Skill set for a IR/NIR?

[Symmetry11]

How close is the skill set needed for microsurgery close to that needed for IR/NIR? I get spontaneous muscle twitches across my body including my hands and worry this will affect patient care if I were to go down the IR/NIR route (yes i know its premature, sorry).

Also, ive read that IR/NIR gets a lot of patient contact but what about DR?

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[shark2000]

Man, you are really obsessed with this specialty choice. You don't have to make the decision at least in the next 6-8 years. First finish the next 2 years of your college and apply for medical school. Then you will have enough time to ask about your specialty choice.

I don't answer your questions because as a college student your perception of different fields is very wrong at best.

College time is not to get stressed about IR or Neurorad or surgery. College time is to have fun, to party and to do things that you will not be able to do later in life even if you become the best IR or NIR in the world.

I don't answer your question because honestly I feel no matter what I say, will hurt you more. Rather than wasting the best time of you life (=college) with these obsessions, go and have fun.

 

[Symmetry11]

I deeply respect your opinion shark as I have read all of your insightful posts on radiology, but I am not your standard premed. I am a non trad not getting any younger and exhausted from all the partying ive done which has forced me to be a nontrad. I expect to start medical school at 31 and start residency at 35+ with all of the natural decrements in hand eye coordination and muscle memory involved. I suspect most residency PD will look at me curiously. So my goal with this post is to rule out all those specialties I am physically unable to do to better direct myself. I figure someone in my position better start from.undergrad if possible with building relationships etc. given the lost time. Also I feel this board is meant to direct and stimulate interest for people beginning this process. However, I could be wrong about all of this shark but I would still be in need of your assistence. Could you help me?

 

[Puff-of-Snow Sign]

As a nontrad starting med school at 31, I'd probably advise you to look hard into Emergency Medicine. You'll be done with residency much quicker, get paid reasonably well, and have the opportunity to do a wide variety of basic procedures where minor twitches shouldn't get in your way. You'll get plenty of patient contact and have a shift-work lifestyle with plenty of time off. It's getting more and more competitive though, for all of those reasons.

If you find you don't need patient contact as much and don't care about an extra three years of residency (including a fellowship year - cuz errybody does one), then DR is a good choice. There are plenty of procedures to be done, but it won't be the majority of what you do and many of them are not particularly delicate.

As for IR/INR, would you want your aneurysm coiled by someone who has spontaneous muscle twitches in their hands? I'm not trying to be mean, but it's delicate work and one wrong move can have devastating consequences...

 

[Symmetry11]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

I've read that the job market for DR is getting better, do you expect this to continue (not sure how it works) or fall back down again?

Also, teleradiology is something that attracts me but ive read that once youre in its hard to get out. Why is that? Do telerad companies consistently skim your profits as ive read on other posts? Ive seen tele DR jobs starting at 300-350k then go up to 500k on radworking.com. Are those figures realistic for tele? Also, is the 7on/7off model realistic to do throughout your career or is it just too much of a grind for your on days?

Ive never seriously considered EM. I used to work in an ER and watched attendings become burned out from a multitude of reasons. That has still left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[shark2000]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

I've read that the job market for DR is getting better, do you expect this to continue (not sure how it works) or fall back down again?

Also, teleradiology is something that attracts me but ive read that once youre in its hard to get out. Why is that? Do telerad companies consistently skim your profits as ive read on other posts? Ive seen tele DR jobs starting at 300-350k then go up to 500k on radworking.com. Are those figures realistic for tele? Also, is the 7on/7off model realistic to do throughout your career or is it just too much of a grind for your on days?

Ive never seriously considered EM. I used to work in an ER and watched attendings become burned out from a multitude of reasons. That has still left a bad taste in my mouth.

In 2+ 4+6 = 12 years that you finish fellowship and start your first radiology attending job, the radiology salary will be 321,975.