The best specialties in medicine

[jrow]

I am approaching that time where I am seriously thinking about what field of medicine would be the best for me. I have two children (and one on the way) and want to be able to spend a reasonable amount of time with my family. Money is not a big issue for me, but I would like to earn a confortable living. Besides that I want to be in a field where I feel like I'm doing some good (I know that the last part is general and corny).
I would love to hear anyone's opinion on what specialty would be the best for someone like me.

Thanks

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[SomeFakeName]

jrow, since you have a family with 2 kiddies and another one on the way, I would advise you to avoid general surgery and some of its subspecilties (eg ortho) if you truly want to spend time with your family. Optho is not that bad, except that you'll have to do a surgical prelim year, which will be very time intensive. Ob/Gyn is also another one of those residencies that will eat up lots of your time. As you know, the lifestyle residencies (eg derm, path, rads) are the ones you want if you want to max your family time. Peds and IM fall somewhere in between all this, depending on the program and call schedule.

 

[bat21]

Radiology and Family Practice are also good. FP you can tailor your practice to fit your lifestyle.

 

[bla_3x]

How about EM? Where does this fall?

 

[Ligament]

PM&R

 

[gem777]

Originally posted by SomeFakeName
jrow, since you have a family with 2 kiddies and another one on the way, I would advise you to avoid general surgery and some of its subspecilties (eg ortho) if you truly want to spend time with your family. Optho is not that bad, except that you'll have to do a surgical prelim year, which will be very time intensive. Ob/Gyn is also another one of those residencies that will eat up lots of your time. As you know, the lifestyle residencies (eg derm, path, rads) are the ones you want if you want to max your family time. Peds and IM fall somewhere in between all this, depending on the program and call schedule.

Although I agree with most of what you say, I can't help but point out that you do not have to do a surgical prelim year for ophthalmology. Ophthalmology is an excellent, family-friendly specialty, imo.

 

[chef]

derm supposedly gives the best lifestyle, both in residency and after. i think that's why it's so hard to get into derm

 

[joelee955]

I think in addition to the above, radiology, anestheology, rad onc, psychiatry, and rehab are also great fields if you want time with your family. Some of the medicine subspecialities like endocrine and allergy are great, but you have to go through internal medicine which may be a strain on your family.

 

[Mindy]

Hands down, pathology.

The best darn medical field ever.

Period.

Mindy

 

[chef]

Originally posted by Mindy
Hands down, pathology.

The best darn medical field ever.

Period.

Mindy

yes, path residents work 60 hrs/wk, but they gotta do so much 'self-learning' and read so many books on their own..

but u r right, if u don't like pt interaction, path is perfect

 

[Mindy]

ain't talking about short hours or no patients chef. I am talking about answering the fundamentals of "why are we here" and "what happens to us along the way" (at least from a physical point of view.) I dare say no other field comes close to answering these questions. Pathology is the harmonious blend of studying what makes people tick, and what happens when they stop ticking from a level that influences management of not just the individual patient...but the entire disease process universally. The genomic and proteomic revolutions will further characterize disease, influence treatment, and provide cures via understanding.

There said... Hands down, pathology is the greatest field ever!

Mindy

 

[yaoming]

uh...path sure is great and important, but most important? apparently, path does indicate superficially the cause of problems, but isnt that just half of what medicine is about? unless i'm assuming you believe procedural solutions to these problems are unimportant?

 

[Mindy]

UGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who said "most important?" What does "most important" mean in a medical team? Is the anesthesiologist less important than the surgeon? Is the family doctor who persuaded the patient he needed specialized care out of the loop? Is the psychiatrist who deals with the emotional impact of disease simply superfluous? To me, the most important members of the hospital system are housekeepers. Could you imagine the reservoir of germs that would develop if they did not perform their jobs properly? Would you do their job at their salary? Pathologists are just yet another part of the puzzle to me... BUT, pathologists have a job where they can intellectualize disease without the *mundane* hassles of patient care. By this I am NOT talking about getting patients through a disease process. I am talking about the 3:00am "Oh doc you forgot to write orders for stool softener and tylenol for your perfectly healthy 19-year-old, sleeping, pooping, deep-toe-splinter extraction patient." Pathologists make life and death decisions daily for patients, often reaching nearly 100 patients a day ("Mrs. Pathologist, we are going to cut out the rest of the colon if you tell us its cancer" or worse "we aren't going to do anything (surgical) if you tell us it hit the lymph nodes" or even worse "did we get it all out?") I am not trying to convince anyone what the greatest medical field is. To me, though, the diagnosis is the coolest part of medicine. Past diagnosis, most of the treatment becomes algorithmic. You treat a patient's disease based on protocol. The art of medicine is in the diagnosis, and more often than not, a pathologist is in the driver's seat.

