PGY1 thinking of going into Family Medicine

[Unsure]

Throaway account here for obvious reasons.

I'm a PGY1 in Medical Genetics that is currently thinking of switching to family medicine for different reasons and your opinions would help.

First, I must say that, while I find my field interesting, I picked my specialty mainly because of the lifestyle advantages and the fact that is in high demand in my Province with great job opportunities in predictable locations including urban centres.

I strongly considered family medicine during my Carms process but I did not enjoy pediatrics/obs at all and most of my supervisors did not seem happy.

I matched to genetics and felt thrilled to start.

I started off my residency with very clinical rotations that I found myself to actually enjoy. I found my family medicine experience as a resident way more satisfying than as a clerk. But the hours were long, patients were expecting me to cure them on the spot, following their results was draining and I spent hours charting. But it was still tolerable at times and enjoyable most of it. Nonetheless, I was internally just waiting to get to my medical genetics rotation to finally begin my training in my field.

I have just completed a full month in genetics and this started raising a lot of questions in my mind. Although I had the best lifestyle ever, working from 9-4, had close to zero calls and could work remotely most of the time, I found myself extremely bored at moments. At times, I did not even feel like a doctor anymore. I kind of started missing my family medicine rotation where I loved most patient interactions, although I would get annoyed at the non-specific broad complaints, the amount of administrative work and the hours spent writing notes and checking my lab results inbox.

Ever since, I feel like I'm starting to live an existential crisis. I could apply for a transfer and could get 6 months of my R1 credited.

My dilemma is : what to choose between

(1) a very low stress, lifestyle friendly but sometimes very boring and isolating field requiring 5 years of training = genetics 

(2) a flexible, diverse and sometimes draining field that can be exciting but also more stressful requiring 18 months of training = family medicine

Financially speaking, both fields pay almost the same in my Province.

 

Your advice will help since I have been constantly thinking about this.

 

merry Christmas!

 

[Edict]

Do you like medical genetics? It almost sounds like you don't actually enjoy the field at all. 

I'm not exactly sure what your day to day is like in medical genetics, but can you tell us what the day to day is like for you now and as a staff? 

[GH0ST]

I'm not gonna lie... you don't sound that interested in FM. You're going to hit a rut where both fields feel routine. The benefits of FM with the longitudinal care... you like patient interactions but don't like the administrative work and f/u for patients (please correct me if I'm wrong). Do you really think your relationships built with the patients and the community will outweigh the dislike of the administrative work? 

I speak of this as someone in PHPM which doesn't specifically have a clinical component (unless you look for it yourself). 

- G 

[Intrepid86]

Family medicine is a grind. If you enter this, there is a high chance you will start missing the lifestyle of medical genetics. The grass is not necessarily greener here. Also, if you're concerned about not feeling like a doctor, then FM isn't the answer. There will be many instances where doctoring is secondary to the sensation of being a glorified social worker / paperwork robot.

[jb24]

I would stick with genetics. 

[shikimate]

seriously everyone complain they have too many call, too many patients to see, too much this, too much that, and you're the first one to complain there isn't enough work.

like do something with your free time, study USMLE, RC exam, daytrade stocks, etc.

if you want more work transfer into ob/gyn.

if you want "intellectually challenging" AND working like a slave transfer into GIM or cardiac sx.

I am not sure what "feels like a doctor" feel like, maybe you miss the adrenaline rush of EM?