Is Neurology the correct career path for me?

[Evisju7]

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Hi all,

I've been thinking heavily about my future goals. I'm currently a sophomore in college majoring in biology/ minoring in psych.

Since I could speak, I knew I wanted to be a doctor. Something changed around highschool however, (teenage years.... uck) and I started to look into other directions.

Start of college: I became very interested in psychology and considering becoming a counselor.
College: I took my first college level bio class and fell in love with science again. I felt like a little kid (I was such a nerdy kid)
Now: I want to integrate the two passions. My thought is neuroscience. But the idea of getting a PhD doesn't seem appealing (just so many years dabbling in theoretical possible ends). Also, I want to help people in a practical way. So Neurology seems like the next reasonable choice.

But my concerns:
I hear so many doctors talk about how they would choose a different profession if they could take it all back. That's discouraging.
Also, I want to eventually get married and have at least one child. Will I be so exhausted that I won't have time for other pursuits? Like love, family, traveling, and sports?

Overall, I suppose my question is OUT OF ALL THE SPECIALTIES, is Neurology excessively taxing? Or can you still enjoy a normal, happy/healthy lifestyle?

 

[typhoonegator]

"Love, family, traveling, and sports". Eh, probably two out of the four you could do.

Compared to other doctors, neurology isn't "excessively taxing" for most. Compared to a part-time masseuse, yes, taxing.

There are discouraging aspects to literally every profession. Unless your profession is "Being LeBron James".

 

[Thama]

Being a doctor in general is taxing, especially early in residency. Compared to other specialties, neurology is probably more taxing than psychiatry, PM&R, derm but less taxing than the non-boutique surgical specialties.

You can get a PhD and work on highly abstract basic science projects but also be directly involved in developing and trialing therapeutics, depending on the direction you go in. You can do most of the same research as an MD- there are pluses and minuses to both roads.

If you want to apply neuroscience in the clinical setting, then neurology is a great field but by no means the only one: neurosurgery, psychiatry, PM&R and even anesthesia are neuroscience-centered specialties, and your preference (after, you know, deciding on and getting into med school) will likely be based on the kind of practice you prefer.

 

[KLPM]

Go for gold. Go for neuro-ophthalmology.

 

[TUGM]

Neurology isn't the "most taxing" subspecialty in medicine. That is easily outpatient family medicine or dermatology . Yeah being a doctor in general in Dylan-esque changing times can be difficult and discouraging, but it's still a secure and extremely rewarding profession for the most part, at least I think so. If you're chasing money and the best lifestyle, you'll still probably find a niche, but it most likely won't be in neurology. And as TN, said you can still keep up with a few hobbies and your family, especially in most neurological subspecialties.

And being LBJ is probably pretty hard these days... all those interviews as a free agent with teams everyone knows LBJ will not be signing with. Really Cleveland? He's not coming back...

 

[DermViser]

And being LBJ is probably pretty hard these days... all those interviews as a free agent with teams everyone knows LBJ will not be signing with. Really Cleveland? He's not coming back...

Actually he is. 😆

 

[DermViser]

Hi all,

I've been thinking heavily about my future goals. I'm currently a sophomore in college majoring in biology/ minoring in psych.

Since I could speak, I knew I wanted to be a doctor. Something changed around highschool however, (teenage years.... uck) and I started to look into other directions.

Start of college: I became very interested in psychology and considering becoming a counselor.
College: I took my first college level bio class and fell in love with science again. I felt like a little kid (I was such a nerdy kid)
Now: I want to integrate the two passions. My thought is neuroscience. But the idea of getting a PhD doesn't seem appealing (just so many years dabbling in theoretical possible ends). Also, I want to help people in a practical way. So Neurology seems like the next reasonable choice.

But my concerns:
I hear so many doctors talk about how they would choose a different profession if they could take it all back. That's discouraging.
Also, I want to eventually get married and have at least one child. Will I be so exhausted that I won't have time for other pursuits? Like love, family, traveling, and sports?

Overall, I suppose my question is OUT OF ALL THE SPECIALTIES, is Neurology excessively taxing? Or can you still enjoy a normal, happy/healthy lifestyle?

Neurology is not a "lifestyle" specialty save for certain fellowships.

 

[TUGM]

LBJ blew my mind.

 

[DermViser]

LBJ blew my mind.

Why would you be surprised? He's from Cleveland, or at least Ohio, I think.

 

[TUGM]

Didn't expect him to actually go back to Cleveland though after being on a team that went to Final Four every year. Was expecting him to opt of out contract, along with Wade and Bosh to restructure salaries on the team, with them getting less and LBJ getting more. Next season will be pretty interesting. Can't wait to check out the Andrew Wiggins - LBJ combo, for however long it lasts. I mean his LBJ signed a 2 year-contract w/ option to opt out after 1 year... As for the Heat... I guess we still got Bosh LOL.