And what do you mean pathology "superficially" identifies the "cause of problems?" Pathologists are in the midst of answering which gene controls which biological product with the goal of fixing cells (and thus disease) at the molecular level. How much deeper does it get?

FINAL THOUGHT: Whatever field of medicine you end up choosing, I hope you think yours is the greatest also.

Mindy

 

[chef]

Mindy,

I envy your enthusiasm and love in your career. I only hope that I will be as passionate about my field when I make that decision.

I definitely agree that whatever field you choose is the best field evar!! and I hope to be working w path docs like u in the future.

Best-
chef

 

[yaoming]

ok, i just think pathology sucks. that's just my opinion.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Very eloquent answer Mindy, and absolutely true. No one member of the team is anymore important than any other. I wish I was as passionate about my career choice as you appear to be.


Best of luck to you.

 

[enceph]

Originally posted by Kimberli Cox
I wish I was as passionate about my career choice as you appear to be.

Aren't you?

 

[enceph]

do ignore the above if I'm being needlessly intrusive, Kimberli.

 

[enceph]

Originally posted by Mindy
Is the anesthesiologist less important than the surgeon? Is the family doctor who persuaded the patient he needed specialized care out of the loop? Is the psychiatrist who deals with the emotional impact of disease simply superfluous? To me, the most important members of the hospital system are housekeepers.

Your comments bring home the essential point about the nature of any system that functions as a result of the workings of many parts. The humble gas tank is no less important than the super high tect engine in a Ferarri, but seldom elicits as much drool (or even grudging recognition) from most lay people (and unfortunately, many expert auto engineers).

However, if anything, one may argue that the petrol tank is actually more critical to have than the super engine, because you can have some sort vehicular motion with any ordinary engine, but you'll have zilch without a tank.

The analogy applies to medicine. To function as even a basic health service center, a hospital needs housekeepers, nurses, technicians, hundreds or thousands of personnel who are infinitely more anonymous than the big chiefs of the various services. But a hospital doesn't need a Thor Sundt on its neurosurgical staff to function, or a VS Ramachandran in neurology to perform. Heck, a place can be a hospital without any neurosurgical capability. But remove the nurses...

What the Sundts and Ramachandrans do is to increase the capability of the center to provide dizzyingly superb, phenomenal service in one small specialized area. They are that extra kick in the Ferarri engine that transforms what might be an ordinary car into a rubber burning champion racing machine.

But we should never forget that that gas tank is still critical.

 

[enceph]

It is interesting that the general issue outlined above has permeated not only relations between doctors and other hospital staff, but as Mindy notes, also the relations between different types of doctors, andtheir perceptions of their importance and "intelligence".

For example, many surgeons have an incredible opinion of themselves, out of proportion to the actual cognitive and practical work most of them do. A few days ago on this board, a surgery resident stated, quite seriously, that surgeons are the "smartest and most knowledgable doctors". This is, of course, a hilarious sentiment, as anyone who has studied medicine ought to know. It was only regretable that the person saying it was quite senior in their training.

I don't think any one specialty has a monopoly of the best and brightest. Intellectual ability is evident in people from virtually every specialty. The requirements of a specialty may attract a particular personality, and this may result in a higher proportion of particularly bright people in some specialties, but this will vary from country to country and program to program. Looking back the only specialty I can recall where I felt almost every staff person, in most hospitals I've been to, was incredibly bright was - no kidding - pediatric radiology. Adult neurology is a close second. This is of course only based on a personal and unrepresentative experience.

 

[enceph]

Originally posted by Mindy
To me, though, the diagnosis is the coolest part of medicine.

