Radiology vs Urology

[Barmaleu]

I was going through most of my Med school thinking radiology,IR. Recently did a rotation in Urology and loved it. Don't know what to do?

I love Radiology for many reasons - Broad knowledge, Excellent pay, Intelligent people, Residency that doesn't erase your social life, the option of IR if you like working with your hands, More flexible schedule, option of working from home sometimes, decent hours as an attending.

I loved Urology - Mostly curable and treatable diseases, Still get to play a real doctor (seeing and taking care of pts, DDx, procedures, surgeries), Always in demand and easy to find a job, Excellent pay, Fun people as coworkers, a lot of variety in your day (clinic, procedures, surgeries).
The thought of 80-100hours a week in my residency for several years and residency of 6 years is a big turn off.

One question
Any radiologists out there feel that they wished they went to a specialty surgical field (like Urology, Optho, ENT) and would choose it if they had a second chance? Please tell me you thoughts

Another concern of mine
As many people thinking Rads i am basically worried about the future of the field and finding a job in a city.
I understand that there a lot of uncertainties in the future of radiology, but can someone tell me what is it like right now in terms of a job a market, significance of reimbursement cuts ( how bad is it 50% or 10%, big difference), finding a job in a big city (New york, Chicago, LA).
Please share you thoughts and opinions

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[discontinuebed]

I would never pick a field based on what the residency is like.

A residency in radiology is often long and demanding as well. (I'm unsure of how this would compare to a urology residency but it's certainly not a walk in the park)

I think the big question would be which one you enjoy doing more (these two are radically different fields) and while no one ever wants to entertain the notion of reimbursement issues, which one could you see yourself doing in spite of falling compensation?

That's probably the field you want to go for.

 

[air bronchogram]

http://www.ama-assn.org/vapp/freida/spcindx/0,,TR,00.html

you can see the average work hours published across many fields.. general surgery 76, neurosurg 74, ob gyn 73, urology 65, medicine 65, fp 63, radiology 56, psych 54, optho 50, derm 45, etc.

 

[OHMAN0125]

I was going through most of my Med school thinking radiology,IR. Recently did a rotation in Urology and loved it. Don't know what to do?

I love Radiology for many reasons - Broad knowledge, Excellent pay, Intelligent people, Residency that doesn't erase your social life, the option of IR if you like working with your hands, More flexible schedule, option of working from home sometimes, decent hours as an attending.

I loved Urology - Mostly curable and treatable diseases, Still get to play a real doctor (seeing and taking care of pts, DDx, procedures, surgeries), Always in demand and easy to find a job, Excellent pay, Fun people as coworkers, a lot of variety in your day (clinic, procedures, surgeries).
The thought of 80-100hours a week in my residency for several years and residency of 6 years is a big turn off.

One question
Any radiologists out there feel that they wished they went to a specialty surgical field (like Urology, Optho, ENT) and would choose it if they had a second chance? Please tell me you thoughts

Another concern of mine
As many people thinking Rads i am basically worried about the future of the field and finding a job in a city.
I understand that there a lot of uncertainties in the future of radiology, but can someone tell me what is it like right now in terms of a job a market, significance of reimbursement cuts ( how bad is it 50% or 10%, big difference), finding a job in a big city (New york, Chicago, LA).
Please share you thoughts and opinions

People are always so concerned about reimbnursement cuts and radiology. I think people have to realize that any high paying field is constantly under scrutiny and fear of cuts. GI, Cards, ENT, optho, etc have all had their fair share of reimbursement cuts. Yet they are all still excellent fields with high pay.
I agree with a previous post stating that you should go into a field that you can enjoy even if there is significant reimbursement cuts. You can't predict the future and see whether that will be urology or radiology. Depends on supply/demand, innovations, and (probably most importantly) lobbying power.
Last thing, just so you know, if ur a urologist, you have to do a lot of procedures/surgeries to get higher income, which equates to worse lifestyle. If your just seeing follow-up patients in ur office, the ins company probably only gives u ~50 bux. And that's if it's a good ins. Medicaid? ~10 bux.

 

[f_w]

I loved Urology - Mostly curable and treatable diseases, Still get to play a real doctor (seeing and taking care of pts, DDx, procedures, surgeries), Always in demand and easy to find a job, Excellent pay, Fun people as coworkers, a lot of variety in your day (clinic, procedures, surgeries).

