If you had to pick your specialty today...

[Geekchick921]

Yes, I know this thread happens every few months, but the the people that respond and the answers that they give are always different.

So... if you had to choose your specialty/subspecialty today, what would you pick? What is currently the most interesting thing to you? Don't worry about the competitiveness or length of residency/fellowship.

Lately, the one that's been at the forefront in my mind is Reproductive endocrinology/Infertility. It has always been near the top of the list in my head and in the last few months it's really been numero uno.

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[courtnes]

Yes, I know this thread happens every few months, but the the people that respond and the answers that they give are always different.

So... if you had to choose your specialty/subspecialty today, what would you pick? What is currently the most interesting thing to you? Don't worry about the competitiveness or length of residency/fellowship.

Lately, the one that's been at the forefront in my mind is Reproductive endocrinology/Infertility. It has always been near the top of the list in my head and in the last few months it's really been numero uno.

Lately, I've leaned more and more toward CT surgery. Thank you, work, for interesting me in yet another "I'll have no life" specialty. Maybe I should go shadow my dad's derm guy and get out of that trend, he has now offered twice.

 

[fishsticks2629]

Yes, I know this thread happens every few months, but the the people that respond and the answers that they give are always different.

So... if you had to choose your specialty/subspecialty today, what would you pick? What is currently the most interesting thing to you? Don't worry about the competitiveness or length of residency/fellowship.

Lately, the one that's been at the forefront in my mind is Reproductive endocrinology/Infertility. It has always been near the top of the list in my head and in the last few months it's really been numero uno.

Something in surgery for sure. I work in the hospital as a CNA and I dont see myself doing internal medicine. I have been watching heart surgeries on youtube, it would be awesome to be a CT surgeon (purely based on superficial reasons). I think doing procedures throughout the day would be a little more fulfilling than going through paper work all day.

 

[mauberley]

Emergency medicine. The opportunity to see a variety of cases intrigues me--and I'm a latent adrenaline junkie. The idealist in me believes that's enough for me to put up with the negative aspects of EM.

 

[unhappytnt]

Realistically speaking, neurology. But if I were to choose anything I'd probably go with dermatopathology, simply because it has the best hours and pay.

 

[blh53]

vascular surgery. i've flip-flopped on this a bunch of times but thats my lastest interest.

also, i think i would love neuro-interventional radiology but its next to impossible to get into.

 

[SnoopyMD]

Something surgical, but by surgical I mean anything from OB/GYN to neurosurgery. Probably OB/GYN or general surgery. I like the diversity of subspecializations with OB/GYN such as maternal-fetal medicine, gyn onc, etc., but I like the breadth of scope that general surgery offers.

 

[familyaerospace]

First choice: Neurology with a fellowship in aerospace medicine.
Second choice: Internal Medicine with a fellowship in aerospace medicine

I've always had an interest in aerospace medicine. I've always had an interest in the human brain. Internal Medicine has a very specific benefit I want and that is to function as a PCP and I like it more than family. Actually if neurology could do one specific thing (be a primary care provider to the LGBT community), internal medicine wouldn't have a chance.

 

[Narmerguy]

Radiation oncology

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Neurology or psychiatry
Though I'd be tempted to sub-specialize in either sleep medicine or pain management.

 

[Geekchick921]

Something surgical, but by surgical I mean anything from OB/GYN to neurosurgery. Probably OB/GYN or general surgery. I like the diversity of subspecializations with OB/GYN such as maternal-fetal medicine, gyn onc, etc., but I like the breadth of scope that general surgery offers.

I would think MFM is the least surgically oriented of the Ob/Gyn subspecialties, but a fascinating field nonetheless! You know there is a subspecialty or two of Ob/Gyn geared towards pelvic floor surgeries and urogynecology?

 

[SnoopyMD]

Yes, those would be two cool subspecialties, as well! Gyn oncology is the most interesting to me ATM, but this is of course subject to change.

 

[circulus vitios]

Radiology. Their tools and procedures are awesome and the pay is even better.

Ophthalmology is in second place. Eyes are beautiful and the technical skill needed to do stuff like this must be insane.

 

[Ursa]

Yes, I know this thread happens every few months, but the the people that respond and the answers that they give are always different.

So... if you had to choose your specialty/subspecialty today, what would you pick? What is currently the most interesting thing to you? Don't worry about the competitiveness or length of residency/fellowship.

