Near deadline, decision time

[draugusto]

Would appreciate any balanced responses.

Need to decide on residency over next week or so and can't make my mind up, probably best not to make decisions based on forum advice but input can't hurt. Also appreciate the cliches that everything is cyclical and that one should follow ones passion...but

Main interest throughout med-school has been cardiology. I'm not going to put medicine ahead of everything in my life however and wont pretend I love anything other than my friends and family. I like certain careers more than others and like helping people. I enjoy cardiovascular medicine more than other systems. I'm led to believe that competition is down for fellowship spots and increasingly more IMGs are matching which is not necessary a great sign. Also jobs in large cities where I would like to live are few and pay less than just a few years ago. As much as I like cardiology, I have to balance this with other factors that I also like, such as a strong job-market, hours and length of training. I have applied for a residency other than IM with relatively better work-life balance which limits it's residency numbers better. With 800 or so new fellows joining every year, is it likely that things in cardiology will get better in next few years or will there be a massive over-supply?

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[R8493375]

You just said it. Things are cyclical in life. It may be true that cards may not be the hen of the golden eggs anymore but that is now and no one can fortell 100% what is yet to come. My advice: Listen to your heart. Go for it 100% if you love the field. You dont want to be making Ks in 10-20 years from now and hating your job every morning when you wake up and get out of bed. Now, beware; cardiology is a difficult one to tame. Passionate but intense. It will take you to heaven but in pain

 

[ROBINHO]

Nobody can predict.
However most important thing is to do what you enjoy.
If you enjoy cards and lets take it takes a nose dive and u have to make 140000 then u are better off doing that than making 300,000 and not having a passion

 

[draugusto]

Nobody can predict.
However most important thing is to do what you enjoy.
If you enjoy cards and lets take it takes a nose dive and u have to make 140000 then u are better off doing that than making 300,000 and not having a passion

Well, I guess that's up for debate. Do you think there will be a massive over-supply of cardiologists basing on what the evidence you see?

 

[gutonc]

Well, I guess that's up for debate. Do you think there will be a massive over-supply of cardiologists basing on what the evidence you see?

What's up for debate? That doing a job you love for less money than you get paid for a job that you hate is a good idea?

 

[inspirationmd]

Yeah there likely will be an oversupply based on what I see in fellows at my institution and folks I know at other hospitals. Being a cardiologist by itself is no longer enough to get a top job, it's really about who you know, pedigree of your fellowship and, honestly, luck. Also going to San Fran is going to be a lot harder than Fly over country so you need evaluate what sacrifices would you be willing to make later on.

Not sure I share the minimizing of money that seems pervasive on this board at times. There are a lot of specialties that I hated that if I was going to get paid twice as much as what I'll end up doing I could suck it up for. Money isn't everything but my 20s are worth more than $140K, IMO.

Well, I guess that's up for debate. Do you think there will be a massive over-supply of cardiologists basing on what the evidence you see?