Did MS-III change your choice of specialty?

[Green Chimneys]

By the time MS-II winds down, many students have an idea of what they think they would like to pursue for their residency and career. Some would say that you will have no idea what you want to do until you work through your rotations. I'm curious what portion of SDNers changed their mind during third year. I'm not talking about changes from what you thought you wanted before you came to medical school, or during the pre-clinical years. This poll is referring only to changes from the start of 3rd year until you submitted your match application (or to right now for current 3rd years).

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[Green Chimneys]

Perhaps I should have added the option "3rd year didn't change my mind, but an unexpectedly good/bad USMLE score did"

 

[smq123]

By the time MS-II winds down, many students have an idea of what they think they would like to pursue for their residency and career. Some would say that you will have no idea what you want to do until you work through your rotations. I'm curious what portion of SDNers changed their mind during third year. I'm not talking about changes from what you thought you wanted before you came to medical school, or during the pre-clinical years. I'm referring only to changes from the start of 3rd year until you submitted your residency application (or to right now for current 3rd years).

Yes.

Ended 2nd year thinking that I wanted to do Internal Medicine, and then ID.

Went into this past Christmas break knowing that I wanted to do either OB/gyn or surgery - and that I never wanted to do internal medicine. Ever.

Things can change quite dramatically during third year!

(I should add that, in fact, when I ended 2nd year, I was "practically certain" that I'd hate OB/gyn and surgery - so I scheduled those two things early in the year to get them over with! Things have certainly changed....)

 

[nykka3]

Yes.

Ended 2nd year thinking that I wanted to do Internal Medicine, and then ID.

Went into this past Christmas break knowing that I wanted to do either OB/gyn or surgery - and that I never wanted to do internal medicine. Ever.

Things can change quite dramatically during third year!

Well I started MS3 year knowing that I was not interested in OBGYN. I thought I would do IM then either ID,GI, or onc. I hated IM. I fell in love with OBGYN and I had a crush on Plastics for a bit. I went with OBGYN and I am eagerly awaiting Match Day!

So be open minded during 3rd year. Don't fight it!

 

[drivesmecraazee]

Well I started MS3 year knowing that I was not interested in OBGYN. I thought I would do IM then either ID,GI, or onc. I hated IM. I fell in love with OBGYN and I had a crush on Plastics for a bit. I went with OBGYN and I am eagerly awaiting Match Day!

So be open minded during 3rd year. Don't fight it!

It's true. Lots of people tell me this. They all said that if you're open minded and don't try to force things you'll definetly find your speciality. Hope I can start my rotations with no predjuices.

 

[lord_jeebus]

No, but it helped eliminate everything else I was considering.

I'm still interested in the same subspecialty I wanted to go into since senior year of college (and that first got me interested in medicine at age 18). This is unusual, I'm sure.

 

[Ashers]

It didn't change my top specialty, but I briefly considered others, and completely ruled out other specialties.

 

[DoctorFunk]

It didn't change my top specialty, but I briefly considered others, and completely ruled out other specialties.

Agreed. 3rd year has done more to confuse me than anything else. I had at least two specialties (other than the one I will likely apply to) that I felt 90% sure I would go into at some point this year. I guess it just speaks to the fact that many of us would be perfectly happy in several different specialties.

 

[coastal]

Complete switch. I was 110% rural family medicine but got into a joint room and fell in love with Ortho. Luckily I'm in Canada where Ortho isn't as competitive as in the States (ie. they don't get paid as much) so such a switch is possible. I guess I'll find out if it all worked out as Canadian match results come out next week.....

MS-III was also very useful for solidifying what I DON'T like. This ended up being pretty much everything except Ortho and Family medicine, although I didn't do rotations in other things I think would be cool such as Plastics and Vascular. Everything else was a varying degree of suckiness.

 

[DocMizzle]

My experience was a little different than the above posters in that I had no idea what I wanted to go into starting out this year. Of course, there were a couple specialties I was pretty sure I wouldn't like, but overall, before the start of this year, I didn't really have enough first-hand experience to make a call one way or another. So I entered this year determined to keep a completely open mind, work hard on each rotation, and give each specialty a legitimate try.

This strategy worked well for me in two ways: 1) the hard work and legitimate interest on each rotation was reflected on my grades and evals; 2)more importantly, because I have already rotated through all of the specialties I was potentially interested in, I am now able to say confidently what I will be applying to this fall, general surgery. And, as I will be entering a specialty with a long, difficult residency, I feel like my mind will be at ease knowing that I tried other specialties, and there is nothing else I could see myself doing for the rest of my career.

