Most prestigious specialty?

[lublufsb]

Not in terms of money, but in terms of benefits. Do any doctors get presents such as full-season tickets to yankees games or invited to celebrities' house parties? I could see plastic surgeons as being successful if they do liposuction for a wife of some rich man, how about any other specialists?

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[Rafa]

In these situations, who you work for will matter far more than what you do. I'm pretty sure AJolie's pediatrician makes a few pennies more than the average pimple popper, although if one took out the celeb-factor, the dermatologist would win chic points over the baby doctor. The brain surgeon at XY hospital may be popular among his patients, but Paris Hilton's psychiatrist will get her fair share of perks beyond the paycheck. It's like the old adage - it's not what you know, it's who you know.

 

[dantt]

Neuro surgeon??

 

[MadHopsMD]

Being a plastic surgeon is cool...ever seen nip/tuck? Christian Troy gets the ladies left-centre-right. That's an awesome benefit.

 

[CptCrunch]

Being a plastic surgeon is cool...ever seen nip/tuck? Christian Troy gets the ladies left-centre-right. That's an awesome benefit.

Your avatar makes me hungry.

 

[lublufsb]

In these situations, who you work for will matter far more than what you do. I'm pretty sure AJolie's pediatrician makes a few pennies more than the average pimple popper, although if one took out the celeb-factor, the dermatologist would win chic points over the baby doctor.

i said the post is not about money but about prestige. Would angelina jolie's padeatrician be invited to her parties? and how many padeatricians does she have? most pediatricians work with middle-class people and dont do any procedures that really distinguish them. if a plastic surgeon does a good boob job or nose job, her husband will come to personally thank him. you dont get the same respect if you treat a runny nose. what procedures do dermatologists perform?

 

[MadHopsMD]

Your avatar makes me hungry.

In many ways eating the stuff illustrated in my avator is similar to going through this process

 

[lublufsb]

again, most neurosurgeons treat old people with strokes or osteoporosis, most psychiatrists treat poors who want to commit suicide or rich spoiled drug addicts. those things dont get you full-season tickets to Chelsea games.

i think orthosurgeons may claim legitimate claim on prestige. they probably treat a wide variety of athletes(if not professional, at least college level). but who works with businessmen?

 

[MadHopsMD]

making average ladies, a perfect 10 after surgery and then sleeping with them..is the best benefit. haha. that's what my hero dr. troy does.

 

[colbgw02]

i think orthosurgeons may claim legitimate claim on prestige. they probably treat a wide variety of athletes(if not professional, at least college level). but who works with businessmen?

the stereotype for orthopedists (i don't know what an orthosurgeon is) is that they are big, dumb animals who just know how to saw and hammer. doesn't sound very prestigious to me, but, again, it's just a stereotype.

 

[colbgw02]

i said the post is not about money but about prestige. Would angelina jolie's padeatrician be invited to her parties? and how many padeatricians does she have? most pediatricians work with middle-class people and dont do any procedures that really distinguish them. if a plastic surgeon does a good boob job or nose job, her husband will come to personally thank him. you dont get the same respect if you treat a runny nose. what procedures do dermatologists perform?

yes, and you'll also get the people with body dysmorphic disorder who will go berzerk on you for not getting their nose job perfect.

 

[Rafa]

i said the post is not about money but about prestige. Would angelina jolie's padeatrician be invited to her parties? and how many padeatricians does she have? most pediatricians work with middle-class people and dont do any procedures that really distinguish them. if a plastic surgeon does a good boob job or nose job, her husband will come to personally thank him. you dont get the same respect if you treat a runny nose. what procedures do dermatologists perform?

Haha...do you think her dermo would be invited over her pedi? I don't. Why in the world would you just invite a doctor because s/he was a doctor? Doesn't happen. You'd probably invite him/her because the two of you got along on a personal level, and had a good relationship. No specialty will guarantee that, because it isn't something you can teach in a residency.

