sangria Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 I've been told that one of the ways to decide on a specialty is to decide on the preferred practice environment i.e. inpatient or outpatient setting. While I'm only going into second year, my limited experience (from standing at the back watching and listening) tells me I'm more comfortable in the outpatient setting -- it could be the pace, the predictability, or just the fact that I feel like I can follow along a bit better with my lack of knowledge. Did any of you feel this way? Do I grow out of it? Is this something you figure out once clerkship hits? Shadowing helps somewhat, but I don't think it is representative of actual clinical experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralk Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 I certainly found the distinction of inpatient vs outpatient helpful. Most specialties will have a mix of both, so it's not the greatest way of distinguishing between specialties, but some lean far heavier one way than another, so it can certainly help in making a decision. Clerkship definitely helps to clarify which setting you prefer, or even if it's indeed a clear divide. Some outpatient setting might be a lot more attractive then others, while some inpatient settings might turn out to be fairly enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freewheeler Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 medicine v. surgery adult v. paediatric inpatient v. outpatient -->Pretty much in that order. Also consider how much you enjoy the content, patient population, procedural/non-procedural, work/life balance, autonomy, call requirements, etc. I found electives to be pretty illuminating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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