 

[njbmd]

I went into medical school thinking that I wound do peds/adolescent medicine. Finished second year with a passion for Pathology (had a Pathology Honors Fellowship at the end of second year). Did General Surgery in the middle of third year and that was it. I was hooked. I had an excellent third year and learned loads of things on every rotation but loved surgery.

 

[THP]

I went into 3rd year thinking I would do some sort of competitive lifestyle oriented surgical subspecialty - probably urology (ie unexpectedly high step 1). Now I am planning on matching into OB/GYN. Go Figure.

 

[vtucci]

Went into 3rd year expecting to do emergency medicine and will definitely still be doing EM.

 

[Top Gun]

Well, in my first two years of med school, I dreamed about being a trauma surgeon. But when third year rolled around, I realized I didn't have the temperament necessary to be a surgeon, and discovered I enjoyed the intellectual challenge of internal medicine. So that's why I'm applying to internal medicine these days.

 

[Green Chimneys]

Very interesting responses. Anecdotally I often hear that 3rd year will turn your assumptions about your career upside down, but to be honest I expected at least a 50/50 split with people saying they stuck with their original assumptions. Very interesting, but also a bit troubling. Since most medical students don't get to rotate through too many things outside of the core clerkships and a select few electives before it's time to send off applications, it seems conceivable that many of us could be missing out on what we really want to do with our lives. But hey, if you don't know what you're missing, you can't really miss it, right?

 

[smq123]

Very interesting, but also a bit troubling. Since most medical students don't get to rotate through too many things outside of the core clerkships and a select few electives before it's time to send off applications, it seems conceivable that many of us could be missing out on what we really want to do with our lives. But hey, if you don't know what you're missing, you can't really miss it, right?

I see what you're saying, but I think that rotations will help you realize what "characteristics" of a specialty appeal to you. For instance, I've never rotated through pathology or radiology - but I know, from my rotations, that I love daily interaction with patients. So I can tell, already, that I wouldn't really like path or rads. I know from my ob/gyn and surgery rotations that I love being in the OR - so I can pretty much tell that I won't like EM, rehab medicine, or neurology, even though I haven't done those rotations yet.

So if you go through third year looking at what aspects of medicine appeal to you (instead of looking at which specialties appeal to you), then it will help you narrow down your search more.

Good luck!

 

[misery]

I've wanted to be a surgeon since I literally knew what one was. Since third year I have constantly resisted the allures of other "better lifestyle"
specialties that get paid around the same. (i.e., ER and Gas) Now as third year closes, I'm pretty darn sure I'll be working shifts somewhere. At some point you have to be honest with yourself, and I just realized I HATE working a lot with no control of my schedule.

 

[domer621]

3rd year has been a lot more helpful at helping me rule out fields rather than rule them in, unfortunately.

 

[Blade28]

Nope.

 

[Law2Doc]

Very interesting responses. Anecdotally I often hear that 3rd year will turn your assumptions about your career upside down, but to be honest I expected at least a 50/50 split with people saying they stuck with their original assumptions. Very interesting, but also a bit troubling. Since most medical students don't get to rotate through too many things outside of the core clerkships and a select few electives before it's time to send off applications, it seems conceivable that many of us could be missing out on what we really want to do with our lives. But hey, if you don't know what you're missing, you can't really miss it, right?

Yeah, I think the big flaw of med school is forcing so many cores down your throat in 3rd year at the expense of trying out some other things you think you are more likely to be interested in. You still get a couple of electives early in 4th year, but if you are interested in a field with an early match it probably gets pretty tight. Best to squeeze in some shadowing earlier if you can manage it and have the forethought.

However I have to admit that most people at least learn that they don't hate some of the core rotations as much as they assumed, and more than a few folks get turned off by rotations in fields they originally thought they might like.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

I always saw myself as being Internal Medicine, probably subspecializing. Now, no way in hell.

 

[Tired]

I went into 3rd year expecting to be a General Surgeon. Did six blocks that confirmed for me that I didn't want to do FP, IM, Psych, Ob, or any of that other garbage. Then I did Gen Surg, had a rockin' rotation, a lot of indoctrination into the "club, and learned a million clinical things that I continue to use now.

But man, the people were so damn unhappy. And not just a couple of them; it was almost every single one. I knew I couldn't live like that.

Then an Orthopod farted in front of me and told a penis joke, and I knew I had found my home . . .

 

[coastal]

Then an Orthopod farted in front of me and told a penis joke, and I knew I had found my home . . .

lol....I can't wait to come home.......