Lately, the one that's been at the forefront in my mind is Reproductive endocrinology/Infertility. It has always been near the top of the list in my head and in the last few months it's really been numero uno.

If you ever get there, I will send my sister to you. She has been trying for a year with no luck.

Emergency medicine. The opportunity to see a variety of cases intrigues me--and I'm a latent adrenaline junkie. The idealist in me believes that's enough for me to put up with the negative aspects of EM.

EM sounds good to me too right now. The shift work combined with the growing trend in satellite Emergency Rooms has piqued my interest.

vascular surgery. i've flip-flopped on this a bunch of times but thats my lastest interest.

also, i think i would love neuro-interventional radiology but its next to impossible to get into.

Vascular Surgery has always been an interest as well. It might due to the fact that a close family friend (and my first physician to shadow) is a Vascular Surgeon. It seems pretty interesting.

In Summary: I don't know.

 

[KUNRD07]

Infectious disease: you work with a lot of different specialties and I love the opportunities it gives you in areas ranging from basic science to investigative epidemiology (EIS/CDC) to global health.

 

[gettheleadout]

^ holy crap @ corneal transplant

 

[Longshanks]

EM or Infectious Disease.

EM since it was my favorite shadowing experience and I was excited to work each night when I was a clerk in the ER. Also the variety of cases. I tend to be interested in many different subjects, and try to be a reinassance man or jack of all trades, so it may fit in with that scheme.

Infectious Disease because of the typical severity of the cases and its one of the oldest ailments we've been attempting to combat since the beginning of our evolution. I could also continue my research interests in the area. Others would describe me more of a people person anyway, so I'd believe I could work well with patients in long-term care who were managing a chronic infectious or immunocompromised condition.

 

[acb88]

Pediatric oncology - i definitely want to do something in pediatrics and oncology has always fascinated me through the few experiences I have had with it

 

[Longshanks]

Yes, those would be two cool subspecialties, as well! Gyn oncology is the most interesting to me ATM, but this is of course subject to change.

Gyn oncoloy was a very interesting section of a pathology course I took in graduate school. The gyn onc pathologist that wrote that section of the final though wrote a ridiculously hard exam for people not in med school yet, but it was very interesting. My lab also collaborated with a gyn oncologist in developing an ovarian cancer tumor vaccine utilizing some of our findings from infectious disease/immunology that showed some promise preliminarily.. at least the model makes sense but tons more work needs to be done.

Good luck! I think you'd enjoy it.

 

[Geekchick921]

Radiology. Their tools and procedures are awesome and the pay is even better.

Ophthalmology is in second place. Eyes are beautiful and the technical skill needed to do stuff like this must be insane.

Ugh... Ophtho is the only thing I will NEVER go into. I agree eyes are beautiful, but the thought of doing surgery on them freaks me right the **** out.

If you ever get there, I will send my sister to you. She has been trying for a year with no luck.

I'm sorry. Really, she should get in touch with an REI doc now. After 12 months of trying (if she's under 35, only 6 months if she's over 35), they recommend seeing an infertility specialist. Good luck to her!

Pediatric oncology - i definitely want to do something in pediatrics and oncology has always fascinated me through the few experiences I have had with it

I alternate between thinking it would mean a lot to me to work in ped-onc, but I don't think I could handle it.

 

[PostHaste]

Top of the list: EM < OB (Hospitalist Only) < Neonatology = Interventional Card/Inverventional Rad = Critical Care

I like babies and emergent/critical stuff, and the ability to do shift work. After 7 years in project management I'm coming to the conclusion that long-term case management (PCP, FM, Oncology, Peds, etc) might not be my forte.

 

[startswithb]

Surgery, surgery, surgery. I learned how to perform surgery on rats and it was one of the most exciting things I have ever done. I've heard surgery described as "driving on an icy road..for hours" and that is actually one reason why I really like it. I love the intense focus that it will take.

My mom wants me to be a urologist. Apparently only 4% of urology residents are female although the patient population is 50% female. That need intrigues me because I would likely be the type that could handle a male-dominated field. And it is a surgical subspecialty of course.

BTW, love this thread.

 

[cocoa butter]

Forensic Pathology.

I want to examine bodies for the FBI.