And for that matter, most plastic surgeons work on middle-class and non-distinguished people as well. And pediatricians do far more than treat runny noses - if you think a husband would come to thank a p.s. for a good augmentation, how grateful do you think a family would be for a pedi saving a kid's life? Dermatologists do all things skin-related...acne, grafts, rashes, and other things in that range.

 

[Rafa]

again, most neurosurgeons treat old people with strokes or osteoporosis, most psychiatrists treat poors who want to commit suicide or rich spoiled drug addicts. those things dont get you full-season tickets to Chelsea games.

That's the point - there is *no* specialty that will guarantee you your full-season tickets. Not neuro. Not dermo. Not p.s. Not going to happen. You don't get the tickets just for matching into the 'right' specialty. It has infinitely more to do with the people you work with, and how personable you are with them. If you want your tickets, you will have to come across far more charming to your 'rich spoiled drug addict' than accosting him of being an rsdp - or else those tickets will come out of your paycheck, and not from his dad's personal phoneline to the football club. Those are called "people skills".

i think orthosurgeons may claim legitimate claim on prestige. they probably treat a wide variety of athletes(if not professional, at least college level). but who works with businessmen?

Nah - most orthosurgeons just treat fat people whose backs give out due to their obesity. There isn't a "sexy" specialty. In almost all situations imaginable, you aren't going to be treating rich, sexy, photogenic people. If you're hung on prestige, you'll have to get in with the people *with* the prestige. Any kind of doctor can treat a businessman - a pedi for his kids, a psych for his mania, an obgyn for his wife, and so forth - there isn't a set specialty that will give you your tickets. But here I am turning into a broken record again. Keep on searching for that specialty at the end of the prestige rainbow! Peace, I'm out.

 

[lublufsb]

Haha...do you think her dermo would be invited over her pedi? I don't. Why in the world would you just invite a doctor because s/he was a doctor? Doesn't happen. You'd probably invite him/her because the two of you got along on a personal level, and had a good relationship. No specialty will guarantee that, because it isn't something you can teach in a residency.

And for that matter, most plastic surgeons work on middle-class and non-distinguished people as well. And pediatricians do far more than treat runny noses - if you think a husband would come to thank a p.s. for a good augmentation, how grateful do you think a family would be for a pedi saving a kid's life? Dermatologists do all things skin-related...acne, grafts, rashes, and other things in that range.

look, it is very rare for rich kids to be seriously sick. but it is very common for a rich man to give his wife a nose job or a liposuction. what other procedures are common among rich people? i'm not really interested in plastic surgery because it's too competitive(though i am a competitive person nevertheless), and it's just not something i like. But are there any other specialties that come even close in exposure to the upper class?

 

[lublufsb]

the stereotype for orthopedists (i don't know what an orthosurgeon is) is that they are big, dumb animals who just know how to saw and hammer. doesn't sound very prestigious to me, but, again, it's just a stereotype.

orthopedics is one of the most selective specialties...

 

[somemaybedoc]

i think orthosurgeons may claim legitimate claim on prestige. they probably treat a wide variety of athletes(if not professional, at least college level). but who works with businessmen?

Cardiologists work with business men who are on the verge of cardiac death like Dick Cheney.

 

[lublufsb]

Cardiologists work with business men who are on the verge of cardiac death like Dick Cheney.

then he is at the end of his business career.

i think dermatology and ps are tops.

 

[colbgw02]

orthopedics is one of the most selective specialties...

i'm fully aware of how competitive the specialties are, and you are correct - orthopedics is highly competitive. it is also true that the stereotype that i outlined above is alive and well. radiation oncology, ENT, urology, and radiology (among others) are also highly competitive, but no one has mentioned those in this discussion. so clearly a specialty's competitiveness and its prestige are not necessarily related.

 

[somemaybedoc]

then he is at the end of his business career.

i think dermatology and ps are tops.

A good number of business men continue on through the first couple of heart attacks.

