Is Psychiatry the hardest field?

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Chimed

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The idea that psychiatry is a "back up" specialty or simply for those "who can't cut it in real medicine" gets a lot of attention. We often find ourselves defending why we're "just as good" as other doctors. But what about the idea that what we do is actually more difficult then other specialties? Given that I find psychiatric work more "natural" to how I think then other specialties, it is difficult for me to make a subjective statement on this. But it's something to think about...The following commentary is interesting.

View attachment Why Psychiatry is the Hardest Specialty.pdf

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depends on who you're talking to. if you're someone who is good at memorizing facts, medicine is easy and other specialties might be more difficult. if you're someone who is good with your hands, surgery might be easy, whereas specialties where you have to use your brain might be more difficult. and if you're someone who's good at listening and understanding people, psychiatry is easy and other specialties with excessive memorization of seemingly endless facts might be more difficult. :)
 
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depends on who you're talking to. if you're someone who is good at memorizing facts, medicine is easy and other specialties might be more difficult. if you're someone who is good with your hands, surgery might be easy, whereas specialties where you have to use your brain might be more difficult. and if you're someone who's good at listening and understanding people, psychiatry is easy and other specialties with excessive memorization of seemingly endless facts might be more difficult. :)

I memorize endless facts excessively, actually.:rolleyes:

Psych is not an exception to that.
 
But what about the idea that what we do is actually more difficult then other specialties?
The idea that psychiatry is more difficult than other specialties is using the same faulty logic that psychiatry is easier than other specialties.

Most specialties are easy to do poorly. Most specialties are challenging to do well. How easy or challenging you find a specialty has a lot more to do with your interest and aptitude than the specialty itself.
 
The idea that psychiatry is more difficult than other specialties is using the same faulty logic that psychiatry is easier than other specialties.

Most specialties are easy to do poorly. Most specialties are challenging to do well. How easy or challenging you find a specialty has a lot more to do with your interest and aptitude than the specialty itself.

I totally agree. Unfortunately, those in other specialties don't appreciate the differences.
 
The idea that psychiatry is more difficult than other specialties is using the same faulty logic that psychiatry is easier than other specialties.

Most specialties are easy to do poorly. Most specialties are challenging to do well. How easy or challenging you find a specialty has a lot more to do with your interest and aptitude than the specialty itself.

Your logic is no less faulty, mostly because you are being vague. We need to define "difficulty." It is not mere coincidence that neurosurgery and derm are more competitive and harder to get into than family med or psych. So yes, if we are to define "difficulty" as anything unique that each specialty requires (empathy, dexterity, visual acuity...), then we are all "differently abled" and to be understanding and good at active listening is as "difficult" as is wrestling with an aneurysm in the OR. However, we could take this argument to extreme and say that a waste collector's job is as "difficult" as a nuclear physicists', specially the physicist who is unable to stand the stench and the physical demands of the job. Or what about a poet? Or street performer? In summary, I do agree with your view to some extent but I also find it lacking.
 
A lot of this also depends on one's personal preferences. I love psychiatry and for that reason I believe a lot of this is easier for me than other people. I hated delivering babies, so I figure if I went into Ob-Gyn, I'd likely find it hard. Did I do well in it? Yes, but I hated delivering.
 
The idea that psychiatry is more difficult than other specialties is using the same faulty logic that psychiatry is easier than other specialties.

Most specialties are easy to do poorly. Most specialties are challenging to do well. How easy or challenging you find a specialty has a lot more to do with your interest and aptitude than the specialty itself.


Well said. Personal preference makes a huge difference.

Also, competetive and difficult are not the same. I would say a PCPs job is more difficult than anyone else's yet because of the climate of modern medicine, we pay dermatologists significantly more.
 
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