Rank the specialty.

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Round4

Round4

Med School Dreams
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  1. Pre-Medical
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Ok, so I'm really liking Orthopaedics. What I want everyone to do for is from what they have heard or whtever there source is. Rank specialties from easiest starting at 1 then every number 2,3,4, etc... being hardest. I know it's probably a goofy thread but I just want to know. Thanks everyone.
 
Maybe I'm dumb but I can't read that or those charts for nothing. I guess it's because I'm not sure what half of that stuff means. Be nice now guys. It's like teaching a baby how to walk.🙂🙂🙂
 
Ortho is pretty competitive. I'd put it a step below Neurosurg and a step above ophtho.

Off the top of my head and just for fun, I'd go:

Family Med
PM&R
Psych
Peds
IM
Neuro
Pathology
Ob/Gyn
EM
Anesthesiology
General Surgery
Radiology
Ophthalmology
Urology
Ortho
Neurosurg
Rad Onc
ENT
Derm
Plastics

Just my opinion. But keep in mind that the best programs in the lesser competitive fields are still highly competitive.
 
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Easiest to get into? Easiest Lifestyle or what?

Easiest to get into would be psych, fm, Peds, Im, Phys med..with the toughest being plastics, derm, Radonc, Ortho, ENT, Ophtho, Neuorsurg, Rads

Easiest lifestyle- maybe Derm, Em, Ophtho, Phys med?, Hospitalist (usually an IM residency i think?)
 
MrBurns10 said:
Ortho is pretty competitive. I'd put it a step below Neurosurg and a step above ophtho.

Off the top of my head and just for fun, I'd go:

Family Med
PM&R
Psych
Peds
Neuro
IM
Ob/Gyn
EM
Anesthesiology
General Surgery
Radiology
Ophthalmology
Ortho
Neurosurg
Rad Onc
ENT
Derm
Plastics

Just my opinion. But keep in mind that the best programs in the lesser competitive fields are still highly competitive.
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This looks about right...from my limited knowledge.
 
MrBurns10 said:
Ortho is pretty competitive. I'd put it a step below Neurosurg and a step above ophtho.

Off the top of my head and just for fun, I'd go:

Family Med
PM&R
Psych
Peds
IM
Neuro
Ob/Gyn
EM
Anesthesiology
General Surgery
Radiology
Ophthalmology
Ortho
Neurosurg
Rad Onc
ENT
Derm
Plastics

Just my opinion. But keep in mind that the best programs in the lesser competitive fields are still highly competitive.
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I agree that's a pretty good list. Probably add Urology around the Ortho/Neurosurg area...
 
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This is the list, and the little blurb about Ortho that Law2Doc gave me in my post a while back:

Ortho is among the more competitive surgical specialties. Lots of good students come up short on ortho each year.
I'll give you my take on a basic rundown, but it's admittedly somewhat opinion based (not number driven) and people are going to have some different views, and I'll miss quite a few specialties, (since I'm doing this off the top of my head) I'm sure. And obviously there is overlap and the top program in X may beat out the worst program in Y, notwithstanding the hierarchy. But FWIW:

Most competitive:
Plastics
Derm
Rad Onc.
Optho.
Neurosurg.

Very competitive:
Rads
Ortho
ENT
Urol

Moderately competitive:
Anesthesia
EM

Middle of the road:
Neuro
IM
Gen Surg
Path

Less competitive
PM&R
FM
Psych
Peds
OB/GYN
user_offline.gif
 
Love them all. I will be happy in any residency or specialty. But if I were to drop a favorite...OBGYN
 
Artful Dodger said:
Love them all. I will be happy in any residency or specialty. But if I were to drop a favorite...OBGYN
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You love them all??? damn, talk about happy go lucky.

I envy you.
 
Do you guys really think neurosurgery is more competitive than ENT and radiology?... and possibly optho according to one list? 😕
 
Hoju said:
Do you guys really think neurosurgery is more competitive than ENT and radiology?... and possibly optho according to one list? 😕
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I would say neurosurg is more competitive than rads and ophtho, but less so than ENT (which I think is the most competitive surgical subspecialty not named Plastics)
 
Hoju said:
Do you guys really think neurosurgery is more competitive than ENT and radiology?... and possibly optho according to one list? 😕
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ENT no...Rads yes...ophtho maybe equal?
 
why is derm considered hard? i think neurosurgery is harder than just learning about the skin..lol
 
BJPENNSTATE said:
why is derm considered hard? i think neurosurgery is harder than just learning about the skin..lol
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Lifestyle...Neuro is definitely harder, but you have to be a superstar to match into Derm just because of the lifestyle, compensation...and maybe its actually interesting?, Idk
 
BJPENNSTATE said:
why is derm considered hard? i think neurosurgery is harder than just learning about the skin..lol
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I'm sure it's not necessarily "harder" than neuorsurgery. Why is it competitive? I've heard nothing beats the lifestyle of a dematologist.

Still I would take neurosurgery over derm anyday.
 
What do you guys think is the easiest surgery to match into? General surgery?
 
