If you had to pick your specialty today...

[muhali3]

Either Medical Oncology, or Infectious Disease (Im taking immunology right now and its pretty awesome).

So why not Allergy/Immunology or rheumatology?

ID is pretty awesome though. Imo, we are just beginning to understand the complexities of the immune system...it is so incredibly nuanced and "intelligent" that it just boggles my mind.

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[Political]

Psychiatry, following the legacy i suppose....

 

[JKinSC]

Orthopedic surgery, of course. It's exactly like my current job, only I'll be chopping up bones instead of wood and aluminum, and best of all, the tools will be either handed to me or be on a little tray at the right height. Sometimes I wonder if the only reason I'm going to put myself through ten years of class and residency is that I'm too lazy to squat to reach my toolbox.

This made me .

For me however, having worked in x-ray/CT for almost 17 years, I'd have to say diag rads at the moment. Other interests are EM, and physiatry (preferably dealing with prosthetics)

 

[hiphaupt]

I wouldn't bank on plastics...

I hope no one picks their specialty based on the most favorable statistics. That's a spineless move.

 

[Geneticist]

I hope no one picks their specialty based on the most favorable statistics. That's a spineless move.

Spineless? Really?

 

[RebelxSoldier]

Internal medicine

Surgery only looks interesting on grey's anatomy to me. It must be all the sex scenes with attractive women.

 

[Overload]

I've shadowed this cardiothoracic surgeon, and I must say, my interest in surgery has grown ever since. Before I was more interested in emergency medicine.

 

[tndoc12]

If i had to pick today I would go with Gen Surg. I love the OR. No better place in the world. Interested in Ortho, EM, and Peds as well. Anxious to see what I'll end up specializing in.

 

[locus000]

I would pick Family Medicine because I did it the most in my rotation. Pediatric is cool unless the parents are bad. I wouldnt do Psych because it is not my thing.
Looking forward to Emergency Med and Surgery!!

But still got 2 more years of medschool left to decide before Match!

 

[2sk0ol4c0ol]

I have a surgery/medicine dichotomy o what I think I want to specialize in

Surgery / Medicine
1. Pediatric Cardiothoracic / Pediatric Interventional Cardiologist
2. Adult CT Surgeon / Interventional Cardiologist
3. Neurosurgeon / Neurologist/Psychiatrist (residencies 4this exist)
4. General Surgeon / Internist

Really want to work with the Heart and kids though but not sure rather it would be surgery or medicine.

 

[ucbsmd]

1. Neurosurgery -- who doesn't want to be a brain surgeon (even if it does involve 88 hrs/week for 6-7 years)
2. Neuroradiology -- Grew up loving the Eye Spy books and have worked in MRI research for 4 years

I also have interests in Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine.

 

[Tapepsi]

1. Pediatric Interventional Cardiologist
2. Pediatrician
3. Pediatric gastroenterologist
4. Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist (that psych degree may pay off after all )

Edit: I can thank 2sk0ol4c0ol for my top choice.

 

[2sk0ol4c0ol]

1. Pediatric interventional cardiologist
2. Pediatrician
3. Pediatric gastroenterologist
4. Child and adolescent psychiatrist (that psych degree may pay off after all )

edit: I can thank 2sk0ol4c0ol for my top choice.

 

[Longshanks]

for internists, you can work as a hospitalist, but does anyone know if there is such a thing strictly for critical care, like an intinsivist hospitalist. just do shift work in a medical icu? or if you specialized, like in cardiology, do shift work in CICU's?

You can do a Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship after IM.

 

[Ursa]

1. Neurosurgery -- who doesn't want to be a brain surgeon (even if it does involve 88 hrs/week for 6-7 years)
2. Neuroradiology -- Grew up loving the Eye Spy books and have worked in MRI research for 4 years

I also have interests in Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine.

 

[BeachBlondie]

Orthopaedic surgery.

Less than 10% of ortho residents are female, so I've gotta represent!

Actually, I'm an orthopaedic biomechanics research tech. I'm in the OR, and am coordinating two, international multicenter studies. So, I see a lot of amazing data come across my desk/work with some pioneers and legends in the field, so at THIS moment I am enthralled by it.

Also, I grew up rebuilding cars with my dad, so I've always loved metal work, welding, and handling compression instruments. And, being able to see instantaneous results and restore the mechanical properties of something is so gratifying.

 

[Gigantron]

Please forgive my idealism but if I had to choose...


