ENT vs. Urology

[poultry123]

Hi, a 3rd year in dire need of advice-
Definitely interested in doing a surgical subspeciality, but am seeking one that would allow me to do diagnosis and practice medical management as well. I've been told that both ENT and urology have aspects of medicine to them, but I'm trying to figure which has more... any thoughts?
thanks!

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[bobbyseal]

Hi, a 3rd year in dire need of advice-
Definitely interested in doing a surgical subspeciality, but am seeking one that would allow me to do diagnosis and practice medical management as well. I've been told that both ENT and urology have aspects of medicine to them, but I'm trying to figure which has more... any thoughts?
thanks!

If you really want to do medicine with surgery, go into transplant surgery. ENT and urology each have a little medicine, but honestly, they are surgical specialties.

 

[cytoskelement]

If you really want to do medicine with surgery, go into transplant surgery. ENT and urology each have a little medicine, but honestly, they are surgical specialties.

Agreed.

 

[VCMM414]

If you really want to do medicine with surgery, go into transplant surgery. ENT and urology each have a little medicine, but honestly, they are surgical specialties.

I agree with this. I've been down this path before, but have since come to the conclusion that ENT and Urology don't really practice as much medical management as we often hear. Transplant surgery is definitely one field that encompasses both aspects. Ophthalmology is another I think. Believe it or not, so is Ob/Gyn, probably one of the most balanced fields in terms of being able to practice surgery, primary care, critical care, medical management, etc.

 

[Sammich81]

It depends how much medical management you want. For sure transplant gives you the most of all the surgical areas. However, ENT and urology let you manage a focused problem as well as do some fairly sophisticated diagnostics. What do you want? Bear in mind transplant is a much, much longer road that will never ever offer you a good lifestyle.

 

[poultry123]

Thanks for the replies people.
Sammich, you're right.. I'm looking for something with a more flexible lifestyle than transplant.
And VCM, you're right that OB/GYN offers a lot too, but again, hectic lifestyle, huge malpractice, and I don't see myself reaching into vaginas for the rest of my life.
I'm sorta looking for the whole pie- good lifestyle, fun procedures, lots to think about in terms of diagnosis/management... which is the magical field that offers it all?
confused..

 

[KitesurfDaEarth]

This applies to urology only...I think it varies depending if you are staying in academics or going into private practice. In terms of medicine, its not you know hard core medicine like obsessing of lab values and such (i think thats why we have those super smart nephrologists). I have had experience at both and the private practice guys do alot of clinic (ED, BPH, GU infections), but I am not sure if this is synonymous with medicine. Because there is a pretty high demand you can basically choose if you want to do alot of clinic or not. and contrary to what you may think. the more time you spend in clinic vs. the OR, the more money you make.

As for ENT, I shadowed one in private practice when I was an MS1 and basically he was a human Q-tip with a bad attitude. and thats when i crossed that one off the list.

If you want the lifestyle, the money, patient interaction, and your cool with doing the same procedures over and over again with no big wacks go into private practice.

 

[TheThroat]

Oto has plenty of diagnostic medicine involved, but its still nothing like internal medicine, where patients may have several interacting issues at hand.

When it comes to deciding between oto and uro, its just a question of which head you rather work on.

 

[Leukocyte]

When it comes to deciding between oto and uro, its just a question of which head you rather work on.

Outch!

 

[hans19]

It all boils down to this:

Which would you rather work with... NOSES or HOSES?
THROAT or SCROT'?

 

[mysophobe]

Can you picture yourself working on a necrotic scrotum? If not, do ENT (my plans for urology and a vascectomy changed after that one).

 

[-Goose-]

Can you picture yourself working on a necrotic scrotum? If not, do ENT (my plans for urology and a vascectomy changed after that one).

ACK!

 

[mysophobe]

Quite.

 

[flip a coin]

Should I pursue urology or ENT?

When I first started medical school I completely dedicated my life to the medical field. Now that I am a third year, some things have changed. I had a close friend who died shortly after finishing his education. I also started a family. These events made me realize that the most important thing in my life is friends and family. I don't want medicine to define me. I just want it to be a part of my life.

Anyway, I just got my board scores back, and I did pretty well ( >260). I have been thinking about going into ENT, but I am not sure if the lifestyle is too much for me. Honestly, I don't want to work more then 50 hours a week for the rest of my life. I can get through five years no problem but not much more. Basically, I want to make enough money that I don't have to work all the time. I also want to make enough money that I can have time to do charity work.

Does ENT or Urology fit this? Is there a better fit?

 

[sponch]

Should I pursue urology or ENT?

When I first started medical school I completely dedicated my life to the medical field. Now that I am a third year, some things have changed. I had a close friend who died shortly after finishing his education. I also started a family. These events made me realize that the most important thing in my life is friends and family. I don't want medicine to define me. I just want it to be a part of my life.

Anyway, I just got my board scores back, and I did pretty well ( >260). I have been thinking about going into ENT, but I am not sure if the lifestyle is too much for me. Honestly, I don't want to work more then 50 hours a week for the rest of my life. I can get through five years no problem but not much more. Basically, I want to make enough money that I don't have to work all the time. I also want to make enough money that I can have time to do charity work.

Does ENT or Urology fit this? Is there a better fit?

Two words. Rad onc.

 

[Wallachia]

Originally Posted by flip a coin
Should I pursue urology or ENT?

When I first started medical school I completely dedicated my life to the medical field. Now that I am a third year, some things have changed. I had a close friend who died shortly after finishing his education. I also started a family. These events made me realize that the most important thing in my life is friends and family. I don't want medicine to define me. I just want it to be a part of my life.

Anyway, I just got my board scores back, and I did pretty well ( >260). I have been thinking about going into ENT, but I am not sure if the lifestyle is too much for me. Honestly, I don't want to work more then 50 hours a week for the rest of my life. I can get through five years no problem but not much more. Basically, I want to make enough money that I don't have to work all the time. I also want to make enough money that I can have time to do charity work.

Does ENT or Urology fit this? Is there a better fit?

Two words. Rad onc.

uro would be better job security since they are buying machines/employing rad oncs and they are source of referal

 

[PowderHound]

I'm an MS3 interested in both these fields as well, but I know they're both extremely competitive. I scored 231 on Step 1...can this cut it?

 

[henson]

These are both good specialities so it depends on your experiences with them on rotations.
If you are worried about quality of life, avoid general surgery, neurosurgery or transplant surgery. Any surgical subspeciality other than those is fine.
Most urologists have plenty of time for family and friends, and seem like a happy lot, but the same goes for ENT.
231 is good enough. Everyone gets panicked and writes that their score is 299, but they are worried. Stop worrying, just apply and if you have a good interview, you will get it.

 

[TheThroat]

The most important part of your application is research. Do some clinical or basic science research (if you can find the time), and that will help you get interviews more than anything else.

 

[KayBee]

Hi. I find it very interesting how different people are sometimes. How i would love a program that is purely procedure and no diagnosis or management invovled. If only life were that perfect.

Anybody knows which surgery subspecialty comes closest?

 

[g293]

If you really want to do medicine with surgery, go into transplant surgery. ENT and urology each have a little medicine, but honestly, they are surgical specialties.

I'm a urologist. Yes we are surgical sub-specialists, but I can tell you I personally spend much more time in my clinic than in an OR. I have madethe initial diagnoses on several cases of MS (bladder dysfunction), diabetes, GI tumors, occult spinal cord disease, etc. (usually after the primary care physician has given them multiple courses of antibiotics for a "UTI" and the patient isn't gettign any better). I do involved infertility work ups, have to know neuro-urology, etc. We do a fair amount of "medicine" without the headaches of transplant or IM.

If you want patient interaction, follow up, medical management and surgical management, then urology is a great career path.

 

[eyerepairman]

but am seeking one that would allow me to do diagnosis and practice medical management as well. I've been told that both ENT and urology have aspects of medicine to them,

Trying to conceptialize specialties is difficult. People need to do a rotation in it as well as talk with people in that specialty.

ENT is harder to get....and knowing all that neck anatomy all I know is the head bone is connected to the chest bone....

 

[Jackofknives]

Trying to conceptialize specialties is difficult. People need to do a rotation in it as well as talk with people in that specialty.

ENT is harder to get....and knowing all that neck anatomy all I know is the head bone is connected to the chest bone....

"head bone" is not directly connected to the "chest bone"

 

[chopperdoc]

I wouldn't say that ENT is harder to get. There are many ways to classify the competiveness of a specialty and last year I believe Urology had the highest unmatched rate of all specialties -- it is no cake walk. I do believe, however, that most Urology programs evaluate a student's entire application and don't just focus on the numbers.

Urologist are generally more laid back and easy-going than ENTs. They are the happiest group of doctors I've worked with and it is for these reasons I chose urology.

 

[KitesurfDaEarth]

I am in the same boat man. My problem is I dont do my surgery clerkship until the very end it will be too late to apply for sub-i by then especially if i realize i want to early match into urology. So i feel like I kind of have to shoot from the hip on this one and take in as much information about the two that I can get. From the previous poster....are Uro guys really that much more laid back than ENT? One thing that really drew me into the field was how tight everyone was in the department and how cool they were, I was under the impression that ENT was the same way. Perhaps I am mistaken? Like others before me have said, the two are so similar it is just your preference in operative fields in the end I guess.

I am aware that this is a somewhat ridiculous question but I have to ask it because it is running through my mind. I would say I am pretty average in terms of competitiveness for these residencies, 243 on the boards good GPA but no AOA, no research....its a wierd thing to ask, but I would consider myself a very normal laid-back person, i've traveled the world and had some horrible jobs....I feel like a complete ass saying this but the strongest part of my application is my personality and ability to communicate to others. This has come up in several evals and feedback from residents. Will this 'pull more weight' in ENT or urology???
go ahead flame on.

hi five!

 

[TheThroat]

Hi. I find it very interesting how different people are sometimes. How i would love a program that is purely procedure and no diagnosis or management invovled. If only life were that perfect.

Anybody knows which surgery subspecialty comes closest?

General surgery is less dx than oto or uro, but most surgical specialities have SOME dx and mgt to them.

 

[andros]

Hi. I find it very interesting how different people are sometimes. How i would love a program that is purely procedure and no diagnosis or management invovled. If only life were that perfect.

Anybody knows which surgery subspecialty comes closest?

I haven't done an ortho rotation, but from what limited knowledge I have of it you're basically looking at films and figuring out how to fix it. Have you thought about ortho?

 

[Mman]

Believe it or not, so is Ob/Gyn, probably one of the most balanced fields in terms of being able to practice surgery, primary care, critical care, medical management, etc.

critical care???? Yikes. From my limited exposure at a few places I would not want an OB/GYN managing anything having to do with a critically ill patient other than things directly related to ob or gyn. Hemodynamics, ventilators, sepsis, ...... no thanks. Heck, well some places do it I don't think that their residents are required to rotate through even 1 month of an ICU.

 

[GuP]

The "sane" specialties with a healthy blend of medicine and surgery that come to mind include OB-GYN and Ophthalmology. All of the other surgical arenas (besides transplant) are more tilted towards surgery. There is a fair amount of medicine involved in oto and uro but these fields are inherent surgical subspecialties and, hence, have more surgery than medicine.

 

[spicysoup55]

bump