Jump to content
Premed 101 Forums

Family Medicine VS Dermatology


Recommended Posts

6 hours ago, FailureToThrive said:

Does anyone have some insight into how these two fields compare (in a non-cosmetic private practice in a big city)? In terms of

Type of work/Procedures/How much writing is involved:

FM: the range of FM presentations to clinic (most commonly: MSK pain, constipation, prenatals, HTN, DM, heart disease, tobacco/alcohol addiction, med refills, anxiety, depression, birth control & menstrual issues, abdo pain, UTI, URTI, asthma, COPD, rash and other derm presentations--sebaceous cysts, pilar cysts, ganglion cysts, eczema), 10-15 min appts ideally but some pts are more complex or have more than one issue to discuss, can do minor derm procedures such as incision/drainage, cyst or other lesion excision

Derm: you see Derm presentations (every kind of rash imaginable), can do MOHS surgery, diagnosis for derm presentations is often based off of just looking at the rash which can be quite pathognomonic in and of itself, however you would want to take a directed history as well and a more thorough physical depending on your differential diagnosis

Lifestyle: 

FM: 9-5 seeing patients, catching up on patient labs and other investigation results plus writing referrals during lunch and after hours

Derm: similar to FM but more money and probably better hours?

Average net income: 

FM: $ to $$

Derm: $$$$

That's a general rule with respect to income differences. Depends on the province you are interested in for more detail. The difference would be significant between the two specialties.

Other important aspects to take into consideration:

Do an elective in derm and fm and reflect on your own personal interests/values. These are incredibly broad questions. Once you hit clerkship you'll have a better sense of both. Derm is one of the most competitive residencies to match to.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To add to the above:

- I'd start suggest with shadowing - imo it's better to use electives for specialties you have established interest for, rather than discovering your interests during clerkship.  At that point, it's too late to change the schedule.  One of the challenges is figuring out what you want to do before having done it.  Also, electives in competitive specialties can be hard to get.  

- Less populated provinces have much higher $$$ for derm.  Outsides of cosmetics, derm isn't a $$$ specialty in ON or BC for example.  

  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On 8/17/2018 at 6:15 PM, tere said:

To add to the above:

- I'd start suggest with shadowing - imo it's better to use electives for specialties you have established interest for, rather than discovering your interests during clerkship.  At that point, it's too late to change the schedule.  One of the challenges is figuring out what you want to do before having done it.  Also, electives in competitive specialties can be hard to get.  

- Less populated provinces have much higher $$$ for derm.  Outsides of cosmetics, derm isn't a $$$ specialty in ON or BC for example.  

  

How much lower is the income if you don't plan on practicing cosmetic dermatology ( just medical dermatology)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, End Poverty said:

How much lower is the income if you don't plan on practicing cosmetic dermatology ( just medical dermatology)?

It all depends on the province - this chart was posted earlier this year and  gives the public gross (FFS) billings for dermatology and most other specialties.  I don't know of similar info for private billings.  In AB for example, it seems derm is very high paying, but much less so in BC (almost a factor of 3:1).  

http://www.canadianhealthcarenetwork.ca/files/2018/03/20-years-compensation-chart.pdf

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...