Anyone deciding between these two specialties? Any insight you have to help make the decision would be much appreciated. Must stay in LA for residency.
psych versus family practice?
- Thread starter ocean
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ocean said:
i loved my family med rotation. i've always loved psych in theory, but i've yet to do my psych rotation. i'm somehwat leaning towards psych because that's what goes back the furthest with me (my undergrad years). it's what i feel most comfortable with. i noticed that when i was doing family med i most enjoyed talking with the depressed/schizophrenic/whatever patients. i thought i enjoyed family med so much because it afforded me the time to follow up on patients long term, but i didn't like dealing with their routine medical issues so much as the psych stuff. so that's why i'm still leaning towards psych for now. this will be confirmed next block when i finally do my psych rotation... if you're undecided, do electives or sub-i's your 4th year to help you narrow things down. and nothing wrong about applying to both fields early on if you still can't make up your mind throughout 4th year. just make sure no one in the other field knows about it. to my understanding, psychs tend to prefer those who genuinely have a longterm commitment to psych (just like any field, really).
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I am also in a similar position. I had never considered psychiatry until I did my psychiatry clerkship in January. I was suprised by how much I enjoyed it, so I decided to do an elective this spring to explore it further, and confirmed my interest. Psychiatry makes a lot of sense for me on many levels: I find the theory and reading material much more interesting; in every clerkship experience I've had, the things I have enjoyed most are dealing with patients' "psycho-social issues"; I definitely want to practice in an urban area, preferably in the northeast, and psychiatry is much more conducive to that. Psychiatrists have more time to talk to their patients. I definitely felt more "at home" with the psychiatrists and psychiatry residents I've met. And yes, the fact that on average psychiatrists have better pay and a better lifestyle than PCPs doesn't hurt either.
BUT, and maybe this is because the idea of doing a psychiatry is still new to me, I still can't as clearly visualize myself in the future as a psychiatrist. For a while now, I've envisioned my future as a primary care doc, running a community health center, following my patients and their families for years. Or being a geriatrician and helping my patients cope with chronic illness. Also, while psychiatrists have more time to talk to patients, they seem to also have to always keep a certain distance, constantly having to remain skeptical of what their patients are telling them. I'm still not completely comfortable with that.
So I have a lot of things to think about before I make a decision. Right now, I like the model of family medicine, in its most ideal form, better. But when it comes to reality, and the way that FM vs. psychiatry are practiced, psychiatry seems much more appealing.
Fortunately, I'll be taking a year to do an MPH before 4th year starts, so I still have another year to reflect and decide.
BUT, and maybe this is because the idea of doing a psychiatry is still new to me, I still can't as clearly visualize myself in the future as a psychiatrist. For a while now, I've envisioned my future as a primary care doc, running a community health center, following my patients and their families for years. Or being a geriatrician and helping my patients cope with chronic illness. Also, while psychiatrists have more time to talk to patients, they seem to also have to always keep a certain distance, constantly having to remain skeptical of what their patients are telling them. I'm still not completely comfortable with that.
So I have a lot of things to think about before I make a decision. Right now, I like the model of family medicine, in its most ideal form, better. But when it comes to reality, and the way that FM vs. psychiatry are practiced, psychiatry seems much more appealing.
Fortunately, I'll be taking a year to do an MPH before 4th year starts, so I still have another year to reflect and decide.
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oh yeah, i forgot to mention that there are combined psych-fp, psych-im, and psych-neuro residency programs for those of you dead set to enjoy both fields. i don't feel as though i could go into both and do either justice, but it's an option if you don't mind extending your residency.
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banannie said:
Sounds like psychiatry to me! If "following patients for years", and "coping with chronic illness" is your thing, you will love the geriatric psych clinic, or a community "severe & persistent" mentla health program.
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Hi Y'all,
I'm in a similar situation. I'm on my last third year rotation right now, which is psych, which I love because it's so interesting and the patients are fascinating. I've been hardcore IM throughout this whole year, and since starting med school b/c I want to do geriatrics and eventually hospice. Now I'm SO confused, so much so that I'm considering doing a psych elective next month to try to make up my mind.
My main concern is that I don't know if I would be happy and satisfied doing psychiatry, even though I love to analyze patients (even when I was on medicine- so much that my intern kept teasing me, saying, "yeah, you're going into psychiatry"). I've been looking forward to my psychiatry rotation all year and now I"m here and I love it but I don't know if it's just the excitement of a new rotation or if I truly would be happy doing psych for a living. (I've really enjoyed every rotation, even if only because I knew that I'd never have the chance to do it again). I love medicine too though. I like the hands-on aspect of medicine, and it seems like psych has little opportunity for medical interaction.
I'm not one to change my mind, but I'm totally caught up and don't know what to do!
Please help!!!
Thanks.
I'm in a similar situation. I'm on my last third year rotation right now, which is psych, which I love because it's so interesting and the patients are fascinating. I've been hardcore IM throughout this whole year, and since starting med school b/c I want to do geriatrics and eventually hospice. Now I'm SO confused, so much so that I'm considering doing a psych elective next month to try to make up my mind.
My main concern is that I don't know if I would be happy and satisfied doing psychiatry, even though I love to analyze patients (even when I was on medicine- so much that my intern kept teasing me, saying, "yeah, you're going into psychiatry"). I've been looking forward to my psychiatry rotation all year and now I"m here and I love it but I don't know if it's just the excitement of a new rotation or if I truly would be happy doing psych for a living. (I've really enjoyed every rotation, even if only because I knew that I'd never have the chance to do it again). I love medicine too though. I like the hands-on aspect of medicine, and it seems like psych has little opportunity for medical interaction.
I'm not one to change my mind, but I'm totally caught up and don't know what to do!
Please help!!!
Thanks.
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PalCareGrl said:...I love medicine too though. I like the hands-on aspect of medicine, and it seems like psych has little opportunity for medical interaction...
I'm not one to change my mind, but I'm totally caught up and don't know what to do!
Please help!!!
More money, less (or no) call, more interesting, more growth, better hours, less malpractice, more time with actual patients, less lab chasing, less occupational exposure risk.
Sorry, what was your question again?
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Hi! I'm leaning towards family medicine (only because then I can do some psych as well as other stuff), but I'm also considering a combo residency.
Just wondering if anyone knows of any other combined psych/family medicine residencies? I found the following list on a psych website:
Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY
Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH
Nassau County Medical Center, East Meadow, NY
SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse, NY
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Thanks,
Mara
Just wondering if anyone knows of any other combined psych/family medicine residencies? I found the following list on a psych website:
Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY
Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH
Nassau County Medical Center, East Meadow, NY
SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse, NY
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Thanks,
Mara
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Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY
Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH
Nassau County Medical Center, East Meadow, NY
SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse, NY
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Thanks,
Mara[/QUOTE]
Mara, Where did you get this list from? The NY programs aren't listed in Frieda. I am also interested in the combo program AND interested in moving to NY, so more info on these would be great!
Cheers
Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH
Nassau County Medical Center, East Meadow, NY
SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse, NY
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Thanks,
Mara[/QUOTE]
Mara, Where did you get this list from? The NY programs aren't listed in Frieda. I am also interested in the combo program AND interested in moving to NY, so more info on these would be great!
Cheers
