Is there a specialty...

[Gallix23]

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Hey everyone,

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, I'm not really sure if this belongs in the Pre-Allopathic forum?

Anways, I know that it is too early to think about specialties and all that, but something popped into my head today. I love to work out, and I love to train my friends and help others with nutrition advice, supplements, workouts, etc. However, I really want to become a doctor, not like a personal trainer or PT.

This got me wondering if there are any medical specialties (besides Peds or Family doctor) where I could implement these things into my work? This is probably a long shot, but is there anything that even comes close to doing these types of things? It doesn't have to be the main focus, just involve any elements of these at all?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Maygyver]

Hey, as far as specialties, I'm not sure. Have you thought of becoming a nutritionist? I also find that stuff pretty interesting, but more so on the cellular level (like biochem). I know when I was younger I was always underweight, so my pediatrician gave me general tips and had me go to a nutritionist once. I guess in a way, many doctors have to deal with those sorts of things, but I'm not sure of any specialties. Hope this helps somewhat.

 

[TheMagicCookie]

Maybe Sports Medicine?

 

[Law2Doc]

Hey everyone,

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, I'm not really sure if this belongs in the Pre-Allopathic forum?

Anways, I know that it is too early to think about specialties and all that, but something popped into my head today. I love to work out, and I love to train my friends and help others with nutrition advice, supplements, workouts, etc. However, I really want to become a doctor, not like a personal trainer or PT.

This got me wondering if there are any medical specialties (besides Peds or Family doctor) where I could implement these things into my work? This is probably a long shot, but is there anything that even comes close to doing these types of things? It doesn't have to be the main focus, just involve any elements of these at all?

Thanks for any help!

I think PM&R (physical medicine and rehabilitation, aka physiatry) is the specialty closest to what you describe.

 

[MilkmanAl]

There's always Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). I honestly don't know much about the field, but it involves a lot of what you're describing. You'll be dealing with physical therapy, developing nutrition and exercise regimens for people, and probably dealing with a decent amount of preventative.

 

[Gallix23]

Do you still attend medical school to become a PM&R...doctor?

 

[MilkmanAl]

Yep, sure do.

 

[Phillyborn]

yep. It's a 4 year residency after you're done with medical school. PM&R is a really broad field though. You have some doctors who are working on athletes (similar to a non-surgical orthopedic surgeon approach), some doctors working with stroke patients to manage their long term rehabilitation and help them regain their lost function, to doctors dealing with spinal cord injury patients, to those who deal with reducing chronic pain, to those doing general outpatient clinic work.

 

[Gallix23]

Ohh, I see. I actually never knew a field like that even existed. Is it competitive? How similar is it to Sports Medicine?

 

[RemiJP]

Ohh, I see. I actually never knew a field like that even existed. Is it competitive? How similar is it to Sports Medicine?

The difference is that PM&R docs also treat patients with congenital and acquired disabilities Here's a list of what a PM&R doc can treat:

Amputations/Prosthetics
Arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Back Pain
Brain Injuries
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Geriatric Rehabilitation
Neck Pain
Nerve Pain
Radiculopathy
Ulnar Neuropathy (Wrist Pain in Bicyclists)
Osteoporosis
Pediatric Rehabilitation
Post-Polio Syndrome
Spinal Cord Injuries
Sports-Related Injuries
Stroke
Women’s Conditions
Female Athlete Triad
Pelvic Pain
Pregnancy and Back Pain
Work-Related Injuries


(from aapmr.org)

 

[MilkmanAl]

I'd link you to the chart if I could find it, but jusging by step 1 scores, it's one of the least competitive. The average matchee's score was a 209 or something where the national average is in the low 220's.

 

[Gallix23]

Thanks for all the help everyone, I appreciate it. What exactly are Step scores? I hear about them all the time but I'm not entirely sure what they are?

 

[MilkmanAl]

The Step exams are the tests you take to get your medical licensure. Step 1 is the most important one in terms of getting a residency and is essentially the residency equivalent of the MCAT for med school or the SAT/ACT for college. It's on a scale from something to 300 where 185 is a passing score and 300 is about as obtainable as a 45 on the MCAT.

 

[Law2Doc]

Ohh, I see. I actually never knew a field like that even existed. Is it competitive? How similar is it to Sports Medicine?

It's relatively non-competitive. It's what a lot of the ortho-bound folks sometimes end up going into when they get back their board scores.

Sports medicine isn't really a single residency discipline specialty -- there are folks in FM and ortho and PM&R who all consider themselves doing sports medicine. PM&R frequently involves working with a lot more stroke and trauma victim rehab so I'd say it's the least sports oriented, but does use a lot of gym equipment.

 

[Law2Doc]

...Step 1 is the most important one in terms of getting a residency and is essentially the residency equivalent of the MCAT for med school or the SAT/ACT for college. ...

Nah, It's way way way more important than the MCAT or SAT, respectively because with those, you also have GPA weighed heavily. For residency, the Step is more or less stand alone, number 1 in importance. Then further down are things like written clinical rotation evaluations, and so on. Grades come in much much later in the analysis. You can simply pass everything, but if you have an amazing Step 1, you can get looked at by some of the more competitive things. So you probably should say it's more like the equavalent of MCAT PLUS GPA.

