Specialties for the technologically gifted?

[nysegop]

If you are good with computers, machines, and other technologies, what are some good specialties?

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[kexy]

I think general surgery, what with the increasing use of laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery.

 

[aSagacious]

Radiology and other imaging-heavy fields come to mind.

 

[nysegop]

I don't know if it's just a coincidence, but those two are on my top 3 list. Which, by the way is:


*Anesthesiology
*Surgery
*Radiology

Also considered General Practitioner.

 

[PostHaste]

Medical informatics.

 

[nysegop]

Medical informatics.

Are there a lot of jobs available for this specialty.

 

[chronicidal]

research

 

[PostHaste]

Are there a lot of jobs available for this specialty.

I'm not entirely sure, but my gut says "yes." The HITECH Act has put a huge incentive out to hospitals to implement EMRs. Meaningful Use requirements lean very heavily on EMR usage by providers. Physicians need support and leadership in this; how many docs do you know who are excited for CPOE and typing their notes? Not too many, from my experience.

Hospitals, health systems, practices, and EMR vendors all need people, and they're (IMO) none too bright if they don't recognize the need for physician leaders in this.

 

[theseeker4]

I'm not entirely sure, but my gut says "yes." The HITECH Act has put a huge incentive out to hospitals to implement EMRs. Meaningful Use requirements lean very heavily on EMR usage by providers. Physicians need support and leadership in this; how many docs do you know who are excited for CPOE and typing their notes? Not too many, from my experience.

Hospitals, health systems, practices, and EMR vendors all need people, and they're (IMO) none too bright if they don't recognize the need for physician leaders in this.

Would you really consider this a specialty, per se? Obviously there is a need for doctors to be trained in this, but how big of a need would there be for a doctor whose entire job is medical informatics? I imagine the doctor would have his regular job of whatever specialty he was trained in, and part of his responsibilities would utilize what was learned in that fellowship. Just curious, honestly don't know, maybe there is a need for a physician whose entire job is medical informatics.

 

[CodeBlu]

Technology... hmmm....

Interventional Radiology

 

[PostHaste]

Would you really consider this a specialty, per se? Obviously there is a need for doctors to be trained in this, but how big of a need would there be for a doctor whose entire job is medical informatics? I imagine the doctor would have his regular job of whatever specialty he was trained in, and part of his responsibilities would utilize what was learned in that fellowship. Just curious, honestly don't know, maybe there is a need for a physician whose entire job is medical informatics.

Maybe it would be considered a sub-specialty, in that it is a fellowship following (I think) ED.

As far as need, our community health system (2 hospitals, ~18 clinics) has a physician who is 1/2 time FP, 1/2 time Chief Medical Informatics Officer. I would imagine that larger systems have more need?

I see you're from DTW. Here's a local example.

ETA: as far as needing physicians whose job is informatics... physicians tend not to take kindly to nurses with a Master's, random MBA/MHA's, or computer nerds telling them what they have to do in their practice of medicine. A big part of the CMIO role is simply getting the physicians' trust.

 

[JESSFALLING]

Radiology and other imaging-heavy fields come to mind.

I was thinking rad-onc. Most sub-surgical fields as well (e.g. urology, neuro, ophthalmology, etc.)

 

[kasho11]

I'm pretty interested in urology with everything I've heard about their surgical techniques with lasers and laproscopy.

 

[nysegop]

Thanks for all the help! First thread where I didn't just get tons of people telling me to google something.

 

[Praefectus]

Surgery is definitely moving in that direction. I can foresee completely robotic surgeries becoming commonplace in the next 10 years.

 

[nysegop]

Surgery sounds interesting, but probably one of the easiest to mess up in.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Moving thread to hSDN. Welcome to SDN OP!

 

[nysegop]

Thank you.

 

[Moose A Moose]

Radiology and other imaging-heavy fields come to mind.

Agreed. Robotically assisted surgical procedures as well.