 

[lublufsb]

i'm fully aware of how competitive the specialties are, and you are correct - orthopedics is highly competitive. it is also true that the stereotype that i outlined above is alive and well. radiation oncology, ENT, urology, and radiology (among others) are also highly competitive, but no one has mentioned those in this discussion. so clearly a specialty's competitiveness and its prestige are not necessarily related.

radiology-the most interaction you get with people are biopsies on possible cancer patients. i guess you might interact with an 80yo paris hilton.
ent-you remove tonsils, enough said.
urology-yuck yuck yuck

 

[notdeadyet]

Do any doctors get presents such as full-season tickets to yankees games or invited to celebrities' house parties?

again, most neurosurgeons treat old people with strokes or osteoporosis, most psychiatrists treat poors who want to commit suicide or rich spoiled drug addicts. those things dont get you full-season tickets to Chelsea games.

i think orthosurgeons may claim legitimate claim on prestige. they probably treat a wide variety of athletes(if not professional, at least college level). but who works with businessmen?

most pediatricians work with middle-class people and dont do any procedures that really distinguish them.

But are there any other specialties that come even close in exposure to the upper class?

I was thinking the OP was a troll, which is sad. But not I'm starting to think he's not, which is sadder.

OP- A few thoughts:

1. Regardless of specialties, most physicians will make enough money to live quite well and buy their own tickets to sporting events.

2. Medicine is, at the end of the day, a service industry. You can rub elbows with all the well-to-do's you want, but at the end of the day you are a wage earner. The truly wealthy do not work for their paycheck. You will not be one of them.

3. Prestige is over-rated, and fading fast for medicine. Remember how lawyers used to be the end-all/be-all but now are the butt of jokes? Doctors are slowly walking down that road. Chasing money doesn't help things.

 

[dantt]

again, most neurosurgeons treat old people with strokes or osteoporosis, most psychiatrists treat poors who want to commit suicide or rich spoiled drug addicts. those things dont get you full-season tickets to Chelsea games.

i think orthosurgeons may claim legitimate claim on prestige. they probably treat a wide variety of athletes(if not professional, at least college level). but who works with businessmen?

You should watch Grey's Anatomy. Neurosurgeons are f'in cool and treat all manner of patients. AND, they totally get the chicks.

 

[somemaybedoc]

If you want free tickets, you'll probably want to be in specialty where you make purchasing decisions on very expensive things. Thus giving the manufacturers of those things as incentive to give you little good will gifts....cough kickbacks.

Don't know how legal these gifts are anymore.

 

[somemaybedoc]

I was thinking the OP was a troll, which is sad. But not I'm starting to think he's not, which is sadder.

OP- A few thoughts:

1. Regardless of specialties, most physicians will make enough money to live quite well and buy their own tickets to sporting events.

2. Medicine is, at the end of the day, a service industry. You can rub elbows with all the well-to-do's you want, but at the end of the day you are a wage earner. The truly wealthy do not work for their paycheck. You will not be one of them.

3. Prestige is over-rated, and fading fast for medicine. Remember how lawyers used to be the end-all/be-all but now are the butt of jokes? Doctors are slowly walking down that road. Chasing money doesn't help things.

Some execs are truly wealthy and work although they get to a critical monetary level where they don't need to anymore.

When were lawyers the end all be all?

 

[Rafa]

I was thinking the OP was a troll, which is sad. But not I'm starting to think he's not, which is sadder.

OP- A few thoughts:

1. Regardless of specialties, most physicians will make enough money to live quite well and buy their own tickets to sporting events.

2. Medicine is, at the end of the day, a service industry. You can rub elbows with all the well-to-do's you want, but at the end of the day you are a wage earner. The truly wealthy do not work for their paycheck. You will not be one of them.

3. Prestige is over-rated, and fading fast for medicine. Remember how lawyers used to be the end-all/be-all but now are the butt of jokes? Doctors are slowly walking down that road. Chasing money doesn't help things.

I was trying to logic this with him to the conclusion that going to medical school solely to prostitute oneself to the rich for 'perks' was a pretty bad idea, but eventually grew tired of it. If he isn't a troll, he's certainly a brick wall, and perhaps one we should leave the great equalizers in the sky to deal with (MCAT, PS, Interviews).