I share that sentiment.

Originally posted by Mindy
Past diagnosis, most of the treatment becomes algorithmic. You treat a patient's disease based on protocol.

This is untrue. While diagnosis is often the most challenging part of medicine, the treatment of many, perhaps most, hospitalized patients is far from algorithmic. Management becomes algorithmic when you have a patient with one well studied common disease with effective treatments. If any one of these criteria is not fulfilled, management becomes complicated. And yes, you'll need a brain to have a go at it.

The art of medicine is in the diagnosis, ...

Agreed.

...and more often than not, a pathologist is in the driver's seat.

I disagree. This may be the case for many (most?) surgical problems, but I would say for most medical problems the chap in the diagnostic driver's seat is the almost always the medical specialist. The obvious exceptions are haematology and ID, where both specialist contribute much to the diagnosis.

And what do you mean pathology "superficially" identifies the "cause of problems?" Pathologists are in the midst of answering which gene controls which biological product with the goal of fixing cells (and thus disease) at the molecular level. How much deeper does it get?

I agree with you that yaoming was incorrect in suggesting that pathologists "superficially" identify diagnoses (whatever that means precisely), but disagree with you with respect to the genomic and proteomic revolution. The vast majority of this work is being done by pure basic scientists in genetics and molecular biology, not pathologists. However, you, and all of us, will undoubtedly reap the benefits.

 

[enceph]

Originally posted by Crepitus Fremitus
I've always found it ironic that the medical specialty which is consistently one of the most competitive to get into-- and thus by some (not my) arguements attracts the "best and brightest"--is indeed the most superficial area of medicine, dermatology.

>>ducks to avoid zit-lance hurtling towards head<<

LOL!

 

[Mindy]

Enceph: All very good points. My comments were admittedly flawed.

Kimberli: Thank you for your positive response. If indeed your words harbor discouragement toward your field, I think you need to run an SDN search of what surgery used to mean to you. Your voice has been an inspirational and motivational presence on SDN for many years now. My guess is (based on your other recent posts) that the new tugging of your heartstrings is detracting from your appreciation of surgery. Be assured that with time, the waters will calm and balance will be achieved. I am speaking from experience.

C.F. In March, I hope we find out we are going to the same residency program. YOU KILL ME!

Hey folks, we are all soldiers fighting a war against disease and the ravages of time on flesh, whether we want to be or not. We left our ?non-physician? identities on the coat rack on the way into medical school. Unfortunately nobody bothered to explain to us that we would never be back to retrieve our parcels. We have been deconstructed, reconstructed, and sent up the ranks to collect our various Gucci, Beamer, and Rolex badges of achievement. We are an army with our own ?Nams and Gulf Wars, which we have to contend with day in and day out. We have to watch the unthinkable happen to other humans, and acutely absorb the consequences of our actions?for better or for worse. We deserve to beam, take pride in ourselves and work, be strong, heck even callous at times. We deserve to beam when we can, because we live in close proximity to the depth of human misery. I?ve simply decided to love what I am going to do for the rest of my life. Being regretful or resentful is too painful. Do you know what actually makes us different from the housekeepers? They can stop being housekeepers.

Two more points, and I will step off my soapbox: 1) Pre-meds I hope you believe what I just wrote. 2) WE are the next generation of ?old, stuffy docs.? We should do things right. Let?s not badmouth one another.

Always,
Mindy

 

[GreatPumpkin]

You tell em Mindy!

And, path is just as involved in the medical patient as well. Pathology runs all the labs and the blood bank. There is not a patient that comes into the hospital that path doesn't have a hand in these days. Try treating those medical patients without the chem 7, hgb/hct, culture, etc...etc....

Have you hugged your local pathologist today? hehe

 

[Mindy]

AND DARN IT, US PATHOLOGISTS STICK TOGETHER!



