If you had to pick your specialty today...

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muhali3 said:
That's something I definitely look for in a specialty. I prefer curing someone instead of just treating them.
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hmmm... I'm not sure what (if anything) you are trying to imply, but there are tons of diseases that are managed rather than cured... diabetes, arthritis, HIV, Crohns, glaucoma, Alzheimers, etc...

I wouldn't be surprised if most doctors actually "treat" rather than "cure."
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rHinO1 said:
Orthopedics, total joints (knees & hips).

Good pay, awesome surgical instruments, and the ability to improve patients quality of life quickly with a high success rate. Also, a good balance of surgical and clinic time.
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hmmm, I had you pegged for anesthesiology. :shrug:

I've had mixed expereince with Ortho. One doc I shadowed took like 4 hours for a total knee. And a total hip was even longer. Sooooo boring (although probably not for him, even though his surgical assistant did most of the work). But another doc I shadowed did knees in 90 minutes (usually less). Thats all he did, knees. I didn't mind working with him nearly as much.
 
Right now, I'm most interested in going into gastroenterology. I've had Crohn's since I was a kid, so this is a specialty that I've had some personal experience with. The management of chronic illnesses like IBD is especially appealing for me, because I know how frustrating it can be for the patient, and I'd kind of like to be there for people through that. And I think it's a really cool field for many reasons -- it seems to be kind of a mixture of "hands-on" since you get to do scopes and stuff, in addition to a lot of direct patient clinic time.

I'm also interested in ortho. They do some cool procedures.
 
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WingedOx said:
True, I also was planning on vaccinating my peds patients, but the because of the autism controversy, I decided measles wasn't so bad.
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Hmmm...what controversy? There's study after study after study finding absolutely no causal link between vaccines and autism. The largest class-action lawsuit filed by parents against vaccine companies was thrown out of court last year. The Lancet and the study authors other than Wakefield have all retracted their position, and as of this week, there seems to be criminal evidence that Wakefield (along with the lawyers that paid him so they could sue the vaccine companies) fraudulantly altered significant portions of patient information and diagnoses.

And while measels may not seem like a big deal, according to the WHO, it was responsible for an estimated 164,000 deaths in 2008. Kids don't die from autism.
 
BigRedBeta said:
Hmmm...what controversy? There's study after study after study finding absolutely no causal link between vaccines and autism. The largest class-action lawsuit filed by parents against vaccine companies was thrown out of court last year. The Lancet and the study authors other than Wakefield have all retracted their position, and as of this week, there seems to be criminal evidence that Wakefield (along with the lawyers that paid him so they could sue the vaccine companies) fraudulantly altered significant portions of patient information and diagnoses.

And while measels may not seem like a big deal, according to the WHO, it was responsible for an estimated 164,000 deaths in 2008. Kids don't die from autism.
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my apologies if you couldn't pick out the sarcastic response to the stupidity of the poster I was replying to. Next time I will include a smiley just for you. :rolleyes:
 
rHinO1 said:
hmmm... I'm not sure what (if anything) you are trying to imply, but there are tons of diseases that are managed rather than cured... diabetes, arthritis, HIV, Crohns, glaucoma, Alzheimers, etc...

I wouldn't be surprised if most doctors actually "treat" rather than "cure."
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Well, I don't think I said what I meant correctly. I mean I prefer specialties where the majority of patients get better quickly and are satisfied with what you have done for them. Specialties like REI, Ortho, Derm and not like Cardiology or Neurology. Or more aptly put, I'd rather be a general surgeon than an internist, not because I love surgery, but I feel like you can do more for a patient in Gen Surg vs. IM.
 
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muhali3 said:
Well, I don't think I said what I meant correctly. I mean I prefer specialties where the majority of patients get better quickly and are satisfied with what you have done for them. Specialties like REI, Ortho, Derm, Allergy/Immuno, Sleep Med, Pain Med and not like Cardiology or Neurology. Or more aptly put, I'd rather be a general surgeon than an internist, not because I love surgery, but I feel like you can do more for a patient in Gen Surg vs. IM.
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I know what you mean, Muhali. You mean you're interested in specialties where you see your patients get better quickly as a direct result of your care as opposed to just managing problems, like an REI's patient finally conceiving as a result of Clomid, IUI or IVF, or an Ortho replacing someone's hip and they can walk without constant pain again.
 
