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Intensivists ("ICU", critical-care trained docs). 🙂
Most "intellectual" specialty?
- Thread starter vmc303
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I'm hoping to eventually become an Endocrinologist. 🙂 I would say that a GOOD Emergency Medicine physician would be up there, as well as Rheumatologists, Neurologists, and anyone that works with autoimmune and chronic pain patients and is able to treat more than the symptoms. All of these fields work with patients that requires knowledge of multiple systems, so having a strong understanding of A&P. Being able to find patterns from symptoms and qualities that can often times be very complex, and keeping up with new research that can positively impact patient care, requires someone with strong analytical and thinking skills.
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I was actually defending you
Sorry, it's all good. I was being a little touchy. I see now that your tone was more cute than cutting. Your little emoticon shrugging is just melting me.
It's fine to slam on me for talking like a valley girl wannabe thug who vomits pop culture memes and abbreviates words and phrases haphazardly and purposely abuses grammar on the boards, I like to to play with language, and witty repartee is great. When you spend 16+ hours a day talking like a med professional or writing notes which are written in the passive past tense tone of an 18th century Victorian country gentlemen doctor, "Patient was well groomed, pleasant, cooperative, and in no apparent distress," it's fun to come here and say "whatevs." Talking like a 14 year old girl on SDN is like what Freud would call "regression in service to the ego," meaning when you get ****ing tired from playing grown up doctor all day it's nice to come home and regress to acting like a kid for a little bit. Specifically doing that on SDN is fun to me because I can mock the serious (and I wouldn't argue against it even) tone of the medical profession IRL here on the boards. This is one of the only spheres to talk shop and do it with all the candor, humor, feeling, and passive aggressiveness one might feel but could never show at work.
I like your response to my ridiculous word choice because it is well-reasoned and intelligent. Nice word choice too.
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Can I ask, why uro? I just never work with them enough in the hospital to really comprehend what they do besides stones and caths (kinda joking)
Honestly would love to know more what uro's about
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It's about penises. In all shapes, lengths, and forms. Plenty of them.
I'd say path or allergy/immuno. Most basic science involved.
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A lot of you all mentioned IM subspecialties, and I totally agree that the diagnostic process is very intellectual. However, doesn't it seem algorithmic after the diagnosis? All the guidelines make it clear what should be done to treat what disease. Do you guys still find it intellectually fun and challenging after the diagnosis?
So far in my volunteer and shadowing experience, the neurologists I have worked with have appealed to me as the intellectual brain types. Not only in regards to medicine, but in many aspects of life. Renaissance men if you will.
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In other words, you read a book by Oliver Sacks. Right? Admit it...
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That would seem true for a given problem, but most IM patients, especially those going to subspecialty, have enough problems that are diametrically opposed in treatment that it actually becomes quite an intellectual challenge what to do with them, and that's assuming you know what's wrong. A lot of times you don't, and in any case, it always ends up being an experiment.
EM is much more algorithmic, but that's actually because of the amount of uncertainty there is. They don't really have luxury of time to sort things out.
In IM, a lot of work up is algorithmic, but as I said above, evem if you get diagnosis down what to do is can be puzzling. There's a reason IM rounds take so long, and it's not just presenting all the data and problems, but debating what it all means and what to do.
For example, patient with liver cirrhosis leading to significant ascites, CHF, and renal failure. Paracentesis, diuresis, dialysis, all pose some solutions and some problems. Finding a fluid and electrolyte and medication balance/tune up is nothing short of a miracle, and is going to change day by day. Now you add pneumonia from hopitalization.
It reminds me of the cat in the hat, all the hats and pink frosting. Weird analogy I know.
Guilty.
All specialties are highly intellectual, if done right.
However, if I had to choose:
Dermatology is up high on that list.
Also, almost any surgical specialty, especially plastic surgery, cardiac surgery, and, yes, orthopedic surgery.
However, if I had to choose:
Dermatology is up high on that list.
Also, almost any surgical specialty, especially plastic surgery, cardiac surgery, and, yes, orthopedic surgery.