Mindy

 

[SomeFakeName]

Take it down a notch there Mindy. Please do not try to make it sound as if somebody who has been through medical school and residency has now left behind his "non-physician" persona...that is complete bunk. As far as I, and many of the residents I work with are concerned, once we leave the hospital at the end of the day, we go on with our lives and don't carry the stuff from the wards into our personal lives. Of course there are many doctors who cannot leave medicine on the wards...you know the ones who seem to talk about medicine ALL the time, whether they are in the hospital or at a party. I personally find this very unhealthy and unnecessary, not to mention annoying. Sure a patient may be on my mind after I leave the hospital, but in no way do I let it affect my life outside the hospital, as that would be very unfair to those I spend my time with after work...and those people are far more important to me than anything I may do as a doctor.

We are not "soldiers" fighting anything, we are people who have decided to go through med school and residency...something I'm not hesitant to admit almost anybody with a modicum of intelligence and drive could accomplish if they wanted to. We have learned how to diagnose and treat disease from the safety of our offices and prescription pads. Please do not compare doctors to soldiers who were forced or volunteered to put their life and limbs on the line (how many med students/residents do you know who would have enough guts to go to war and risk their lives?...probably next to none). Trying to make medicine sound so noble and sacred may work with the general public and naive premed students, but it usually doesn't work with those who have gone through it themselves.

Sure I'm proud to be a doctor, but I also realize that in reality my accomplishment isn't that significant, for the U.S. alone cranks out about 16,000 new physicians every year, not to mention the thousands and thousands from all over the world. And after you retire, there will be another doctor to take over your place (e.g. you're not irreplacable no matter what you may think). I guess the take-home-message is that one who decides to be a doctor should be a good doctor, but shouldn't think that just because you are a doctor it means what you are doing is the most important thing in life or that your "non-physician" persona evaporates or must be changed by medicine.

 

[womansurg]

Originally posted by SomeFakeName
I guess the take-home-message is that one who decides to be a doctor should be a good doctor, but shouldn't think that just because you are a doctor it means what you are doing is the most important thing in life or that your "non-physician" persona evaporates or must be changed by medicine.

Some people fight in a war because they profoundly embrace the cause behind the effort; some people do so because they got drafted and - what the hell - it's warm grub and a roof over your head.

You've demonstrated what the practice of medicine means to you; Mindy has hinted at what it means to her. Neither is more 'real' or accurate than the other. I do think becoming a doctor is one of the most important things in my life, and I enjoy working with others who view our roles as honored and momentous, rather than simply as a job to be done well.

 

[Docgeorge]

Good post womansurg, but I have to tell you from personal experience, the grub in the field is almost never warm, and by roof over your head you mean a helmet, then your on the money.

1 month and 11 days untill I'm done working for Uncle Sam

 

[kansan]

I think that modern medicine is blessed to have doctors around that think like Mindy, and all the others like her. If more of us were like that, we would not have many of the problems that we do.
Although, in the end, medicine is a job, it definitely is a sacred one. Every society/culture that ever existed on this planet has held "healers" to the highest standard and regard, and for good reason. We, as medical workers, are present for life's most important moments, both good and bad. Very few professions or jobs can boast that as well as medicine can. It doesn't make medicine any better than another profession, just different. I know that's why I'm in medical school, and I hope that's why many of you are as well.
Maybe it's high time medical students and doctors focused on that part of the job instead of salary or status. We are all incredibly lucky to be entrusted with that kind of responsibility and vocation.
Just my two cents.

 

[SomeFakeName]

Kansan, the dichotomy you make by saying that doctors can "boast" about being there for life's "big moments" and that society holds doctors in the highest regard is that you are focusing/creating the very high status and sense of self-importance that you go on to say doctors should be avoiding.


Being a good doctor, in my opinion, has nothing to do with how important you think you or your job as a doctor is. As a matter of fact, the worst doctors I personally know are the ones who seemingly live, breathe, and talk about medicine all the time...the ones who think they are "warriors" chosen to wage a daily battle against disease. Somewhere along the line they have become too entrenched in medicine and lost sight of the fact that there is so much more to life than practicing medicine and going all out for every patient...to the point of actually doing more harm and causing more suffering to the patient and their family.

I guess one point I'm trying to make is that you are the person you are first and a doctor second. Unfortunately, so many doctors cannot separate the two and often see themselves only as a "docotor"...in other words their whole persona is tied up in being a physician. And this is what I was getting at when Mindy stated that you lose your "non-physician" persona when you become a doctor...that is plain wrong and a very unhealthy way of thinking. Because at the end of the day, you're not a doctor...you are yourself. And if you tie up your entire persona as only being a doctor, then what are you left with when you stop being a doctor?

