I am between Neuro and IM for specialty choice. I've read the previous threads going back a decade on this topic and they have not helped me make a decision. As I am learning much more towards neuro at this point, I have made the topic in the neuro forum.
I am halfway through third year and am rapidly approaching the point of needing to make a sure decision for residency. My favorite rotations have been stroke and SICU (I enjoyed none of the rest of surgery except SICU.) I seem to enjoy excitement, emergencies, and diagnostic complexity inpatient. Outpatient I like having patients with diagnostic complexity and plenty of time/followup to figure out their problem. I've always thought I would do IM and wasn't particularly interested in neuroscience, but the acuity, complexity, and technology involved in stroke was fascinating. I started thinking very strongly about neuro when I realized the patient I was excited the most about in FM clinic all week was a patient in status migrainosus. Academically I have broad interests across IM subspecialties and neuro.
Things I don't like: HTN, hyperlipidemia, noncompliant patients that give a rat's ass about their health, diabetes in all forms, the OR, consulting anything interesting out to someone else, ortho/MSK, ob/gyn, drunk patients
Things I surprisingly like/don't bother me: Dealing with psych patients, vague complaints, end of life issues
I am considering neurocritical care (with the ability to cover stroke) vs pulm critical care. With high burnout rates in critical care, its also important for me to have an out later in my career so I can maintain my sanity. I am leaning towards neuro because general neurology clinic sounds significantly more stimulating than pulm clinic. However, I am concerned about coming out of training with weaker procedural skills, having my management decisions dictated by neurosurgeons in the NSICU, and overall fewer job opportunities as a critical care neurologist than as pulm CCM. I generally enjoy outpatient medicine and outpatient/inpatient neurology so this isn't an easy decision to make.
I am halfway through third year and am rapidly approaching the point of needing to make a sure decision for residency. My favorite rotations have been stroke and SICU (I enjoyed none of the rest of surgery except SICU.) I seem to enjoy excitement, emergencies, and diagnostic complexity inpatient. Outpatient I like having patients with diagnostic complexity and plenty of time/followup to figure out their problem. I've always thought I would do IM and wasn't particularly interested in neuroscience, but the acuity, complexity, and technology involved in stroke was fascinating. I started thinking very strongly about neuro when I realized the patient I was excited the most about in FM clinic all week was a patient in status migrainosus. Academically I have broad interests across IM subspecialties and neuro.
Things I don't like: HTN, hyperlipidemia, noncompliant patients that give a rat's ass about their health, diabetes in all forms, the OR, consulting anything interesting out to someone else, ortho/MSK, ob/gyn, drunk patients
Things I surprisingly like/don't bother me: Dealing with psych patients, vague complaints, end of life issues
I am considering neurocritical care (with the ability to cover stroke) vs pulm critical care. With high burnout rates in critical care, its also important for me to have an out later in my career so I can maintain my sanity. I am leaning towards neuro because general neurology clinic sounds significantly more stimulating than pulm clinic. However, I am concerned about coming out of training with weaker procedural skills, having my management decisions dictated by neurosurgeons in the NSICU, and overall fewer job opportunities as a critical care neurologist than as pulm CCM. I generally enjoy outpatient medicine and outpatient/inpatient neurology so this isn't an easy decision to make.