Picking a specialty and liking the people in that specialty

[unsung]

Short version:

I like the subject, not sure I fit in with the people.

Long version:

So, I think it's not uncommon for people to meet people in a particular specialty, really like and get along with them, and as a result, have really positive experiences. Perhaps, they might even end up picking that specialty based on these great experiences.

But what if I think I like a particular specialty, and keep meeting people I dislike in that field?

On one hand, I could chalk it up to a few bad experiences- there are surely both heroes and jerks in every field. On the other hand, it could be GOD SCREAMING at me not to pick the field, because I would not "fit in" and would not be happy.

And of course, people have a wide variety of different reasons for picking the same specialty. Some pathologists might have picked it because they really hate patient contact & don't like talking to people. Other pathologists might have picked it because they enjoy looking at slides, etc. pathologies, and enjoy the diagnostic process of it. Very different reasons, same field.

But that said, there are still generalizations that you could probably make: Doubtful that many people who value financial compensation are going into family medicine, right? So it's probably more likely you'd meet someone more "materialistic" in a field like dermatology than in a field like family medicine.

However you care to describe or define it, there IS a "culture" to every specialty. Is it a recipe for disaster to pick a specialty, even though you have this nagging feeling you don't "jive" with the "culture"?

Alternative question: Do you let a few negative experiences (or positive ones) with specific people sway you one way or the other, in regards to choosing a specialty?

I guess the purely logical part of me wonders: Why does it matter why others pick the specialty? As long as I like the subject and like the work (and the patients), that should be what's important. So in that sense, it seems really stupid to pick a specialty based on my peers (rather than based on the patient population).

The thing is... There is another specialty that I also like, but have a ton of "issues" with (in regards to the way it's practiced), which prevents me from whole-heartedly wanting to choose it. But, I have actually found myself really liking and admiring every person I've met working in that field- whether it's the doc, resident, or even fellow med students. Everything from their motivations for picking the field to their personalities/interests. Is this just a series of good coincidences? Or is this something I should be paying attention to and taking into account?

What are your thoughts?

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[2012mdc]

I'm just a MS3 so take what I say with a grain of salt.

It seems to me that personality or stereotypes of a specialty can be overblown and should not be a large factor in specialty decision.

Things you mentioned like enjoying the patient pop, the actual work as well as at least tolerating the bread and butter cases of that specialty should be much bigger factors. (Who cares if you get along wonderfully with every pediatrician you meet if you hate crying kids and their worrisome patients)

Do some introspection and determine why you do not get along with people in the field. Just out of curiosity how many people is it? At how many different institutions?

If you love the field I think you should do it unless you've really noticed a larger trend and you don't see yourself surviving residency and making it to a solo practice

 

[Rollo]

Dude....you're overthinking this!

Do what you like! That's it! End of story!

You can't decide what you're going to do for the rest of your life based on what all the other cool people are doing.

 

[peppy]

I agree that enjoying the work itself is more important than enjoying the kind of people who go into it. You'll spend more time at work working than chatting with your colleagues. I mean, sure, it's nice if you like your colleagues, but I wouldn't avoid a field just based on feeling like most people who go into it aren't quite like you. You'll be able to get along with them well enough to get by if you enjoy the work.
In med school I enjoyed the personalities of the pediatricians and EM docs I met but I went into psych because I found it very interesting. No regrets, even though I freely admit there are a lot of weird people in psych.

 

[BigRedBeta]

I think the safest option is to focus on the actual medicine. That's what will stay constant going forward while the people will come and go.

You're right there are certain cultures that exist in specialties in terms of baseline priorities (like you mentioned). There can also be specialty-wide opinions (I swear every Peds gastroenterologist hates every other Peds GI) but I think though that institution by institution you'll find a greater variance in the actual "personality". If you've been stuck only at your home institution or a very limited exposure to several locations, it really might just be a sample size thing. The other issue is that academia is entirely different than private practice and so until you've managed to gain some exposure to that whole other world, it's tough to paint a complete picture. And you may have to take the plunge on deciding without seeing that.

Are your concerns really with every person you've encountered in this field?

 

[xanthomondo]

Short version:

I like the subject, not sure I fit in with the people.

Long version:

So, I think it's not uncommon for people to meet people in a particular specialty, really like and get along with them, and as a result, have really positive experiences. Perhaps, they might even end up picking that specialty based on these great experiences.

But what if I think I like a particular specialty, and keep meeting people I dislike in that field?

On one hand, I could chalk it up to a few bad experiences- there are surely both heroes and jerks in every field. On the other hand, it could be GOD SCREAMING at me not to pick the field, because I would not "fit in" and would not be happy.

And of course, people have a wide variety of different reasons for picking the same specialty. Some pathologists might have picked it because they really hate patient contact & don't like talking to people. Other pathologists might have picked it because they enjoy looking at slides, etc. pathologies, and enjoy the diagnostic process of it. Very different reasons, same field.

