What specialty fits this criteria?

[Curlyfriez12]

I am an MS2 making below average grades, but not terrible grades.

I want to get into a specialty that will let me have a good family life (so a bit more free time).

I'd like to earn about 150K-200K annually

No research please. I don't care for research.

Some teaching component would be desirable. I have been a tutor/teaching assistant for about 4 years now.

What specialty should I look into? Any thoughts?

Sincerely,
A lost MS2

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[cincincyreds]

You could get a part time day job in anesthesia to cover your goals. You just have to like and manage stress.

 

[fzwarrior]

I am an MS2 making below average grades, but not terrible grades.

I want to get into a specialty that will let me have a good family life (so a bit more free time).

I'd like to earn about 150K-200K annually

No research please. I don't care for research.

Some teaching component would be desirable. I have been a tutor/teaching assistant for about 4 years now.

What specialty should I look into? Any thoughts?

Sincerely,
A lost MS2

Family practice, neurology, rheumatology, geriatrics, EM, or allergy could all be options.

 

[username456789]

PM&R is another one.

 

[smltwnDr]

Family Medicine

 

[kazuma]

Psych also meets your criteria.

 

[winkleweizen]

dentistry

 

[Valadi]

Rheum all the way

 

[BigRedBeta]

There are a million different things that could fit this. There are plenty of academic general IM or Peds spots as a clinician-educator (with limited research requirements) that could fit that. Salary considerations might tweak that slightly, but my guess if you're giving a 50k range, you really don't have huge monetary criteria (in other words, how much is your free time really worth to you - would you take 140k if it meant you only had clinical responsibilities 2.5 days a week?).

You would be wise to add some other criteria towards you specialty decision - adults or kids, how many procedures you desire, if you like inpatient medicine, how much complexity you enjoy, etc.

Bottom line, keep an open mind going into 3rd year, focus on the actual medicine you're doing (not the personalities of those around you), and allow yourself to find your path - it may be something you never expected that ignites your passion.

 

[LMarie_MD2b]

I am an MS2 making below average grades, but not terrible grades.

I want to get into a specialty that will let me have a good family life (so a bit more free time).

I'd like to earn about 150K-200K annually

No research please. I don't care for research.

Some teaching component would be desirable. I have been a tutor/teaching assistant for about 4 years now.

What specialty should I look into? Any thoughts?

Sincerely,
A lost MS2

Pathology... but I'm biased. You have a very broad spectrum to choose from--try not to feel so lost. You'll get a much better feel for what you enjoy doing as an MS3, and can go from there.

 

[Curlyfriez12]

There are a million different things that could fit this. There are plenty of academic general IM or Peds spots as a clinician-educator (with limited research requirements) that could fit that. Salary considerations might tweak that slightly, but my guess if you're giving a 50k range, you really don't have huge monetary criteria (in other words, how much is your free time really worth to you - would you take 140k if it meant you only had clinical responsibilities 2.5 days a week?).

You would be wise to add some other criteria towards you specialty decision - adults or kids, how many procedures you desire, if you like inpatient medicine, how much complexity you enjoy, etc.

Bottom line, keep an open mind going into 3rd year, focus on the actual medicine you're doing (not the personalities of those around you), and allow yourself to find your path - it may be something you never expected that ignites your passion.

You are right! I do not have a clue about what I am passionate about. I was just trying to solicit ideas from you guys and do some research on the different specialties out there. I've just started considering what specialty I want to go into.

I would gladly accept about $150K if that meant I got 3-4 days off every week.

Please keep your recommendations coming.

Thanks

 

[Jack is Back]

Ortho

 

[Depakote]

I am an MS2 making below average grades, but not terrible grades.

I want to get into a specialty that will let me have a good family life (so a bit more free time).

I'd like to earn about 150K-200K annually

No research please. I don't care for research.

Some teaching component would be desirable. I have been a tutor/teaching assistant for about 4 years now.

What specialty should I look into? Any thoughts?

Sincerely,
A lost MS2

You still have a lot of time to turn stuff around grade-wise. Your Step scores and clinical grades will be far more influential in terms of determining your marketability for residency.

As for what you should go into, I would see what clicks on your rotations. You want to be happy when you go home to your family.

 

[SlickNickMD]

Trauma surgery with q2 call

 

[Dr Love]

Just about anything in medicine will make you 150-200. If you really don't care, just do a 3-year internal medicine residency.

 

[officedepot]

You are right! I do not have a clue about what I am passionate about. I was just trying to solicit ideas from you guys and do some research on the different specialties out there. I've just started considering what specialty I want to go into.

I would gladly accept about $150K if that meant I got 3-4 days off every week.

Please keep your recommendations coming.

Thanks

Getting that kind of time off is tough to come by unless you have a low patient census and work in a large group. Weekends are easily off in lots of fields with no or little call. But that but only working 3 or 4 days a week? Not sure about that. Only thing I can really think of is EM but those 4 days you work are at least 12 hour shifts (which probably isn't bad in a low census hospital). Also I would think more in terms of how many vacation weeks you get each year, which would be group dependent.

