- Joined
- May 27, 2020
- Messages
- 86
- Reaction score
- 247
I am heading into my M2 year and I am still undecided in terms of what kind of physician I want to be. I know I still have rotations ahead of me, which will be enlightening, but there are also some things I am quite certain of that will help guide my planning and (hopefully) feedback from fellow SDNers. Further, with how competitive certain residency programs are becoming, I figure the more planning I do now, the better.
Some quick things about me: I'm currently attending a decidedly strong mid-tier program w/ an academic teaching hospital. My first year went very well, although my school is P/F and unranked, I've averaged 95% and above in all of my M1 courses (in house exams). While I have plenty ahead of me, I only bring this up to convey that I currently feel like it isn't completely unreasonable for me to hope to match into a competitive residency program. I've become involved in multiple leadership roles in different student orgs. I've also authored (1st and 2nd author) a couple of case reports. I am currently working on a substantial research project (CT Surgery) that I will be first author on, and in addition to local/regional presentations, hope to publish them in scientific journals.
As far as my likes and dislikes thus far:
- I am quite certain I want to be some type of surgeon. I cannot envision a future without the OR (I've spent dozens, if not hundreds, of hours in the OR as a pre-med and during M1 year, including scrubbing in, so I feel as though I have enough exposure to make this statement). I love using my hands to fix things and I like seeing tangible/immediate results. A future fully in clinic does not appeal to me as much.
- There are also aspects of traditional medicine that I enjoy. I like the mystery/problem solving of diagnosing patients, I like continuity of care and connecting with patients (within reason - i don't need to know a patient for decades, but the idea of operating on a patient and never seeing them again doesn't entirely sit right with me), I also like the idea of having knowledge of medications, diagnoses, and interventions commonly encountered in hospital medicine.
- My ability to feel fulfilled and know I am making a significant difference in patients lives matters most to me.
- Length of training is something I want to remain aware of. I am a non-traditional student and a few years older than most of my peers, but I would gladly spend a couple more years in training if it means spending my life doing something I'm passionate about.
- With the nature of my research I have grown increasingly interested in CT, but I am also weighing length of training, work-life balance, etc. (Any feedback about CT and how it aligns with what I've shared?)
- With my admittedly limited exposure, a few last minute thoughts. I don't like the idea of operating or specializing on eyes so I'm not very interested in Ophtho. ENT has some potential but I am not sure the bread and butter cases are really up my alley. I have the same concern about plastics in terms of their bread and butter cases (have little to no interest in being any type of cosmetic surgeon either). For reasons that are a little challenging to describe, I haven't loved ortho thus far, perhaps it doesn't have as much of the "traditional medicine" that I seek. Trauma surgery seems to miss the continuity of care I'm looking for. Gen surg without specialization doesn't tickle my fancy (not sure I want to spend the rest of my life repairing hernias and removing gall bladders). I also don't think urology is for me.
I know I've ruled out a lot of areas with little explanation above. Some of what I've ruled out could changed with more exposure so I'm not shutting the door on anything. Ultimately, I am hoping to get some advice on which surgical specialties might seem best suited for me considering my interests and preferences. I recognize I have time to figure it out, but knowing I want to pursue a surgical specialty means I'd like to do everything in my power to set myself up for success. With that being said, if there are any suggestions in terms of CV building, networking, research, etc. that anyone thinks I should be doing I am all ears!
Thanks everyone!
Some quick things about me: I'm currently attending a decidedly strong mid-tier program w/ an academic teaching hospital. My first year went very well, although my school is P/F and unranked, I've averaged 95% and above in all of my M1 courses (in house exams). While I have plenty ahead of me, I only bring this up to convey that I currently feel like it isn't completely unreasonable for me to hope to match into a competitive residency program. I've become involved in multiple leadership roles in different student orgs. I've also authored (1st and 2nd author) a couple of case reports. I am currently working on a substantial research project (CT Surgery) that I will be first author on, and in addition to local/regional presentations, hope to publish them in scientific journals.
As far as my likes and dislikes thus far:
- I am quite certain I want to be some type of surgeon. I cannot envision a future without the OR (I've spent dozens, if not hundreds, of hours in the OR as a pre-med and during M1 year, including scrubbing in, so I feel as though I have enough exposure to make this statement). I love using my hands to fix things and I like seeing tangible/immediate results. A future fully in clinic does not appeal to me as much.
- There are also aspects of traditional medicine that I enjoy. I like the mystery/problem solving of diagnosing patients, I like continuity of care and connecting with patients (within reason - i don't need to know a patient for decades, but the idea of operating on a patient and never seeing them again doesn't entirely sit right with me), I also like the idea of having knowledge of medications, diagnoses, and interventions commonly encountered in hospital medicine.
- My ability to feel fulfilled and know I am making a significant difference in patients lives matters most to me.
- Length of training is something I want to remain aware of. I am a non-traditional student and a few years older than most of my peers, but I would gladly spend a couple more years in training if it means spending my life doing something I'm passionate about.
- With the nature of my research I have grown increasingly interested in CT, but I am also weighing length of training, work-life balance, etc. (Any feedback about CT and how it aligns with what I've shared?)
- With my admittedly limited exposure, a few last minute thoughts. I don't like the idea of operating or specializing on eyes so I'm not very interested in Ophtho. ENT has some potential but I am not sure the bread and butter cases are really up my alley. I have the same concern about plastics in terms of their bread and butter cases (have little to no interest in being any type of cosmetic surgeon either). For reasons that are a little challenging to describe, I haven't loved ortho thus far, perhaps it doesn't have as much of the "traditional medicine" that I seek. Trauma surgery seems to miss the continuity of care I'm looking for. Gen surg without specialization doesn't tickle my fancy (not sure I want to spend the rest of my life repairing hernias and removing gall bladders). I also don't think urology is for me.
I know I've ruled out a lot of areas with little explanation above. Some of what I've ruled out could changed with more exposure so I'm not shutting the door on anything. Ultimately, I am hoping to get some advice on which surgical specialties might seem best suited for me considering my interests and preferences. I recognize I have time to figure it out, but knowing I want to pursue a surgical specialty means I'd like to do everything in my power to set myself up for success. With that being said, if there are any suggestions in terms of CV building, networking, research, etc. that anyone thinks I should be doing I am all ears!
Thanks everyone!
Last edited: