What Specialties Should I Shadow?

[greenpat]

Wondering if someone could suggest some specialties to shadow based on some of the things I'm looking for?

 

-Outpatient practice opportunities (low acuity, low stress). Not interested in research/inpatient practice but would love to teach/mentor students in some capacity

-Teamwork, people oriented

- Planned schedule, family friendly, 9-5 working opportunities (less call etc.)

- Can take my time talking to patients (not rushed, fewer emergencies)

 

 

Not using this to make any decisions but just wondering where I should start exploring if these are some of the characteristics I'm looking for. Thanks!

[Lactic Folly]

Path, derm, FM, med genetics, all the outpatient-oriented IM or ped subspecialties (endo, allergy, rheum, etc.), a clinic-based rad position if you can find it (esp mammo), nuc med (esp with treatment), rad onc, outpatient psych, maybe pm&r + public health.. 

 

Although many fields have an inpatient/acute component with overnight call while training, this may or may not be the case depending on the specific practice one joins when graduating.

 

I'd also shadow the higher acuity fields just once, just to ensure that this really is an important factor in your decision making.

[Edict]

I have some ideas on what I might be interested in but am trying to really explore a bit just to be certain of any decision I make. 

 

I'm looking for a specialty that can keep my attention as I lose concentration easily, usually i'm the person looking at everyone else in the lecture theater after 30 minutes and wondering how they can possibly be staying so still and listening to the lecturer.. I'm generally not very patient and I like things fast paced if only to keep me awake. I like being kept busy.  

 

I'm strongly interested in research and am interested in becoming an academic in the future and I would prefer to work at least a good chunk of my time in the hospital. I don't really care for extremely long term relationships with my patients but I also don't want to know nothing about them, (one thing that bothers me about EM is they stabilize the patient and never see them again). Ideally the field I choose has a lot of potential for research growth, i.e. possible to make discoveries or to improve patient outcomes in the next 10-30 years. 

 

I prefer good outcomes so I like to fix a patient rather than manage them chronically. I'm not the best at breaking bad news, and I would love dealing with rational logical patients (i.e. the patient knows they are sick and wants my help). I am in the middle with outgoingness, I like meeting new people and enjoy talking but am not ridiculously outgoing and not usually the one to arrange parties or have a ton of friends.

 

In the future I don't mind working long hours, 60 hours a week sounds alright with me but I'm not too sure about too much more than that as I still want to have some family life. I don't mind call as an attending. While the job market matters to me i'm willing to travel around including moving to the US and its much more important to do something I enjoy than to do a specialty just for the job market which I think is cyclical anyways. 

 

A few things i've more or less ruled out: 

 

Peds, OB/GYN, Anesthesia, Psych, Path, Derm

 

Thanks!

[katakari]

You should shadow as diversely as you can because you never know what you might like or hate.

[LittleDaisy]

Your personality sounds like one of those IM subspecialties, but avoid hemato-oncology (since you will be breaking bad news). 

You should explore widely to make sure that you will like or dislike one subspecialty. You will plenty of opportunities during preclinical studies

I have some ideas on what I might be interested in but am trying to really explore a bit just to be certain of any decision I make. 

 

I'm looking for a specialty that can keep my attention as I lose concentration easily, usually i'm the person looking at everyone else in the lecture theater after 30 minutes and wondering how they can possibly be staying so still and listening to the lecturer.. I'm generally not very patient and I like things fast paced if only to keep me awake. I like being kept busy.  

 

I'm strongly interested in research and am interested in becoming an academic in the future and I would prefer to work at least a good chunk of my time in the hospital. I don't really care for extremely long term relationships with my patients but I also don't want to know nothing about them, (one thing that bothers me about EM is they stabilize the patient and never see them again). Ideally the field I choose has a lot of potential for research growth, i.e. possible to make discoveries or to improve patient outcomes in the next 10-30 years. 

 

I prefer good outcomes so I like to fix a patient rather than manage them chronically. I'm not the best at breaking bad news, and I would love dealing with rational logical patients (i.e. the patient knows they are sick and wants my help). I am in the middle with outgoingness, I like meeting new people and enjoy talking but am not ridiculously outgoing and not usually the one to arrange parties or have a ton of friends.

 

In the future I don't mind working long hours, 60 hours a week sounds alright with me but I'm not too sure about too much more than that as I still want to have some family life. I don't mind call as an attending. While the job market matters to me i'm willing to travel around including moving to the US and its much more important to do something I enjoy than to do a specialty just for the job market which I think is cyclical anyways. 

 

A few things i've more or less ruled out: 

 

Peds, OB/GYN, Anesthesia, Psych, Path, Derm

 

Thanks!

[ellorie]

I have some ideas on what I might be interested in but am trying to really explore a bit just to be certain of any decision I make. 

 

I'm looking for a specialty that can keep my attention as I lose concentration easily, usually i'm the person looking at everyone else in the lecture theater after 30 minutes and wondering how they can possibly be staying so still and listening to the lecturer.. I'm generally not very patient and I like things fast paced if only to keep me awake. I like being kept busy.  

 

I'm strongly interested in research and am interested in becoming an academic in the future and I would prefer to work at least a good chunk of my time in the hospital. I don't really care for extremely long term relationships with my patients but I also don't want to know nothing about them, (one thing that bothers me about EM is they stabilize the patient and never see them again). Ideally the field I choose has a lot of potential for research growth, i.e. possible to make discoveries or to improve patient outcomes in the next 10-30 years. 

 

I prefer good outcomes so I like to fix a patient rather than manage them chronically. I'm not the best at breaking bad news, and I would love dealing with rational logical patients (i.e. the patient knows they are sick and wants my help). I am in the middle with outgoingness, I like meeting new people and enjoy talking but am not ridiculously outgoing and not usually the one to arrange parties or have a ton of friends.

 

In the future I don't mind working long hours, 60 hours a week sounds alright with me but I'm not too sure about too much more than that as I still want to have some family life. I don't mind call as an attending. While the job market matters to me i'm willing to travel around including moving to the US and its much more important to do something I enjoy than to do a specialty just for the job market which I think is cyclical anyways. 

 

A few things i've more or less ruled out: 

 

Peds, OB/GYN, Anesthesia, Psych, Path, Derm

 

Thanks!

 

Rational, logical patients that you can "fix" without having to give them bad news might be sort of a tall order.  I feel like all of medicine has bad news and chronic patients and people who are various kinds of difficult to work with.  Maybe obstetrics, since in low risk OB, the patients are often relatively healthy and you're out once they give birth, and you can do some surgical "fixing".  I don't know - you've got a heck of a lot of criteria.  Maybe you like surgical stuff more?  But the hours are kind of heinous.  I'm usually the last person to say "give things a chance" because I figured I knew exactly what I would and wouldn't like specialty-wise and I was totally correct.  But...give things a chance

 

Wondering if someone could suggest some specialties to shadow based on some of the things I'm looking for?

 

-Outpatient practice opportunities (low acuity, low stress). Not interested in research/inpatient practice but would love to teach/mentor students in some capacity

-Teamwork, people oriented

- Planned schedule, family friendly, 9-5 working opportunities (less call etc.)

- Can take my time talking to patients (not rushed, fewer emergencies)

 

 

Not using this to make any decisions but just wondering where I should start exploring if these are some of the characteristics I'm looking for. Thanks!

 

Be a psychiatrist  Or family, depending on your definition of "take your time" although I would definitely feel rushed in family.  Maybe some of the IM subspecialties like rheum?  Maybe derm?

[NLengr]

My advice: First thing to figure out is if you want to be a surgeon or not. That's probably the biggest division point in all of medicine. 

[Birdy]

My advice: First thing to figure out is if you want to be a surgeon or not. That's probably the biggest division point in all of medicine.

 

Do peoples' feelings about surgical vs. medical specialty preference generally hold true, in your experience? I don't start med school for another week, but most people I've talked to seem to have a pretty strong idea about whether they'll want to pursue a surgical specialty or not. I've seen lots of mention that we shouldn't rule anything out so early on, and I won't, but I'm just really curious if these initial feelings tend to bear out once students gain more experience.

[NLengr]

I think many people enter med school with an interest in surgery, but after getting some experience with medicine and surgery, decide it isn't for them for whatever reason.

 

In my class we had way more people start med school wanting to be surgeons vs. finishing med school wanting to be surgeons.

[thestar10]

Do peoples' feelings about surgical vs. medical specialty preference generally hold true, in your experience? I don't start med school for another week, but most people I've talked to seem to have a pretty strong idea about whether they'll want to pursue a surgical specialty or not. I've seen lots of mention that we shouldn't rule anything out so early on, and I won't, but I'm just really curious if these initial feelings tend to bear out once students gain more experience.

It's pretty accurate IMO. People know what (mainly) surgery is without really that much experience: Operating for work, a tough residency and having heavy-ish call as a staff. People seem to know whether thats for them or others tell them. Birdy after reading your blog I'm 95% confident you won't go surgery haha

[Birdy]

It's pretty accurate IMO. People know what (mainly) surgery is without really that much experience: Operating for work, a tough residency and having heavy-ish call as a staff. People seem to know whether thats for them or others tell them. Birdy after reading your blog I'm 95% confident you won't go surgery haha

Haha, I already know I'm not cut out to be a surgeon. I am far too accident prone and I have a feeling that is not a trait that makes a good surgeon.

[distressedpremed]

I'm not sure if this will help anyone, but my personal suggestions are: 

• make a list of the specialities that you THINK you will be interested in Excel in one column
• Look at this year's CaRMS match stats and rank them according to competitiveness (10 = most competitive, 1 = least competitive) in another column.  
• Make another column based on whether it is Surgical, Clinical, or both 
• Make a rule where IF(AND) rule where if it is surgical and competitive (i.e. >7), will be URGENT. Otherwise NON-URGENT 

I agree with Nlenger that if it's completely surgical, it should be examined closely because the lifestyle demands should be appreciated as soon as possible.  If it's highly competitive, and you know you're interested you should start early...I've had some friends who are only starting to get interested in say, plastics, and they're entering clerkship without much research or extensive shadowing in the speciality.  I think it's important to rule in/out what is highly competitive, as CaRMS looks very unforgiving to those who don't focus on it relatively early, as discussed in other posts.  

 

However, just my 2 cents - someone more experienced should provide their input as well.  

[JohnGrisham]

I'm not sure if this will help anyone, but my personal suggestions are: 

• make a list of the specialities that you THINK you will be interested in Excel in one column
• Look at this year's CaRMS match stats and rank them according to competitiveness (10 = most competitive, 1 = least competitive) in another column.  
• Make another column based on whether it is Surgical, Clinical, or both 
• Make a rule where IF(AND) rule where if it is surgical and competitive (i.e. >7), will be URGENT. Otherwise NON-URGENT 

I agree with Nlenger that if it's completely surgical, it should be examined closely because the lifestyle demands should be appreciated as soon as possible.  If it's highly competitive, and you know you're interested you should start early...I've had some friends who are only starting to get interested in say, plastics, and they're entering clerkship without much research or extensive shadowing in the speciality.  I think it's important to rule in/out what is highly competitive, as CaRMS looks very unforgiving to those who don't focus on it relatively early, as discussed in other posts.  

 

However, just my 2 cents - someone more experienced should provide their input as well.  

Who are you, and why do you think just like me. Love the excel usage.

[ralk]

Path, derm, FM, med genetics, all the outpatient-oriented IM or ped subspecialties (endo, allergy, rheum, etc.), a clinic-based rad position if you can find it (esp mammo), nuc med (esp with treatment), rad onc, outpatient psych, maybe pm&r + public health.. 

 

Although many fields have an inpatient/acute component with overnight call while training, this may or may not be the case depending on the specific practice one joins when graduating.

 

I'd also shadow the higher acuity fields just once, just to ensure that this really is an important factor in your decision making.

 

Pretty thorough list here for the OP's specifications. In terms of what should be a priority to check out, Derm's by far the most competitive of the list, followed by Rads and Peds, so try to shadow those at some point in pre-clerkship. Everything else you can be competitive for without too much difficulty, so while early shadowing in those fields can be very helpful, it's far from essential. Go with what catches your interest and explore.

 

I'll wholeheartedly second NLengr's advice - figure out how you stand on surgery early. Even if you initially have minimal interest in surgery, step into an OR to confirm it. If you don't fall in love with what's going on in there, you can pretty safely ignore a whole bunch of specialties. If you're unexpectedly enthralled by surgery when you step into the OR - and that does happen - better to know early on.

[Edict]

Rational, logical patients that you can "fix" without having to give them bad news might be sort of a tall order.  I feel like all of medicine has bad news and chronic patients and people who are various kinds of difficult to work with.  Maybe obstetrics, since in low risk OB, the patients are often relatively healthy and you're out once they give birth, and you can do some surgical "fixing".  I don't know - you've got a heck of a lot of criteria.  Maybe you like surgical stuff more?  But the hours are kind of heinous.  I'm usually the last person to say "give things a chance" because I figured I knew exactly what I would and wouldn't like specialty-wise and I was totally correct.  But...give things a chance

 

 

Be a psychiatrist  Or family, depending on your definition of "take your time" although I would definitely feel rushed in family.  Maybe some of the IM subspecialties like rheum?  Maybe derm?

 

Thanks, i think i might have been too specific and said things too absolutely. I do still prefer rational, logical patients, but when I mean fix I would prefer diseases that are treatable rather than ones that are not, not to say I won't do a specialty that has any "chronic diseases" whatsoever, its just that I have a preference towards it, so specialties like neurology don't see as interesting to me even though research is very intense in that field. And by bad news it doesn't mean i don't want to break any bad news at all it just means excessive bad news breaking for example in a field like medical oncology would be a bit too much for me. Basically its a preference, definitely not absolute.

[mononoke]

With regards to the surgery vs medicine decision, sometimes it's hard to know if you like surgery when shadowing because you don't really get to do anything and while observing you may not know what you're looking at. Some of my classmates decided they didn't want surgery in anatomy lab, when dissecting cadavers..doing manual work with the scalpel didn't appeal to them.