Noncompetitive Specialties

[prominence]

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how come there is almost no interest in occupational/ preventative medicine or aerospace medicine? whats so unappealing about them?

is it a lifestyle issue? or are they low paying? are they uninteresting?

whats the deal?

 

[prominence]

what about medical genetics and toxicology? u can add those to the specialties i mentioned above.

 

[ortho2003]

You can't tell by reading this, but I have stuck a fork in my left eye after reading your post. I would ram another in my right eye before applying for any of those specialties. Preventative/occupational medicine...too damn boring and too many people trying too get a free ride from their employer. Aerospace...don't really know much about it, but it doesn't sound like my thing. Genetics and toxicology....I want to be a physician, not a chemist or molecular biologist.

 

[prominence]

Originally posted by ortho2003
Preventative/occupational medicine...too damn boring and too many people trying too get a free ride from their employer.

can u explain why u think preventative/occ med is so boring?

 

[ortho2003]

Workman's comp and worrying about immunizations and screening tests just isn't my bag man. I want to see pathology and try to fix it.

 

[deleted6669]

occ. med = mostly work comp. fraud and drug addicts...i sprained my ankle at work in 1973 and need to remain on permanent disability and take 10 percocet a day, by the way i am 0ut of them....

 

[Mindy]

or...

occ . med pt to their doc: "Hi doc, I have been having a little trouble breathing, and i was coughing up some blood. Someone said my cxr looked a little funny and I told them that I worked in as an aluminum welder for 36 years... now I can't walk more than a few steps without having to stop."

later... "what exactly is bilateral pneumothoraces, hilar adenopathy, a lung parenchymal mass, and thoracotomy mean?"

later, yet. "why do you have to remove my right lung again?"

later yet. "what do you mean my lung looked like the bronchi were stuffed with aluminum foil?"

later yet. "what do you mean the company I worked for said that smoking 5 cigarettes a day for 10 years caused this and that they refuse to take any responsibility for my aluminum-filled lungs despite never suggesting I wear a respirator and calling me a 'wuss' if I complained?"

later yet. "what does diverticulitis mean, and why can't I get my lung transplant because of it?"

and finally. "could I at least have some pain medicine if I'm not going to make it?"

Check it out on medline, etc. "Aluminum-welding fume induced pneumoconiosis." Human Pathology 2002.

 

[ortho2003]

Damn Mindy....there goes my other eye. Thanks a lot

 

[DermRes]

I think you guys have the wrong ideas about occupational medicine. Most of the doctors who staff the occupational clinic, ironically, are not board certified in occupational medicine. Lot of them are GPs and/or FPs who needs a different gig to make ends meet. They are the ones who work at those clinic and deal with them pain patients and worker's comp cases.
The board certified occ med docs I know work as medical review officers for big companies. Most of them do not see any patients at all!!! It is a 9-5 corporate job with doctor's pay.