I'm interested in primary care mostly so, FM/IM, that kind of stuff. Psych seems really fun too but i don't want to shoot myself from talking to so many crazies. PM&R sounds like a relaxed job, but I'm not sure of the job prospects.
 
muhali3 said:
Well, I don't think I said what I meant correctly. I mean I prefer specialties where the majority of patients get better quickly and are satisfied with what you have done for them.
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Yea, that's sort of the answer I get from a lot of surgeons. That they went into surgery because they liked the idea of immediately fixing problems rather than waiting for weeks/months to see if a pharmacologic intervention worked. I understand and respect that view.
 
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the kind that lets you put braces on teeth.
 
I'm new to posting around these parts, but I've been lurking for a little while so I'll play ball:

Either Heme/Onc or Rad Onc for me. Personal experience (not me, but someone close) turned me on to it, and then some research experience def helped solidify my interest. Plus the idea of having all these new therapies on the verge is pretty intriguing to me.

I actually had an interesting conversation with a pediatric oncologist about a week ago, and she strongly urged me to go the peds heme/onc route because experimental and cutting edge treatments are now considered standard of care in peds, while in traditional oncology a lot of docs are surprisingly committed to older therapies and a palliative approach. Definitely never thought of it that way before.
 
General Surgery... hopefully specializing in trauma, or vascular surgery looks quite interesting as well!
 
muhali3 said:
Well, I don't think I said what I meant correctly. I mean I prefer specialties where the majority of patients get better quickly and are satisfied with what you have done for them. Specialties like REI, Ortho, Derm and not like Cardiology or Neurology. Or more aptly put, I'd rather be a general surgeon than an internist, not because I love surgery, but I feel like you can do more for a patient in Gen Surg vs. IM.
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oh ok, I totally misinterpreted your previous comment. I actually have similar goals in what I want to do in medicine. :thumbup:
 
I think some sort of surgery would be most satisfying. Then when someone gets better, it's not because I correctly diagnosed them and prescribed them a drug developed my a pharmaceutical company, it's because I cut them open, reached inside with my sausage fingers, and fixed the problem. Or is that not quite how surgery works? I guess I'm looking for the feeling of direct personal achievement, where I, not a drug, am curing the patient.
 
anesthesiology, cuz when $hit hits the fan, I'll be in control.
 
Definitely some variation of surgery. Neuro- would be nice, general too, preferable not in a trauma type settings as those I am assume would be even more stressful to an already stressful job.

Mostly because you have that "I have your life in my hands" and also because you are more directly responsible for the patient's results. So say you are doing some surgery to remove some tumor out of a guy's body. After a few hours of careful cutting and removing you can go, "**** yeah! In your face cancer!" I bet a pharmacist can't say the same when dealing out their medications. :p

Pay is good, but also the fact that your work' results can be life changing is rather badass as well.
 
Anthing Surgical (NOT-Urology!)
I miss the O.R. (former surgical tech)!
 
cocoa butter said:
Forensic Pathology.

I want to examine bodies for the FBI.
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That sounds fantastic!!

To be honest, I get new ideas every few months. Believe it or not it's OKAY to be zen about these things.

I'm a Neuroscience major but I'm actually really interested in clinical research. I would love to study Sickle Cell Anemia, so that can take me towards genetics (Gene therapy) or hematology.

I guess we'll see.
 
Psychiatry and/or neurology. I have done some research into this topic (not in medical school yet, LOL), and know a few schools have fellowships in neuropsychiatry. I have always had an interest in the brain, but I am really interested in neurological disorders and psychiatric illnesses. My choice specialty hasn't changed but developed more. Psychiatry--1st then neurology 2nd, and lastly neuropsychiatry. That's my two cents.:):)
 
Infectious Disease. The research is awesome, microbes are cool, and just when you think you have it figured out some nasty new little thing pops up.

I'm also an epidemiology dork and EIS is sort of my dream job... what could be greater than flying around the country/world trying to solve outbreaks?
 
Wiingy said:
Infectious Disease. The research is awesome, microbes are cool, and just when you think you have it figured out some nasty new little thing pops up.

