Specialty War!!!!!

Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

I like Heme/Onc a lot. Obviously it's early but I'm leaning more towards medicine than surgery, and peds not so much. We will see though.
 
What is the allure of Emergency Medicine that is drawing so many people?! The majority of your patients are pill heads, vagabonds, and drunks! You can't hit them...barely restrain them...and if you are rude to them, they can effect your career.

I don't know...I am more of a "cut-em and move on" kinda guy.
 
Amen. I'll take FM without OB 😉

QUOTE=Poetic Silence;13068445]Moms and babies are nice when separated, but pregnant women frighten me. And I live with one.[/QUOTE]
 
What is the allure of Emergency Medicine that is drawing so many people?! The majority of your patients are pill heads, vagabonds, and drunks! You can't hit them...barely restrain them...and if you are rude to them, they can effect your career.

I don't know...I am more of a "cut-em and move on" kinda guy.

Work 27 hours a week for $250,000 with no call ever. Get the picture?
 
250k/27hr? hhhmmm....either that is the most amazing part-time job ever...or your numbers are off. 🙄

It would be a cush gig, but they are out there. The guys in my group work 13-14 9's a month and I know for a fact they clear over 220-225k.
And it is a incredibly desirable location, not BFE.
 
250k/27hr? hhhmmm....either that is the most amazing part-time job ever...or your numbers are off. 🙄

Not as off as you think it'd be.....Also, a "full-time" EM doc is usually 32-36 hours depending on the shop.

EM is very well compensated on a per hour basis. The down side is that some people work nights, some alternate shifts and you are quite subject to hospital politics.
 
Not as off as you think it'd be.....Also, a "full-time" EM doc is usually 32-36 hours depending on the shop.

EM is very well compensated on a per hour basis. The down side is that some people work nights, some alternate shifts and you are quite subject to hospital politics.

Yeah for people that just want to make good money, but not live like someone from cribs EM is perfect. $200,000 is a low annual for these guys and they rarely work more than 35 hr/week. That is enough cash to have nice house, family, and do some sweet things with plenty of time and no call restrictions to do it.
 
Dude, you already pointed it out:


What is the allure of Emergency Medicine that is drawing so many people?! The majority of your patients are pill heads, vagabonds, and drunks! You can't hit them...barely restrain them...and if you are rude to them, they can effect your career.


The doc I was working with and I were discussing the 25+ patients we saw one night while both feeling a little depressed. We went through each one and discussed the situation. 1 was admitted, rightfully. 1 had a good reason to be there. ~23 were either psychiatric messes or some BS chief complaint with no justification for ED resources (because most likely, they aren't paying).


Oh, and nights/holidays. 👍
 
250k/27hr? hhhmmm....either that is the most amazing part-time job ever...or your numbers are off. 🙄

Many ER docs work something like 18 8s, 14 10s, or 12 12s per month. The one who mentors me works 80+ hour weeks, but that's just cause she chooses to.
 
Not as off as you think it'd be.....Also, a "full-time" EM doc is usually 32-36 hours depending on the shop.

EM is very well compensated on a per hour basis. The down side is that some people work nights, some alternate shifts and you are quite subject to hospital politics.

Might contribute to the burn out rate.
 
I'm kinda interested in trauma surgery. I like peds, AHH IDK!!

You're fine. Don't stress. I just figured out what I wanted to do a couple months ago and I submitted my ERAS app today - I was the one with a reason to say 'AHHHHH" lol
 
You're fine. Don't stress. I just figured out what I wanted to do a couple months ago and I submitted my ERAS app today - I was the one with a reason to say 'AHHHHH" lol
What did you end up picking?
 
What did you end up picking?

EM

It was a tough decision. I thought I was going to into radonc from before I applied to med
school , but after a lot of self-reflection I realized I couldn't be happy doing clinic work.
 
Work 27 hours a week for $250,000 with no call ever. Get the picture?

I work as a scribe in the ER and the docs I work with do easily over 35 hours a week and are on call every once in a while (not sure how the on call schedule works)..but it might be different depending on where you work.
 
Wait, I know I'm a total noob for asking this, but is peds = pediatric surgery? I know somewhere mentioned it, but couldn't find it.
 
Heme/onc
Pulm/cc
EM
FM
Psychiatry
Neurology

I know six is too many but that's just the way it is.
 
Just curious. But you guys intererested in peds subspecialty are aware that that's 6 years of training after med school. 3 yrs of peds + 3 yrs of peds subspecialty. Similar to all the other internal medicine subspecialties.
 
Just curious. But you guys intererested in peds subspecialty are aware that that's 6 years of training after med school. 3 yrs of peds + 3 yrs of peds subspecialty. Similar to all the other internal medicine subspecialties.

Yes..... Curious - are you pointing this out because it's a common misconception among pre-meds or for some other reason?
 
Yes..... Curious - are you pointing this out because it's a common misconception among pre-meds or for some other reason?