Are you a female? Is this more of having a family life thing?

In the meantime other fields you should consider include anything outpatient like peds, internal med, family med, neuro, anesthesia but also stuff like ophtho, derm, and pathology. The first five are pretty easy to match with average stats. Anesthesia is shift work with good life. Path isn't hard and the lifestyle can be really good, and the job is, in my opinion, lower stress than most. Ophtho and derm are def harder to match so see how your board scores turn out before ruling these out. Keep them in the back of your mind.

But it so much depends on what you like most. As of now I'd say EM can fit the lifestyle bill well and you really only have to work 4 days a week (3 if part time)! But you have got to like the work. So see how third year goes. You should have a good idea then but lifestyle is decent in the fields listed above.

 

[Curlyfriez12]

Are you a female? Is this more of having a family life thing?

I'm male. Yes, I'd like a lot of time for family, friends, and other extracurriculars.

Thanks for your recommendations

 

[ucsfstudents]

Many specialties will meet these criteria, as evidenced by the responses. The key though is to find a specialty that you enjoy doing. No amount of free time will make up for a job that you hate or that, to you, is boring.

 

[poloace]

you could always do radiology (insert shameless plug here) and work telerads straight from home 2-3 days a week and make that no problem.

p

 

[Curlyfriez12]

you could always do radiology (insert shameless plug here) and work telerads straight from home 2-3 days a week and make that no problem.

p

I heard radiology was difficult to match into.... no?

 

[poloace]

... it is - but, its harder if you don't apply. you've come this far in life - clearly, you didnt' let people tell you 'that's too hard' - or, you'd be on the sidelines doing something else.

figure out what you want and go for it.

don't let averages or people's thoughts on your chances diminish your drive or dream of being great/radiology

 

[GoodmanBrown]

I would add endocrinology. I'm sure it's easy to do an entirely outpatient practice with minimal call. Better like diabetes though.

Like the topic in general, as I think I'm in a similar boat (MS2 with average grades and priorities that supersede med school). I've been really enjoying my outpatient experiences compared to my inpatient ones, though there's plenty more time to get more exposure to both.

Anyone have any more info/thoughts on rheum?

 

[officedepot]

I heard radiology was difficult to match into.... no?

depends a lot on board scores but applying very very boardly should net you a match somewhere with a 220ish or higher. But dude you gotta take into consideration that rads is a 5 year residency that at most places is not easy hours and then a 1 year fellowship for most things. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but I would not plan on coming out of residency and just doing telerads. This is because you have to get business from somewhere... you'd have to join a group or work for a hospital where you start at the bottom taking lots of call. Hours in private practice aren't easy either.

So after years of hard work after fellowship you can start telerads. After getting connections and moving up the ladder. But remember it's a long haul.

And really the same sort of work environment is true of pathology as well.


I would take it that is not something you're looking for. Get a field with shift work that only requires 4 days, as I said EM and anesthesia. Those fields have no clinic and when you go home you don't get called (for the most part). EM residency is only 3 years and you really don't need a fellowship afterwards. Work in a more rural area where you don't get the super bad stuff, and if you do you get them to a bigger hospital right away. Also the more rural the area the more money you will make and the farther your money goes, property value wise.

 

[MossPoh]

Rural areas see some nasty stuff....patients go a lifetime without seeing a doctor despite obvious signs they should. They also get in horrible accidents involving farm equipment, heavy machinery, high powered rifles and usually a little bit of alcohol. You are usually left alone on an island with the stuff. Don't get me wrong. It isn't a knife and gun club, but you see some pretty serious stuff and would have to make do with less than some nice little suburban ED or something.

 

[Curlyfriez12]

depends a lot on board scores but applying very very boardly should net you a match somewhere with a 220ish or higher. But dude you gotta take into consideration that rads is a 5 year residency that at most places is not easy hours and then a 1 year fellowship for most things. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but I would not plan on coming out of residency and just doing telerads. This is because you have to get business from somewhere... you'd have to join a group or work for a hospital where you start at the bottom taking lots of call. Hours in private practice aren't easy either.

So after years of hard work after fellowship you can start telerads. After getting connections and moving up the ladder. But remember it's a long haul.

And really the same sort of work environment is true of pathology as well.


I would take it that is not something you're looking for. Get a field with shift work that only requires 4 days, as I said EM and anesthesia. Those fields have no clinic and when you go home you don't get called (for the most part). EM residency is only 3 years and you really don't need a fellowship afterwards. Work in a more rural area where you don't get the super bad stuff, and if you do you get them to a bigger hospital right away. Also the more rural the area the more money you will make and the farther your money goes, property value wise.

