Don't get me wrong either, I'm NOT trying to bash the specialty....I'm actually interested in it.....just trying to kick the tires b/f buying. I know that I would have to do a rotation in it to be sure...but I'm the kinda guy who likes to know every detail/opinion.
So, here's what I was thinking.
Overall, the satisfaction rate is probably not that much different from other specialities.
For every successful Physiatry private practicioner, or academician who truly enjoys their work, there if probably a counterpart lazy Physiatrist who is in the profession because they couldn't get into the specialty they were really interested in, or because they weren't really interested in any specialty and wanted something where they thought they wouldn't be working very hard.
The "lazy" Physiatrist tends to become disgruntled, because they ultimately end up with the jobs that other Physiatrists don't want (see other threads with residents complaining about certain attendings at their programs).
The "lazy" Physiatrist still makes up a significant proportion of the specialty because it's easy to match into.
Why is it easy to match into? Because it's still a relatively obscure field.
If you're a gunner at your school, what are you thinking (most likely)? Ortho, Derm, Rads, Neurosurg, ENT? Your school may not even have a PM&R department, much less a good, easily accessible elective available.
Physiatrists who are happy with their career choice typically have a genuine interest in the field or were lucky enough to stumble onto the field and have a good elective experience during their 3rd or 4th years of med-school.
If you're in primary care, your opinion of Physiatry is generally going to be shaped by your experience with PM&R during your residency training, which is likely to be calling for PM&R consults to get patient's off of your inpt service. Most primary care residents (and also residents from other specialties) aren't going to be exposed to the breadth of services Physiatrists have to offer, because in most cases, Physiatrists are not yet able to assert themselves in these roles in academic centers. So, most physicians who have some interaction with Physiatrists during their training, are going to pass on these negative opinions to up and coming medical students, encouraging them to go into other fields. This is a political and marketing issue with Physiatry, but one that is finally being addressed. We've been fairly successful in changing the opinions of physicians in community settings, but even then, we're often trying to overide first impressions.
So there are some of the pros and cons of this specialty. If you can come to terms with the negatives, the positives are definitely on par with the traditional "ROADs" specialties.
or maybe physiatrists tend to make the center of their lives something other than work...the old "Plenty of money & relaxation" argument...
