Very confused of chosing my speciality.... need help

[alhashim454]

Hi there,
Im 26 years old just finished my internship rotations and unfortunately Im still confused about which specialty to choose .... during my internship the most specialty i was having fun at is general surgery but seeing Gs residents complaining about how it is very tiredness and most of them advised me not to chose it so i did listen to them was is right to listen to them or should i follow my heart and never think about the consequences and choosing general surgery doesn't mean that i hate other specialties i still like them for example plastic surgery , ent but not as much as general surgery thats how i feel but still my uncle is an ENT doctor and he doesnt like the idea of me being a general surgeon he said its bad choice . Im feeling like i change my mind alot about speciality Is this normal and how can i make sure that i really really like to be a general surgeon ??? plz help me ...

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[sestamibi]

thats how i feel but still my uncle is an ENT doctor and he doesnt like the idea of me being a general surgeon he said its bad choice

You're 26, have completed college, medical school, and what appears to be a transitional year, and you're going to ask your uncle to help you decide YOUR career?

Let me help you out.

Take your right hand, open it so you can see your palm, swing it until it makes a resounding noise across your right cheek, repeat until you lose consciousness, arise, grab pen, start filling out applications for a job you actually like, you are most welcome, au revoir.

 

[orientedtoself]

consider using punctuation people really like it when you break apart different thoughts by symbols

 

[BlondeDocteur]

unless u r a psychiatry resident then i believe it is called pressured speech and is a positive correlate of a mood disordered state isn't that right orientedtoself

 

[alhashim454]

its not that i will follow what my uncle said . Its that Im Still not 100% onto any specialty ;so in this case is it really normal to be still confused about choosing specialty. i change my mind alot over a specialty. I mean is there any criteria you guys suggest that helps you to decide. I really needs that. At moment im going to apply for GS but i want to be really convinced that this speciality is the one im seeking; i dont want to be like the other residents who regretted getting onto it .

 

[sestamibi]

Very few people are 100% certain with their choice. At some point, this process requires a leap of faith.

If it helps, I've heard from multiple people that unless you are absolutely certain general surgery is for you, pick something else.

Perhaps your lack of certainty is a signal pointing you in another direction?

You've listed plastics and ENT as other choices. I believe both are rather difficult to get into from a transitional/preliminary position like yours. Any other backup plans?

 

[alhashim454]

Well , Is there any way that helps you be 100% certain of what you choosing. I believe 1 month rotation is really not enough to make you decide. So should i consider another advantages of certain speciality like for example all surgical subspecialities since they make good business i should go for them even though i dont really like them much i like GS much more than them. Is it what you love more or what will not affect your social life much and makes good business.

 

[sestamibi]

Well , Is there any way that helps you be 100% certain of what you choosing.

Of course. Complete a general surgery residency and practice as a general surgeon for 40+ years. Then you'll be 100% sure whether or not you like it.

And if you're seriously considering picking a surgical field based on whether or not you can "make good business" after residency, I have some rope to lend you. You can fashion a noose out of it. Useful for those subjecting themselves to a surgical residency solely for money.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Ahem...allow the old lady through to speak.

There is NOTHING in life that is guaranteed. NOTHING.

Ask yourself this question, "What is the worst thing that could happen if I made a specialty choice I could not live with?"

The answer is: NOTHING. So you've spent a few years doing something you don't care for. Life is a lesson. If you make a mistake, its not unrecoverable. You do another residency, you find a way to enjoy your current work, you quit medicine altogether.

If you don't like something now, spending years doing it is not likely to make it better. Imagine yourself marrying someone whom you are not especially fond of. Is there any reason to suspect that a career will offer you anything more? OF COURSE NOT.

If you like general surgery better than you like ENT or Neurosurgery or Urology, etc then do general surgery. With the exception of some exceedingly rare situations where you can make a million dollars a year doing something you aren't fond of, for most of us, we'd rather take less money to be happier.

There are a million dead carcasses of former surgery residents who chose the field because of the money, the glamour, the glory or whatever else F'd up reason. If you don't really love it, then its a BAD BAD choice of a residency. Even now, in this day and age of reduced work hours (although I suspect you are not in the US). Do not subject yourself to general surgery unless you are doing so because you enjoy it. Money doing ENT if you hate ENT will not make you happier. Nicer car yes, happier no.

I know in some societies doing what your relatives tell you to do is a sign of respect. You won't get much understanding about that here in the US. We believe you have the right to choose to do what you want, regardless of what your old uncle tells you. Its also true that making up one's mind after so little time is tough. No doubt about it. But the world will not end if you choose a specialty and then change your mind. Do what you want to do, not what someone else's idea of perfection is.

And besides, if your uncle proves right, you can always finish general surgery training and do a head and neck fellowship and end up doing the COOL ENT stuff and not both with all the pediatric crap.

 

[BlondeDocteur]

Given that your screen name is Al-Hashim, I'm venturing a guess that you're from the Middle East (unless you just think the princely line of Jordan is very cool). I understand the complexity of family relationships and deference to one's elders there. Perhaps your uncle wants you to go into practice with him (a "family practice" for some reason is a very common dream). But as others have noted, in the US we're much more individualistic and you won't find much understanding on this board about any reasons except your own preferences. And if you're not finding it on this discussion board, you certainly won't find it in the hospital.

My advice: go into any specialty you choose, for whatever reason, but don't talk to the people you're working with-- and definitely not anyone you interview with-- about family obligations/expectations. Those are huge red flags here.

And, as WS noted, at the end of the day you derive your happiness from things that go on OUTSIDE the hospital. Picking one type of surgery to perform versus another is unlikely to significantly impact your quality of life in the long run-- no matter what we 20somethings on this board may feel right now.