 

[Geekchick921]

Top of the list: EM < OB (Hospitalist Only) < Neonatology = Interventional Card/Inverventional Rad = Critical Care

I like babies and emergent/critical stuff, and the ability to do shift work. After 7 years in project management I'm coming to the conclusion that long-term case management (PCP, FM, Oncology, Peds, etc) might not be my forte.

Ooh, laborist is something that interests me a lot if I decide to actually go into Ob/Gyn. REI and MFM are two of my top three choices in my head (Neonatology being the third), but the only thing that kind of turns me off from them is not attending births (I'm assuming MFM still does, but only for their current patients, and I'd guess they're mostly C-sections). Unlike most of the pre-allo board, I think I'd really enjoy that.

 

[gettheleadout]

Pediatric neurotransplant surgery.










But seriously, I don't know, Plastics?

 

[MRSAful Fate]

EM with a fellowship in EMS/disaster medicine. I'm 99.9% on EM, the fellowship is dependent on my wife not killing me for staying in school an extra couple years!

 

[PostHaste]

My mom wants me to be a urologist. Apparently only 4% of urology residents are female although the patient population is 50% female. That need intrigues me because I would likely be the type that could handle a male-dominated field. And it is a surgical subspecialty of course.

I guess I was under the impression that Gyn did a lot of the female urology and that "Urology" commonly = penises & prostates. Do urologists trained as urologists actually treat many women?

Geekchick, I get the feeling that the Laborist/OB Hospitalist model is on the rise now that IM Hospitalists seem to have panned out. Our IM Hospitalist group has grown substantially in the past 3 years. Just last year we hired our first OB Hospitalist and that program is set to expand next year (pending economic recovery). I can't say that Hospitalist patients have better outcomes or satisfaction, but I know for dang sure that the PCPs tend to like it. Around here, at least, primary care has turned into a 9-5 job (yeah, yeah, gross generalization, but you get what I mean).

 

[theacks1]

Fetal surgury or more realistically, neonatology.

 

[loveoforganic]

Probably would go with PM&R at the moment, but psychiatry, family med, and heme/onc are still close.

 

[StudyShy]

Urogynecology would be immensly interesting to me. I'm currently writing a paper about Marion Sims, and I would love to do vesico-uterine repairs in developing countries.

Thesis: Southern antebellum ideology regarding African American slaves influenced the practices of James Marion Sims that led to the innovation and advancement of surgical tools and methods in the new field of gynecology.
Topic: James Marion Sims was southern gynecologist who is attributed to being the father of modern surgical gynecology. His surgical methods and tools are still used today such as the Sims' speculum, Sims' position, artificial insemination, and high value placed on sterile technique. In his time, he was hailed as a hero in the United States and Europe for outlining a procedure for repairing vesico-vaginal fistulas that could be easily replicated by surgeons everywhere. Although many women now benefit from Sims' methods, his past is tainted with the unethical treatment of slaves who he experimented on without anesthesia and consent that even his contemporaries found inhumane.

I'm aslo very interested in maternal fetal medicine since I had hyperemesis gravidarum with all three of my pregnancies, and treating women similar with similar disease is the impetus for wanting to return to school and seek a degree in medicine.

Radiology would also be awesome. I always pass by radiology when I go to the ER, and the radiologist always looks so cozy sitting alone in the dark. Maybe this the spelunker coming out in me, though!

In years past, ER was awesome. It's now getting old though. It's the same thing to me over and over again. Maybe I could be a flight physician?

Pediatrics would be cool. I like the little tots.

And then, there is always primary care if I can't get into anything... Actually, I wouldn't mind being a hospitalist. Nurses love them, and you get to have scheduled hours.

Specialties that I would never, ever do:
psychotherapy-talk about quack
opthalmology-cutting into someone's eyeballs scares me even more

 

[Geekchick921]

Geekchick, I get the feeling that the Laborist/OB Hospitalist model is on the rise now that IM Hospitalists seem to have panned out. Our IM Hospitalist group has grown substantially in the past 3 years. Just last year we hired our first OB Hospitalist and that program is set to expand next year (pending economic recovery). I can't say that Hospitalist patients have better outcomes or satisfaction, but I know for dang sure that the PCPs tend to like it. Around here, at least, primary care has turned into a 9-5 job (yeah, yeah, gross generalization, but you get what I mean).