 

[somemaybedoc]

I was trying to logic this with him to the conclusion that going to medical school solely to prostitute oneself to the rich for 'perks' was a pretty bad idea, but eventually grew tired of it. If he isn't a troll, he's certainly a brick wall, and perhaps one we should leave the great equalizers in the sky to deal with (MCAT, PS, Interviews).

It's more fun to encourage them. Then they get to know first hand.

 

[lublufsb]

I was thinking the OP was a troll, which is sad. But not I'm starting to think he's not, which is sadder.

OP- A few thoughts:

1. Regardless of specialties, most physicians will make enough money to live quite well and buy their own tickets to sporting events.

2. Medicine is, at the end of the day, a service industry. You can rub elbows with all the well-to-do's you want, but at the end of the day you are a wage earner. The truly wealthy do not work for their paycheck. You will not be one of them.

3. Prestige is over-rated, and fading fast for medicine. Remember how lawyers used to be the end-all/be-all but now are the butt of jokes? Doctors are slowly walking down that road. Chasing money doesn't help things.

1. true. but i think you would feel satisfaction if people invited you to those games or those parties...
2. doctors too can invest money, i dont think Bill Frist has to work for a living. but the idea behind working is that you get certain benefits outside of monetary compensation, certain social relationships.
3. i think if you're a partner at cravath, you eat at the same restaurants as donald trump! poor people will always think that doctors are overpaid, even if your salary is cut in half. rich people appreciate when you're a good specialist.

 

[etf]

If you want free tickets, you'll probably want to be in specialty where you make purchasing decisions on very expensive things. Thus giving the manufacturers of those things as incentive to give you little good will gifts....cough kickbacks.

Don't know how legal these gifts are anymore.

so i guess any specialty that requires the use of a da vinci? i'm in.

 

[somemaybedoc]

so i guess any specialty that requires the use of a da vinci? i'm in.

Well, they don't have to "encourage" you, they have pretty much the only product and it's a good one.

 

[somemaybedoc]

1. true. but i think you would feel satisfaction if people invited you to those games or those parties...
2. doctors too can invest money, i dont think Bill Frist has to work for a living. but the idea behind working is that you get certain benefits outside of monetary compensation, certain social relationships.
3. i think if you're a partner at cravath, you eat at the same restaurants as donald trump! poor people will always think that doctors are overpaid, even if your salary is cut in half. rich people appreciate when you're a good specialist.

You answered your own question, specialize in being a member of congress. Lot's of free stuff and widespread loose/questionable ethics.

 

[lublufsb]

If you want free tickets, you'll probably want to be in specialty where you make purchasing decisions on very expensive things. Thus giving the manufacturers of those things as incentive to give you little good will gifts....cough kickbacks.

Don't know how legal these gifts are anymore.

dude, if i just want a ticket, i can buy it. any middle-class person can do it. it's more important to me that a yankees pitcher gives me the ticket and asks me to come watch him. also, sports game tickets are not a very good example. the idea is to just be recognized by the people who belong to the upper class. if you're an ER doc you are recognized by the people who belong to the lower class. I dont want any part of that.

 

[lublufsb]

You answered your own question, specialize in being a member of congress. Lot's of free stuff and widespread loose/questionable ethics.

Bill Frist isn't upper class because he's a member of congress. He is because his father and his grandfather were all prominent doctors.

 

[Rafa]

It's more fun to encourage them. Then they get to know first hand.

That's true...but after reading this...

dude, if i just want a ticket, i can buy it. any middle-class person can do it. it's more important to me that a yankees pitcher gives me the ticket and asks me to come watch him. also, sports game tickets are not a very good example. the idea is to just be recognized by the people who belong to the upper class. if you're an ER doc you are recognized by the people who belong to the lower class. I dont want any part of that.

I'm calling it at midnight like Fox News at a Presidential election - TROLL!!! (or shockingly delusional pre-med).

