If debt wasn't an issue, would you still do medicine if you couldn't match into your field of choice?

[slowthai]

I was reading a thread on reasons to NOT choose a specialty on reddit and that's when I thought of this question in case you were wonderinggg

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[Lawpy]

Yeah because i like pretty much every field (or at the very least, i don't completely hate any particular field).

It's not ideal but not a deal breaker for me

 

[Lem0nz]

No, absolutely not. Not even a little.

 

[lanzhou_lamian]

There a number of specialties that I could be happy in (and a few that I know I wouldn't.) Even if I couldn't match into my "field of choice", as long as I had some degree of choice (say, being able to match into one of my top 5 fields), that'd still be fine.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Definitely

 

[TakotsuboOkazaki]

There a number of specialties that I could be happy in (and a few that I know I wouldn't.) Even if I couldn't match into my "field of choice", as long as I had some degree of choice (say, being able to match into one of my top 5 fields), that'd still be fine.

My answer would be no, for reasons along this line of thought.

I don't think I could relinquish that much control of my life, regardless of the cost. There are many fields in medicine that interest me, but there are also many that do not. I wouldn't want to be stuck doing geriatrics, bariatrics, pain management, neurology, or orthopedic surgery (go on, shoot me) for example.

I'd take 200K+ in debt and the career I choose over no debt and one I didn't choose (and potentially actively dislike) any day.

If it was "random medicine specialty or not medicine", my choice would be not medicine.

 

[slowthai]

My answer would be no, for reasons along this line of thought.

I don't think I could relinquish that much control of my life, regardless of the cost. There are many fields in medicine that interest me, but there are also many that do not. I wouldn't want to be stuck doing geriatrics, bariatrics, pain management, neurology, or orthopedic surgery (go on, shoot me) for example.

I'd take 200K+ in debt and the career I choose over no debt and one I didn't choose (and potentially actively dislike) any day.

If it was "random medicine specialty or not medicine", my choice would be not medicine.

I can relate to this. I probably won't have a solid answer either way until I'm a resident/attending. But as a man of approximately 0 talents, I'd be screwed if I left with that much debt haha

I've got a first choice specialty or die attitude, but I like to plan for the worst case as well. I've got a few other specialties I could see myself being okay with.

 

[longhaul3]

Yes, but for a limited number of other specialties. I love my specialty but could have been happy in trauma surgery, CTS, possibly radiology and some others.

Probably most other specialties really, but there would be a few utter dealbreakers. Like neurology. Or peds.

 

[slowthai]

Yes, but for a limited number of other specialties. I love my specialty but could have been happy in trauma surgery, CTS, possibly radiology and some others.

Probably most other specialties really, but there would be a few utter dealbreakers. Like neurology. Or peds.

This is pretty funny given what specialty you're in, lol. But I get it haha

 

[Neopolymath]

Absolutely thankfully I hated almost everything but not everything haha

 

[Phloston]

I had debt but chose not to go the hospital route and moved to East Asia instead. You have to just do what you want in life. Bear in mind that the views you get on this forum are going to be hugely skewed toward pursuing the safe route, since most everyone here is biased and on the conveyor belt themselves.

 

[CricB4Tube]

I'm getting paid to go to med school, so I'll actually come out financially positive, and while I think I'd love a competitive specialty, I'd still be happy in something less competitive like rural IM/FM.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

No debt and I get paid to go to med school. There are only a few specialties I would rather not be in medicine than do, so I voted yes.

 

[InFreudWeTrust]

Too much work to not end up doing what you like/love, regardless of the debt.

 

[Nespresso]

I’d rather sell tacos than be a PCP or a pediatrician

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I’d rather sell tacos than be a PCP or a pediatrician

Classy

 

[Banco]

I'm going into surgery. So if that was out, I would be happy with any of the surgical subspecialties honestly. I could also see myself doing IM + specialization. And if push comes to shove I could also do primary care.

Might draw the line at psychiatry.

 

[phynix815]

how do u get paid to go to medical school lol

 

[radsisrad]

how do u get paid to go to medical school lol

MSTP or military

 

[MedLife20]

how do u get paid to go to medical school lol

My grandma gave me $20 when I got accepted.

 

[Tangerine123]

I'm in psych, but I wouldn't re-do medicine even of they paid me.

If psychiatry weren't an option, then you would see me crawling back to the admissions office at my university. Eyeing through the course catalogue of stuff that would have made me happier.

I'm running away from medicine, but it ain't easy. In some parallel world i'm a happy Marine Biologist/Ecologist.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

how do u get paid to go to medical school lol

I go to USUHS.

 

[longhaul3]

This is pretty funny given what specialty you're in, lol. But I get it haha

Neurology and neurosurgery are more complementary than overlapping (which is why they both exist as separate specialties).

Moreover, as most probably know, the culture and personalities could hardly be more different.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

I would do something else. I have plenty of curiosity about medicine and would find something, possibly Pulm critical care. I would have to really take Zofran on a daily basis for the nausea on IM inpatient rounds. That IM recertification every 10 yrs would be painful too, but the day to day would be interesting.

 

[Chemist0157]

It's hard to imagine not being a doctor. Being an IM subspecialist, I could fall back to IM and do hospital medicine/primary care or other subspecialty. If IM was off limits, I could see myself doing anything that was not pediatrics, surgery, EM, OB/GYN. I made the best choices I thought I was making at the time going through the process, but that does not mean I would not be as happy (even happier?) doing something else.