 

[Gator05]

SO as long as something can be done, I'd like my own physician to be quite intelligent and extremely capable...

But I gotta tell ya, I'm realizing medicine can only do so much. And when you get to the last of your options, and nothing is working, the doc who knowns nothing but medicine is done. The doc who enjoys their profession, but has seen fit to expand their horizon beyond the field of medicine, is merely transitioning from one form of therapy to another.

Medicine no doubt offers many emotional highs and lows. And it's hard NOT to take some of this stuff home with you at the end of the day; you'd have to be inhuman to completely push some of these things out of your mind. But this doesn't mean medicine has to make itself your life.

Does being a physician put you on a higher plane of existence than the general populace? This seems to be the new trend of this discussion, and if this is true, it makes me embarassed to be a physician in training.

I'm glad Mindy enjoys her profession; I hope to enjoy mine to the same extent. I also hope no matter how much I do enjoy mine, that it won't lead to an exaggeration of self-worth.

 

[womansurg]

Originally posted by Mindy
We have to watch the unthinkable happen to other humans, and acutely absorb the consequences of our actions?for better or for worse. We deserve to beam, take pride in ourselves and work, be strong, heck even callous at times.

I can't read in to any of Mindy's post anything about 'exaggeration of self worth' nor of 'tying up your entire persona in only being a doctor'.

There is absolutely no question that I am a different person for having absorbed the role of being a physician. It's unthinkable to me that someone could NOT be changed by sharing the throes of patients and families as they - literally, not figuratively - fight for their lives. The drama of my daily life is the stuff of popular fiction; 'ER' should have scripts this good. Today I responded to a level 1 trauma to find my junior resident struggling to intubate a 17 yo with broken jaw, midface fracture, partially amputated tongue and gurgling, obstructed bagged ventilations. I struggled urgently to successfully intubate him, leaving me shaking and breathless, knowing that this young man might very well have not have held on long enough for a surgical airway. His intracranial injury was minimal on CT, and he will likely go on to a full recovery.

Margins for error in the practice of medicine are often small, and the consequences profound. The magnitude of having a human life dependent upon the correctness of your thoughts and actions is monumental and the pressure of this weighs heavily on even the least introspective mind.

No one is saying that physicians are 'on a higher plane (sic) of existence'. What we are saying is that we are human, therefore we are understandably altered in response to the enormous stresses of these experiences, and we are understandably solemn in our acceptance of these responsibilities.

 

[Mindy]

I have been trying to think of an appropriate response to this thread, but I realize that womansurg's eloquent words have already captured many of my thoughts.

some additional comments:

I doubt anyone would accuse me of having an "exaggerated sense of selfworth" as Gator implied. I have just finished writing how I think that the cleaning personnel are at least as important as the physicians. I was not being facetious. Nor do I agree with the practice of "saving lives" at all costs. I believe in passing on with grace when the unfortunate time comes. Also, I do enjoy many non-physician activities. I always will be, however, a physician whether I am at work or not.

I simply agree with everything Kansan expressed. Thank you for your kind words toward me, also.

Hooray for DocGeorge!! Best of luck to you. By the way does the soldier analogy offend you?

SomeFakeName: First of all, you are of course entitled to your opinions and feelings and I in no way am trying to degrade them. I do think you are displaying a form of transference with a defense mechanism attached (denial?) to my comments. You know DARN well you are NOT the same person as you were when you entered medical school. NONE of us are. And for every resident that you claim to know who wipes off the emotional dirt of the daily medical grind and punches his card at the end their shift (HAH!), I know one that would honestly admit to being constitutionally changed by the process of becoming a physician. That pie-eyed, idealistic, wet-behind-the-ears, pre-med is transformed into either folks like me (and apparently Kansan and womensurg) who take great pride in physicianhood, or "House of God" cynics like yourself. You will NEVER convince me that my job is the same as a money district bean counter. I CARVE DEAD BODIES FOR A LIVING, for crying out loud! Womensurg opens up their living bodies and rearranges them. You (an internist, right?) poisons them. All in the name of fighting death. What are the BIGGEST fears of a soldier? SUFFERING AND DEATH! Soldiers EVERYWHERE fight to preserve life. What do you think we do? Is it hopeless or useless? We all know it is a war we cannot win, and the best we can hope for is to prolong life. Are we a sacred profession? ABSOLUTELY. It doesn't matter how YOU feel about your "job". To your patients, you are the link between life and death, regardless of how effective in actuality you are. For you to deny them their hope, their belief in you, to consider them "just a job", is so gut-wrenchingly sad.

