What’s cooler? Neurosurgery or Interventional Cardiology?

[Simba699]

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IC deals with more acute stuff regularly I’d say but neurosurgery is just badass considering you’re operating on the brain.

What would you rather be? Income potential similar. IC is a easier route to become one id say.

Also I already know how [insert adjective here] this question is so y’all don’t have to tell me.

 

[anbuitachi]

IC deals with more acute stuff regularly I’d say but neurosurgery is just badass considering you’re operating on the brain.

What would you rather be? Income potential similar. IC is a easier route to become one id say.

Also I already know how [insert adjective here] this question is so y’all don’t have to tell me.

To doctors, at least to me, they are just specialists and nothing more. Theres nothing special about these guys. You could be doing what they are doing if you had gone thru the training. It's usually the public that perceives them in high regards.
And IC is 8 years. NS is 7. Both are competitive but not any more competitive than other competitive fields (derm, plastics, ent, etc).
Besides, with NS, theres nerve monitoring , so you are constantly monitoring nerves to make sure you are damaging the wrong nerves. These days, there's also a lot of image guided surgery where you get a CT scan of the head, and sync it to a device that shows you where you are.
I think IC is similar to IR or neuroIR, just that they deal with the heart instead of other organs.

It also depends on how you define more acute stuff. In terms of # of procedures sure. But neurosurgery deal with cases that are just as acute (brain hemorrhages that require craniotomy). Neuro IR docs deal with the ischemic strokes, and similar to MIs, there's a time marker placed on these cases

 

[Gurby]

Vascular surgery.

 

[zanzizic]

Pediatrics

 

[CleverAdvisor]

Geriatrics. Respect your elders, yo!

 

[Mad Jack]

Interventional neurology

 

[Redpancreas]

IC deals with more acute stuff regularly I’d say but neurosurgery is just badass considering you’re operating on the brain.

What would you rather be? Income potential similar. IC is a easier route to become one id say.

Also I already know how [insert adjective here] this question is so y’all don’t have to tell me.

Do what you like. I know how cliche that sounds so you don’t have to tell me.

 

[IMreshopeful]

IC deals with more acute stuff regularly I’d say but neurosurgery is just badass considering you’re operating on the brain.

What would you rather be? Income potential similar. IC is a easier route to become one id say.

Also I already know how [insert adjective here] this question is so y’all don’t have to tell me.

As someone who is going to be an IC, my perspective is that both are cool, both are life saving fields, but neither is superior. Also as a cardiologist I have a much bigger medical repertoire than a neurosurgeon - the analogy I would use is that because of my general cards training I’m both the neurologist AND the neurosurgeon

Also the neurosurgical training is a lot harder and a lot tougher on the body and personal life than doing IM - cards - IC. Yes the training time is similar but not nearly as bad for your personal life.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Trick question. Sleeping is cooler than both and not something either field allows.

 

[deleted103644]

Interventional neurology

Of all the names to pick, you chose that one?

Officially now endovascular neurosurgery.

Previously most appropriately called interventional neuroradiology.

But sure, throw the neurologists a bone.

 

[deleted103644]

Infinitely applicable, although missing IM subspecialties.

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

this thread has potential

 

[TypeADissection]

Vascular surgery.

This guy knows what's up.

But in reference to the OP: if you're at a bar and trying to take a girl home, I think there's more cache in the lay public with "neurosurgery" versus "interventional cardiology." When girls look at you with that blank stare, because this is clearly the crowd you're going after, you can then add "I'm a brain surgeon." Boom. Follow that up with, "You wanna get out of here?" and before you know it you have the clap. Congratulations.

 

[Simba699]

The crowd I’m going after is more like the hot ER docs

 

[Simba699]

Trick question. Sleeping is cooler than both and not something either field allows.

Plenty of time to sleep when I’m dead. I’ll take the glory while I live

 

[TypeADissection]

Hey guys. Found the troll.

 

[Simba699]

As someone who is going to be an IC, my perspective is that both are cool, both are life saving fields, but neither is superior. Also as a cardiologist I have a much bigger medical repertoire than a neurosurgeon - the analogy I would use is that because of my general cards training I’m both the neurologist AND the neurosurgeon

Also the neurosurgical training is a lot harder and a lot tougher on the body and personal life than doing IM - cards - IC. Yes the training time is similar but not nearly as bad for your personal life.

How unreasonable is it to avoid IC just because you think your med school friends will think you’re dumb for only wanting to do IM even tho u killed step 1?

Congrats on the path to IC. You’re a badass

 

[Simba699]

Hey guys. Found the troll.

I’m not trolling. Just curious because I think these two fields are the top of coolest for people that actually know healthcare/medicine. My last comment was trollish though so I’m sorry

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Girl: so what do you do?
You: I’m a __________

One response will get you a blank stare, and the other could turn into a night that ends with an unplanned baby. Choose wisely

 

[Oso]

How unreasonable is it to avoid IC just because you think your med school friends will think you’re dumb for only wanting to do IM even tho u killed step 1?

I don’t think any field can make you cool, OP

 

[Groy]

How unreasonable is it to avoid IC just because you think your med school friends will think you’re dumb for only wanting to do IM even tho u killed step 1?

Yikes.

 

[W19]

As someone who is going to be an IC, my perspective is that both are cool, both are life saving fields, but neither is superior. Also as a cardiologist I have a much bigger medical repertoire than a neurosurgeon - the analogy I would use is that because of my general cards training I’m both the neurologist AND the neurosurgeon

Also the neurosurgical training is a lot harder and a lot tougher on the body and personal life than doing IM - cards - IC. Yes the training time is similar but not nearly as bad for your personal life.

Where do you place FM in that superiority scale?

 

[Donald Juan]

Vascular surgery.

Lol, yeah every time I have a vasculopath I think, "why can't all my patient's be like this?"

 

[Anti-PD1]

Lol, yeah every time I have a vasculopath I think, "why can't all my patient's be like this?"

I'm dying. I'm dead.

 

[Anti-PD1]

I mean you know what I think.

Just to add, seems like people think neurosurgery is just craniotomies and spine. It still amazes me how diverse this field is, because it's only 70-80 years old.

Pediatrics (developmental, malformations, rare cancers)
Vascular (open and endo, field is booming)
Functional (DBS for XYZ conditions, epilepsy and pain surgery)
Oncology (GBMs to spinal cord tumors)
Skull base (pituitary, acoustic tumors, ENT bros)
Spine (MIS, deformity)
Trauma/NCC (spinal cord injury, neurotrauma)

 

[deleted103644]

I mean you know what I think.

Just to add, seems like people think neurosurgery is just craniotomies and spine. It still amazes me how diverse this field is, because it's only 70-80 years old.

Pediatrics (developmental, malformations, rare cancers)
Vascular (open and endo, field is booming)
Functional (DBS for XYZ conditions, epilepsy and pain surgery)
Oncology (GBMs to spinal cord tumors)
Skull base (pituitary, acoustic tumors, ENT bros)
Spine (MIS, deformity)
Trauma/NCC (spinal cord injury, neurotrauma)

It’s a lot older than that.

A lot older.

The techniques have just become a little more advanced and mortality a bit better. 😉

 

[Gorne]

Nothing is as cool as being God's carpenter. #ortholyfe

 

[dr zaius]

Urology is the coolest specialty. This thread is dumb and boring because it isn't [directly] dong related.

 

[deleted103644]

Nothing is as cool as being God's carpenter. #ortholyfe

Again, find the comic above more accurate.

To make it easy enough for an orthopod to follow:

 

[deleted103644]

Urology is the coolest specialty. This thread is dumb and boring because it isn't [directly] dong related.

EDIT: Just noticed your username...

 

[Redpancreas]

I think Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery is the best of all. For one, you can tell a guy/girl you meet at the bar that you’re a heart surgeon and he or she can’t accuse you for being in it for the money because you can tell them that you’re literally saving babies. Also, more importantly, it takes longer than both NSG or IC making it obviously the most superior training of all time.

 

[anbuitachi]

I think Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery is the best of all. For one, you can tell a guy/girl you meet at the bar that you’re a heart surgeon and he or she can’t accuse you for being in it for the money because you can tell them that you’re literally saving the lives of babies. Also, more importantly, it takes longer than both NSG or IC making it obviously the most superior training.

To be fair, NSG is a residency, peds CT is a fellowship. so cant compare!

As someone who is going to be an IC, my perspective is that both are cool, both are life saving fields, but neither is superior. Also as a cardiologist I have a much bigger medical repertoire than a neurosurgeon - the analogy I would use is that because of my general cards training I’m both the neurologist AND the neurosurgeon

Also the neurosurgical training is a lot harder and a lot tougher on the body and personal life than doing IM - cards - IC. Yes the training time is similar but not nearly as bad for your personal life.

Nah bro, the Neurosurgeon is analogous to the CT surgeon. IC is analogous to INR. And every field after MD involve life saving

 

[IMreshopeful]

To be fair, NSG is a residency, peds CT is a fellowship. so cant compare!



Nah bro, the Neurosurgeon is analogous to the CT surgeon. IC is analogous to INR. And every field after MD involve life saving

Fair enough although we have structural in addition to coronary stuff and neuro IR don’t usually medically manage things (whereas IC folks do fair amount of general cards)

 

[IMreshopeful]

How unreasonable is it to avoid IC just because you think your med school friends will think you’re dumb for only wanting to do IM even tho u killed step 1?

Congrats on the path to IC. You’re a badass

I mean if you really give a crap what other Med students think about your life choice, then you need to reevaluate your priorities

 

[trobinsonmd]

Kinda difficult to answer - depends on your interests and whether you are in academia or private practice. 70% of NS in private practice is spine, so if you are not into that and prefer to do a higher case load of strictly brain, then academic NS is pretty cool... Interventional cards is minimum 7 years, and a lot of places, it is 8... depending on fellowship length. It's very cool, but look into the lifestyle. These guys have to wear lead aprons for hours on end and a lot of them have orthopedic issues and herniated discs, data can be found on PubMed, many studies have been done. They also have much higher rates of brain cancer on one side than the general population due to radiation exposure, and are at higher risk for developing cataracts. Another residency option that is newer, but hard to match into (I assume you are not worried about that as NS is also extremely competitive) is interventional radiology. It's basically interventional cardiology for the rest of the body and in private practice, you get to do a mix of DR and IR, so your time in the fluoroscopy suite and wearing lead can be managed a little better... it is a new residency, so positions are limited, but if you are creative and like imaging, check it out

 

[anbuitachi]

Fair enough although we have structural in addition to coronary stuff and neuro IR don’t usually medically manage things (whereas IC folks do fair amount of general cards)

I think that has to do with what your practice is like. We have IC here who only do procedures and make millions. We have ICs that do both. The neuro IR people here who are neurosurgery trained tend to do both at my institution. The neurologist trained ones tend to do only neuro IR here. It makes sense cause neuro IR makes so much more than being a neurologist. Maybe if neurologists earned as much as cardiologists, they'd do both too

 

[IMreshopeful]

Kinda difficult to answer - depends on your interests and whether you are in academia or private practice. 70% of NS in private practice is spine, so if you are not into that and prefer to do a higher case load of strictly brain, then academic NS is pretty cool... Interventional cards is minimum 7 years, and a lot of places, it is 8... depending on fellowship length. It's very cool, but look into the lifestyle. These guys have to wear lead aprons for hours on end and a lot of them have orthopedic issues and herniated discs, data can be found on PubMed, many studies have been done. They also have much higher rates of brain cancer on one side than the general population due to radiation exposure, and are at higher risk for developing cataracts. Another residency option that is newer, but hard to match into (I assume you are not worried about that as NS is also extremely competitive) is interventional radiology. It's basically interventional cardiology for the rest of the body and in private practice, you get to do a mix of DR and IR, so your time in the fluoroscopy suite and wearing lead can be managed a little better... it is a new residency, so positions are limited, but if you are creative and like imaging, check it out

Radiation to the head can be managed with lead caps, which have only really come into advent in the last few years. Also body IR procedures can be a LOT longer and use more radiation

Lead causing ortho issues definitely known issue, but also depends on how you wear the lead. The head of IC at Emory still takes STEMI call and he’s well into his 70s. There’s ways to keep the lead from weighing down on the shoulders, maintaining good posture, exercising, etc

In private practice IC the docs tend to do both procedures and office stuff/echos/nuclear imaging - so being purely procedural not actually how it is mostly practiced

I think your view might be a touch skewed

 

[IMreshopeful]

I think that has to do with what your practice is like. We have IC here who only do procedures and make millions. We have ICs that do both. The neuro IR people here who are neurosurgery trained tend to do both at my institution. The neurologist trained ones tend to do only neuro IR here. It makes sense cause neuro IR makes so much more than being a neurologist. Maybe if neurologists earned as much as cardiologists, they'd do both too

See above post - academic IC tends to be pure cath. In private practice which is where vast majority of jobs are, its a mix of gen cards work, clinic, and IC. The pay difference between IC and gen cards not so huge anymore either

 

[Wordead]

As someone who is going to be an IC, my perspective is that both are cool, both are life saving fields, but neither is superior. Also as a cardiologist I have a much bigger medical repertoire than a neurosurgeon - the analogy I would use is that because of my general cards training I’m both the neurologist AND the neurosurgeon

Also the neurosurgical training is a lot harder and a lot tougher on the body and personal life than doing IM - cards - IC. Yes the training time is similar but not nearly as bad for your personal life.

Lol. Yeah, the surgical equivalent of cardiology is interventional cards.

You medicine kiddos are so cute. Equating any medicine specialty and neurosurgery in terms of training difficulty is a joke. Y'all would die. Not figuratively. Literally die.

 

[CyrusHabs7695]

Lol. Yeah, the surgical equivalent of cardiology is interventional cards.

You medicine kiddos are so cute. Equating any medicine specialty and neurosurgery in terms of training difficulty is a joke. Y'all would die. Not figuratively. Literally die.

 

[Gurby]

Lol. Yeah, the surgical equivalent of cardiology is interventional cards.

You medicine kiddos are so cute. Equating any medicine specialty and neurosurgery in terms of training difficulty is a joke. Y'all would die. Not figuratively. Literally die.

 

[Simba699]

Lol. Yeah, the surgical equivalent of cardiology is interventional cards.

You medicine kiddos are so cute. Equating any medicine specialty and neurosurgery in terms of training difficulty is a joke. Y'all would die. Not figuratively. Literally die.

Who equated the difficulty of neurosurgery with medicine specialties? Lol. NSGY is definitely a harder training pathway but this doesn’t apply to all surgery. Anyways the question wasn’t regarding difficulty of training. Also just because someone didn’t pick a tougher lifestyle specialty doesn’t mean they’d die doing it lol. Just means they have other priorities.

I guess it’s a badge of honor for you to be in the hospital doing endless scut just to be able to take out the 1321st gall bladder or 564th pair of tonsils. Regardless, IM residency isn’t a walk in the park and we all know cards and IC is equivalent in hours of upper level surgery residents.

Or is it envy because medicine specialties are now way more lucrative than most of surgery? Lol.

 

[anbuitachi]

Who equated the difficulty of neurosurgery with medicine specialties? Lol. NSGY is definitely a harder training pathway but this doesn’t apply to all surgery. Anyways the question wasn’t regarding difficulty of training. Also just because someone didn’t pick a tougher lifestyle specialty doesn’t mean they’d die doing it lol. Just means they have other priorities.

I guess it’s a badge of honor for you to be in the hospital doing endless scut just to be able to take out the 1321st gall bladder or 564th pair of tonsils. Regardless, IM residency isn’t a walk in the park and we all know cards and IC is equivalent in hours of upper level surgery residents.

Or is it envy because medicine specialties are now way more lucrative than most of surgery? Lol.

IM tends to be a pretty chill residency. Obviously there are exceptions since there are so many programs. Cardiology is hit/miss too . Though IC is pretty rough i think

 

[CherryRedDracul]

IM tends to be a pretty chill residency. Obviously there are exceptions since there are so many programs. Cardiology is hit/miss too . Though IC is pretty rough i think

Compared to radiology, I wouldn't call IM a chill residency.

Our rads call shifts can be very rough, but the day-to-day stuff can be super chill if you crush the list of studies you need to dictate.

 

[nlax30]

I’ll see your IC and raise you EP.... though no one really knows what it is outside of cardiology it seems, it’s an incredible field.

Some of the same issues with Ortho issues from lead and radiation exposure though that’s improving. I can do an RF AFib ablation easily with only ~2 min of fluoro time after which I take off my lead for the rest of the case. Technically can do it flouro-less as well if need be.

 

[nlax30]

To play along with the OP though, to a general lay person I’d imagine that Neurosurgeon and CT surgeon would probably be looked at with more awe.

 

[bigloley]

In regards to coolness, it's tough to beat a bedside EVD in a crashing patient with an IVH or ICP issues.

 

[NYCdude]

Lol what? Neurosurgery no contest. They're the last line of defense when it comes to bad brain stuff happening. If the IC guy screws up, the CT surgeon needs to be called in.

 

[Anti-PD1]

Lol what? Neurosurgery no contest. They're the last line of defense when it comes to bad brain stuff happening. If the IC guy screws up, the CT surgeon needs to be called in.

I like you.

Also, no one has posted this meme yet. Shame on you all:

 

[Simba699]

Lol what? Neurosurgery no contest. They're the last line of defense when it comes to bad brain stuff happening. If the IC guy screws up, the CT surgeon needs to be called in.

Oh really? I didn’t know there was a groundbreaking new craniotomy procedure being done on patients in the middle of status. How about meningitis? Is there a new craniotomy to take out alllll the bacteria too?