Who here actually knows...

[jr doctor in sd]

what they want to do after medical school - granted all goes well up to that point.

I was just curious. I'm going to pursue oncology or neurology

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[Meatwad]

I-banking, because I'd probably loathe the system and people by that point.

 

[146233]

Originally I was EM all the way, now I'm torn and looking at Trauma Surgery (...surgical critical care) pretty hard.

 

[aaj117]

So I am very open to changing my mind if the right rotation comes along, but right now i have my heart set on cardiology (no terrible pun intended). My other big interests include HIV/AIDS and other such diseases, and pathology/being the medical examiner. I was an anthro major in undergrad and did a forensic thesis, all the time spent watching autopsies got me really interested.

 

[alwaysaangel]

I'm looking at EM a lot right now. A lot of variety, fast paced, general knowledge of a lot of things, and awesome hours for lifestyle. Plus it leaves me with the general knowledge I need to work in/run free clinics which I wouldn't have if I specialized.

So thats where I am right now. Hoping to go into EM, probably have kids towards the end of my residency and work in a hospital when I get out. 3-12 work days/week and the rest of my time with my children/husband sounds kick ass!!!

My biggest worry about EM is children. I don't do well with children being in major pain/dying. Just talking about it chokes me up because I'm a giant baby - I think its something I could adjust to but I'm not really sure.

I'm only in my first year but I took the list of specialties from AAMC and crossed off all the ones that I know are inconsistent with my future goals (surgery, etc.) or I know I wouldn't like for other reasons (I could never handle oncology for instance). The rest I am going to shadow at the UCI hospital between now and the end of this year - that way I have narrowed down my specialties by next summer so I can do research. EM is still my number 1 but I have like 8 others to try before I decide what I want to do research in.

 

[brsboarder]

start up a bunch of sustainable clinics in places that desperately need them!

 

[Meatwad]

start up a bunch of sustainable clinics in places that desperately need them!

HA...I think we've found a future dermatologist or radiologist, here.

 

[brsboarder]

o yes, don't forget some plastic surgery. I hope to be Paul Farmer-esque, but have a better relationship with my family

 

[Meatwad]

o yes, don't forget some plastic surgery. I hope to be Paul Farmer-esque, but have a better relationship with my family

I was going to go with PRS, but they don't have the lifestlye down as much as the derms do, or even radiologists.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

I'm going to start a chain of restaurants.

 

[baylormed]

Originally I was EM all the way, now I'm torn and looking at Trauma Surgery (...surgical critical care) pretty hard.

Dude, you're pre-med.




No offense, but about 90% of you will change your minds regardless of whether you think so or not. I think it's great some of you have some defined interests, but it's always best to go into medical school with an open mind. Until you see the range of specialties available (and get to try them more closely...during rotations), you won't really be 100% sure.

 

[Raihan Mirza]

what they want to do after medical school - granted all goes well up to that point.

I was just curious. I'm going to pursue oncology or neurology

I will probably join the military.

 

[sle3pyguii]

I'll probably be working long hours, deprived of sleep, and grumbling about paying back my loans.

 

[Sir Buckethead]

I want to go into missions but i dont know which specialties are conducive to that yet. Surgery? ID?

 

[premedmind]

Neurology, studying things like Autism...etc. Or possibly go for an MD/PhD and pursue drug research.

 

[Meatwad]

I want to go into missions but i dont know which specialties are conducive to that yet. Surgery? ID?

I read somewhere that anesthesiologists were high on the list of desired specialties for helping out medical missions.

 

[mindquick]

i will pay back my loans

 

[alwaysaangel]

i will pay back my loans

Hahaha. We have to pay those back?!?

Did anyone else find the entrance interviews for loans hilarious? "Do you understand you have to pay your loans back?"

Which of the following would allow you to avoid paying back your loans: d) None of the above.

If they asked me one more time if I undertood that I had to pay LOANS back I was going to smack someone. I mean, come on - if you don't understand what a loan is you shouldn't be in med school!

 

[mindquick]

alwaysaangel, what would they do to you if you don't pay back the loans?

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Looking right now at either Ortho, EM, or becoming a CNA

 

[pakbabydoll]

Right now I am thinking EM or Internal Medicine Infectious Disease.

 

[Meatwad]

alwaysaangel, what would they do to you if you don't pay back the loans?

Say goodbye to your car, house, and savings account. They will get the money from you, one way or another.

 

[mindquick]

Say goodbye to your car, house, and savings account. They will get the money from you, one way or another.

NO! i won't let them take my things! i will grab on to them. all mine.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Say goodbye to your car, house, and savings account. They will get the money from you, one way or another.

Yeah they can be brutal. They will destroy your credit, have collections agencies harassing you. And since my loans are actually from the federal government and not just government loans through the bank - I think they can garnish my wages but I could be mistaken.

Banks have ridiculous rights when it comes to getting their loan money back - they can harass you beyond what should be legal and get at all sorts of things that wouldn't be fair game for non-education loans.

 

[MWK]

My mindset- fascinated by innner workings/mechanics, hands on, desire to see tangible evidence of my help all point towards a surgical career. Beyond that, who knows.

 

[GoldShadow]

No offense, but about 90% of you will change your minds regardless of whether you think so or not. I think it's great some of you have some defined interests, but it's always best to go into medical school with an open mind. Until you see the range of specialties available (and get to try them more closely...during rotations), you won't really be 100% sure.

Nonsense! I'm going to be the first cranial transplant surgeon, and no "logic" or "reality" or "experience" is going to change my mind.

 

[Bacchus]

I'm thinking EM but I'll see if that changes when I start volunteering Saturday in a Killadelphia hospital's ED.

 

[Blade28]

Dude, you're pre-med.

Yes, true, but he's got a LOT of experience in Emergency Medicine.

 

[Ashers]

I'm going to start a chain of restaurants.

Maybe culinary school after med school and put my baking/cooking that I do in my "spare time" to some use.

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

I have always said Pediatric Oncology... but after shadowing in family medicine I could see myself doing that or general pediatrics as well... who knows I will do what ever I am most passionante about- Im not in it for money so family would be fine.

 

[jr doctor in sd]

I have always said Pediatric Oncology... but after shadowing in family medicine I could see myself doing that or general pediatrics as well... who knows I will do what ever I am most passionante about- Im not in it for money so family would be fine.

Sounds great =] im interested in Oncology too and im the same. I think whatever i am better at and im interested in, i will do. Since im really interested in neurology and oncology, i figure ill just do whichever im best at so people benefit most since id be happy either way. But its still early to say

 

[Blade28]

OK, since it's such a stereotype, I'll ask...

...how many of you that listed "Pediatric Oncology" as your career aspiration...are female?

 

[jr doctor in sd]

haha well im a guy...and its a possibility...so ur 0/1 =p

 

[foreverLaur]

orthopaedic surgery. i've shadowed many of doctors as well. i love the field (i'd do a fellowship in sports med) and everything about it.

the downfall? i want to have a family, kids, and i am very maternal.
i'm yet to meet someone in ortho who isn't happy, but they all admit they work crazy hours and even when they try to schedule less surgery, a trauma always comes in.

what to do what to do...

 

[Tibor]

plastic surgery only.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

what they want to do after medical school - granted all goes well up to that point.

I was just curious. I'm going to pursue oncology or neurology

As harsh as this sounds:

Probably less than 10% actually "know" what they want to do after medical school, because they've had enough clinical exposure to see enough to decide.

A good percentage, 20% or so has accurately guessed what they'll eventually go into because they've compared their personality to those in other fields. They don't "know", however, but they're probably right.

Another good percentage, 20% or so THINK they know what they want to go into, and will end up going into it because of cognitive dissonance (The person who thinks "I really want to be a neurosurgeon" can't rectify this thought with the fact he doesn't enjoy or do well in neuro course work or neurosurgery rotation. But he forces himself to accept he likes it and goes into it). They'd probably have been more happy in another field.

Honestly, the correct answer for almost any medical student or premedical student should be "I don't know"

 

[Ashers]

orthopaedic surgery. i've shadowed many of doctors as well. i love the field (i'd do a fellowship in sports med) and everything about it.

the downfall? i want to have a family, kids, and i am very maternal.
i'm yet to meet someone in ortho who isn't happy, but they all admit they work crazy hours and even when they try to schedule less surgery, a trauma always comes in.

what to do what to do...

Oh! I know one! My dad has hated ortho and medicine (except for very minor cases) for at least 5 years now -- not just grown tired of it -- resented every day he has to go to work. A contributing factor may be because he's practicing in Hawaii and medicine sucks there, but anyway, he still doesn't like ortho anymore.