...it would be Neurosurgery. The central nervous system is unlike any other organ system and is, possibly, the most powerful system in the universe. While the operations that neurosurgeons perform are very technical and fine tuned, it's actually quite crude compared to the connections that the brain makes on a second-to-second basis.

It's the very nature of the brain that draws me to neurosurgery as a specialty and neuroscience in general. I mean when you think about it, you can give a patient a bone marrow, liver, kidney, lung and heart transplant...and they would still essentially be "them." But the moment you expose and manipulate a small opening of the cranium, their whole universe changes (for better or for worse...this is negligible). And this is only scratching the surface. There are still so many things about the brain (and the nervous system) in general that we do not understand, and I would be honored to dedicate my life to finding those answers. (like I said, forgive my idealism)

The field, essentially, combines many different facets of medicine that I could not hope to experience in other fields. Plus, there are tons of gadgets and gizmo's that only pertain to this field that no other type of physician would ever dream of using.

 

[ovenmitts]

I was always really interested in OB/GYN, but the more I think about the busy lifestyle, the more I'm leaning away from it. EM seems really cool as well and the shift work to me is a good thing (I think the show ER makes it more appealing than it probably is- Dr. John Carter = love). Rad onc seems cool, radiology, anaesthesiology, dermatology... anyone see a trend here?

 

[muhali3]

I've posted in this thread before, but I think I'm changing my mind.

Now I'm thinking either Gas, Rads, or Path.

"Clinic and patient-free is the way to be." (-milkmanAl)

 

[phnerd1105]

Either peds/IM. Or maybe do a combined residency on both. However, I have been considering OB-GYN, but convincing myself to adapt to that lifestyle is gonna be hard. Maybe it'll change end of med school, who knows?

 

[shaggy alfresco]

pediatric neurodermoplasticoradiation surgery.

 

[Geekchick921]

pediatric neurodermoplasticoradiation surgery.

You'll finally be an attending at what? 48?

Reproductive endocrinology and infertility is still at the top of my list, followed by neonatology and maternal-fetal medicine. Those are always my top three. Notice a theme?

 

[tisbutascratch]

pediatric neurodermoplasticoradiation surgery.

- Ahaha Thats one f#$@ed up kid, but for prospecting physicians practicing in America I would suggest Internal Medicine as many other specialization are being replaced by nurses who hospitals find cheaper to employ than a doctor. On the other hand specializations like Family Physician and Internal Medicine will never loose their touch with their patients as no other medical professional can fill that doctor to patient relationship.

 

[phnerd1105]

You'll finally be an attending at what? 48?

Reproductive endocrinology and infertility is still at the top of my list, followed by neonatology and maternal-fetal medicine. Those are always my top three. Notice a theme?

I've been looking into this too! I've had a lot of personal experience with this on the patient side...might be good to be the physician for a change!

 

[Wafflyw]

Ophthalmology. I find the human body extremely fascinating, and in my mind, there's nothing more fascinating than the eye (the heart comes in at a close second).

 

[EvilSpawn]

Based purely on my interests, I would say neurology with a behavioral neurology/neuropsychiatry fellowship, or psychiatry with psychosomatic medicine. I think the brain and the mind are both interesting, so being able to work with both would be awesome.

 

[mafunk]

Based upon my age, interests, need to stay in Arizona, residency demands, residency duration and residency match statistics for DOs, I would say

Family Medicine or OBGyn

However I am very interested in learning more about neurology. I wonder what you can do with neurology if you are not a surgeon and not wanting to basically be a psychiatrist by another name.

 

[Geekchick921]

I've been looking into this too! I've had a lot of personal experience with this on the patient side...might be good to be the physician for a change!

I have been fortunate enough not to need their services but I have e-friends that have not been so lucky and they are inspiring to me. I can't imagine how they feel, but I really think I would like to help women that are struggling in that regard. I don't care if that sounds sappy or toolish.

 

[phnerd1105]

I have been fortunate enough not to need their services but I have e-friends that have not been so lucky and they are inspiring to me. I can't imagine how they feel, but I really think I would like to help women that are struggling in that regard. I don't care if that sounds sappy or toolish.

Not at all. It's an extremely emotional and harrowing experience. I even based my entire personal statement about the effect it's had on my life. I wish you good luck in getting there!

 

[Frazier]

5 months later, still radonc.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

5 months later, still radonc.

And I haven't spilled too many sekrets about the field since then!

I've heard that the match rate this year for radonc was ~70% eek for US seniors though...it looks like people are catching on. And that number scares the crap out of me!

 

[Frazier]

And I haven't spilled too many sekrets about the field since then!

Well done, comrade.