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Here is to my fellow masochists. I didn't know neurosurg was as competitive as rads.
 
ChubbyChaser said:
You love them all??? damn, talk about happy go lucky.

I envy you.
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haha yeah.

i will say this though (with the stipulation that i attend med school in the future *crosses fingers*). i am someone who makes a decision based on those that influence me and provide me anything i find interest...so, in med school, if i find something more interesting than all of the above, that is probably what i'd choose as a residency. right now, it's a hard choice, because everything is so interesting (since they are all interconnected & share a common goal to improving the health of a patient, which i totally support).

I can say OBGYN is my favorite now just because it's the most magical & satisfying job anyone can have, although it does have some disadvantages. first and foremost, im a realist, so i cant dwell on any assumptions based on "amateur" experience lol. all i know is that i have a genuine interest in medicine and would give up anything to be a part of it.
 
Artful Dodger said:
haha yeah.

i will say this though (with the stipulation that i attend med school in the future *crosses fingers*). i am someone who makes a decision based on those that influence me and provide me anything i find interest...so, in med school, if i find something more interesting than all of the above, that is probably what i'd choose as a residency. right now, it's a hard choice, because everything is so interesting (since they are all interconnected & share a common goal to improving the health of a patient, which i totally support).

I can say OBGYN is my favorite now just because it's the most magical & satisfying job anyone can have, although it does have some disadvantages. first and foremost, im a realist, so i cant dwell on any assumptions based on "amateur" experience lol. all i know is that i have a genuine interest in medicine and would give up anything to be a part of it.
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looking at VA-JJ's all day is magical? elaborate please...
 
BJPENNSTATE said:
looking at VA-JJ's all day is magical? elaborate please...
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If you check out the allo forum, I think the consensus is it's anything but magical. Unless you like looking at diseased reproductive organs all day and if that floats your boat... good for you.
 
BJPENNSTATE said:
looking at VA-JJ's all day is magical? elaborate please...
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As a premed most of our experiences with "VA-JJs" have been either porn, girlfriends/ONS, intro to anatomy, or more porn. I think he will realize that the average VA-JJ is disgusting and often obfuscated with rolls and rolls of fat.
 
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BJPENNSTATE said:
haha...artful dodger finds that "magical"
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haha at how serious my ish came across.

and yeah, most premeds are naive to a certain extent.

the "magical" part refers to delivering our children...our future generation 😉

also, personalized medicine is a better fit for me, because OBGYN is really a dynamic field. it has the best of every world. that's what i find great. and oh yeah, most women (in my experience of observing) really care about their health...and im someone who really cares about the patients...so yeah, it's my favorite thus far. i just need medical school education to make sure im right (im most likely wrong anyway).

and VA-JJ's...i don't find anything wrong with that part. the presentation might be disgusting to you, but it's very important...(i can go on and on here on why it is important). i just see the overall aspect to it even tho it might be uncomfortable at first (if you psychologically think about it).

it's all good. this is just for fun anyway.

*back to being a lame premed* 🙂
 
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It's not so magical how ready to sue you patients are if something goes wrong with the delivery. It's not that they will take you to court, but your lawyers will settle out of court and your malpractice insurance will be extremely high no matter what you do.
 
BlueElmo said:
Will you be here on SDN 4 years from now? I will keep this page favorited.
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Sorry, didn't mean to come off as very insulting. It is just that among my peers who initially wanted to do NS (many of them did significant research in the field in undergrad and in med school, lots of shadowing, etc) only 25% ended up doing it. The others went into more lifestyle friendly fields (which is basically any other field). It just comes down to changes in priority that seem to happen to many/most people in their late 20s.
 
Rzarecta said:
Sorry, didn't mean to come off as very insulting. It is just that among my peers who initially wanted to do NS (many of them did significant research in the field in undergrad and in med school, lots of shadowing, etc) only 25% ended up doing it. The others went into more lifestyle friendly fields (which is basically any other field). It just comes down to changes in priority that seem to happen to many/most people in their late 20s.
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No problem, man. You know about this more than I do, so you might end up being right. Perosnally, I would be happy with either field. Heck, I would be happy to actually get into medical school in the first place.🙂
 
TMP-SMX said:
It's not so magical how ready to sue you patients are if something goes wrong with the delivery. It's not that they will take you to court, but your lawyers will settle out of court and your malpractice insurance will be extremely high no matter what you do.
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Yeah, I know that. I also know that for every baby you deliver, you're held responsible until him or her turns 18. I've heard all the sorts of things...and all the headaches you get from the job.

by the way, i don't mean to be egotistical. i just wanna show that i've done my research on this.

but hey, im in this because i love it. i got into both dental school and pharmacy schools...but i had 2nd thoughts about each because medicine is where ive done most of my work.
 
