why is EM so competitive? and more

[ALTorGT]

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Yello
Just wondering ... why is EM so competitive? I thought it was a high stress speciality with little opportunity for private practice and hence lower income in the future. From an IMG's perspective?

And why do most people on this board look down on IM? I can't make sense of the fact that it is relatively less competitive when a residency in it is mandatory to be anything from an Interventional Cardiologist to an Endocrinologist?

All everyone ever talks about is Derm, Ortho, Optho, Rads, Plastics and NeuroSurg.

Thanks

 

[Scrubbs]

Let's start with EM. Yes it is competitive even though it is high stress... lifestyle is a major factor contributing to EM being in demand right now. It is the specialty of "work hard, play hard." EM docs do shiftwork, meaning you work a designated 8-12 hr shift and then you GO HOME. There is no such thing as "call" in EM... you are either scheduled to work, or you aren't. While you're in the hospital, you work your butt off, but it equals out since you have time to have a life. Also, the pay is pretty good, as long as you're at a private hospital and not in academia.

As for IM vs. the other specialties? The biggest thing in my mind is that there are a bazillion residency spots in IM, and very limited spots in things like derm, ortho, plastics, and neurosurg. Also, these are VERY high paying specialties.

 

[ckplay]

People who look down on IM are just ignorant. Because there are so many IM programs out there, in general it's less competitive; however, the top IM programs are as competitive as any program in any field.

About 50% of my class is going into IM or General Surgery, which hasn't changed much over the years. My friend at Hopkins says most of her class is going into either IM or Surgery, also.

BTW, EM and Anes are not that competitive.

 

[womansurg]

Originally posted by ckplay
About 50% of my class is going into IM or General Surgery, which hasn't changed much over the years. My friend at Hopkins says most of her class is going into either IM or Surgery, also

Wow, have things changed that much? Five years ago when I matched, SIX of my 220 classmates went into gen surg. That's a far, far cry from half the class. Are there really that many now?

 

[drusso]

I think more students are looking for lifestyle specialties: Anesthesia, Rads, Derm, Optho, PM&R, even pathology offer considerablly more pay and better hours. Look at the latest match trends....

Internists have not done a good job "marketing" their specialty to students. Most medical students experience IM doctors as socially underdeveloped, overworked, and underpaid relative to the complexity of tasks they perform. Also, most general IM services at teaching hospitals are dumping grounds. All that being said, classmates of mine who chose IM were either interested in subspecialty opportunities or strict hospitalist type practices. Under the right contracts and circumstances, hospitalist IM doctors can make upto 200K per year and work pretty reasonable hours.