Pet peeves of some of the fields you are interested in.

[coralfangs]

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You know you want to go into the field(s) but there are just some pet peeves that kinda annoy you.
Let's list them.

Peds: I love the kids and I love the cases but I find those docs and nurses who say "oh she/he is soooo cute" to every patient kinda annoying. I mean... it's okay to tell the parents that they are cute when you are chatting with them but if you have to go out of your way during rounds, you are just wasting people's time. Besides, some kids just ain't as cute and I do reserve my cute comments to the truly cute ones.

Ob/gyn: I love the cases but I find those docs and nurses who think that the field to be the holy grail of humanity annoying. You know what I'm saying. Yes, childbirth is a very intimate and important moment for the patient but it's not the only field that services patients at their most intimate and important moments. What about a young man with testicular cancer or an old woman in her dying bed?

That's it for now. I'm heading to bed

 

[ArcGurren]

This isn't so much a peeve about the field itself as it is about a stereotype, but the whole idea that orthopedic surgeons are giant high school jocks who work out all the time and have massive muscles etc. Very few of the surgeons I've met in the field were jocks... in fact the chief at my hospital is more of an artist

 

[ar2388]

This isn't so much a peeve about the field itself as it is about a stereotype, but the whole idea that orthopedic surgeons are giant high school jocks who work out all the time and have massive muscles etc. Very few of the surgeons I've met in the field were jocks... in fact the chief at my hospital is more of an artist

haha yeah but everyone still calls them 'orthopods'.. docs from other specialties especially

 

[C5toC9]

It might not be 100% true, but they probably have a higher rate of those stereotypical profiles than in other specialties.

 

[coralfangs]

This isn't so much a peeve about the field itself as it is about a stereotype, but the whole idea that orthopedic surgeons are giant high school jocks who work out all the time and have massive muscles etc. Very few of the surgeons I've met in the field were jocks... in fact the chief at my hospital is more of an artist

there is a peds surg here who is 6'9"
i wonder how the surgery is done with him, does he have to bend down or does everyone else need to use multiple steps

 

[hemoglobincell]

Emergency medicine: the targetted ROS

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the ROS (to cover anything that might have been left out)? I feel like they wouldn't do it at all if not for billing, which is a shame.

 

[ArcGurren]

It might not be 100% true, but they probably have a higher rate of those stereotypical profiles than in other specialties.

I don't think that's true though. And in general most people usually play a couple high school/college sports, whether it's intramural or whatever... doesn't make them a jock.

IDK I think the stereotype comes from the idea that they're big muscled carpenters, only they work on bone instead of wood... despite the fact that a LOT of skill and clinical knowledge is required... lol

 

[webperson]

It might not be 100% true, but they probably have a higher rate of those stereotypical profiles than in other specialties.

Obviously everyone is going to have had their own experiences with what they've seen in wards, and I haven't exactly run across many peer-reviewed randomized control trial on the subject of orthopedic surgeon height.

That said, over the last decade I've periodically volunteered at an orthopedic clinic where every month a new batch of ortho residents come through on rotation. There are some who are 5'6" and some who play violin, BUT it is true that a noticeable majority are taller and interested in sports -- much more than the average subspecialty.

It makes sense because of the overlap with sports medicine and the fact that many people are drawn to particular specialties because of experiences they had with doctors growing up. I've met many oncologist who were childhood cancer survivors, and the kids who are most likely to be treated by orthopods growing up are the football and basketball players who are much more prone to musculoskeletal injuries.

I don't think it's a good stereotype, but there's probably a reason it's out there. One thing that we do have official numbers on is gender. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, women comprised 3 percent of the board-certified orthopedic workforce and 6 percent of candidates or applicants for membership in 2005-2006. These numbers are improving, and I hope that trend continues.