Speciality choice

[Special]

Greetings, I am IMG graduate, and my passion has always leaned towards fields involving surgical intervention such as Surgery, OBGYN, or Ophthalmology. However, when it came time to apply for residencies, the prevailing trend among my IMG graduate peers was Internal Medicine due to its high acceptance rate. Consequently, I pursued Internal Medicine and completed my residency a few years ago. I have since been working as a hospitalist, but I find little satisfaction in this practice.

Now, in my mid-30s and with limited research experience, I am faced with the dilemma of choosing between applying for a fellowship in Cardiology or GI or embarking on a new residency journey in OBGYN. While no one can predict the future and despite much contemplation and time spent in deep thought, I am struggling to make a decisive choice on which single path to pursue.
I would appreciate any advice someone can have for me

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[CRRT]

Getting into a surgical subspeciality will be an uphill battle. On the other hand I have seen hospitalists struggle for a while, but finally got into cardiology fellowship.

 

[bronx43]

Greetings, I am IMG graduate, and my passion has always leaned towards fields involving surgical intervention such as Surgery, OBGYN, or Ophthalmology. However, when it came time to apply for residencies, the prevailing trend among my IMG graduate peers was Internal Medicine due to its high acceptance rate. Consequently, I pursued Internal Medicine and completed my residency a few years ago. I have since been working as a hospitalist, but I find little satisfaction in this practice.

Now, in my mid-30s and with limited research experience, I am faced with the dilemma of choosing between applying for a fellowship in Cardiology or GI or embarking on a new residency journey in OBGYN. While no one can predict the future and despite much contemplation and time spent in deep thought, I am struggling to make a decisive choice on which single path to pursue.
I would appreciate any advice someone can have for me

I heard OBGYN is a great field... if you like making less than a hospitalist (per hour), while taking OB call, and having huge medicolegal risk.

 

[NewYorkDoctors]

have you considered doing GIM? obviously not for a hospital system but open your own private practice GIM office?
much of the dissatisfaction among older hospitalists is feeling like an H&P and D/C monkey and order placer without doing any of the "real medicine" for the harder cases. (not that you WANT to do ALL the medical work for hard cases and then do ALL the social work as well)

but most people who open up their own GIM private practices, collect all the billings (no more RVUs get the dolla bills yo... more like check payments from the insurances i mean) and establish meaningful connections with their patients do find it more worthwhile. Moreover in a general GIM practice, you do not see so many chronically ill patients that are in bad shape as much as you as hospitalist (selection bias leads to sicker people getting hospitalized and admitted) . For younger or middle aged patients (or even older but healthier patients) you really do feel like you can make a difference!

GIM as a hospital employee is horrible. the hospital admins steal your productivity.

doing it as your own boss can be worthwhile

 

[rokshana]

Greetings, I am IMG graduate, and my passion has always leaned towards fields involving surgical intervention such as Surgery, OBGYN, or Ophthalmology. However, when it came time to apply for residencies, the prevailing trend among my IMG graduate peers was Internal Medicine due to its high acceptance rate. Consequently, I pursued Internal Medicine and completed my residency a few years ago. I have since been working as a hospitalist, but I find little satisfaction in this practice.

Now, in my mid-30s and with limited research experience, I am faced with the dilemma of choosing between applying for a fellowship in Cardiology or GI or embarking on a new residency journey in OBGYN. While no one can predict the future and despite much contemplation and time spent in deep thought, I am struggling to make a decisive choice on which single path to pursue.
I would appreciate any advice someone can have for me

Are you competitive enough to do any of those fields? Other than all of those making more money than a hospitalist, what make you interested o. Them since they are all fairly different?
GI is a reach for an IMG, and generally one is most competitive right after residency… how many years out are you and what have you done in GI to make you competitive?
Cards is potentially doable, but they generally want a lot of research from an applicant…many cards programs have IMGs but they are pretty hardcore applicant with CVS full of research and publications over their US grad counterpart.

 

[CRRT]

I know 3 people who were IMGs and really wanted to do cardiology. They ended up doing 1 or 2 year unaccredited fellowships in cardiology ( echo, nuclear, research ) . All ended up getting cards fellowship in the end. Lot of work though.

 

[Special]

Are you competitive enough to do any of those fields? Other than all of those making more money than a hospitalist, what make you interested o. Them since they are all fairly different?
GI is a reach for an IMG, and generally one is most competitive right after residency… how many years out are you and what have you done in GI to make you competitive?
Cards is potentially doable, but they generally want a lot of research from an applicant…many cards programs have IMGs but they are pretty hardcore applicant with CVS full of research and publications over their US grad counterpart.

I am around 2 years away from residency and haven't done a huge research or hard work in any of the above fields as I didn't make my mind yet on which route should I focus the most.
Money isn't the concern here. As I mentioned earlier, my passion lies in the surgical and interventional field because it fulfills me. In the realm of internal medicine, I find myself at a crossroads, torn between pursuing highly competitive subspecialties or embarking on another surgical residency, such as Obgyn. Thanks

 

[IMGASMD]

I am around 2 years away from residency and haven't done a huge research or hard work in any of the above fields as I didn't make my mind yet on which route should I focus the most.
Money isn't the concern here. As I mentioned earlier, my passion lies in the surgical and interventional field because it fulfills me. In the realm of internal medicine, I find myself at a crossroads, torn between pursuing highly competitive subspecialties or embarking on another surgical residency, such as Obgyn. Thanks

Do OB then…?
Consider pulm/crit you can bronch, you can put lines, you can even trach, chest tube, intubate.

Are you two years out of medical school? Have you done anything medicine related ? Are you in the US already?

Not to sound curt. Seems like you haven’t done much research on coming to the US for residency yet. Right off the bat, the chance of you getting into ophthalmology is slim. When you equate OBgyn, surgery and ophthalmology…. There are other threads you can get some ideas too.

Anyways. If you are adventurous, you can even consider family medicine. I’ve met a few that would do colonoscopy, skin biopsies.