Last Minute Help: Gas or Rads?

[MD Dreams]

I know this is a bit silly being so close to the ROL, but I've been going crazy trying to decide this issue before ROL is due. I have a shot at going to a good community radiology program or a good university based anesthesiology program. If I go into radiology it is to become an interventionalist.

Which one would you choose between anesthesia and radiology if you were in my shoes? I appreciate your guidance.

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[EtherMD]

I know this is a bit silly being so close to the ROL, but I've been going crazy trying to decide this issue before ROL is due. I have a shot at going to a good community radiology program or a good university based anesthesiology program. If I go into radiology it is to become an interventionalist.

Which one would you choose between anesthesia and radiology if you were in my shoes? I appreciate your guidance.

You better choose interventional radiology as "reading films" is an endagered species.


I chose anesthesia because I always fell asleep in the dark room every morning. I hated looking at all the pictures and not doing anything. Interventional should be much more fun but you will need basic Radiology first. Do you like radiology? What if you don't match at an interventional fellowship? Then what? Could you deal with looking at films all day? Will you find work in ten years in basic rads? Won't most Radiology Residents want that interventional fellowship?

 

[VentdependenT]

You'll make plenty of money in Rads. With all the CT's, MRI's, and yes plain films being ordered to make a diagnosis that field is only going to get bigger and bigger. Nobody is scrambling for IR spots now. The job market is just to damn good to blow 400-600k on a year of fellowship.

ANypoops,

They are such completely different fields....I would say, not knowing anything about you, to choose rads. Why? Because if you've gone this far and its still in your differential then there must be something you like about it. More importantly, its almost the complete opposite of anesthesiology (which is totally hands on, has moments of ultimate clinical challenge with patients coding, crumping, bleeding out etc). The anonymitiy is similiar however. That being said, I'm not sure what you see as your fit in anesthesia when you're vibing on hangen out with a dictaphone in a dark room all day.

Anesthesiology rocks. I personally love it. However you gotta love getting down and dirty with your hands. At times you'll have to bite your tongue with yer surgical colleagues. On the flipside you also have to stick up for yourself clinically at times (ex, Hey man cant we just drop the pressure? My field is getting bloody.). Thats a small part of the big picture but as a radiologist you wont have any interactions like that. Just something to think about.

Either way you've picked two great fields. Picture your daily life in either field. Whichever one you think your happier in, choose.

In anesthesiology you can specialize or have a more focused practice as well (as you can in Radiology).
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Venty

 

[Lonestar]

just pick one. you won't go wrong with either. Just remember this; in rads, you better enjoy reading films, because that is the bread and butter.

 

[bubalus]

"You better choose interventional radiology as "reading films" is an endagered species."

My concern about interventional would be that vascular surgeons and cardiologists already have the patients, whereas an interventional radiologist would have to rely on referrals. There are already interventional pulmonology fellowships.

 

[SleepIsGood]

all i can say is that CTs and MRIs are being ordered like no tommorrow. and a lot are being ordered "stat". I think for 'stat' orders you cant really nighthawk the stuff to other countries.

my two cents.

 

[burntcrispy]

I'd say do whichever you found most interesting. Obviously by your choices you're basically looking for a lifestyle job as Rads and Anes are very different fields. At this moment in time Rads would be a much better lifestyle choice as far as hours worked and income potential. You can't predict what the future will hold for either specialty. Some people think Rads will be farmed out to reading centers all over the country (and perhaps overseas) to the lowest bidder. Some think CRNAs are going to take over anesthesia and that the MD will go the way of the buffalo. Everyone thinks reimbursement is going into the toilet and that all specialties will be making much less money in the future.

Basically, do whichever job you think you'll enjoy the most. No matter which field you pick, you will have to do the work and there is nothing worse than going to a job every day that you despise. (believe me I've been there!!)

Good luck in the match.

 

[amyl]

imagine the health care system goes to **** and all doctors have to work 80hrs per week with lots of call and only make $100,000. that said, which is going to get you out of bed in the morning?
the future is unknown...gotta do what you like better.