Artful Dodger said:
Yeah, I know that. I also know that for every baby you deliver, you're held responsible until him or her turns 18. I've heard all the sorts of things...and all the headaches you get from the job.

by the way, i don't mean to be egotistical. i just wanna show that i've done my research on this.

but hey, im in this because i love it. i got into both dental school and pharmacy schools...but i had 2nd thoughts about each because medicine is where ive done most of my work.
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i am just curious...how did u get accepted to both dental school and pharmacy school when u're only 21...did u apply to both schools during the same cycle?

and now find med school ur true calling?
 
akajackbauer said:
i am just curious...how did u get accepted to both dental school and pharmacy school when u're only 21...did u apply to both schools during the same cycle?

and now find med school ur true calling?
Click to expand...

Yep. I messed up big time. Around June 08 I applied to dental school & got accepted in August 08. Then, I decided against it. Also, I decided pharmacy might be what i had in mind...so I applied in November 08 and was accepted in March 09. I rejected the offer. I mean, they're good fields...at least there was a health emphasis, but it came down to my interest of being more involved in a patient's health. Oh man, I go into good detail about this in PS...it's somewhat of a long story.
 
The lifestyle of path is very nice, and it's not that competitive to get into. All you have to do is get past the... "weirdness"

edit: wow my post seems off topic in light of the last 10 postings... you guys seriously deviated from what the OP started with, haha.
 
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hal9000 said:
The lifestyle of path is very nice, and it's not that competitive to get into. All you have to do is get past the... "weirdness"

edit: wow my post seems off topic in light of the last 10 postings... you guys seriously deviated from what the OP started with, haha.
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Sure is. But finding a path job? Not so nice.........
 
BJPENNSTATE said:
why is derm considered hard? i think neurosurgery is harder than just learning about the skin..lol
Click to expand...

Um no. Derm is not considered hard. You misunderstand. More competitive does not equate to harder. In fact, many of the most competitive things are among the easiest to do. But people hotly compete for them due to the lifestyle provided, or there are simply fewer slots (as in neurosurg), or (in the case of derm) both.
 
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Derm has an amazing lifestyle with no call and regular hours. There was a time in the past where dermatology was not considered competitive at all. However, it is paying better and better due to a steady stream of patients and certainly due to many cosmetic surgeries. Plus, there is a very limited number of dermatologists out there.
 
TMP-SMX said:
Derm has an amazing lifestyle with no call and regular hours. There was a time in the past where dermatology was not considered competitive at all. However, it is paying better and better due to a steady stream of patients and certainly due to many cosmetic surgeries. Plus, there is a very limited number of dermatologists out there.
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Is it almost like 9-5 job?
 
Pretty much. Though if you want more money you work more hours.

Mohs surgery is highly specialized and there aren't that many that do it. It is used to make sure the border is clean in an area like the face where cosmetics is important.
 
Artful Dodger said:
Love them all. I will be happy in any residency or specialty. But if I were to drop a favorite...OBGYN
Click to expand...


Have you experienced all of them yet? >.>

After 3rd year, there are several specialties that if I was forced to go into them or quit medicine...well, I'd say 'later' and go be a DJ or a Chef or something. It's good to go in with that attitude though, so I can't really fault you.

Dermatology is a tough field. It involves allergy, surgery, ID, cosmetics, etc...even psych. Just to learn all the terms and conditions...well, might as well learn latin...it might be easier. lol. I hear the boards are pretty tough too. However, after your prelim/transitional year, it gets to be not so difficult as far as time. But yeah, lifestyle is a big part of it too. Plus, damn, most dermatologists just seem like happy people...can't deny that draw.
 
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Artful Dodger said:
haha yeah.

i will say this though (with the stipulation that i attend med school in the future *crosses fingers*). i am someone who makes a decision based on those that influence me and provide me anything i find interest...so, in med school, if i find something more interesting than all of the above, that is probably what i'd choose as a residency. right now, it's a hard choice, because everything is so interesting (since they are all interconnected & share a common goal to improving the health of a patient, which i totally support).

I can say OBGYN is my favorite now just because it's the most magical & satisfying job anyone can have, although it does have some disadvantages. first and foremost, im a realist, so i cant dwell on any assumptions based on "amateur" experience lol. all i know is that i have a genuine interest in medicine and would give up anything to be a part of it.
Click to expand...


haha. After only 2 days of ob/gyn, I have trouble seeing why anyone would choose this field. My least favorite of the 6 core rotations by far. It is probably a good thing that not everyone shares my opinion though......
 
enjoydrywax said:
As a premed most of our experiences with "VA-JJs" have been either porn, girlfriends/ONS, intro to anatomy, or more porn. I think he will realize that the average VA-JJ is disgusting and often obfuscated with rolls and rolls of fat.
Click to expand...

In fact, most of the woman upon whom I perform pelvic exams have labia the size of canned hams. Ob/Gyn is a cool specialty but "magical and satisfying" is not how the OB chicks I know woud describe it.
 
The awesome feelings I got holding a doppler when a woman hears her baby's heartbeat for the first time and catching my first baby were sadly overshadowed by the many teenage girls coming in with STDs and/or their 2nd pregnancy and knowing that chances are, in another 14 years, some OB/GYN will be delivering her child's baby.
 
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