ok so EM is better than IM..but what about Gas?

[ALTorGT]

hiyall
to kick off the topic again..we discussed below why EM was more comp than IM...more control on hours/lifestyle, quicker residency, flexibility...all great.

but what about compared to anesthesia. for someone who like OR and procedures..i read on anesthesia board that work starts early and finishes early..and somewhat better pay = 300K as opposed to EMs 200. any thoughts or comments?
which is more competitive

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[pmichaelmd]

Pretty subjective at this point. I think all specialties experience the highs and lows with their respective competitiveness relative to this. Both Anesthesia and Radiology were less competitive in the early 90s. I think this had to do with the false prediction that anesthesia would be a saturated field in the early part of the 21st century (largely due to overblown expectations of HMO supremacy in this country) and lower remuneration for both specialties at the time. Now that both are making the big $$, particularly radiologists, things have changed. Radiology has become exceptionally competitive these days and I'd imagine that it is right up there with derm and surgical subspecialties.

I can speak more about anesthesia as I went through the match process for gas last fall and found that anesthesia is indeed on the rebound. Many PDs at state university hospitals were telling me that they were seeing average applications with people scoring between 225 and 235 on step I of the USMLE and were using 220 as a cutoff for interviews. The "top" programs, like UCSF, Hopkins, MGH, B&W, Mayo, and Michigan may have even higher screeing criteria, such as AOA, etc. Of course, we all know that a person is more than just a number on a page, but *shhh* don't tell the PDs that

I think ER is fairly competitive as are the other "lifestyle" specialties, the ROAD to success (Radiology, Ophthalmology, Anesthesiology, and Dermatology) specialties. Friends of mine who matched into ER at places like Hopkins had boards in the 225 range and were even then turned down for interviews at lesser programs.

Which specialty is more competitive? Hard to say these days. Several years ago it would have been ER, no questions. Now, hard to say as the competition has become keen in gas. When I was interviewing, many other applicants shared stories of programs not even looking at IMGs, which would have been unheard of just several years ago. Times change.

Who knows in a few years? Perhaps primary care will experience a resurgence and you'll need 95% boards to get into FP.

R/
PM

 

[Seaglass]

Friends of mine who matched into ER at places like Hopkins had boards in the 225 range and were even then turned down for interviews at lesser programs.

In ER Hopkins is one of the lesser programs.

 

[DrQuinn]

Good points, Dr. Cuts.

EM is a great lifestyle... but that's not why I picked it. I like the excitement, and I like the downtime. I love the "personalities" of hte people that work in the ED. THe nurses are great (read hot and young and cool) and like to drink which is always cool with me.

Salary does plateau much earlier in EM. Anesthesia is hot now, who knows what it will be like in 5 years when all the recent grads are out in the market. EM has been hot and likely will stay hot. With FL having a cap of $150,000 for EM specialists only (and the consults that come from EMTALA), malpractice in certain states can be relatively moderate ocnsidering hte high risk patients we see.

Did I mention the cool people htat work in the ED?

Although I will admit most people are really good looking under a surgicla mask and cap. Except for those with Cushinoid appearance.

Q, DO

 

[Sessamoid]

Odd to compare the two, as I think they draw very different personalities. The gas guys I know are relatively conservative, though easy going people.

The stereotype of EM guys as adrenaline junkies is more accurate than many would suppose. In my graduating EM class, we had several guys who really enjoyed blowing up large things with big guns, one guy who ice-climbs 14K mountains, almost everybody mountain-biked (in El Paso, where it's dangerous to fall) and snow-skiied (I managed to give myself a mild concussion snow-boarding on a long-weekend), etc. When I was younger and living in the SF Bay area, I used to ride road bikes up the hills, then race the cars going down. We do dangerous stuff and I think most of the guys in my group have ended up in the ER themselves for something or another.

The reason I went into EM runs along those lines. Everything else bored the living daylights out of me. It must be the old ADD tendencies popping up. I can't stand to do repetitive and dull tasks. As a medical student, I once fell asleep on my feet during neurosurgery rounds. Very embarassing. During my gas rotation, I had to keep pinching myself to stay awake in the OR. Just the way I'm built.

 

[Apollyon]

Originally posted by QuinnNSU
Good points, Dr. Cuts.

EM is a great lifestyle... but that's not why I picked it. I like the excitement, and I like the downtime. I love the "personalities" of hte people that work in the ED. THe nurses are great (read hot and young and cool) and like to drink which is always cool with me.

Salary does plateau much earlier in EM. Anesthesia is hot now, who knows what it will be like in 5 years when all the recent grads are out in the market. EM has been hot and likely will stay hot. With FL having a cap of $150,000 for EM specialists only (and the consults that come from EMTALA), malpractice in certain states can be relatively moderate ocnsidering hte high risk patients we see.

Did I mention the cool people htat work in the ED?

Although I will admit most people are really good looking under a surgicla mask and cap. Except for those with Cushinoid appearance.

Q, DO

How much did you have to drink before this post? Or are your fingers just akisthetic?

 

[DrQuinn]

Originally posted by Apollyon
How much did you have to drink before this post? Or are your fingers just akisthetic?

4 Maker's Mark and Diet Dr. Peppers, 5 Michelob Ultras. Not bad with all that ETOH on board, eh? And I still typed 100 wpm (max is 126 wpm).

Q, DO

 

[seattledoc]

so you actually mix Makers mark with Diet Dr. Pepper???
you had my respect until that remark!
and Michelob Ultra? Is this some sort of adkins diet you're on or why the self-flagellation.

Kidding, kidding, if it tastes good to you...

 

[DrQuinn]

Diet Dr. Pepper is the only soda I had in the fridge (besides Fresca and I think it would taste nast-o with Fresca). Normally I would mix it with Coke.


I don't mind the taste of Michleob Ultra. Actually I'm not too picky about my beer... I like everythign (grew up on Beast Lite).

Q, DO

 

[seattledoc]

Well I guess michelob ultra probably does taste pretty good against the Beast Lite...
but we degenerate. What was this thread about again?

 

[edinOH]

gay-ish male nurses+muscle shirts=too much info!