But that said, there are still generalizations that you could probably make: Doubtful that many people who value financial compensation are going into family medicine, right? So it's probably more likely you'd meet someone more "materialistic" in a field like dermatology than in a field like family medicine.

However you care to describe or define it, there IS a "culture" to every specialty. Is it a recipe for disaster to pick a specialty, even though you have this nagging feeling you don't "jive" with the "culture"?

Alternative question: Do you let a few negative experiences (or positive ones) with specific people sway you one way or the other, in regards to choosing a specialty?

I guess the purely logical part of me wonders: Why does it matter why others pick the specialty? As long as I like the subject and like the work (and the patients), that should be what's important. So in that sense, it seems really stupid to pick a specialty based on my peers (rather than based on the patient population).

The thing is... There is another specialty that I also like, but have a ton of "issues" with (in regards to the way it's practiced), which prevents me from whole-heartedly wanting to choose it. But, I have actually found myself really liking and admiring every person I've met working in that field- whether it's the doc, resident, or even fellow med students. Everything from their motivations for picking the field to their personalities/interests. Is this just a series of good coincidences? Or is this something I should be paying attention to and taking into account?

What are your thoughts?

I'm pretty certain you could have cut this post in half if you just said what specialty you're interested in but bothered by the personality type typically found in the field.

What fields are you interested in?

I've considered a plus of going into peds is that most of the people you will work with are super nice.

 

[just one]

Dude....you're overthinking this!

Do what you like! That's it! End of story!

You can't decide what you're going to do for the rest of your life based on what all the other cool people are doing.

Isn't that how the gunners pick their field?

 

[2012mdc]

Isn't that how the gunners pick their field?

What are the cool fields? I wanna be cool

 

[unsung]

What are the cool fields? I wanna be cool

Lol, you guys are totally missing the point.

It's not that I want to be surrounded by people I like (though of course, that would be nice.) The more pressing concern is- if I'm surrounded by people who are totally dissimilar to me- isn't it more likely that I'm not in the right field for ME?

Perhaps my original long-winded post wasn't clear. But I do buy into the idea that similar people are drawn to similar specialties. My worry is that I may "think" I like the work of the specialty, but short of getting into the training for that specialty, I don't actually understand what the specialty is all about. So, it might be that I would be setting myself up for failure by picking a specialty with a "culture" that I don't fully buy into...

But actually the problem isn't that great, as I probably made it seem. I still have time to decide, and do actually like both specialties I mentioned. (So, I have reservations about both.)

The more general point of my OP was just to get a sense of how much the "fit" or "culture" of a specialty impacts people's decisions to choose that specialty. Soooo... I'm finding it hard to believe you guys don't let the people in a specialty influence your decision.

At the very least, I've heard of plenty of stories of people who "didn't know what they wanted to do", until they fell into a rotation where they really "identified with" the people in that specialty (the practitioners, not the patients).

 

[Dirt]

In reality, the big question is can I see myself being happy waking up every day and doing specialty X. Anyone who has had a job knows the people you work with play a huuuge role in the aforementioned statement.

For me personally, "fit" with the people of the specialty is #4 behind how much I like the specialty (i.e. intellectually stimulating, procedures I like etc.) lifestyle, and money, in that order.

 

[muhali3]

It would be easier if you just told us what specialties you're thinking of because in some specialties it will matter but in many others it won't.

 

[SB100]

You could just be like Dr. House and don't give a crap about the patient. Treat the disease

 

[pingouin]

Lol, you guys are totally missing the point.

It's not that I want to be surrounded by people I like (though of course, that would be nice.) The more pressing concern is- if I'm surrounded by people who are totally dissimilar to me- isn't it more likely that I'm not in the right field for ME?

I don't think people are missing the point- I think the point is that although there are known stereotypes for a lot of specialties, the reality is that there is tremendous diversity of personalities in each specialty. Because of that diversity, there will always be people with whom you "fit" and those with whom you don't. Therefore, trying to find your niche based on perception (or misperception) of personality is much less helpful than figuring out which field you would like to gain expertise.

 

[QofQuimica]

I don't think people are missing the point- I think the point is that although there are known stereotypes for a lot of specialties, the reality is that there is tremendous diversity of personalities in each specialty. Because of that diversity, there will always be people with whom you "fit" and those with whom you don't. Therefore, trying to find your niche based on perception (or misperception) of personality is much less helpful than figuring out which field you would like to gain expertise.

I agree.

OP, I would also point out that even within a specialty, different institutions have markedly different personalities and cultures. It's entirely possible that the specialty itself is a great fit for you, but your home program isn't the right fit for you. However, other programs in that specialty at other hospitals might be much better fits. If you do a couple of away rotations next year, you will get a much better sense of how much variety there is even within one single specialty, and it will help you figure out if the issue is just this one program or it's the specialty as a whole.

 

[45408]

What specialty?

Do a rotation in the same specialty at another hospital. The same specialty can be VERY different based on the environment. I probably wouldn't have gone into surgery if I had only had the two rotations I had at our university hospital, but the one I had with a group of private practice surgeons really sealed the deal for me.