Radiology vs. Ortho

[kenshinoro2009]

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Could you guys help me decide... I really like learning medicine, and am quite good with patients, but I am dreading the bad hours of ortho residency and call after as a new attending/private practice. Family life and other interests (sports and church) make ortho seem a bit of a bad choice. Do radiology residents who like patient contact end up unhappy? Thanks a bunch!

 

[kenshinoro2009]

When I say I like learning medicine.. i loved studying during 2nd year and for boards when most others dreaded the time... I am good with patients and thus feel somewhat of an obligation to be directly involved in their care, but I'd like to have a decent life myself, sooner than later (of course rad's residency is hard, just like ortho...but life after seems a bit more chill). Thanks!

 

[OHMAN0125]

When I say I like learning medicine.. i loved studying during 2nd year and for boards when most others dreaded the time... I am good with patients and thus feel somewhat of an obligation to be directly involved in their care, but I'd like to have a decent life myself, sooner than later (of course rad's residency is hard, just like ortho...but life after seems a bit more chill). Thanks!

I think life after residency will vary widely from what ur practice setting is. Some ortho attendings have it really easy, but they also dont care about making money. Radiology is basically the same i think, you can work crazy hours and make a lot of money or u can make less and have a better life. You wont be making the amount of money ppl talk about as a radiologist if ur not willing to work. So pick the field that u actually like better. THey are vastly different fields. If you like patients, i'd go with ortho.

 

[NPR]

There's still opportunity for patient contact in radiology (though limited). Of course, you can also pursue a fellowship in IR which will further increase patient contact.

Ultimately, I think the advice would be to pick what you actually like more (as echoed in an earlier post). Picking based on workhours especially during the residency period is never a smart choice.

Personally, I was trying to decide between the two fairly recently. I still don't have a radiology rotation under my belt but after time in the OR during an ortho rotation, an anesthesia rotation, an ENT rotation, and a general surgery rotation, I can definitively say I prefer not being in the OR day in and day out for work.

That alone can make a big difference in swaying your future career decision.

 

[colbgw02]

I have never met a single radiologist or radiology resident who longed for more patient contact. Not a single one. Ever.

That could be incredibly accurate self-selection, or it could be that patient contact is ridiculously overrated.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

When I say I like learning medicine.. i loved studying during 2nd year and for boards when most others dreaded the time...

Then you're going to hate Ortho. The motto of "Taking the smartest students and turning them into the dumbest doctors" is overblown but has some truth to it. At most places, you're somewhat discouraged to worry about anything outside of ortho ("Short of breath? Fever? Consult medicine).

Radiology is ALL about self study and learning, so that's something to consider.

 

[Docxter]

At our place, ortho residents get a medicine or general surgery consult just to put central lines for them!!

 

[NPR]

At our place, ortho residents get a medicine or general surgery consult just to put central lines for them!!

Same here, general surgery does all the central lines.

My intern was so sick of them that he had me put a couple in (under guidance of course)

That experiment was soon scrapped as I managed to coil three consecutive central lines.