Any specialty with 'excellent pay' somewhere in the description is at a high risk of turning into 'average pay' through the stroke of a pen under some medicare realignment bill. As people are getting older, uros are going to be in demand.

The thought of 80-100hours a week in my residency for several years and residency of 6 years is a big turn off.

Its a surgical residency. The only advantage over something like GS or ortho is that uro residents tend to be a bit more laid back.

Any radiologists out there feel that they wished they went to a specialty surgical field (like Urology, Optho, ENT) and would choose it if they had a second chance? Please tell me you thoughts

Thought about it, but in the end I am happier in rads. otoh, I don't know any unhappy 'minor surgeons'. Once you are past residency, you create the practice you want. If you stay away from the types of surgeries that tend to produce callbacks, you are going to have a decent lifestyle.

but can someone tell me what is it like right now in terms of a job a market,

Right now it is good, but not quite like it was in '02 to '05. You can find good jobs, but you can't just walk into any town and choose from three different attractive offers. If you are willing to go outside of the population centers, you still pretty much have a choice as to how much money in how few weeks you want to make.

finding a job in a big city (New york, Chicago, LA).
Please share you thoughts and opinions

Lots of people --> lots of x-rays.

There are allways jobs in those metro areas, they are just not anywhere near as attractive as the jobs available once you move away from the taller buildings (long or tiered partnership tracks, employee jobs, churn and burn practices, lower incomes).

 

[OHMAN0125]

Any specialty with 'excellent pay' somewhere in the description is at a high risk of turning into 'average pay' through the stroke of a pen under some medicare realignment bill. As people are getting older, uros are going to be in demand.



Its a surgical residency. The only advantage over something like GS or ortho is that uro residents tend to be a bit more laid back.



Thought about it, but in the end I am happier in rads. otoh, I don't know any unhappy 'minor surgeons'. Once you are past residency, you create the practice you want. If you stay away from the types of surgeries that tend to produce callbacks, you are going to have a decent lifestyle.



Right now it is good, but not quite like it was in '02 to '05. You can find good jobs, but you can't just walk into any town and choose from three different attractive offers. If you are willing to go outside of the population centers, you still pretty much have a choice as to how much money in how few weeks you want to make.



Lots of people --> lots of x-rays.

There are allways jobs in those metro areas, they are just not anywhere near as attractive as the jobs available once you move away from the taller buildings (long or tiered partnership tracks, employee jobs, churn and burn practices, lower incomes).

On a side note, i never really understand why ppl like living in large metro areas, whether in residency or after. Cost of living is not worth it first of all (more bang for your buck almost anywhere else) and as a doctor do you really have that much time to enjoy the attractions of a large city, ie nightlife? Maybe i'm just lame and a bore.

 

[unoriginal]

and as a doctor do you really have that much time to enjoy the attractions of a large city, ie nightlife? Maybe i'm just lame and a bore.

well i was hoping that as a radiologist i could be rollin' in my benz hitting up the club scene every night.

 

[discontinuebed]

well i was hoping that as a radiologist i could be rollin' in my benz hitting up the club scene every night.

hmm, i think that's best left to the pros: athletes, pimps, actors/actresses

 

[Taurus]

Unless you're gay, who wants to look at d*cks all day?

 

[Auron]

Unless you're gay, who wants to look at d*cks all day?

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

[KeratinPearls]

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Strokes and D*icks in the same post is a violation of TOS. Your account has been banned.

 

[Docxter]

http://www.ama-assn.org/vapp/freida/spcindx/0,,TR,00.html

you can see the average work hours published across many fields.. general surgery 76, neurosurg 74, ob gyn 73, urology 65, medicine 65, fp 63, radiology 56, psych 54, optho 50, derm 45, etc.

These are residency work hours, right?

 

[Plue00]

Dont even pick a feild on how long the residency is....and radiology is 5 years....but many do 2 more years sub specialty...

 

[DrGregoryHouse]

Dont even pick a feild on how long the residency is....

Why not? All things being equal, why wouldn't one consider residency length?

 

[Amxcvbcv]

Why not? All things being equal, why wouldn't one consider residency length?

Because all things aren't equal.