 

[dwigt]

I shadowed an oncologist who told me about this one guy that he cured. The dude had ordered a custom built ferrari, and to show his appreciation for the doc, he ordered a second one to give as a gift. I don't remember exactly what the value of the car was, but it was definitely more than most people would pay for a house.


*disclaimer* - This is just a story, and I'm not claiming anything about the relative prestige of oncologists.

 

[abcxyz0123]

dude, if i just want a ticket, i can buy it. any middle-class person can do it. it's more important to me that a yankees pitcher gives me the ticket and asks me to come watch him. also, sports game tickets are not a very good example. the idea is to just be recognized by the people who belong to the upper class. if you're an ER doc you are recognized by the people who belong to the lower class. I dont want any part of that.

you must have a small penis

 

[colbgw02]

dude, if i just want a ticket, i can buy it. any middle-class person can do it. it's more important to me that a yankees pitcher gives me the ticket and asks me to come watch him. also, sports game tickets are not a very good example. the idea is to just be recognized by the people who belong to the upper class. if you're an ER doc you are recognized by the people who belong to the lower class. I dont want any part of that.

how many famous physicians who are known outside of the medical community can you name? people don't even know who the U.S. surgeon general is. the only two i can think of are that terrible cochbag from Dr. 90210 and Sanjay Gupta from CNN. there is a famous orthopod from my hometown who used to see athletes from around the country, and he used to get his athlete patients to do cool things (like getting Lavar Arrington to coach a flag football team at the local highschool's homecoming). still, he's just one guy, and he was primarily known for being a great surgeon. so honestly, what are your chances of rubbing elbows with the elite? not good. if that's your number one goal, then you're probably looking into the wrong profession.

 

[lublufsb]

you must have a small penis

you must have a small brain.

 

[63768]

i love how many opinions of the "most prestigious specialty" are based upon nip/tuck and grey's.

yea i really don't understand why orthopods are stereotyped as idiots when they have to be high in their med school class, AOA, and high USMLEs. do other doctors not think before making up a stereotype?

finally, there is no prestigious specialty as others have said. having shadowed in an orthopedic group:

- hand surgery = worker's comp people who stupidly smash their hands or old hens that gossip all day and type so much they develop carpal tunnel
- joint replacement = old people who walk slower than a turtle, for good reason of course but it's a little annoying when i have to run to a patient's room and their family takes up the entire hallway
- sports medicine/arthroscopy = lots of young athletes, which is good, but you also get your fair share of fat people, who have destroyed their knees and need debridement, and old people who tear their rotator cuff tendons
- spine = worker's comp, scoliosis, spondylothesis, deposition, repeat

nothing glamorous. just choose the specialty you work best in. it's a widespread fact that the majority of healthcare goes to those at the beginning and end of their lives so you'll most likely see those people unless you're in derm or plastics. or in path or rads.

 

[lublufsb]

how many famous physicians who are known outside of the medical community can you name? people don't even know who the U.S. surgeon general is. the only two i can think of are that terrible cochbag from Dr. 90210 and Sanjay Gupta from CNN. there is a famous orthopod from my hometown who used to see athletes from around the country, and he used to get his athlete patients to do cool things (like getting Lavar Arrington to coach a flag football team at the local highschool's homecoming). still, he's just one guy, and he was primarily known for being a great surgeon. so honestly, what are your chances of rubbing elbows with the elite? not good. if that's your number one goal, then you're probably looking into the wrong profession.

truly prestigious people are not famous like this dr 90210. why would you want some laymen to recognize you on the street? i bet he doesnt have patients like pamela anderson... This orthoguy that you mentioned is indeed what i'm looking for. And i agree, it is probably very rare for orthoguys to get that level of respect. But are there any specialties(besides ps) where you have better odds? Btw, did that ortho guy do fellowship in sports or in some area like knees or hands? And now that you brought this up, i want to add that sports ortho guys get to be team physicians for college teams while doing their fellowships, so they already get some recognition during their training. I wonder if there are any such oppportunities in other specialties?

