If it hadn't been EM...

[DocVirk]

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I'm just curious. If for some reason you couldn't have gone into emergency medicine, what would the next choice have been?

 

[8744]

I'm just curious. If for some reason you couldn't have gone into emergency medicine, what would the next choice have been?

Structural Engineering. I had my bags packed and one fit out the door when I matched.

 

[EctopicFetus]

Lol.. back to the business world.. actually prob Peds then Peds Cards or Peds GI or NICU...

 

[Rockhouse]

Structural Engineering. I had my bags packed and one fit out the door when I matched.

So delightfully jaded Panda

 

[SoCuteMD]

I'm not voting since I'm not even in the clinical years yet, but I think I'd probably end up doing surgery. Or maybe Anesthesia. I'd hate the boring cases, though.

 

[hyperbaric]

I'm not voting since I'm not even in the clinical years yet, but I think I'd probably end up doing surgery. Or maybe Anesthesia. I'd hate the boring cases, though.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[medivac]

I wanted to be a peds surgeon. I just didn't want the lifestyle that went with the peds surgeon job...


and now after living the life of a flight surgeon, I am all about the lifestyle of EM (well...once this residency thing is out of the way....)

 

[EctopicFetus]

I'm not voting since I'm not even in the clinical years yet, but I think I'd probably end up doing surgery. Or maybe Anesthesia. I'd hate the boring cases, though.

most of them are boring.. but if you like reading magazines..!

 

[8744]

So delightfully jaded Panda

I'm serious. Other than radiology, Emergency Medicine is the only thing I really had an interest in.

 

[8744]

And I am so not jaded. I'm just a misanthropist.

 

[Rockhouse]

And I am so not jaded. I'm just a misanthropist.

I guess it is better to have always been distrustful than to have become that way. Don't get me wrong though, panda, I like your style. I just hope my interests are a little more broad by the time I get outta school... because pushing papers in an office back home sounds like a lot less fun than engineering.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

"one fit out the door"

*Mental image of Panda, MD having a seizure*

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Anesthesia, CCM, neonatology or rads for me. Pathology is another choice since I go through periods of time where I just plain can't stand people (earlier this week was one of them, hence all the odd posts I made).

 

[trkd]

Family practice. Yeah, everyone may find it boring but I really enjoyed it. I don't get the poor and uninsured with FP though and I like that.

 

[kbrown]

pediatrics definitely. love kiddos. might do peds fellowship.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

And I am so not jaded. I'm just a misanthropist.

My daughter's maternal grandfather likes to call me "the textbook example of a misanthrope".

 

[Ceez]

peds residency...then peds EM 😀

 

[Pose]

I can't answer, because I'm not an EP, or doctor. However, I'm a tech/EMT, and I don't care.

If not EM, then CCM. If not CCM, then anesthesia. If CC, possibly anesthesia.

 

[Dukes]

While in med school I would have said anesthesia or surgery. Now that I have a real taste of EM in residency I really don't know if I could do anything else. If I had to switch today I might go for urology.

 

[basementbeastie]

While in med school I would have said anesthesia or surgery. Now that I have a real taste of EM in residency I really don't know if I could do anything else. If I had to switch today I might go for urology.

aaaahhhhh...urology....the gentleman surgeon...

 

[totalbodypain]

Actually EM was my back up. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and had my sites set on the porn industry. Unfortunately unlike Panda, I wasn't equiped for the job....EM for me....🙁

 

[sese]

cardiothoracic surgery or interventional cardiology, but i would dread going through general surgery and internal med residency. i liked the combo of physiology with actually doing something...

 

[EctopicFetus]

frankly im surprised so many people have GAS on the list.. weird.

 

[Apollyon]

frankly im surprised so many people have GAS on the list.. weird.

Not weird at all. At all, at all.

As has been said, gas is managing critical patients, shift work, and procedures. Sound familiar?

The difference is that gas is scheduled and orderly (very usually), versus our unscheduled, unfiltered patient base.

 

[WakeMedHeel]

The differences between anesthesia and EM are far greater than the similarities. IMO, the main reason so many list them together is that they are considered lifestyle choices.

 

[Apollyon]

The differences between anesthesia and EM are far greater than the similarities. IMO, the main reason so many list them together is that they are considered lifestyle choices.

Once again, an opinion. Numbers of people would disagree, and say that similarities are far greater than the differences - especially for gas docs that do regional or peds/outpatient stuff.

In any case, the numbers speak for themselves. In the non-scientific sample, people en masse are saying more than one or two people.

 

[Rockhouse]

Not weird at all. At all, at all.

As has been said, gas is managing critical patients, shift work, and procedures. Sound familiar?

The difference is that gas is scheduled and orderly (very usually), versus our unscheduled, unfiltered patient base.

Somewhat off topic, and I imagine the answer to my question is clinic time and rounds/follow up, but why is it that Gas is a lifestyle specialty, and surgery will ruin your lifestyle. If some guy needs emergency surgery at 2am doesn't the gas man have to wake his ass up to come keep the patient asleep? It isn't shifted out is it? On another aside, who does shifts besides EM?

 

[psychbender]

Somewhat off topic, and I imagine the answer to my question is clinic time and rounds/follow up, but why is it that Gas is a lifestyle specialty, and surgery will ruin your lifestyle. If some guy needs emergency surgery at 2am doesn't the gas man have to wake his ass up to come keep the patient asleep? It isn't shifted out is it? On another aside, who does shifts besides EM?

(MS2 answering this, so beware) Depending on how the group handling the anesthesia service works, the doc on call is either home, or in-house, and goes in to do his job. Once off call, he's off call. No rounding, no follow-up, no clinic. As for shift work, I think Hospitalists work regular shifts in some hospitals.

 

[Apollyon]

Somewhat off topic, and I imagine the answer to my question is clinic time and rounds/follow up, but why is it that Gas is a lifestyle specialty, and surgery will ruin your lifestyle. If some guy needs emergency surgery at 2am doesn't the gas man have to wake his ass up to come keep the patient asleep? It isn't shifted out is it? On another aside, who does shifts besides EM?

Shift work: anybody who only does an outpatient clinic, hospitalists (IM and peds), EM, anesthesia groups or academia (such as the ob overnight - unless you're in a case, when 8am rolls around, you walk out).

Gas is a separate adjunct to surgery (think yin and yang). Gas gets paid whether the surgery gets done or not, whereas the surgeons are paid by case. That's why the gas guys and ladies can get paid a flat rate (which is substantial), but, if a surgeon wants more $$, s/he has to work that much harder. Likewise, that flat rate is why they can do shift work, especially in bigger groups - if you are on call every 8th or 11th day, so what? That just means hanging out at home, and no wine with dinner (especially if your call days are paid anyhow - getting $ to sit at home).