I completely agree! I believe it actually started in Philly (Jeff, I think). Even better than the lifestyle benefits (for both the office Ob/Gyns and the laborists), laborists have been shown to save the hospital money in lawsuits AND (this is hugely important to me, personally) reduce the C-section rate/raise the VBAC rate in those hospitals as well. It makes me happy.

http://www.obgmanagement.com/pdf/2008/2008OBGM_Article2.pdf

And, from http://www.jfponline.com/pages.asp?aid=6999

"
As a result of the move to laborists, we have seen:

• <LI class=body>a 20% increase in patient volume
  <LI class=body>a 50% reduction in cases presented to risk management
  <LI class=body>an increase in vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC), with 78% of attempted VBACs delivered vaginally
  <LI class=body>a decrease in NICU admission
  <LI class=body>a reduction (to zero) in neonatal death
  <LI class=body>a decrease in the C-section rate to 25% (the New Jersey C-section rate is the highest in the United States, at 37%)
  <LI class=body>a 1.1% infection rate following C-section
  <LI class=body>a rate of third- and fourth-degree laceration that is below the national average
• a decreasing length of stay.

"

Fabulous!

 

[panasonic52]

Forensic Pathology.

I want to examine bodies for the FBI.

^this.

 

[epsilonprodigy]

Dreamworld: pediatric neurosurg or transplant surgery

Slightly more real world: neurosurg (maybe vascular?) or PICU

Extremely pessimistic world:

 

[Tappinfool66]

Fetal surgury or more realistically, neonatology.

I've been dreaming of fetal surgery for so long, and I would be so happy if I got to to do it. Not sure if surgery is for me though. I don't have the steadiest hands :/

Been thinking about anesthesiology for a few days. I think it would be really fulfilling if I found the right place, and I'd probably do some kind of research (pain management?) too.

 

[StudyShy]

I guess I was under the impression that Gyn did a lot of the female urology and that "Urology" commonly = penises & prostates. Do urologists trained as urologists actually treat many women?

The hospital that I work with is a small community hospital, and urologists are consulted. During a surgery, they work together to do repairs.

 

[StudyShy]

I completely agree! I believe it actually started in Philly (Jeff, I think). Even better than the lifestyle benefits (for both the office Ob/Gyns and the laborists), laborists have been shown to save the hospital money in lawsuits AND (this is hugely important to me, personally) reduce the C-section rate/raise the VBAC rate in those hospitals as well. It makes me happy.

This would be wonderful. Laborists would probably snuff out the midwives and would be a solution to the "midwifery problem." Midwives are EVIL, but still have good patient outcomes.

 

[DaisyBuchanan]

Ophthalmology! I heart eyeballs.

 

[courtnes]

This would be wonderful. Laborists would probably snuff out the midwives and would be a solution to the "midwifery problem." Midwives are EVIL, but still have good patient outcomes.

They're evil? The couple I've met have been wonderful.

 

[Geekchick921]

This would be wonderful. Laborists would probably snuff out the midwives and would be a solution to the "midwifery problem." Midwives are EVIL, but still have good patient outcomes.

Um...

They're evil? The couple I've met have been wonderful.

Yeah my midwife is fabulous. I think they are a vital part of healthcare, especially for women with uncomplicated pregnancies. *Dons flamesuit* plenty of women don't really NEED to see a physician for their prenatal care and are served just fine by a capable CNM (I'm not going to comment on lay midwives).

 

[Fabio001]

Sleep neurology or neuroradiology. I realize that the pathways to becoming each are quite different, but they both seem right in line with my current interests, + lots of research opportunities.

 

[Ansar]

Orthopedic Surgery

 

[ozzi22]

Surgical oncology. I love surgery and I also love working with cancer

 

[courtnes]

Yeah my midwife is fabulous. I think they are a vital part of healthcare, especially for women with uncomplicated pregnancies. *Dons flamesuit* plenty of women don't really NEED to see a physician for their prenatal care and are served just fine by a capable CNM (I'm not going to comment on lay midwives).

I will back you up on this one, GC. Midwives are a perfectly viable option when it comes to childbirth.

That said, I'd never heard of this laborist concept, but I like it a lot actually.

 

[StudyShy]

They're evil? The couple I've met have been wonderful.

