid.

 

[Raryn]

Ok,
ID: low pay, not very cerebral, quite a bit of procedures
CD: not related to ID at all. Really about as different as they come. Cool stuff is happening pretty much now, with wide genome sequencing becoming cheap and fast.

You seem like you might prefer neuro or rheuma. Also, pay in 5-10 years could well be vastly different, plan for personal happiness instead.

Outside of the occasional lumbar puncture if they really want to do it (most have radiology just do them), ID does zero procedures. And is almost entirely cerebral.

 

[Ivos]

I stand corrected

 

[Lawgiver]

Well it seems its a bit different in Sweden. In US then are ID and Genetics similar?

Outside of the occasional lumbar puncture if they really want to do it (most have radiology just do them), ID does zero procedures. And is almost entirely cerebral.

So do ID and genetics overlap in your opinion?

 

[Raryn]

Well it seems its a bit different in Sweden. In US then are ID and Genetics similar?


So do ID and genetics overlap in your opinion?

I can see that there might be some overlap in the people that might be interested in the two but there's practically no overlap in the actual entities the two treat. Both are "cerebral" specialties that are quite underpaid. ID is probably the lowest paying IM subspecialty (outside of maybe geriatrics) and medical genetics is the lowest paying medical specialty in general.

Both are generally consulting services with ID being more clinically focused (in addition to the primary care for HIV component) and most geneticists having much more of a research focus.

 

[Lawgiver]

Ahh, thank you. Lucky for me I'm not money driven. Can you take a look at this residency and confirm it is what I think it is? It looks like its 3 years and does not require the usual 2+2 thing I'm used to seeing. So once you match after med school, its 3 years and you are board eligible?

In re: "Categorical Residency"

https://igm.jhmi.edu/content/clinical-residencies-overview

 

[gutonc]

It's one thing to not be "money driven", it's yet another to not be able to get a job. The market for purely clinical genetics is small. If you really want to do Med Gen, you'd be better served by doing an IM/Med Gen program. Sure, it's 2 years longer, but you'll always have a job.

 

[DarkForest]

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