I want to do ortho. Generally healthy patients who can get have procedures done to get better quickly, and all the stuff I've done in it so far has been great. I'll see if I really like it when I do my rotation in it.

 

[Meatwad]

Honestly, the correct answer for almost any medical student or premedical student should be "I don't know"

That's what I say if asked what I'm interested in. My friend (business major) told me I'd be wasting my time going into any field other than Plastics.

 

[foreverLaur]

plastics is certainly a great field for hours and money! but the thing that draws me to ortho is the ability to fix people and make them better. told ACL's, torn meniscus, joint replacements, etc. My sister had two knee surgeries done by an ortho surgeon and she's as good as new and couldn't walk before. my friend's dad had two knee replacements and is as good as new. i want to fix people.

 

[jr doctor in sd]

plastics is certainly a great field for hours and money! but the thing that draws me to ortho is the ability to fix people and make them better. told ACL's, torn meniscus, joint replacements, etc. My sister had two knee surgeries done by an ortho surgeon and she's as good as new and couldn't walk before. my friend's dad had two knee replacements and is as good as new. i want to fix people.

well you could argue some aspects of plastic surgery "fix" people. Say if a young child was victim of a burning house and barely made it out alive...to be able to fix the burn scars all over their face/body would make me very happy =]. I just dont want to dedicate my career for that especially since this is a much rarer case. I dont want to mostly make people more fake, IMO.

 

[foreverLaur]

well you could argue some aspects of plastic surgery "fix" people. Say if a young child was victim of a burning house and barely made it out alive...to be able to fix the burn scars all over their face/body would make me very happy =]. I just dont want to dedicate my career for that especially since this is a much rarer case. I dont want to mostly make people more fake, IMO.

true, but then you have to deal with insurance and trauma call. that is what draws me away from orthopaedics. so if i'm going to have all that stuff, i'd rather do ortho sports med and do what i love.

 

[nhtreehugger]

I've had the greatest exposure to and interest in general surgery. I'm keeping an open mind though, because maybe I'll find one of my clerkship rotations really great and it turns out it's not in surgery

 

[DeadCactus]

As best as a pre-med can guess;

Most likely:
EM
General Surgery or
FP (in a rural setting)

Possible:
Rads
Gas
Path

Doubt It:
The Others

No:
OB/GYN :|

Based on my academic interests, my limited experience with the medical field, and the fact that I just don't see myself specializing...

 

[jr doctor in sd]

As best as a pre-med can guess;

Most likely:
EM
General Surgery or
FP (in a rural setting)

Possible:
Rads
Gas
Path

Doubt It:
The Others

No:
OB/GYN :|

Based on my academic interests, my limited experience with the medical field, and the fact that I just don't see myself specializing...

Just curious...why absolutely no OB/GYN for you?

 

[smq123]

well you could argue some aspects of plastic surgery "fix" people. Say if a young child was victim of a burning house and barely made it out alive...to be able to fix the burn scars all over their face/body would make me very happy =]. I just dont want to dedicate my career for that especially since this is a much rarer case. I dont want to mostly make people more fake, IMO.

You're right - a lot of plastic surgeons focus on this, and also focus on making a lot of money. But quite a few plastic surgeons do post-cancer reconstructive treatments - i.e. breast reconstruction after mastectomy, fixing scars after onc surgery, etc.

 

[DeadCactus]

Just curious...why absolutely no OB/GYN for you?

Just absolutely no interest in it at all. For me personally, I look at it the same way as "Why not Dentistry?" Just not my cup of tea...

 

[armybound]

Not sure, no. I like surgery, but I also like the lifestyle of anesthesiology. We'll see.

I do know that I want to have a role in admissions at medical school and in education of undergraduate, graduate, and medical students.

 

[MamadP]

My bro is applying for his ortho residency now. He wants to do a fellowship in spine afterward.

I want to do neurosurg with a fellowship in spine. That way we could work together some day...

 

[Blade28]

Just keep an open mind throughout med school, guys...

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

OK, since it's such a stereotype, I'll ask...

...how many of you that listed "Pediatric Oncology" as your career aspiration...are female?

Im a female- but I have said Peds Oncology since I was 13... and here in atlanta there are more men in the hemocology oncology department than women.