Specialize vs. Generalize

[Gut Shot]

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My ponderances after 8+ hours of couch, football, queso and beer:

I would like to practice in a particular area of the country (east of the Mississippi, LADoc, no need to put out a hit on me). My residency program is nowhere near this area. I've been considering a particular subspecialty area for fellowship training, but no such fellowships exist in said area. What is in the area is a well-respected general surgical pathology fellowship that also seems quite appealing.

Given that I'm leaning towards a generalist little-bit-o-everything career, would I be better off doing the subspec outside my target geographic zone or the general surg path year inside? Option A gives me some subspec cred, option B presumably gives me connections with the locals.

I can see it both ways. Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Gut Shot]

What, 39 views and no love? Oh, I see how it is. (Glug, glug)

 

[cytoborg]

Probably depends on the job market...if it's very impacted, you might benefit from a local fellowship -surgpath or otherwise- to cultivate some connections.

Could you go elsewhere for a subspecialty fellowship, then come back for the surgpath fellowship? Best of both worlds that way.

 

[pathman2006]

Most of the recent grads current seniors I have spoken with say that you need the fellowship if you are a 4 year graduate to compete with the 5-years. I think a fellowship in a weak area would be better. If you have weak surg path at you program then do the surg path fellowship.

 

[Gut Shot]

Could you go elsewhere for a subspecialty fellowship, then come back for the surgpath fellowship? Best of both worlds that way.

Perhaps, although the thought of more than one year of fellowship makes me want to claw my eyeballs out and eat them.

Part of my problem is that I've gotten very conflicting information about specializing vs. generalizing, even from the same mouth. At one meeting I hear "you need to find a niche and make it your own" and at the next it's "you really need the broadest skill set possible."

Alas, I am only one man.

 

[deschutes]

Part of my problem is that I've gotten very conflicting information about specializing vs. generalizing, even from the same mouth. At one meeting I hear "you need to find a niche and make it your own" and at the next it's "you really need the broadest skill set possible."

Alas, I am only one man.

Doesn't it suck? And the person who said it to me was pushing AP-only too (this was back in Canadia where it's more common). Now I have this CP crap to deal with on top of everything else, which really apart from hemepath and getting CP recertification q-however-many-years has **** all to do with my plans for the future. Sigh.

 

[cytoborg]

Perhaps, although the thought of more than one year of fellowship makes me want to claw my eyeballs out and eat them.

Part of my problem is that I've gotten very conflicting information about specializing vs. generalizing, even from the same mouth. At one meeting I hear "you need to find a niche and make it your own" and at the next it's "you really need the broadest skill set possible."

Alas, I am only one man.

Haha yeah, I've also noticed the same conflicting advice. I'm going to try to game the system and find a "niche" that doesn't require a whole fellowship.