Mindy

P.S. While I am generally not offended by your views however different from mine, I do think it is disrespectful to imply cowardliness in your colleagues.

 

[Gator05]

Mindy,

I'm sorry you think I implied that you have an "exaggerated sense of self-worth".

My thoughts stem from the fact that their are many, many other professions out there who don't receive nearly the amount of recognition or compensation that physicians do (ie, nurses, teachers, law enforcement, etc).

The medical education process certainly leaves an indelible mark on its students. I'd even venture to say that mark is the reason many of us ventured into this profession.

I've a friend who just started working for Teach America out in an underserved area of Texas. He was a reporter before entering into teaching. He was totally unprepared for the challenges he would face, reminding me of the naivities many of us shatter throughout our education. Ours were different angles on the same social problems, but the appreciation for the magnitude of these problems, as well as the initial feelings of helplessness, were identical.

 

[SomeFakeName]

Mindy, I never said I was the exact same person I was from the time I entered med school. Sure med school and residency change people, but what so many doctors don't realize is that it is within their control how much they do in fact change. And what I find strange is how so many doctors are in a way"proud" of the fact that they have changed throughout their medical training, as if it is some badge of honor that separates them from the rest. When I started med school and saw the doctors around me, I made myself a promise that I would not become what so many of them had...uptight people who thought their job was so important and they were so important because they had an M.D. after their name.

Your continuous comparison of doctors who are sheltered in a hospital and then drive home to their posh gated-communities in their BMWs to soldiers who sacrifice their own life and limbs is very naive and an insult to those who actually served on the front lines. Unfortunately, I do find many of the doctors I work with to be quite cowardly, and I sense that many of them became doctors to compensate for their inherent weakness...as if being a doctor and being needed by others has given them a sense of importance and power. Sure they can diagnose diseases and prescribe drugs, but put them on hostile land with bullets whizzing past their heads and people 3 feet away from them being torn to pieces by bullets and I guarentee 99% of them would piss their pants. The only doctors that even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as front line soldiers are the ones who also served on the front lines and risked their lives by attendeding to injured soldiers...not the plastic surgeon or psychiatrist who sits in an air conditioned office all day and consults with middle-aged women about her tummy tuck operation or her depression because her cat died.

So many doctors are so into their job that they have so little else to look forward to when they have to leave the hospital at the end of the day. The problem is that they have made medicine their life and not a PART of their life.
Take away medicine, and these doctors have nothing else to wake up to in the morning. For me, being a doctor is a great experience and I'm glad to be doing it, but at the end of the day I wouldn't be doing it if it didn't pay the bills.

P.S. Even if I do acknowledge that medicine is a job, I never said that I deny my patients hope, in fact I am a big proponent of patients having hope even in dire circumstances. Please do not write false statements and then attribute them to me.

 

[Docgeorge]

Mindy, I was not insulted by the soldiers reference just trying to be funny and shead a little light on this toppic.

Somefakename, 99% of soldiers would piss thier pants if they were shot at just like 99% of the population. The difference is that soldiers have training to deal with their fears and are often, if properly lead are able to perform thier duties. And as for plastic surgons in the army, they do end up in the front line in the FAST (foreward area surgical team). Basically consits of 1 surgeon does'nt matter what type, 1 NA(usually),1 PA/NP, a couple of RN's and some combat medics. These guys are usually no more then 100M form the front line and often under fire.

I guess what I'm trying to say is cant we all just get along? I hate this thing about talking $hit about people business. Cant we just agree that some people behave in ways that we our selves would not. Who is to say that one way of behaving is better then an other, the guy you think is a @$$ may just be behaving in a way that is condusive to him. I appulaud you Somefakename for seeing what you dont like and working hard not to be like that.