 

[bjolly]

It didn't change my top specialty, but I briefly considered others, and completely ruled out other specialties.

same exactly for me. I went in pretty sure I knew what I wanted (neuro), did that rotation first and loved it. Then I did all the other rotations, and for almost each one I had a brief period of "maybe this is it" but nothing else came close to my first choice field. Ended the year with the same choice of specialty and feeling very sure about it.

 

[Blade28]

Then an Orthopod farted in front of me and told a penis joke, and I knew I had found my home . . .

Hey, we do that too! Except...well...I guess we didn't have the board scores to match into Ortho.

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

Got hooked on ophtho < 1 month into my gig as an ophthalmic tech. Knew it was the field for me. Started med school gung-ho ophtho.

Third year was just confirmation of what NOT to do (i.e. everything else)!

 

[DOCTORSAIB]

Then an Orthopod farted in front of me and told a penis joke, and I knew I had found my home . . .

You crack me up man.

 

[Tired]

Hey, we do that too! Except...well...I guess we didn't have the board scores to match into Ortho.

Couple points:

#1 - You have far too many women to get away with farts or penis jokes

#2 - As I used to point out to JPH, according to the American College of Surgeons, no intern may be accepted into General Surgery unless they are rejected from an Orthopaedic Surgery internship first. It's the law.

 

[MedGoatTX]

I was hardcore Internal Medicine GI going into third year. Now, coming up on the end of fourth, it'll be Peds GI or PICU.

 

[Blade28]

Couple points:

#1 - You have far too many women to get away with farts or penis jokes

#2 - As I used to point out to JPH, according to the American College of Surgeons, no intern may be accepted into General Surgery unless they are rejected from an Orthopaedic Surgery internship first. It's the law.

(1) True.

(2) Ouch!

 

[smq123]

#1 - You have far too many women to get away with farts or penis jokes

(1) True.

On my surgery rotation, being a girl wasn't enough to stop the residents from making jokes about farts and penises in front of me.

Being a girl also wasn't enough to stop me from laughing at these jokes.

What can I say? They were crass, but funny.

 

[Blade28]

On my surgery rotation, being a girl wasn't enough to stop the residents from making jokes about farts and penises in front of me.

Being a girl also wasn't enough to stop me from laughing at these jokes.

What can I say? They were crass, but funny.

So apparently you're a cool girl! A tomboy, perhaps? Or just one of those "normal" girls who's considered "one of the guys"?

 

[UT_mikie]

I've narrowed the field. Woopee. I went into 3rd year certain I would hate general surgery and OB/Gyn. Was right about General Surg, was dead wrong about OB. I loved OB/gyn but when it comes down to it, I don't want to have to miss out on my kid's baseball game or be sleep deprived for the rest of my life just b/c I love screaming babies and vag-a-thon's.

I will miss being able to write/say "vag" and not be reprimanded for it.

So for now, I'm pretty its down to.
1. Neuro
2. IM-subspecialty
3. Rads

I haven't done neuro, but I really hope I love it, b/c its def a lifestyle I can handle, that's away from the OR, and salary is decent, and cerebral enough, but not as much endless talking as in IM. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Blade28]

I loved OB/gyn but when it comes down to it, I don't want to have to miss out on my kid's baseball game or be sleep deprived for the rest of my life just b/c I love screaming babies and vag-a-thon's.
...
I haven't done neuro, but I really hope I love it, b/c its def a lifestyle I can handle, that's away from the OR, and salary is decent, and cerebral enough, but not as much endless talking as in IM.

Interesting, since OB/GYN is almost the complete opposite!

*Bad lifestyle
*Involves the OR
*Usually not a great salary
*Usually not so cerebral

What kind of field are you looking for, exactly?

 

[DoctorFunk]

I haven't done neuro, but I really hope I love it, b/c its def a lifestyle I can handle, that's away from the OR, and salary is decent, and cerebral enough, but not as much endless talking as in IM. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Get ready for even more endless talking than IM with even fewer treatment options!

 

[Ashers]

So for now, I'm pretty its down to.
1. Neuro
2. IM-subspecialty
3. Rads

I haven't done neuro, but I really hope I love it, b/c its def a lifestyle I can handle, that's away from the OR, and salary is decent, and cerebral enough, but not as much endless talking as in IM. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I haven't done my medicine rotation yet, so I can't quite compare, but I'm pretty sure 5 hour neuro rounds on 6 patients is endless talking.

The thing I'm going to miss about surgery is fast rounding. Even though I want to do ortho, my surgical rotation still sucked. Oh well... 4 more months til 4th year (2 peds/2 IM).