 

[docB]

Bear in mind that the vast majority of PM&R docs make their livings evaluating and setting rehab plans for elderly, debilitated, stroke, post trauma and nursing home patients. They may deal with athleates but most don't. As a PM&R doc you'll spend a lot more time in nursing homes than in health clubs.

 

[MilkmanAl]

For residency, the Step is more or less stand alone, number 1 in importance. Then further down are things like written clinical rotation evaluations, and so on. Grades come in much much later in the analysis.

Touche.

 

[Law2Doc]

...As a PM&R doc you'll spend a lot more time in nursing homes than in health clubs.

Well I'd modify your statement a bit and say you spend a lot of time working with nursing home type patients on health club type equipment. Some of the physiatry "gyms" I've seen are pretty state of the art, a lot nicer than many places that pass themselves off as healthclubs. But yeah, the patients are usually there because they need help with basic mobility issues, not to get ripped.🙂

 

[Gallix23]

Thanks for the help guys. I actually looked up a doctor that I went too when I hurt my ankle playing football, and it says hes an orthopedic surgeon/sports medicine. How hard is orthopedic surgery to get into?

Could you guys give me like a quick rundown of the really competitive specialties and the lesser-competitive specialties?

 

[MilkmanAl]

Here ya go: http://www.nrmp.org/data/chartingoutcomes2007.pdf

 

[Gallix23]

Here ya go: http://www.nrmp.org/data/chartingoutcomes2007.pdf

Awesome, thank you.

 

[Law2Doc]

Thanks for the help guys. I actually looked up a doctor that I went too when I hurt my ankle playing football, and it says hes an orthopedic surgeon/sports medicine. How hard is orthopedic surgery to get into?

Could you guys give me like a quick rundown of the really competitive specialties and the lesser-competitive specialties?

Ortho is among the more competitive surgical specialties. Lots of good students come up short on ortho each year.
I'll give you my take on a basic rundown, but it's admittedly somewhat opinion based (not number driven) and people are going to have some different views, and I'll miss quite a few specialties, (since I'm doing this off the top of my head) I'm sure. And obviously there is overlap and the top program in X may beat out the worst program in Y, notwithstanding the hierarchy. But FWIW:

Most competitive:
Plastics
Derm
Rad Onc.
Optho.
Neurosurg.

Very competitive:
Rads
Ortho
ENT
Urol

Moderately competitive:
Anesthesia
EM

Middle of the road:
Neuro
IM
Gen Surg
Path

Less competitive
PM&R
FM
Psych
Peds
OB/GYN

 

[RySerr21]

Hey everyone,

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, I'm not really sure if this belongs in the Pre-Allopathic forum?

Anways, I know that it is too early to think about specialties and all that, but something popped into my head today. I love to work out, and I love to train my friends and help others with nutrition advice, supplements, workouts, etc. However, I really want to become a doctor, not like a personal trainer or PT.

This got me wondering if there are any medical specialties (besides Peds or Family doctor) where I could implement these things into my work? This is probably a long shot, but is there anything that even comes close to doing these types of things? It doesn't have to be the main focus, just involve any elements of these at all?

Thanks for any help!

no one has mentioned this, but couldnt you just go in to a general primary care residnecy, or even through a preventive medicine residency, and focus on performing clinical research on chronic (preventable) diseases like heart disease, diabetes, obesity? So you'd be designing and putting patients through studies designed to improve their chronic diseases through lifestyle changes?? Or you could open up something similar to a Wellness center....

You can work at a place like this or like this.

 

[Gallix23]

What is Transitional year? and Law2Doc, that is sort of the pattern I see here as well on the chart that MilkmanAl gave me.

 

[Law2Doc]

What is Transitional year? and Law2Doc, that is sort of the pattern I see here as well on the chart that MilkmanAl gave me.

For many specialties (including rads, rad onc, optho, anesth, derm, neuro, and PM&R), you need to do a preliminary or transitional year before you start the actual specialty residency. These years are basically intern years. You can do either preliminary medicine or surgery for most of the specialties, or you can do a transitional year (where you end up doing a few months in each of multiple disciplines). Transitional years tend to be cushier than preliminary years, so they are highly coveted and can be extremely competitive.

 

[Gallix23]

For many specialties (including rads, rad onc, optho, anesth, derm, neuro, and PM&R), you need to do a preliminary or transitional year before you start the actual specialty residency. These years are basically intern years. You can do either preliminary medicine or surgery for most of the specialties, or you can do a transitional year (where you end up doing a few months in each of multiple disciplines). Transitional years tend to be cushier than preliminary years, so they are highly coveted and can be extremely competitive.

Ohh, alright I see. Hm, that's weird, on this chart it says that there were 1,017 transitional year positions, and only 303 applicants with 179 matched. How come they offer so many positions and only match a tenth of the positions?

 

[Law2Doc]

Ohh, alright I see. Hm, that's weird, on this chart it says that there were 1,017 transitional year positions, and only 303 applicants with 179 matched. How come they offer so many positions and only match a tenth of the positions?

I'm guessing, but I don't think there are as many real transitional spots as are suggested by that chart. Some probably exist in theory, but not in funding, so they make it onto the chart but nobody can actually end up in the slots. Others are positions outside of the match. There were a few transitional programs that didn't seem to rank many people and filled in the scramble and thereafter. All I can tell you is that the better transitional programs are some of the harder things to come by in the match, so any statistic that suggests that they are plentiful for anyone who wants one is misleading and false.