The best specialties in medicine

[JPNSU]

Hosskp1 and anyone else who would like a flexible lifestyle as a surgical specialist...join me in ophthalmology...you won't regret it

Only one surgical day/week...put me down for 3...wouldn't have it any other way

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[chef]

Originally posted by Dr. Cuts
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 !

wow.. is he doing private practice ?

btw, how would you guys compare derm vs ophtho? i know in general what each specialty offers, and the lifestyles are good for both for private practice and academic med, but what about the 'insider' info?? ya know, like the dark secrets they don't want you to know before you enter the field.. it'd be great if you guys can bring up as many points in derm and ophtho as you can. for example, i heard that eyes will make 1/10 of what they are making now in 10 yrs b/c ODs will take over, and all vision correction procedures will be covered by insurance and rates plummet.

if doing private practice, i think derm will let you practice longer b/c ophtho requires such precision and steady hands for surgery..

also, if i want to open up a clinic in Seattle 10 yrs from now, will i face more competition for derm or ophthy or no diff?

 

[The White Coat Investor]

This whole question is a bit strange...keep in mind that no matter what you're doing, if you hate it, even 36 hours a week is hell. That said, top specialty choices for those who want to do things besides medicine are:
EM (strange midweek days off-great at ski resorts but don't plan on both Thanksgiving and Christmas off)
Derm (no call)
Path (no emergencies)
Rads (fairly set schedule)
Optho (Big money, few emergencies)
PM&R (Fairly set schedule)
Anesthesia (Hey, if you read 5 books a week at work, how bad can it be?)
General Surgery (Just kidding)

 

[oceansurf]

What do you guys think are the best specialities/subspecialties for one wanting to enter private practice, given the foreseeable future of physicians being more and more affiliated with larger healthcare organizations and hospitals?

 

[Trogghunter]

Holy 13yr thread revival. This thread has risen from the depths! I'm still a student but the residents and cardiologists on my cardio rotation say that its relatively easy-in terms of day to day duties. The hours are really long though, they're always on call.

 

[oceansurf]

Haha. Sorry. I wanted to start a new thread. But not sure how? (I'm new to SDN).

But cardio really? Everywhere I read I hear cardio is of the first and quickest to shift away from private practice...?

 

[atty1108]

What do you think about path these days? Is it really very hard to find a job?

 

[Daodejing]

What do you think about path these days? Is it really very hard to find a job?

The general aura of doom and gloom in the path forum here can probably answer your question for you.

 

[Buzz Me]

I'm still a student but the residents and cardiologists on my cardio rotation say that its relatively easy-in terms of day to day duties. The hours are really long though, they're always on call.

Uh...not that long. Or did you mean compared to other Medicine subspecialties?

 

[Trogghunter]

One cardiologist that I know who has been in practice for over 30 years said that he has just started cutting down to 50hrs/week. Some of the younger ones in his group work about 60 plus 2 calls/2wks, between 4 hospitals. Don't know how common that type of schedule is. That's with n=4 though. I'd like to do cardio if I make the opportunity happen.

 

[Buzz Me]

Some of the younger ones in his group work about 60 plus 2 calls/2wks, between 4 hospitals

That's not bad. 60 hours/week is just 6am - 6pm Monday through Friday.