I'm a graduate from a good medical school in an English-speaking developed country. I was dead set on ophthalmology since med school and currently a SHO, but I'm disillusioned with the competitiveness of the specialty, both before, during and after training; poor job outlook; inflexible career path; and the pure "busy-ness" of the specialty (having to push through 30-40 patients a day, and at the end of the day have all the dictations, results chasing, etc, etc left over). Patients constantly wait a long time and their dump their frustrations on me, although I often don't have time to go to the toilet. I like procedures, can do subtenon blocks competently, but would be able live very happily without doing any surgery.
I was interested in anaesthesia as well at medical school. I enjoyed physiology and pathology; was okay in pharmacology. Enjoyed science of internal medicine but not the social crap. I like research and have 7 papers under my name, all first authors except for two, in various specialties (but not in anesthesiology).
Serious kid I was, I thought I might use USMLE someday and did it during my last year at med school:
Step 1 244/99
Step 2 269/99
Step 3 can't remember 3 digit score/93.
I'm contemplating switch to anesthesiology. Next year I would like to take some time off and clear my head and do some locum work. I'll try to gain some experience in EM, ICU and medicine.
My questions:
1. Are my scores competitive for anesthesiology program at a decent university programme?
2. What else would I need to do to make myself more competitive for US residency?
3. Any suggestions on other types of experience that I should get before starting anesthesiology?
Thanks
I was interested in anaesthesia as well at medical school. I enjoyed physiology and pathology; was okay in pharmacology. Enjoyed science of internal medicine but not the social crap. I like research and have 7 papers under my name, all first authors except for two, in various specialties (but not in anesthesiology).
Serious kid I was, I thought I might use USMLE someday and did it during my last year at med school:
Step 1 244/99
Step 2 269/99
Step 3 can't remember 3 digit score/93.
I'm contemplating switch to anesthesiology. Next year I would like to take some time off and clear my head and do some locum work. I'll try to gain some experience in EM, ICU and medicine.
My questions:
1. Are my scores competitive for anesthesiology program at a decent university programme?
2. What else would I need to do to make myself more competitive for US residency?
3. Any suggestions on other types of experience that I should get before starting anesthesiology?
Thanks
