Psych vs Occup Med

[rrreagan]

Hi,

I'm a failed Radiology candidate now forced to decide between Psych and Occupational MEdicine.

I figure that salary for the 2 fields is about the same.

For me, lifestyle, having a low-key, low-stress job and good working hrs are all pretty critical.

I also want to be able to pick where I can set up shop----Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Austin, Houston, Honolulu, and Hilo are all near the top of my list....

Will Psych afford me the ability to pick where I can go?

Will Occupational Medicine?

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[john182]

Hi,

I'm a failed Radiology candidate now forced to decide between Psych and Occupational MEdicine.

I figure that salary for the 2 fields is about the same.

For me, lifestyle, having a low-key, low-stress job and good working hrs are all pretty critical.

I also want to be able to pick where I can set up shop----Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Austin, Houston, Honolulu, and Hilo are all near the top of my list....

Will Psych afford me the ability to pick where I can go?

Will Occupational Medicine?

Radiology is at an opposite end of the spectrum from psychiatry. You would do more harm than good IMHO. Pick another procedural based speciality would be a better option, like an internal med discipline, or surgery.

 

[rrreagan]

Radiology is at an opposite end of the spectrum from psychiatry. You would do more harm than good IMHO. Pick another procedural based speciality would be a better option, like an internal med discipline, or surgery.

I hate procedures....

 

[meisteckhart]

Hi,

I'm a failed Radiology candidate now forced to decide between Psych and Occupational MEdicine.

I figure that salary for the 2 fields is about the same.

For me, lifestyle, having a low-key, low-stress job and good working hrs are all pretty critical.

I also want to be able to pick where I can set up shop----Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Austin, Houston, Honolulu, and Hilo are all near the top of my list....

Will Psych afford me the ability to pick where I can go?

Will Occupational Medicine?

I think psych is in demand pretty much anywhere you go. You will probably be able to have good working hours, but I'm not sure about the low key, low stress part. Psych can get pretty intense so whether you are working 80 hours a week or 40, it can still be very draining if you don't love what you are doing. (and even if you do love what you're doing sometimes)

Personally I think you need to love or at least enjoy your job to be a great physician no matter what specialty you are in, but I think psychiatrists need to love their job just to be competent. If a radiologist is burnt out and dislikes their work, they can still read films just fine and not give a damn about the people they are helping. But its pretty tough to really spend the time to understand and work with a psychotic or bipolar patient if you really don't care.

What I'm trying to say is that if you really are being "forced" into psychiatry, please don't do it. We are not the 2nd choice or trash bin of the medical profession and psychiatry is not easy if its done right.

 

[rrreagan]

I think psych is in demand pretty much anywhere you go. You will probably be able to have good working hours, but I'm not sure about the low key, low stress part. Psych can get pretty intense so whether you are working 80 hours a week or 40, it can still be very draining if you don't love what you are doing. (and even if you do love what you're doing sometimes)

Personally I think you need to love or at least enjoy your job to be a great physician no matter what specialty you are in, but I think psychiatrists need to love their job just to be competent. If a radiologist is burnt out and dislikes their work, they can still read films just fine and not give a damn about the people they are helping. But its pretty tough to really spend the time to understand and work with a psychotic or bipolar patient if you really don't care.

What I'm trying to say is that if you really are being "forced" into psychiatry, please don't do it. We are not the 2nd choice or trash bin of the medical profession and psychiatry is not easy if its done right.

I think I like the profession reasonably well and am getting credit for my Transitional internship.

I've rotated through Prison Psychiatry and Inpatient Psychiatry and liked them reasonably well.

I can identify Forensic and Addiction Psychiatry as areas of potential interest.

I DON'T like spending lots of time with pts during interviews. To me, 5 - 15 minutes/patient is optimal. The prison psychiatrist I saw was also spending similar amounts of time per patient.

So, while I'm not 100% sure that Psych is right for me, the fact that I can make a reasonable salary AND live in a city of my choosing makes it attractive to me....

Is that wrong? How else can I find out if I have the aptitude for Psych?

I was able to convince the interviewers that my interest was genuine. I basically have ~ 1 week to decide between Psych and Occupational Medicine before starting my PGY-2 yr in mid-July.

 

[NRAI2001]

Anesthisiology maybe for u? Really good pay, low stress, considerable demand?????

 

[deleted59964]

Hi,

I'm a failed Radiology candidate now forced to decide between Psych and Occupational MEdicine.

I figure that salary for the 2 fields is about the same.

For me, lifestyle, having a low-key, low-stress job and good working hrs are all pretty critical.

I also want to be able to pick where I can set up shop----Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Austin, Houston, Honolulu, and Hilo are all near the top of my list....

Will Psych afford me the ability to pick where I can go?

Will Occupational Medicine?

LOL are you serious?
do you want to work with crazy people or not ?

 

[Milo]

We had a resident two years ago who was 'forced' into psychiatry when she found surgery was not the field for her. She lasted just under 4 weeks in the program. I remember her parting words, "I would have actually left sooner but everyone was just so supportive"

I know two attending psychiatrists that wish everyday they had pursued an IM subspecialty or surgical specialty. They are two of the most unpleasant and dysphoric individuals I've ever known.

These are all anecdotes, but the plural of anecdote is data. If you don't love psychiatry pick a different specialty, or you will be miserable.

 

[NRAI2001]

We had a resident two years ago who was 'forced' into psychiatry when she found surgery was not the field for her. She lasted just under 4 weeks in the program. I remember her parting words, "I would have actually left sooner but everyone was just so supportive"

I know two attending psychiatrists that wish everyday they had pursued an IM subspecialty or surgical specialty. They are two of the most unpleasant and dysphoric individuals I've ever known.

These are all anecdotes, but the plural of anecdote is data. If you don't love psychiatry pick a different specialty, or you will be miserable.

Yea, u ll do more harm than good

 

[rrreagan]

These are all anecdotes, but the plural of anecdote is data. If you don't love psychiatry pick a different specialty, or you will be miserable.

I did just that. Frankly, I don't think ANY clinical medical field is for me----but I entertain some hope of getting out of clinical medicine.

 

[NRAI2001]

I did just that. Frankly, I don't think ANY clinical medical field is for me----but I entertain some hope of getting out of clinical medicine.

U could become a consultant for a pharm, medical, or biotech company. Many would kill to hire docs. My dads friend works part time with a pharm company (on top of his pulmonology practice) and does lectures for other docs for them. He does a few lecs a month and gets paid lots and lots of bank (i think 3-6k for each lec).

Sales reps for pharm companies get paid over 200k.

My friend is going to med school and is planning to skip residency and then go straight to law school to practice medical law.

You could do research or teach also.

Many many options!

 

[Anasazi23]

The pharm company is a good idea. Try pathology...you might like that.