I've heard that the match rate this year for radonc was ~70% eek for US seniors though...it looks like people are catching on. And that number scares the crap out of me!

Being that research appears to be one of the biggies for matching and that you are already knee deep in it before even starting MS1, I'm gonna put my money on that you will be good to go. The "interest in specialty" factor is obviously there. Just gotta take care of that pesky step1.

Nevertheless, if the ~70% is accurate, that is quite shocking indeed being that it was ~86% merely 2 years ago in 2009 IIRC.

 

[AmicaVera]

The PM&R I've been exposed to has been sexy sexy, but I'm always going to be a neuro gal at heart.

 

[lisi326]

PM&R

specifically, brain injury

if there isn't the threat of my patients punching me, I'm just not a happy woman <3

 

[CougarMD]

The PM&R I've been exposed to has been sexy sexy, but I'm always going to be a neuro gal at heart.

I want to hear more about this sexy PM&R!!!!!!

 

[Bowchickawowwow]

Cardiology has definitely been my #1 since forever. Pediatric Cardiology would be even better, but I don't if that would be "too specialized"

But yeah, I have those classical dreams of opening up my own private practice <3

 

[Biebs]

Pediatric Gynecology




...jk.

Most likely EM. I think I would like to do a CCM fellowship too. I like many aspects of EM and love sicks patients. I think that a EM residency would be easiest for me (as opposed to an IM or gas residency), then also be boarded in CCM. This would allow me to split my time in the ED (which I love) and would also allow me to work exclusively with sick patients in the ICU. Hopefully splitting my time would prevent the burnout notoriously seen in EM too.

 

[tabascosauce]

 

[Frazier]

"Bieber?! Come on, you can't be serious. Why don't you put a wig on a chipmunk and tell it to act like a black man!"

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Surgery

 

[AmicaVera]

I want to hear more about this sexy PM&R!!!!!!

Brain injury rehab. Nothing more awesome than seeing someone go from fully dependent to fully functional again. It still makes me tear up a bit sometimes...

 

[juliedi]

I want to hear more about this sexy PM&R!!!!!!

No! We must keep it under the radar, so no one realizes how awesome it is!

I know I've answered this question in this thread before, but I can't remember exactly what I said... so for now, I can say I'm most interested in PM&R, peds, and general surgery. So similar, I know.

 

[juliedi]

"Bieber?! Come on, you can't be serious. Why don't you put a wig on a chipmunk and tell it to act like a black man!"

I just saw this comment so I had to reply again. This sketch was pure gold. A+ to you Frazier.

 

[lisi326]

Brain injury rehab. Nothing more awesome than seeing someone go from fully dependent to fully functional again. It still makes me tear up a bit sometimes...

Right!? I love it so much. And I really love the low level patients, too (that are never going to get to completely independent).

Luckily, BI is hated by most people due to the often ridiculous nature of its patients. I will always have a job

 

[studentdoctor08]

If life were to work out like my imaginary perfect world, then I would love to be a pediatric surgeon. Or a hematopoietic oncologist.

 

[Eternalangel]

That's really hard for me to say but if I had to choose it would be:

1. General surgery: awesome and completely hands on and is intresting and amazing, and touching live organs all the time is awesome, and actually being able to help a patient in a way topical medicine can't. The down side is the long residency...but really good pay eventually...
1. PM and R: I'd love to help people who struggle from pain and disabilities...that just blows my mind, when I found this specialty I was like "YES!" And also the fact that it has AWESOME hours AND residency is only 3 years&#9829;
2. Critical Care or Emergency Medicine: You get to help really needy patients, and you learn something new everyday. But unlike most who do this job, I am in no way shape or form an adreneline junky.
3. Hospitalist/addiction medicine/HIV disease speacialist: They are all really great specialties, the only downer to hospitalist is that they burn out in the end. For addiction medicine/HIV disease specialist, this is probably something I might do in my older years 65+ or may even start off in my begining years, I would think that it isn't something as taxing as general surgery and fairly laid back compare to emergency medicine.

These are like my top 7 options, I would probably do General Surgery/PM and R while I'm young and fit, but I'm thinking after I become 65+ maybe I'd like to whined down and do something a little less taxing and do addicition medicine or become and HIV disease specialist

 

[deleted244469]

I would love to match in General Surgery or EM.

 

[felixthekat]

Peds/Peds hospitalist/psych/developmental-behaviorial peds/ A&I...yep...that's about it...yep, I do see a repeating pattern

 

[Glazebrook]

Oncology

 

[orthomyxo]

Emergency med