Specialize in Proctology?

[celithu]

I know they are surgeons by training...but how on earth do you come up with that?

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[Geekchick921]

I know they are surgeons by training...but how on earth do you come up with that?

Colon & Rectal surgeons? Beats me. I suppose you could find it fascinating... or you could have been inspired to become that kind of doctor because a loved one died of a colon or rectal issue. Other than that, I got nothing.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

This comes up about once every few months so let me save everybody the hassle.

A) It's a competitive field to get into, not where they send the "bottom of the barrel" physicians.

B) The field is popular becuase it's a surgery field where you can still have a lifestyle. There are very few "Colorectal" emergencies (just like there are few urological or breast emergencies) so most cases are scheduled in advance. So, when you have your cases end at a certain time on Thursday so you can get to your kid's T-Ball game, you're not going to be called back because somebody with a surgical abdomen just wandered into the ED.

C) This is true for a lot of surgical fields, but they have very satisfied patients because they tend to have good results. This can be anything from treating a painful rectal fissure or external hemmorhoid to saving someone's life by resecting a mass.

D) Like many surgical specialties or fellows, their practice is a mix of surgery and seeing patients in clinic. So patient A may be perscribed medical management type solutions for early management of their Ulcerative Colitis/Proctitis but the next patient you may have a problem which can be easily fixed with a surgical procedure.

E) The people in the field (in my experience) tend to be cool guys and gals who you'd want to work with and are enthused about their work.

 

[PT2MD]

I was suprised to find out how many proctology threads there have been over the past five years. Here's one. Knock yourself out.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=461981&highlight=proctologist

 

[Drogba]

I think most pre-meds do not truly understand the process of selecting a specialty. The characteristics that make a specialty appealing are not evident to us at this early juncture in our training and we tend to make simplistic judgments as a result.

 

[Geekchick921]

E) The people in the field (in my experience) tend to be cool guys and gals who you'd want to work with and are enthused about their work.

This is definitely true. All the colorectal surgeons at my hospital are really nice guys.

 

[armybound]

Job security. Someone will always need a coloscopy.

Colorectal cancer kills a lot of people. You can truly help people.

 

[Ynowtex]

In the area of Houston I live, this colon-rectal surgeon is very popular, check out why!

http://www.mdjunction.com/doctor/donald-ray-butts/24927

 

[LikeClockWork]

In the area of Houston I live, this colon-rectal surgeon is very popular, check out why!

http://www.mdjunction.com/doctor/donald-ray-butts/24927

Now THAT is just fantastic.

What's next? A urologist named Dick E. Johnson?

 

[Geekchick921]

Now THAT is just fantastic.

What's next? A urologist named Dick E. Johnson?

I know a GI named Dr. Guttmann. It amuses me to no end. http://www.gastropa.com/docs.htm He's about halfway down the page.

 

[celithu]

I was reading the obituaries and there was a guy named Richard "Dick" Ring.

Yes, thats exactly how it appeared.

 

[smq123]

Colon & Rectal surgeons? Beats me. I suppose you could find it fascinating... or you could have been inspired to become that kind of doctor because a loved one died of a colon or rectal issue. Other than that, I got nothing.

Colorectal surgery's great. Sometimes you're the only treatment option for some pretty bad diseases (refractory Crohn's, diverticulitis, etc). You get to treat cancer. You get to do surgery, but the lifestyle is pretty decent. Plus, unlike other types of surgery (trauma, for instance), you can operate AND have long-term patient care and followup. There are lots of great things about it.

This reminds me of the kind of response when I tell people that I'm interested in Ob/gyn. "You are? Ewww...why would you want to do that all day? Yuck!" or "Oh...so you ENJOY torturing people with that horrible speculum?!?"

 

[Vihsadas]

I think most pre-meds do not truly understand the process of selecting a specialty. The characteristics that make a specialty appealing are not evident to us at this early juncture in our training and we tend to make simplistic judgments as a result.

QFT

But it's nice to go in with ideas...as long as we realize that we know jack****, and our ideas could change.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

I think most pre-meds do not truly understand the process of selecting a specialty. The characteristics that make a specialty appealing are not evident to us at this early juncture in our training and we tend to make simplistic judgments as a result.

Absolutely.

After some experience, I'd much rather be an "ass doctor" than being a family practitioner and have my days consist of convincing fatties to lose weight and handing out narcs to chronic pain patients.

 

[45408]

Now THAT is just fantastic.

What's next? A urologist named Dick E. Johnson?

in Robbins Pathology, the picture of a syphilitic chancre of the penis was submitted by one Dr. Richard Johnson.

 

[0Complications]

This is definitely true. All the colorectal surgeons at my hospital are really nice guys.

True, but all they deal with everyday are a bunch of a$$holes...

 

[Vihsadas]

True, but all they deal with everyday are a bunch of a$$holes...

hahahaha!! LOL!

Congratulations sir. This is one those rare times when I write 'LOL' in a post, and I'm actually 'LOL'ing at my computer. hahaha

 

[Geekchick921]

True, but all they deal with everyday are a bunch of *****holes...

HAHAHAH! *Rimshot* Insert obligatory dick joke for urology and pu$$y joke for Ob/Gyn.

smq123, I want to be an Ob/Gyn, too. I was talking to one of the neuros for my hospital the other day and she asked me what specialty I wanted to do. When I told her, she scrunched up her face and shook her head like "Ew. Gross." I wanted to tease her and say, "You know, doctor, brains are gross, too."

 

[MDROCKSTAR]

I guess they are the 'butt' of all the jokes.