EM in rural area sounds logical. But in my opinion, the cons outweigh the pros. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Pros:
-short residency (because I want to get done with school quickly and take care of my ill mother monetarily)
-Shift work (I do not care for "moving up the ladder" and playing "office politics")
-No follow-up with patients necessary

Cons:
-Stress, stress, stress (depression if I could not save a life, possibly)
-Patients won't acknowledge your hard work
-I do not want my children living in a rural environment.

 

[officedepot]

EM in rural area sounds logical. But in my opinion, the cons outweigh the pros. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Pros:
-short residency (because I want to get done with school quickly and take care of my ill mother monetarily)
-Shift work (I do not care for "moving up the ladder" and playing "office politics")
-No follow-up with patients necessary

Cons:
-Stress, stress, stress (depression if I could not save a life, possibly)
-Patients won't acknowledge your hard work
-I do not want my children living in a rural environment.

so regarding your cons: I would say that you definitely don't have to go super rural. I was thinking more along the lines of working in a low key suburban hospital where you would make decent pay and the difficult cases would more often than not go to the nearest large hospital. Where I live there are several hospital like that with a larger one not far away. Suburbs provide a good place to raise a family and care for older family members as well. Property values are lower too. This could also apply to smaller hospitals closer in town.

This scheme would also give you less stress because you know there is always somewhere else to send the patient. Furthermore the really emergent cases would not go to you. You'll see cuts, stabs, acute illness, psych cases (upwards of 50% of ED visits nationwide) etc but nothing major I'd expect. Just don't work at level 1 trauma centers. Agree that going out in the middle of nowhere kinda sucks and stress could potentially be higher since there might not be anyone else around. But this isn't really the case in the suburbs of most major cities. You'd also have your pick of where in the country you'd want to live most likely.

The stress I would think comes more from residency but it's only 3 years and an EM doc isn't expected to be an expert at diagnosis and management. They are there to triage, get patients started on a treatment plan, and get them to see the correct doctor. You also manage cases that don't need admission and get them to their PCP for follow up. To help with stress you could always hire a PA or NP to help you out. Bounce ideas off one another.

And patients in suburbs are generally more well off and have insurance. To be honest these people are generally much more grateful and respectful than the poor drug addicts and gang members in the inner city. Obviously not all inner city people are like that and I have met many many very nice people at the large city hospital I rotate through - but also a fair share of the previously mentioned type. Again this sounds bad but has been the case from my experience (rotating through some nice private hospitals as well and my interactions with local smaller hospitals).

so I think depending on your work environment with what I talked about the pros outweigh the cons. But you have to like EM. Most students do because it's fast paced and sometimes more interesting than your typical 3-4 days a week in outpatient clinics for most IM fields. Also EM avoids the "dullness" associated with fields like radiology and pathology.

 

[Curlyfriez12]

so regarding your cons: I would say that you definitely don't have to go super rural. I was thinking more along the lines of working in a low key suburban hospital where you would make decent pay and the difficult cases would more often than not go to the nearest large hospital. Where I live there are several hospital like that with a larger one not far away. Suburbs provide a good place to raise a family and care for older family members as well. Property values are lower too. This could also apply to smaller hospitals closer in town.

This scheme would also give you less stress because you know there is always somewhere else to send the patient. Furthermore the really emergent cases would not go to you. You'll see cuts, stabs, acute illness, psych cases (upwards of 50% of ED visits nationwide) etc but nothing major I'd expect. Just don't work at level 1 trauma centers. Agree that going out in the middle of nowhere kinda sucks and stress could potentially be higher since there might not be anyone else around. But this isn't really the case in the suburbs of most major cities. You'd also have your pick of where in the country you'd want to live most likely.

The stress I would think comes more from residency but it's only 3 years and an EM doc isn't expected to be an expert at diagnosis and management. They are there to triage, get patients started on a treatment plan, and get them to see the correct doctor. You also manage cases that don't need admission and get them to their PCP for follow up. To help with stress you could always hire a PA or NP to help you out. Bounce ideas off one another.

And patients in suburbs are generally more well off and have insurance. To be honest these people are generally much more grateful and respectful than the poor drug addicts and gang members in the inner city. Obviously not all inner city people are like that and I have met many many very nice people at the large city hospital I rotate through - but also a fair share of the previously mentioned type. Again this sounds bad but has been the case from my experience (rotating through some nice private hospitals as well and my interactions with local smaller hospitals).

so I think depending on your work environment with what I talked about the pros outweigh the cons. But you have to like EM. Most students do because it's fast paced and sometimes more interesting than your typical 3-4 days a week in outpatient clinics for most IM fields. Also EM avoids the "dullness" associated with fields like radiology and pathology.

Will do more research on this. Thank you very much for your recommendation.

 

[Dral]

http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/specialties/

Disclaimer: When I take it, my field comes up as number seven. heheh.

 

[PMPMD]

You could get a part time day job in anesthesia to cover your goals. You just have to like and manage stress.

We definitely have academic anesthesia attendings who are 40, 60, or 80% FTE. This means they work 2, 3, or 4 days a week, respectively.