Any doctors here??

[typerpinoy]

i'm not going to defend my choice to go into anesthesia....but suffice it to say your statement about it being "boring" is ultra stereotypical and the one that people who have never spent a day in the field make.

 

[typerpinoy]

Originally Posted by IchewU

Originally Posted by TypeRPinoY

expect to be in at 5am every day and out at least 12 hours later. expect to be on your feet most of the day and to miss a lot of meals. at the same time, expect to make more and be respected more than your colleagues. it really takes a certain personality to be a surgeon.

damn its like that. dont know if im "bout that life" even if i do love slicing and dicing haha. u guys have any advice in regards to choosing a specialty u love(surgery) versus doing something that affords a lifestyle you want (anesthesia).

take my answer with a grain of salt. i loved my surgical subspecialties but hated gen surg. what i said may be an exaggeration but it's not very far from the truth

 

[typerpinoy]

Originally Posted by IchewU

Originally Posted by TypeRPinoY

expect to be in at 5am every day and out at least 12 hours later. expect to be on your feet most of the day and to miss a lot of meals. at the same time, expect to make more and be respected more than your colleagues. it really takes a certain personality to be a surgeon.

damn its like that. dont know if im "bout that life" even if i do love slicing and dicing haha. u guys have any advice in regards to choosing a specialty u love(surgery) versus doing something that affords a lifestyle you want (anesthesia).

take my answer with a grain of salt. i loved my surgical subspecialties but hated gen surg. what i said may be an exaggeration but it's not very far from the truth

 

[roman736]

I'm applying for residency now and after all the hard work and putting aside my lazy personality I've come to realize I want the easiest doctor job I can get. I went to school abroad and I don't have as many options for residency. I applied to Internal Medicine b/c it's easier to get into and I like the fact that I'll be a general doctor with the potential to specialize, but I'm not going to do that because now I just want to be a hospitalist. Three years of residency coming up, and then I'll start working with a proper six figure salary. I'll be able to choose my hours as I please. Some hospitalists work 1 day, then two days off, all year long, and get paid plenty of cash for such a life. That's pretty much what I want to do. It took so much god damn work to get here that I'm taking the easy route. Plus, going abroad I payed 9,000 euros a year and am gonna pay my debts a hell of a lot sooner than the more competitive American school graduates who pay WAY more money to skip class and study at home for their boards.

Back to your question, though, I would say that the majority of doctors who I've talked to about this regret going into medicine. Personally, I would definitely do it again 'cause I'm only 25 and I'm married now and am gonna live a comfortable life for investing pretty much 100% of my social life since middle of undergrad. It was worth it. I'm pretty introverted too so it wasn't a problem. But yeah you will have to make sacrifices and practically ruin your vision from staring at books and a screen so much. It's a whole 'nother level from anything you've experienced before. That's why med students party pretty hard. They work hard so they play hard.

 

[c hanna]

just started second year as a bio major at UCI. pretty hard so far still need to improve my gpa but good looks in this thread

 

[c hanna]

just started second year as a bio major at UCI. pretty hard so far still need to improve my gpa but good looks in this thread

 

[roman736]

I'm applying for residency now and after all the hard work and putting aside my lazy personality I've come to realize I want the easiest doctor job I can get. I went to school abroad and I don't have as many options for residency. I applied to Internal Medicine b/c it's easier to get into and I like the fact that I'll be a general doctor with the potential to specialize, but I'm not going to do that because now I just want to be a hospitalist. Three years of residency coming up, and then I'll start working with a proper six figure salary. I'll be able to choose my hours as I please. Some hospitalists work 1 day, then two days off, all year long, and get paid plenty of cash for such a life. That's pretty much what I want to do. It took so much god damn work to get here that I'm taking the easy route. Plus, going abroad I payed 9,000 euros a year and am gonna pay my debts a hell of a lot sooner than the more competitive American school graduates who pay WAY more money to skip class and study at home for their boards.