It's a long story. Midwives hate physicians. I was in nurse-midwifery school but not anymore because they didn't like that I wanted to expand my education after completing my degree.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=776559

My school specifically pit midwives against physicians in the very first paper that we had to write. This is the first paper that we wrote: http://www.scribd.com/doc/41795122/...-Nurse-Midwifery-and-Birth-Centers-in-America It's all about the midwifery debate during the 1920s. Notice that papers are written in groups. A lot of midwives come out of this school since it was one of the first in the United States. It's scary that one person can practically write an entire paper with the other person not doing a thing and can still graduate with a master's degree in nursing. Also, my school's goal during orientation was to become equal to OB's in pay and in practice. That's scary with a 2-year graduate degree for a CNM or a 3-year DNP degree.

Even though I have breastfed my children, I can see how not everyone wants to be chided by tit nazis and giving birth naturally. It took me a while to see how other people might want C-sections and epidurals since it was not my original opinion, but now I understand.

I thought that midwives were great before knowing more about their training, professionalism, and attitudes toward other healthcare providers. I'm glad that you have had good experiences though. I know all of them are not bad. I just ran in to a few that I did not like. For instance, Kitty Ernst is wonderful and the funniest 70-year-old ish lady I've ever met.

 

[latrala2300]

Ortho

 

[Geekchick921]

Well, I have to agree that I've gotten a very confrontational vibe from some midwives about their careers and "competition" with doctors, and I'm sorry your school was like that. It is part of the reason I decided not to go that route (after my very unpleasant birth experience with my daughter, I looked into it heavily). They are not all like that, though. The one that is currently who I see for my yearly exam is wonderful. She knows I've applied to medical school and I never got any animosity about it, none of the unprovoked defensiveness I have felt from others. She is also a very "I will try my hardest to give you the birth you want" kind of midwife, be it unmedicated, or given as epidural two steps into the hospital.

It doesn't have to be an "us" vs. "them" thing, and it's a shame a lot of them seem to think that. I think collaborative groups of doctors and CNMs are a great option.

ANYWAY, I really enjoy this discussion, but it's not the point of this thread.

 

[doctorshateher]

Either EM or Infectious Diseases.

EM because I like the pace and the variety of cases.

Infectious diseases because I loved micro and I think it's interesting how infectious diseases were thought to not really be our problem any more and now with antibiotic resistance they are coming back into focus.

...but then again I change my mind about once a month.

 

[StudyShy]

It doesn't have to be an "us" vs. "them" thing, and it's a shame a lot of them seem to think that. I think collaborative groups of doctors and CNMs are a great option.

ANYWAY, I really enjoy this discussion, but it's not the point of this thread.

Absolutely. I guess that I'm still a little bitter about my experience with my school. I really wanted to be a CNM, but the hostility that I encountered was not expected. I thought that they would have been supportive of someone who wanted to learn as much about materal health as possible, however from their history, I now understand that there is a lot of jealously, "would have should haves," "I'm doing the same job as you and maybe even better, why am I not being compensated for my care?" kind of attitudes.

Carry on all!

 

[StudyShy]

Laborists would be awesome, and I would totally go for that.

 

[rafflecopter]

EM or Infectious Disease.

EM since it was my favorite shadowing experience and I was excited to work each night when I was a clerk in the ER. Also the variety of cases. I tend to be interested in many different subjects, and try to be a reinassance man or jack of all trades, so it may fit in with that scheme.

Infectious Disease because of the typical severity of the cases and its one of the oldest ailments we've been attempting to combat since the beginning of our evolution. I could also continue my research interests in the area. Others would describe me more of a people person anyway, so I'd believe I could work well with patients in long-term care who were managing a chronic infectious or immunocompromised condition.

Either EM or Infectious Diseases.

EM because I like the pace and the variety of cases.

Infectious diseases because I loved micro and I think it's interesting how infectious diseases were thought to not really be our problem any more and now with antibiotic resistance they are coming back into focus.

...but then again I change my mind about once a month.

That's funny, EM and ID are my top two choices as well right now. Specialty buddies! Seriously though EM and ID for two very specific reasons: EM for wide range of patients and the ability to treat many acute illnesses (accidents, infections etc). ID for the same reason (wide range of patients, many acute illnesses like hospital acquired infections, but also because of its interesting cases). Downside to ID would have to be the management of chronic conditions (Hep C and HIV come to mind), but I think overall it would be a great choice.