 

[Gravi69]

Change my choice of specialty? MS3 nearly changed my choice of profession.

I've never felt more frustrated.

Constant preening to influence subjective evaluations
Smiling in the face of psychological abuse

and to top it all off, PAYING $40K/yr to receive the "honor" of the aforementioned.

I'd walk away from it all if I was (don't even joke about it now ) asked to repeat MS3.

 

[G0S2]

I thought it was medicine to heme/onc all the way until I hit the dreaded "status roundicus" and note writing. I haven't found anything that particularly strikes me this year. I am going to start off MS4 with Rad Onc and Anesthesiology to see if I can find something.

 

[Arsenic]

Well, in my first two years of med school, I dreamed about being a trauma surgeon. But when third year rolled around, I realized I didn't have the temperament necessary to be a surgeon, and discovered I enjoyed the intellectual challenge of internal medicine. So that's why I'm applying to internal medicine these days.

similar story here except i was dead set on Emergency Med and then realized i couldn't deal with all the drug seekers, drunks and idiots that put their arms through windows in anger and need 20 stitches at 3 in the morning. IM just fits my personality better so thats what i ended up applying to. couldnt do straight up IM though so i'm looking at one of its more hands on fellowships, Pulmonary/Critical Care. all the things i like of emergency med like urgency, critically ill patients, shift work, etc... without any of the BS.

 

[Sean2tall]

Perhaps I should have added the option "3rd year didn't change my mind, but an unexpectedly good/bad USMLE score did"

I would say this is the most accurate answer for me. I don't know if 3rd year rotations themselves contributed much to changing my mind, but getting my Step 1 score, which was somewhat disappointing, made me think, "Oh crap, what am I going to do now?" leading me to consider all sorts of options I had previously not considered. That was probably a good thing, since I had been somewhat of a one-track-mind up to that point, thinking I would do Radiology. Ultimately I considered most fields at least briefly due to that.

But ultimately, the spirit of the question is: Did you change your mind about specialty during third year? And my answer is yes.

 

[domer621]

I don't know if 3rd year rotations themselves contributed much to changing my mind, but getting my Step 1 score, which was somewhat disappointing, made me think, "Oh crap, what am I going to do now?" leading me to consider all sorts of options I had previously not considered. That was probably a good thing, since I had been somewhat of a one-track-mind up to that point, thinking I would do Radiology. Ultimately I considered most fields at least briefly due to that.

Unless you got a 190 and were applying to derm, I wouldn't let your score totally change your mind like that... you never know. Just make sure to apply far and wide. It's worth it to do something you enjoy.

 

[Gravi69]

Unless you got a 190 and were applying to derm, I wouldn't let your score totally change your mind like that... you never know. Just make sure to apply far and wide. It's worth it to do something you enjoy.

Grades can play a role too. For instance, no 3rd year honors at all might not be as crushing as a 190 but can still serve as a significant hindrance for someone interested in a highly competitive field (like derm)

 

[Kubed]

Change my choice of specialty? MS3 nearly changed my choice of profession.

I've never felt more frustrated.

Constant preening to influence subjective evaluations
Smiling in the face of psychological abuse

and to top it all off, PAYING $40K/yr to receive the "honor" of the aforementioned.

I'd walk away from it all if I was (don't even joke about it now ) asked to repeat MS3.

Wow, I've had the complete opposite experience. I was ready to drop out of med school after 2nd year. I was serious enough to talk to the deans at my school about it and had been approved for a leave of absence.

But man, first day of my FM rotation in July my attending shook my hand and said "welcome to the game, it's time to get off the bench." It's been all honors after that and I've never been happier.

I thought IF I made it to a residency, it would prob be peds, but I found my long lost family in the OR.

 

[RockfordWF]

I decided I was doing emergency medicine shortly after I became an EMT at the age of 18.

 

[docjolly]

as an entering MSI, I already had my heart dead-set on Emergency Medicine. Now that I am almost done with MSIII year, I can honestly say that my idea hasn't changed. EM is what I am 99% certain that I will enter into (the 1% is residual from my surgery rotation, which I loved, and left me considering a career in general surgery).

 

[Sean2tall]

Unless you got a 190 and were applying to derm, I wouldn't let your score totally change your mind like that... you never know. Just make sure to apply far and wide. It's worth it to do something you enjoy.

That's the thing. I wouldn't say the score changed my mind. There was a period of a few weeks where I was shaken and thought I could only go for the least competitive specialties. Then ultimately I decided that if I still wanted Radiology I could do it and continued to say that's what I was doing for a several months, but I ended up changing my mind anyway.