Back to your question, though, I would say that the majority of doctors who I've talked to about this regret going into medicine. Personally, I would definitely do it again 'cause I'm only 25 and I'm married now and am gonna live a comfortable life for investing pretty much 100% of my social life since middle of undergrad. It was worth it. I'm pretty introverted too so it wasn't a problem. But yeah you will have to make sacrifices and practically ruin your vision from staring at books and a screen so much. It's a whole 'nother level from anything you've experienced before. That's why med students party pretty hard. They work hard so they play hard.

 

[typerpinoy]

Originally Posted by Nike Star Jay

Go with what you love over the money. I know it's cliche, but in all honesty, it's the smartest decision one can make career wise. Anesthesia is probably the most boring medical field I've researched (other than Radiology). If I had to pick between being a surgeon and an anesthesiologist, I'd pick surgery every time. Surgery is where all the action is, and time goes by so much faster. And I don't believe Anesthesiologists make that much more than surgeons to begin with.

I'd also recommend going on YouTube and searching "day in the life of ____" or "what's it like to be ___" for the fields you're considering. It's very insightful. 

a general anesthesiologist makes much more than a general surgeon on average. 

 

[typerpinoy]

Originally Posted by Nike Star Jay

Go with what you love over the money. I know it's cliche, but in all honesty, it's the smartest decision one can make career wise. Anesthesia is probably the most boring medical field I've researched (other than Radiology). If I had to pick between being a surgeon and an anesthesiologist, I'd pick surgery every time. Surgery is where all the action is, and time goes by so much faster. And I don't believe Anesthesiologists make that much more than surgeons to begin with.

I'd also recommend going on YouTube and searching "day in the life of ____" or "what's it like to be ___" for the fields you're considering. It's very insightful. 

a general anesthesiologist makes much more than a general surgeon on average. 

 

[typerpinoy]

anesthesia definitely is not for everyone. but there's a reason that they are called to every trauma/airway emergency/code

 

[typerpinoy]

anesthesia definitely is not for everyone. but there's a reason that they are called to every trauma/airway emergency/code

 

[utvol23]

Originally Posted by Nike Star Jay

Go with what you love over the money. I know it's cliche, but in all honesty, it's the smartest decision one can make career wise. Anesthesia is probably the most boring medical field I've researched (other than Radiology). If I had to pick between being a surgeon and an anesthesiologist, I'd pick surgery every time. Surgery is where all the action is, and time goes by so much faster. And I don't believe Anesthesiologists make that much more than surgeons to begin with.

I'd also recommend going on YouTube and searching "day in the life of ____" or "what's it like to be ___" for the fields you're considering. It's very insightful. 

No offense but how much time have you spent in a reading room actually interpreting studies. If you havent dont be so quick to judge a specialty. Radiology is one of the more interesting fields one you have to know the physiology/pathology for every body system and you have to work with physicians in every field (a doctors doctor). That was one thing that irked me all my fellow med students would say oh rads is so boring, yeah it is while you are just sitting behind a radiologist in a comfortable chair in a dark room. Hell i started head nodding multiple times on my rads rotations even on my aways but now that im the one interpreting the films there isnt time for lack of concentration.
I was ortho driven forever but am glad i chose what i did. Also while money and lifestyle arent the main or sole reason you should chose a specialty they do play a big factor. There is a reason why rads, derm, optho etc are so competitive they afford a reasonable lifestyle and for the current time great pay. Dont get it twisted though Radiology is no cake walk when you are working you are working hard prolly harder than most any other specialty you hardly have time to use the restroom while on call it gets so busy, and there really is no down time during the day b/c studies are constantly flowing in.

I hate to say it but alot of people go into surgery with that napoleon complex thinking im a surgeon lots of respect etc but you have to love to do it I know many people who started surgery and subsequently left their residency program cause they realized they werent about that life.

 

[utvol23]

Originally Posted by Nike Star Jay

Go with what you love over the money. I know it's cliche, but in all honesty, it's the smartest decision one can make career wise. Anesthesia is probably the most boring medical field I've researched (other than Radiology). If I had to pick between being a surgeon and an anesthesiologist, I'd pick surgery every time. Surgery is where all the action is, and time goes by so much faster. And I don't believe Anesthesiologists make that much more than surgeons to begin with.

I'd also recommend going on YouTube and searching "day in the life of ____" or "what's it like to be ___" for the fields you're considering. It's very insightful. 

No offense but how much time have you spent in a reading room actually interpreting studies. If you havent dont be so quick to judge a specialty. Radiology is one of the more interesting fields one you have to know the physiology/pathology for every body system and you have to work with physicians in every field (a doctors doctor). That was one thing that irked me all my fellow med students would say oh rads is so boring, yeah it is while you are just sitting behind a radiologist in a comfortable chair in a dark room. Hell i started head nodding multiple times on my rads rotations even on my aways but now that im the one interpreting the films there isnt time for lack of concentration.
I was ortho driven forever but am glad i chose what i did. Also while money and lifestyle arent the main or sole reason you should chose a specialty they do play a big factor. There is a reason why rads, derm, optho etc are so competitive they afford a reasonable lifestyle and for the current time great pay. Dont get it twisted though Radiology is no cake walk when you are working you are working hard prolly harder than most any other specialty you hardly have time to use the restroom while on call it gets so busy, and there really is no down time during the day b/c studies are constantly flowing in.

I hate to say it but alot of people go into surgery with that napoleon complex thinking im a surgeon lots of respect etc but you have to love to do it I know many people who started surgery and subsequently left their residency program cause they realized they werent about that life.

 

[cubinican]

Originally Posted by Three00ZeeX

Originally Posted by UTVOL23

 To be honest I didnt let med school control my life I still went out and had fun you just have certain times where you have to buckle down and focus on getting things done and put everything else in your life on hold

best advice here and the same thing i tell all my friends starting med school.
2nd year ER resident here... 13-16 12 hour shifts a month, off the other days, never on call, no pager, get to wear scrubs with all my kicks, love it.
for the guys studying for boards, any step... USMLE WORLD trust me. do very well on step 1 so you can give yourself the option of going into a competitive field even if you arent sure what you want to do yet. also good letters of rec are important.
intern year sucks, just suck it up and get thru it.
dont do medicine unless you love it because it can get insane at times and you may find yourself questioning your decision. i know i have many times.
good luck to all you guys... theres light at the end of the tunnel.

Ive been thinking about ER medicine since I first volunteered in the ER when I was 14. http://[b][/b]Why did you choose emergency medicine?
How are the compensation and benefits?
Do ER doctors usually wear scrubs?

 

[cubinican]

Originally Posted by Three00ZeeX

Originally Posted by UTVOL23

 To be honest I didnt let med school control my life I still went out and had fun you just have certain times where you have to buckle down and focus on getting things done and put everything else in your life on hold

best advice here and the same thing i tell all my friends starting med school.
2nd year ER resident here... 13-16 12 hour shifts a month, off the other days, never on call, no pager, get to wear scrubs with all my kicks, love it.
for the guys studying for boards, any step... USMLE WORLD trust me. do very well on step 1 so you can give yourself the option of going into a competitive field even if you arent sure what you want to do yet. also good letters of rec are important.
intern year sucks, just suck it up and get thru it.
dont do medicine unless you love it because it can get insane at times and you may find yourself questioning your decision. i know i have many times.
good luck to all you guys... theres light at the end of the tunnel.

Ive been thinking about ER medicine since I first volunteered in the ER when I was 14. http://[b][/b]Why did you choose emergency medicine?
How are the compensation and benefits?
Do ER doctors usually wear scrubs?

 

[typerpinoy]

i dont think that dude is in his clinical years. he said these fields are boring as a result of the "research" that he's done lol. if surgery is so great why is it that so many current anesthesiologists and anesthesia residents are former surgeons/surgical residents? i've never met a surgeon that used to practice anesthesia.

 

[typerpinoy]

i dont think that dude is in his clinical years. he said these fields are boring as a result of the "research" that he's done lol. if surgery is so great why is it that so many current anesthesiologists and anesthesia residents are former surgeons/surgical residents? i've never met a surgeon that used to practice anesthesia.

 

[slimk4]

Wow everyone here is going for the Uber competitive specialities......am I wrong for going the Primary care path???

Currently studying for CK right now.....

 

[slimk4]

Wow everyone here is going for the Uber competitive specialities......am I wrong for going the Primary care path???

Currently studying for CK right now.....

 

[frink85]

Originally Posted by SlimK4

Wow everyone here is going for the Uber competitive specialities......am I wrong for going the Primary care path???

Currently studying for CK right now.....

nah dude, i know I'm thinkin internal, fam, or nicu. Plus from everything I've heard/seen, there's gonna be a lot of fam medicine spots opening up in the near future. Go for what your passion is.

 

[frink85]

Originally Posted by SlimK4

Wow everyone here is going for the Uber competitive specialities......am I wrong for going the Primary care path???

Currently studying for CK right now.....

nah dude, i know I'm thinkin internal, fam, or nicu. Plus from everything I've heard/seen, there's gonna be a lot of fam medicine spots opening up in the near future. Go for what your passion is.

 

[three00zeex]

Originally Posted by Cubinican

Ive been thinking about ER medicine since I first volunteered in the ER when I was 14. http://[b][/b]Why did you choose emergency medicine?
How are the compensation and benefits?
Do ER doctors usually wear scrubs?



i still remember the day in 1st year i told a friend "i have no idea what i want to do, but definitely wont do ER" lol.... i went thru all my 3rd year rotations liking parts of each field, but not enough to make a career out of any one of them. ER was my last rotation and i was hoping i would like it otherwise i was probably going to do a transitional year trying to figure it out.
i love the fact i get to see all sort of different cases(except OBGYN

) and get to do procedures.. again, lifestyle is a big part of it to... i never take work home with me, never on call, nobody is going to page me in the middle of the night about a patient, i know my schedule well in advance.
compensation around here, chicago and suburbs ranges from $110 to $140ish per hour as far as when ive heard from other residents/attendings. the further you get from the big cities the higher the pay. a friend of mine just got a job outside kenosha wisconsin, $300,000/year plus bonuses for 12 12 hour shifts a month. im only a second year so havent really started looking at jobs yet.
and ya most ER docs wear scrubs... i have one attending doc who wears a dress shirt and bowtie

 

[utvol23]

Originally Posted by SlimK4

Wow everyone here is going for the Uber competitive specialities......am I wrong for going the Primary care path???

Currently studying for CK right now.....

Go for what you want to do and whats the right fit.

Also as Three00Z said early for steps use USMLEWORLD you cant go wrong. In fact thats what i used for 90% + of my studying for CK and pretty much all i used for Step 3

 

[utvol23]

Originally Posted by SlimK4

Wow everyone here is going for the Uber competitive specialities......am I wrong for going the Primary care path???

Currently studying for CK right now.....

Go for what you want to do and whats the right fit.

Also as Three00Z said early for steps use USMLEWORLD you cant go wrong. In fact thats what i used for 90% + of my studying for CK and pretty much all i used for Step 3

 

[three00zeex]

Originally Posted by Cubinican

Ive been thinking about ER medicine since I first volunteered in the ER when I was 14. http://[b][/b]Why did you choose emergency medicine?
How are the compensation and benefits?
Do ER doctors usually wear scrubs?



i still remember the day in 1st year i told a friend "i have no idea what i want to do, but definitely wont do ER" lol.... i went thru all my 3rd year rotations liking parts of each field, but not enough to make a career out of any one of them. ER was my last rotation and i was hoping i would like it otherwise i was probably going to do a transitional year trying to figure it out.
i love the fact i get to see all sort of different cases(except OBGYN

) and get to do procedures.. again, lifestyle is a big part of it to... i never take work home with me, never on call, nobody is going to page me in the middle of the night about a patient, i know my schedule well in advance.
compensation around here, chicago and suburbs ranges from $110 to $140ish per hour as far as when ive heard from other residents/attendings. the further you get from the big cities the higher the pay. a friend of mine just got a job outside kenosha wisconsin, $300,000/year plus bonuses for 12 12 hour shifts a month. im only a second year so havent really started looking at jobs yet.
and ya most ER docs wear scrubs... i have one attending doc who wears a dress shirt and bowtie