Happy (insert holiday of preference) all and to all a good night.


DocGeorge (Combat Medic)

921st Combat Area Support Hospital (basically MASH w/ different name)
132nd Combat Engineers (we maked the things go BOOM!!)
118th Mechanized Infantry (we just got lost all the time)

 

[enceph]

Originally posted by Mindy
I do think you are displaying a form of transference with a defense mechanism attached (denial?) to my comments.

Pshyco lingo from a pathology-loving pathologist!?
There is hope for medical education yet

 

[Mindy]

Oops, did I let that side of my personality slip out? Better tuck it back in...

well gang, I am throwing my towel in: not everyone will/can share my passion for medicine. I suppose it is the plethora of perspectives people have on a singular issue that indeed make us interesting. Being a physician is not just a paycheck for me, yet I do not fit the all-consumed doctor description provided by SomeFakeName, either. I do not think it is "naive" to equate the march of malignancy or the blast of an MVA as foes whom I battle against. I dare say that if you put a front-line soldier into the scenario presented by womansurg, s/he may also experience a touch of incontinence. We are only human.

I echo Doc's warm holiday wishes for all.

Mindy

(By the way, I drive a Hyundai Accent and live on the very wrong side of the tracks.)

 

[Su4n2]

Mindy, womansurg
as a future physician, you inspire me. i hope i still feel this passionate whn i am at your point in my training.

 

[Delvonik]

Happy Holidays Everyone....

I found your posts very interesting,you know.
Since this is about the nature of different specialties,I'd like to know some more things about Psychiatry.How many hours does a Psychiatrist work per week ? I've heard it's somewhere between 35 to 50 hours a week in an outpatient clinic.

I have tried posting this on the Psych forum but there aren't any new posts !

 

[Airborne]

According to FREIDA, the average Psychiatrist works 40.1 hours per week once in practice. This can be seen at:

http://www.ama-assn.org/vapp/freida/physwf/0,2654,400,00.html


Hope this helps,

Airborne

 

[chopsuey]

Originally posted by Su4n2
Mindy, womansurg
as a future physician, you inspire me. i hope i still feel this passionate whn i am at your point in my training.

i wanted to say that i agree..... as an admittedly, "wet-behind the ears and idealistic pre-med" who has only recently been accepted to med school, it's exciting to see people like you who are still passionate about their decision to enter medicine.

 

[womansurg]

 

[hosskp1]

As a rule- I never judge another person's career choice. (even a male OB/GYN). I think that everyone is different and wants different things so they go into different things. I thought I wanted ortho or general surgery, but they spend so much time in the hospital that I am not so sure now. I graduate in may and have no Idea what I want to do right now. I think maybe a transitional year- then figure it out. Any suggestions for someone who likes to go to the gym, snowboard and have fun and not spend so much time in the hospital?

 

[blackcat]

Emergency Medicine?

 

[-=UberSharky=-]

for god's sake....stay on the subject people.....focus people focus.

medicine specialty was the topic.

 

[ApacheIndian]

Originally posted by hosskp1
Any suggestions for someone who likes to go to the gym, snowboard and have fun and not spend so much time in the hospital?

Path
Derm
EM
Rads
Gas
PM&R
Psych
A & I (but you gotta slog through 3 years of IM first)

These are pretty much my answer to the original poster's query as well...

 

[Tenesma]

dr cuts,

i would like to correct your list... rads and anesthesia (gas) spend a lot of time in the hospital (during residency at least).

 

[chef]

Originally posted by Dr. Cuts
Path
Derm
EM
Rads
Gas
PM&R
Psych
A & I (but you gotta slog through 3 years of IM first)

These are pretty much my answer to the original poster's query as well...

what about ophthy?

 

[ApacheIndian]

Originally posted by chef
what about ophthy?

Yup... forgot about Ophtho... could be one of the cushiest of all actually.

A good friend of mine's older brother's a new Ophtho grad. He works M-Thur from about 9-noon. Friday is his "tough" day when he does surgeries from 8-5pm. Poor guy !