 

[Rafa]

 

[colbgw02]

i love how many opinions of the "most prestigious specialty" are based upon nip/tuck and grey's.

good point.

yea i really don't understand why orthopods are stereotyped as idiots when they have to be high in their med school class, AOA, and high USMLEs. do other doctors not think before making up a stereotype?

because orthopeadics isn't as cerebral as some other specialties. orthopedists have admitted as much to me. also, orthopedists tend to be particularly unwilling to take care of their patients' non-surgical issues, which draws the ire of the internists who are often on the receiving end of the consult.

of course it's just a stereotype, but it goes to show you that a specialty's difficulty and its competitiveness are often unrelated. pathology has a particularly difficult base of knowledge, yet it remains firmly in the middle of the pack with regard to competitiveness. great medical students tend to choose what they like to do, not what they're capable of doing.

 

[lublufsb]

i love how many opinions of the "most prestigious specialty" are based upon nip/tuck and grey's.

yea i really don't understand why orthopods are stereotyped as idiots when they have to be high in their med school class, AOA, and high USMLEs. do other doctors not think before making up a stereotype?

finally, there is no prestigious specialty as others have said. having shadowed in an orthopedic group:

- hand surgery = worker's comp people who stupidly smash their hands or old hens that gossip all day and type so much they develop carpal tunnel
- joint replacement = old people who walk slower than a turtle, for good reason of course but it's a little annoying when i have to run to a patient's room and their family takes up the entire hallway
- sports medicine/arthroscopy = lots of young athletes, which is good, but you also get your fair share of fat people, who have destroyed their knees and need debridement, and old people who tear their rotator cuff tendons
- spine = worker's comp, scoliosis, spondylothesis, deposition, repeat

nothing glamorous. just choose the specialty you work best in. it's a widespread fact that the majority of healthcare goes to those at the beginning and end of their lives so you'll most likely see those people unless you're in derm or plastics. or in path or rads.

what you describe doesnt sound too bad. but you forgot to mention that orthosurgery is one of the toughest specialties. if you dont get any glamor as a dermatologist or radiologist, at least you have a nice lifestyle... But i bet many orthosurgeons themselves develop arthritis..
how is it that rads/path see patients who are not old people? i thought that biopsies are for cancer patients and their other assignments do not involve patient interactions.
i think the only good thing about dermatology is skin cancer. it has a high survival rate and it actually occurs in people who are not old. i know because a family friend had it and she talked about how dermatologist saved her life.

 

[63768]

And now that you brought this up, i want to add that sports ortho guys get to be team physicians for college teams while doing their fellowships

for ortho, you're going to more likely be a team physician for local high school teams than college teams. all the orthopods i know didn't work with college teams until late in their fellowship. the doctor i specifically shadowed completed a prestigious/good arthroscopy and sports medicine fellowship and worked with high school students almost exclusively.

the only ortho i know that has reached the level of prestige you're apparently looking for is part of the team of physicians for the houston texans football team, and it took him decades of work to get there.

what you describe doesnt sound too bad. but you forgot to mention that orthosurgery is one of the toughest specialties. if you dont get any glamor as a dermatologist or radiologist, at least you have a nice lifestyle... But i bet many orthosurgeons themselves develop arthritis..
how is it that rads/path see patients who are not old people? i thought that biopsies are for cancer patients and their other assignments do not involve patient interactions.
i think the only good thing about dermatology is skin cancer. it has a high survival rate and it actually occurs in people who are not old. i know because a family friend had it and she talked about how dermatologist saved her life.

what i meant was that rads and path don't see patients period. rads you're reading imaging and generating reports for the doctors that order the imaging. path, i know less about, but it seems like you're in the lab most of the time and have no patients yourself, again, providing test results for other physicians. and yea orthopods have horrible hours during residency as certain surgeries can take forever and you have a full schedule everyday. family life is almost impossible for orthopods during residency. after you're practicing, it's sort of a lifestyle deal.