I'm also an epidemiology dork and EIS is sort of my dream job... what could be greater than flying around the country/world trying to solve outbreaks?
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yeah, ID physicians have very high satisfaction rates and very low dissatisfaction rates despite their low income. The job does not become routine like other specialties because infectious diseases are always evolving rapidly.
 
I am currently shadowing a FM physician and I have been loving every aspect of family medicine. So for right now

~~~ Family Medicine ~~~
 
I've decided that on the side I'm going to do be a physician case manager. Easy money. :)
 
Evidence Based said:
Psychiatry.
Most people who think it's bull**** have never needed one.
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If i had to pick today, i would do Psychiatry as well.

Like you said, many people who are against psychiatry are those who haven't seen the wonders it can do.

A family member of mine has schizophrenia. While he is on the medication he is very capable of functioning in society. One day for whatever reason he decided to stop taking his medication. He began hearing voices, would often talk and giggle with no one in the room, and would often speak nonsense. It eventually got so bad that he flooded his apartment in an attempt to quiet the noises coming from his downstairs neighbors (even though there were no noises).

He was eventually put in a psychiatric ward(the official name of them escapes me at the moment), and after he was put on his medication he once again became a functional member or society. Now I'm not going to lie, he is definitely not 100% functioning normal, and he is a bit sluggish which is probably in part due to the medication, however if you saw him you would never guess that he has schizophrenia.

This is what is motivating me to become a doctor, more specifically a psychiatrist.


ps - and yes i do know that there are a lot of psychiatrist that may not be working for the well being of their patients and simply for their own wallet, but isn't that true for every specialty?
 
Probably Radiation Oncology, I will confirm this when I go to shadow a Rad/Onc on Monday. I think it's a good mix of procedures, patient contact, research, physical sci, and biological sci. The only thing it's not is exciting and fast paced (my perception, I'll see what it's really like soon), which is why EM or Trauma Surg is my second choice. Also like the idea of treating sports injuries, especially dance injuries, so PM&R is on the short list. Gonna shadow a PM&R dude soon, too.
 
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I am GOING for Dermatology :). It is the BEST Field and I am fascinated with skin since it's the largest organ in/on our body :).
I am interested in Dermpathology, Pediatric Derm and some Morh's surgeries for ya!!

YEAH BOY!!!
 
right now im really feelin EM, and maybe if i like my surgery rotation then ill look into trauma surgery. i want to do a little bit of everything, and the idea of stabilizing and shipping off sounds great. im an adrenaline junkie and i work best in chaos and under pressure. doing mundane, non-emergency things every day would be really boring... although the general medicine that many EM doctors practice (fevers, patching up drunks, etc.) in between the exciting stuff would also be great, since i really want to work with underserved populations. i also really like the camaraderie that develops in ERs.

im also really into doing a fellowship in emergency medicine/disaster management/international health. my dream is to work for the UN to help organize disaster response following natural disasters and armed conflict.

all this could change, but there is one thing i know for sure... you will never, EVER find me in a basic science research lab again. maybe some public health research is in my future, but im so over sitting at a bench.
 
I always laugh when I read these threads. About 60% of the responses, at least, are just about every specialty you can think of that pays more than the average salary. It's almost as if the thought of ONLY making $125/hour isn't good enough for the majority of pre-medders.

For me, probably Emergency Medicine as I love thinking on my feet and making rash decisions, or some kind of Sports Medicine route.

I won't pretend that "neurosurgery is my true calling" like some people on here, simply because I've never performed it. Perhaps some day I'll find out I really do have a passion for that, and then I will pursue a surgical route.
 
Not really sure about specialty but if I had to pick residency right now I'd go with internal med, emergency, or general surgery.
 
futuredoctor328 said:
I am GOING for Dermatology :). It is the BEST Field and I am fascinated with skin since it's the largest organ in/on our body :).
I am interested in Dermpathology, Pediatric Derm and some Morh's surgeries for ya!!

YEAH BOY!!!
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I shadowed a dermatologist yesterday and was struck by the fact that she essentially *cured cancer* in under 15 minutes.
 
huyem12 said:
Dermatology hands down.

I love the fact that I can interact with a diverse group of patients from all age groups. Moreover, the fact that I can also specialize in minor surgeries is awesome (i.e. laser surgery, liposuction, hair transplants, correction for acne scaring). :love:

This field gives me all the patient interaction I could want and a lot of free time outside of my practice.

Also, I've struggled with acne all my life so I wouldn't mind seeing teenagers with acne problems over and over again. Common skin disorders don't really bore me because I get so fascinated by everything.

There's a three-way tie for second place for me:
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Anesthesiology
  • Plastic Surgery

Though, most of these fields I'm considering are more in the private-practice arena. I also have a passion for academia, so if I decide to get into teaching and clinical research, I would choose Medical Oncology.
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Wow. You complete me. I'm interested in the exact same things for very similar reasons.
 
Frazier said:
"Cured" it or rather cut it out?
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Sorry, I meant "cured cancer" rather tongue-in-cheek. She definitely just cut/scraped it out. But still, the guy had cancer one minute, and (theoretically) didn't have it the next. I'm not saying I thought it was magical, just kind of a mind-warp thinking about the range of "cancer."
 
PostHaste said:
Sorry, I meant "cured cancer" rather tongue-in-cheek. She definitely just cut/scraped it out. But still, the guy had cancer one minute, and (theoretically) didn't have it the next. I'm not saying I thought it was magical, just kind of a mind-warp thinking about the range of "cancer."
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lol yea I knew what you meant. I was just giving you a hard time. :D
 
omgyou8myrice said:
I always laugh when I read these threads. About 60% of the responses, at least, are just about every specialty you can think of that pays more than the average salary. It's almost as if the thought of ONLY making $125/hour isn't good enough for the majority of pre-medders.

For me, probably Emergency Medicine as I love thinking on my feet and making rash decisions, or some kind of Sports Medicine route.

I won't pretend that "neurosurgery is my true calling" like some people on here, simply because I've never performed it. Perhaps some day I'll find out I really do have a passion for that, and then I will pursue a surgical route.
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you've never performed EM either, go figure
 
And EM also pays better than average ;)

of course, when you say 60% are above the mean... Not exactly a radical statement
 
Orthopedic - sports medicine

I was an athlete in college who had alot of problems with injuries. I was really fasinated with sports related injuries

or Rural family medicine

I like the broad scope of the practice, and I want to live in small town.
 
803 said:
Orthopedic - sports medicine
or Rural family medicine

I like the broad scope of the practice, and I want to live in small town.
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I'd be right there with you, if only my husband weren't deathly afraid of dirt, fresh air, and Carharts.
 
I've been considering urology.

I'm female.

haha.


But for reals, there is a high chance I might end up in that field.

Other specialities: Ortho (long time love), derm, radiology (I <3 x-rays), PN&R, psych, EM, or general surgery. Honestly I am pretty open to anything -- except FM/peds/IMs, as I think that will be moving more towards PAs and Dr. nurses in the future.
 
I would probably have to go with Emergency Medicine. I had the opportunity to work in an ER this past summer and I loved the fast pace and intensity that comes with working in this department.

I would also consider Sports Medicine since I'm an athlete and have dealt with many injuries throughout my life (including a small fracture in my spine which was pretty painful :thumbdown: )
 
803 said:
Orthopedic - sports medicine

I was an athlete in college who had alot of problems with injuries. I was really fasinated with sports related injuries
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Ortho for me.

I'm a college athlete who had tons of problems with injuries, too. Last year I had multiple elbow fractures and a torn UCL and ultimately had tommy john done. A couple hours before the surgery I asked the surgeon if I could have the surgery video recorded so I could watch it when it was over. Sweetest thing ever!
 
IM subspecialty... Endocrinology or Nephrology, if I had to pick today!

Endo b/c I'm a type 1 diabetic... I've had a lot of personal experience managing a chronic endo disorder and think I could relate really well to a lot of my patients... BUT I don't know if I want that much diabetes in my professional life as well as in my personal life, so I've also considered Nephro. There are a lot of diverse settings for practicing - private clinic, dialysis center, consulting on acute cases in the hospital, etc., so we'll see!
 
I think Pathology looks interesting.

After that, I'd have to go with an IM subspecialty. Being a microbiology major, Infectious Disease sounds enticing.

Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Neurology, and the surgery specialties that have a good mix of surgery and clinic would be up next.

Things I'm pretty sure I will not be interested in are the primary care fields, overly surgery-based specialties, and EM.
 
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