obgyn vs internal medicine

[badgergirl]

Hey all,
Like many schizophrenic third years I declared myself to be a certain kind of doctor (internal medicine) early in the third year, set up my fourth year to facilitate that goal, and then took my ob/gyn clerkship and fell in love. Loved the surgery, loved delivering babies, loved the residents, loved the patients, loved it all. So please - help me resolve my identity crisis! I have already taken steps to change up my rotations, made a pro/con list for each residency, and have meetings set up with all sorts of advisors, etc. My parents are against ob/gyn because of malpractice and so on, but my heart is torn. If I could have my choice of how to spend my day, I'd do some surgery in the morning, do rounds on inpatients in the afternoon, and then deliver babies all night. I love both, and have no idea how to pick. I know that I'd love either residency, but then when I try to envision my life after residency, I don't know what I see. Any thoughts on this pseudo-dilemma would be much appreciated...

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[mysophobe]

Sounds like you would be happier in ob/gyn. Also, your parents aren't the ones that have to live with your career for the rest of your life.

 

[klmr]

Malpractice aside, if you do what makes you happy, you'll be happy at what you do. YOU have to work the 30 hour calls and get up at 4am...not your parents.
Just my $.02.
PS-Medicine made me want to scratch my eyes out (well, ok, really only after the first 3 hours of rounding) so it wasn't really a tough decision for me...hence my lack of advice based on personal experience!

Sounds like you would be happier in ob/gyn. Also, your parents aren't the ones that have to live with your career for the rest of your life.

 

[mysophobe]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[mdchick]

Oh my gosh... i am having the EXACT same problem. In fact, I spent so much time gearing toward medicine that all of the Medicine docs at my school know me and are asking if i am doing a rotation with them, etc. I haven't had the guts to tell them that I am no longer interested...

In fact every day I go through the dilemma: Do I do ob/gyn that I had so much fun on but hear how awful it is from everyone else, or do I go into Medicine where I hated every day while on the rotation but will definitley get a better residency, have a better lifestyle, have time to sleep,etc....

I think I might flip a coin.

 

[mysophobe]

Why would you go into a specialty that you found yourself miserable in during rotations? Picking that over a specialty you loved because you'll "have more time to sleep" seems ridiculous to me.

 

[Trillgirl]

I'd rather get up at 3am to deliver a baby, than to deal with a stroke, GI bleed, ruptured AAA, etc. Besides, who wants to write 3 page H&Ps and round all day anyhow?

Do what you love. Period.

 

[UCLAMAN]

I'd rather get up at 3am to deliver a baby, than to deal with a stroke, GI bleed, ruptured AAA, etc. Besides, who wants to write 3 page H&Ps and round all day anyhow?

word...medicine blows....my school gave us 12 weeks of it. thank god its over.

 

[missylee]

I know what you mean. I loved Medicine when I did it and even considered changing paths. But then I thought that alot of IM is involved in OB/GYN....and maybe you could say that the best OB/GYN should also be a very good hospitalist.

You could do MFM...that's a good marriage between IM and OB/GYN...lots of problem solving. Sounds to me like you love OB/GYN>IM, though.

 

[cmn623]

I'm still an undergrad but was wondering what MFM stands for that was mentioned previously

 

[s42brown]

MFM=Maternal-Fetal medicine, A.K.A. perinatology.

High risk obstetrics that involves a great deal of medicine.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

come on. malpractice can't be that bad.

ob's still take home the bank.

 

[hurdler13]

I hope, whoever you are you made the decision to go into Obgyn - it is for you. Take care.

 

[anonperson]

I hope, whoever you are you made the decision to go into Obgyn - it is for you. Take care.

OP hasn't logged into the site in ~13 years.

Probably not going to see the well wishes