 

[Natural Light]

again, most neurosurgeons treat old people with strokes or osteoporosis, most psychiatrists treat poors who want to commit suicide or rich spoiled drug addicts. those things dont get you full-season tickets to Chelsea games.

i think orthosurgeons may claim legitimate claim on prestige. they probably treat a wide variety of athletes(if not professional, at least college level). but who works with businessmen?

D-bag

 

[colbgw02]

truly prestigious people are not famous like this dr 90210. why would you want some laymen to recognize you on the street? i bet he doesnt have patients like pamela anderson... This orthoguy that you mentioned is indeed what i'm looking for. And i agree, it is probably very rare for orthoguys to get that level of respect. But are there any specialties(besides ps) where you have better odds? Btw, did that ortho guy do fellowship in sports or in some area like knees or hands? And now that you brought this up, i want to add that sports ortho guys get to be team physicians for college teams while doing their fellowships, so they already get some recognition during their training. I wonder if there are any such oppportunities in other specialties?

sorry man, but there is not a secret formula or magic bullet. even really respectable (or "prestigious") physicians tend to only be known to their patients, the medical community, and perhaps a handful of the blue bloods at the local country club. you could always invent the artificial liver or win a nobel prize, but come on...

if you want to work for a sports team, professional or otherwise, then you're probably best off going with orthopedics or sports medicine, but it's not like that's a guarantee to get what you want.

 

[lublufsb]

for ortho, you're going to more likely be a team physician for local high school teams than college teams. all the orthopods i know didn't work with college teams until late in their fellowship. the doctor i specifically shadowed completed a prestigious/good arthroscopy and sports medicine fellowship and worked with high school students almost exclusively.

the only ortho i know that has reached the level of prestige you're apparently looking for is part of the team of physicians for the houston texans football team, and it took him decades of work to get there.



what i meant was that rads and path don't see patients period. rads you're reading imaging and generating reports for the doctors that order the imaging. path, i know less about, but it seems like you're in the lab most of the time and have no patients yourself, again, providing test results for other physicians. and yea orthopods have horrible hours during residency as certain surgeries can take forever and you have a full schedule everyday. family life is almost impossible for orthopods during residency. after you're practicing, it's sort of a lifestyle deal.

yeah, that's how it is. and they often work 60+ hrs/wk and get arthritis and laymen think they are overpaid!!

 

[colbgw02]

what i meant was that rads and path don't see patients period.

i know i'm off topic, but that's not true for radiology. there's IR, of course, and those MDs often have their own clinics. and even general diagnostic radiologists perform procedures with patients, like HSGs, VCUGs, US and CT guided biopsies, any number of fluoroscopy procedures (e.g., barium swallows or enemas). sure, you won't be managing BP or DM, but that's typically seen as a good thing by radiologists.

 

[63768]

because orthopeadics isn't as cerebral as some other specialties. orthopedists have admitted as much to me. also, orthopedists tend to be particularly unwilling to take care of their patients' non-surgical issues, which draws the ire of the internists who are often on the receiving end of the consult.

good point. even though i've seen at least 500 surgeries, i never thought about the fact that each surgery is largely mechanical. hand and spine surgery, on the other hand, those require finesse and skill that i'm still astounded by.

i know i'm off topic, but that's not true for radiology. there's IR, of course, and those MDs often have their own clinics. and even general diagnostic radiologists perform procedures with patients, like HSGs, VCUGs, US and CT guided biopsies, any number of fluoroscopy procedures (e.g., barium swallows or enemas). sure, you won't be managing BP or DM, but that's typically seen as a good thing by radiologists.

shoot! you keep reminding me of knowledge i already knew. i'd watched some IR procedures and those were pretty cool. so again you're right. haha.

 

[lublufsb]

Do IR people do any procedures on young,healthy, beautiful people?

 

[colbgw02]

Do IR people do any procedures on young,healthy, beautiful people?

young, healthy, beautiful people don't tend to see doctors very often. medicine is typically a profession for the old, sick, and ugly. sorry. that goes for plastic surgeons and cosmetic dermatologists as well, because, after all, if they were already young and beautiful, they wouldn't need any work done.