Yep. As a med student, interviewed a couple applicants that were unaware of this. Have also come across other pre-meds unfamiliar with other aspects of career routes. Coincidentally often had to do with something peds-related. Just making sure, because it will come up on interviews. If you say you have interest in a field, make sure you know basics of it. Another example, plastics. You can get into it through gen surgery residency + plastics fellowship (longer route) or an integrated plastics residency (shorter route).
 
Last edited:
What is the allure of Emergency Medicine that is drawing so many people?! The majority of your patients are pill heads, vagabonds, and drunks! You can't hit them...barely restrain them...and if you are rude to them, they can effect your career.

I don't know...I am more of a "cut-em and move on" kinda guy.

I think most pre-meds don't understand that EM in most hospitals is really just primary care with the occasional true emergency. It varies a lot based on where you work. An inner city Level 1 trauma center will see some incredible stuff, but still plenty of colds and pelvic/prostate exams and other nonemergent checkups for people who either a) don't want to wait til morning to call their PCP, or b) have no PCP. You don't work as many hours and have no call, but that just means that you're guaranteed to work nights/weekends/holidays instead of just carrying a pager and only dealing with the important stuff.

I think EM is great, but it's a lot more appealing to a single 22-year-old than it is to a middle-aged parent who can't see their kids on Christmas because there are drunks who need detoxing and some idiot burned their arm trying to deep fry a turkey.
 
I want to do surgery but I think it's too physically demanding (having to stand for several hours).

I'll most likely go into IM.
 
Yep. As a med student, interviewed a couple applicants that were unaware of this. Have also come across other pre-meds unfamiliar with other aspects of career routes. Coincidentally often had to do with something peds-related. Just making sure, because it will come up on interviews. If you say you have interest in a field, make sure you know basics of it. Another example, plastics. You can get into it through gen surgery residency + plastics fellowship (longer route) or an integrated plastics residency (shorter route).

👍 Yeah, I figured that was the reason you said something, but I was also wondering if you just thought the time vs. pay-off was bad. Which, I think can be true as well, but if it's what you're interested in and what you're doing for the next 20+ years than who's to say it matters.
 
👍 Yeah, I figured that was the reason you said something, but I was also wondering if you just thought the time vs. pay-off was bad. Which, I think can be true as well, but if it's what you're interested in and what you're doing for the next 20+ years than who's to say it matters.

Haha well that too, but you are spot on. Whatever you all decide, that's what matters. Just make sure you don't go in with tunnel vision and especially during interviews.
 
Work 27 hours a week for $250,000 with no call ever. Get the picture?

I work as a scribe in the ER and the docs I work with do easily over 35 hours a week and are on call every once in a while (not sure how the on call schedule works)..but it might be different depending on where you work.

Well if they are working easily over 35 hours a week, as in 40-45, then they are making WELL over $250,000, especially with call. (All this barring no abnormally long vacation periods).
 
You're fine. Don't stress. I just figured out what I wanted to do a couple months ago and I submitted my ERAS app today - I was the one with a reason to say 'AHHHHH" lol

haahaa, so true. I guess since I'm a non trad I get paranoid knowing age, family, etc etc are all just sitting waiting with me. Congrats on your choice of EM!
 
I think most pre-meds don't understand that EM in most hospitals is really just primary care with the occasional true emergency. It varies a lot based on where you work. An inner city Level 1 trauma center will see some incredible stuff, but still plenty of colds and pelvic/prostate exams and other nonemergent checkups for people who either a) don't want to wait til morning to call their PCP, or b) have no PCP. You don't work as many hours and have no call, but that just means that you're guaranteed to work nights/weekends/holidays instead of just carrying a pager and only dealing with the important stuff.

I think EM is great, but it's a lot more appealing to a single 22-year-old than it is to a middle-aged parent who can't see their kids on Christmas because there are drunks who need detoxing and some idiot burned their arm trying to deep fry a turkey.

Would it be premature to presume that EM will have less primary care as a result of healthcare reform (not just coverage but the rise of medical homes and coordinated care)?
 
You don't work as many hours and have no call, but that just means that you're guaranteed to work nights/weekends/holidays instead of just carrying a pager and only dealing with the important stuff.

I think EM is great, but it's a lot more appealing to a single 22-year-old than it is to a middle-aged parent who can't see their kids on Christmas because there are drunks who need detoxing and some idiot burned their arm trying to deep fry a turkey.

I don't mind working holidays because I'm not Christian anyways, so I don't celebrate any of your holidays. I don't mind working nights cause I can't sleep without pills.

U mad or u mirin'?
 
FM (throw some OB on that)
Peds
Psych
Neonatal
Endocrine
Ophthalmology

I thought about OB/GYN for a long long time and still think about it on and off but I guess I will have to see how it goes in med school. I think I would prefer doing FM with some OB mixed in.

I really like babies/children, think eyes are freaking fascinating, and think there is a lot that there is gonna come up in Psych and Endocrinology in my lifetime which makes it very attractive to me as I like to be involved in ever changing situations. Oh and Family Medicine, I would thoroughly enjoy because of the long term relationship with patients and the fact that I get to meet whole families, couples...which from a psych major stand point is super cool. Also having the opportunity to help my patients change lifestyles and behaviors is something I am really interested in.
 
Last edited: