best specialty to...

[scoopdaboop]

Hey, i'm 24. Will start residency at 27 for whatever specialty. I have no particular drawing or interest in any one specialty. My question is, what is the best specialty to make boatloads by the time I'm mid- late 40s, so I can retire by early 50s, then work part time as I see fit.

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[Internist_Sandman]

I think you should consider the fact that you will make a lot of money (relative “boatloads”) regardless of what specialty you’re in. Some of those boats will be yachts, but they’re all much bigger than canoes.

Even as an internist, where “boatloads” of money aren’t usually associated, you can make a lot of money.

It sounds cliche, but you’ll be working a job for 20-30 years even if you retire mid-50s. You’d better be damn sure you like it, otherwise the money won’t matter.

 

[Dave1980]

Hey, i'm 24. Will start residency at 27 for whatever specialty. I have no particular drawing or interest in any one specialty. My question is, what is the best specialty to make boatloads by the time I'm mid- late 40s, so I can retire by early 50s, then work part time as I see fit.

CT surgery, neurosurgery, ENT

 

[djiboutiman]

Surgical specialties, Derm, Cardiology, Butts and Guts (GI)

 

[Kardio]

Peds

 

[slowthai]

This is typically EM

 

[EmilKraepelin55]

You can even do this in psych if you set up your practice right...contract with a couple of psych hospitals, have a private practice offering therapy and med management, do clinic, and you can make a pretty penny.

 

[fldoctorgirl]

This honestly just depends on how you set yourself up and how much you're willing to work. There are hospitalists pulling in close to 500k, but they're working for it. Do what you like, not what makes money, or you'll be miserable. I have the Step score to do pretty much anything and I'm still likely going to end up doing general IM because that's what I enjoy. You'll figure it out in M3, the days that you're on service for something you don't find particularly interesting feel like they last forever. I would never want to do that every day just to make more $$.

 

[Dantes]

Just money? Don't care about working your life away for a couple decades? Neurosurg. $/hr? Probably derm, EM. I'm sure there's more recent data on that but that's what I remember. Might be miserable and burn out quick if that's your only motivation though.

Edit: maybe medical entrepreneurship. Help make a medical device, patent that $$$.

 

[Sardonix]

Be an FM doc, work 4 days a week making ~200-250k, work less when you want less money as you become more financially secure.

 

[NurWollen]

Peds

Can confirm.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Derm

 

[FalconSlice]

Hey, i'm 24. Will start residency at 27 for whatever specialty. I have no particular drawing or interest in any one specialty. My question is, what is the best specialty to make boatloads by the time I'm mid- late 40s, so I can retire by early 50s, then work part time as I see fit.

In addition to specialty, you should also think equally as hard about where (both geographically and institution/practice-wise) you want to work. Low cost of living in a predominant rural area with being one of the providers for a small town or similar situation can give a VERY comfortable living (to put it lightly).

 

[JSReed]

I-banking. Ya done messed up, A'a'ron...

 

[scoopdaboop]

I-banking. Ya done messed up, A'a'ron...

Yeah that's if you end up going to a IV league/big-name uni, and are a math-wiz. Most quant traders etc that make big money also have PhD's. I know I-banking friends from smaller business programs, they don't get close to any big salaries, if they do it takes several years to get the point of a VP/Managing director at some company then you can finally make neurosurg/spine money.

 

[ritts]

you're in it for the right reason. Might as well join NBOME leadership if you really wanna make the big bucks

 

[Goro]

Hey, i'm 24. Will start residency at 27 for whatever specialty. I have no particular drawing or interest in any one specialty. My question is, what is the best specialty to make boatloads by the time I'm mid- late 40s, so I can retire by early 50s, then work part time as I see fit.

FM in a rural location.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Geriatrics. I’m dead serious.

 

[Sardonix]

Geriatrics. I’m dead serious.

I was totally convinced this wasn't true until a second ago, but 2019 MGMA data really shows them making $230-260,000 in certain regions of the US. Huh.

 

[Ho0v-man]

I was totally convinced this wasn't true until a second ago, but 2019 MGMA data really shows them making $230-260,000 in certain regions of the US. Huh.

Dude they have NO OVERHEAD. They just drive around from nursing home to nursing home renewing the same stuff from last week and asking the nurses if they need anything. You can make more money than FM/IM and not have an office.

 

[sloh]

Dude they have NO OVERHEAD. They just drive around from nursing home to nursing home renewing the same stuff from last week and asking the nurses if they need anything. You can make more money than FM/IM and not have an office.

I do 1099 SAR work as PM&R. Let’s just say.....I don’t disagree with this post

 

[Sardonix]

Dude they have NO OVERHEAD. They just drive around from nursing home to nursing home renewing the same stuff from last week and asking the nurses if they need anything. You can make more money than FM/IM and not have an office.

Honestly if that means improving the medical care/oversight of nursing home residents while also getting top dollar, it should 100% remain that way in my opinion. Tired of seeing NH residents living in squalor with easily correctable medical issues.

 

[sloh]

Honestly if that means improving the medical care/oversight of nursing residents while also getting top dollar, it should 100% remain that way in my opinion. Tired of seeing NH residents living in squalor with easily correctable medical issues.

Reminds me of high school or college students hired as a watchful eye overnight for the elderly living in solitude. It doesn’t look like they are doing much (most are probably studying or thumbing through social media), but the peace of mind conferred to the elderly and someone being there in case something catastrophic happens is of value. And at least in medicine, the name of the game is RVU’s.

Generate those RVU’s by volume. Win win. Cha-Ching.

 

[Giovanotto]

Honestly if that means improving the medical care/oversight of nursing home residents while also getting top dollar, it should 100% remain that way in my opinion. Tired of seeing NH residents living in squalor with easily correctable medical issues.

Does it though?

 

[Deecee2DO]

If you scope all day as a GI you can swim in money. GI can be one of the highest paying specialties in medicine and you get a combination of medicine (thinking) and procedures (doing) and the hours are good. Basically work as much as you want and make a lot of money. Of course you gotta be ok with poo.

If you want lifestyle aka not wanting to work that much and still make good money then do Allergy or derm with derm making a lot of money and allergy making good money for the amount of time at the office. Allergist I shadowed made about 350-400K and worked 4 days per week 8am-3pm sent all his kids to a 30K per year prep school and played golf all the time. regardless you dont need a mill a year to make good money in medicine you just need to invest your physician salary well and you will 100% be wealthy regardless of what specialty you choose-we have very high floors something not many professions have

 

[NontradCA]

making $230-260,000

 

[Sardonix]

Does it though?

As in, does being someone who specializes in geriatric medicine and likely knows the nursing home game way better than others help? I would hope so at least. Though I am open to hearing why it would not.

 

[Sardonix]

View attachment 317275

I like the meme, but again, this is in the context of having previously thought that geriatrics was one of those magical fellowships that somehow DECREASES income. For a non-procedure specialty 230-260 is great.

 

[NontradCA]

I like the meme, but again, this is in the context of having previously thought that geriatrics was one of those magical fellowships that somehow DECREASES income. For a non-procedure specialty 230-260 is great.

Geriatrics is going to be a gold mine. Was just laughing at the number, not necessarily speaking to how lucrative the specialty is.

 

[Deecee2DO]

Geriatrics is going to be a gold mine. Was just laughing at the number, not necessarily speaking to how lucrative the specialty is.

Are yall bein serious about Geri? lol like genuinely curious because I always thought it wasnt that lucrative and you were better off not doing the fellowship and just doing FM. If this is true thats kinda dope lol

 

[scoopdaboop]

I like the meme, but again, this is in the context of having previously thought that geriatrics was one of those magical fellowships that somehow DECREASES income. For a non-procedure specialty 230-260 is great.

That does not sound great at all. PASS.

 

[Candidate2017]

I like the meme, but again, this is in the context of having previously thought that geriatrics was one of those magical fellowships that somehow DECREASES income. For a non-procedure specialty 230-260 is great.

Just reviewing a 5 page med list for a geri patient should pay $230k-260k.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Are yall bein serious about Geri? lol like genuinely curious because I always thought it wasnt that lucrative and you were better off not doing the fellowship and just doing FM. If this is true thats kinda dope lol

Yeah. The pay is higher than that where I’ve seen it. But not derm or anything. Again, the real financial incentive is that you can make a solid income and you can do most of it from home on your laptop and only visit these patients once/week barring any unusual complications. And it’s not like the visits even have anything to do most of the time. The majority of the visits, everything is stable from last week.

 

[Sardonix]

Geriatrics is going to be a gold mine. Was just laughing at the number, not necessarily speaking to how lucrative the specialty is.

Ahh, now I got what you're saying. Guns away boys, we'll get em' next time!

Are yall bein serious about Geri? lol like genuinely curious because I always thought it wasnt that lucrative and you were better off not doing the fellowship and just doing FM. If this is true thats kinda dope lol

See? Now that's was I says.

That does not sound great at all. PASS.

Guns back up boys, it's next time!