hem onco vs allergy immunology

[drjedi]

Hi Guys, i really need your advice about this one, which speciality from
allergy immunology vs hem onco is good for me??? my priorities are
1-good life style with work load of around 50 -70 hrs
2- financially rewarding
3-good job prospect after fellowship
4- which is easy to get
5- future of these fellowships???
i myself dont know about both as i have not done any electives so far so really confused. will really appreciate your inputs. thanks

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[drfunktacular]

Hi Guys, i really need your advice about this one, which speciality from
allergy immunology vs hem onco is good for me??? my priorities are
1-good life style with work load of around 50 -70 hrs
2- financially rewarding
3-good job prospect after fellowship
4- which is easy to get
5- future of these fellowships???
i myself dont know about both as i have not done any electives so far so really confused. will really appreciate your inputs. thanks

Man, I am having this exact same debate in my head lately. The immune/humoral aspects are what initially attracted me to hematology, but the more I thought about it I realized I can do a lot of those same things with a lot less call and much better lifestyle in Immunology.

 

[dharmabum7]

okay as somebody who went through this debate...let me answer your concerns...

->1-good life style with work load of around 50 -70 hrs

uh, generally 70 hours is usually not considered a good lifestyle

most allergists don't work this many hours...they are mostly 9-5 (many are 4 days a week), most don't have much in the way of call and if so its not demanding...

heme onc will vary according to the practice you join....a larger group would mean better distribution of work etc. heme onc can be back breaking to very family friendly but it depends on the practice you choose...

->2- financially rewarding

salaries in allergy range but usually people start in the late 180-200s and can potentially cap out at 400 depending on the practice you join...

heme onc start out higher and has the potential to make more than allergy (because of chemo etc) but it depends on how much work you want to put in.

->3-good job prospect after fellowship

job market is definitely better for heme-onc...more job options in major areas...allergy is a tougher market but job forecasts in allergy are expecting a shortage in the next few years...

->4- which is easy to get

both are relatively competitive...however allergy may be a tad harder due to the less number of spots...and the fact that medicine applicants will sometimes be competing with peds for the same spots...

5- future of these fellowships???

they are both great fields...really this is the way you have to look at it...
most heme-onc guys do both hematology and oncology. definately a much more demanding patient population but definately very rewarding. you can be very in heme-onc and your emergencies can be more life threatening.

allergy/imm...if you really like immuno, most priv. practice guys will not be doing pure immuno unless you choose to go academic. most of allergists will see a lot of asthma, allergy, food allergy and rhinitis/sinusitis...you have to like these diagnoses...also the amount of immuno you learn varies depending on where you do fellowship.

i would definately do a lot of electives as students and residents for both areas of specialty and try to decide where you see yourself...also research is definately recommended for both prior to applying for fellowship...

i decided on allergy/imm and i'm really happy with my decision but i think heme-onc would have been good too...

good luck.

 

[AIfellow]

Allergy and Immunology is the best field of all! Here's why:
1.) Great hours and no call
2.) Relaxing lifestyle and practice --- Work is never stressful, yet extremely rewarding. You should see how a patient who has suffered terribly from atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis thinks that you've changed their lives.
3.) Good salary -- Becomes even better when you think about the number of hours you actually work. Most allergist work only 4 days a week.
4.) Very intellectually rewarding --- If you think AI is just about asthma and allergies, think again. There's so much more. The immunology part is fascinating. So many new therapies and treatments in the pipeline.

 

[ghettomd]

Thought I should leave some feedback on heme/onc's behalf:

1. Lifestyle wise, Allergy is definitely better. Don't know if that is such a priority for people in medicine. I believe oncologist consistently have one of the highest job satisfaction among all fields. As stated above, most allergist work 4 day week, mostly if not all outpatient. Oncologist on the other end, work 5-7 days/week (mostly outpatient), depending on your desire for income.

2. Income: I think Heme/Onc, despite chemo not being reimbursed as a procedure, definitely has the upper hand. I know Oncologists central US making in excessive of 7 figures, although in popular areas (NYC, Southern Cali) starting salaries can be even lower than hospitalists...

3. Job Prospect: I think both subspecialties okay.. in more competitive locales it may not be that easy (again, Boston/NYC/LA) but around the country there are plenty of jobs, and I have not heard people in either specialty not being able to find a job in any location.

4. Competitiveness: Depends, allergy has less spots but also less applicants. In my program there were 4 AI applicants within the past 6 yrs, and all matched (2 of them without any research, from university affiliated medicine program, AMGs). I think if you are a FMG odds for Heme/Onc may be better, as research experience will outweigh the AMG status. But as AMG dont' expect to match in Heme/Onc unless you have some publications or are from a top tier program. Also Heme/Onc has more positions so it may be easier to stay within a certain locale.

5. Future: I dont think any subspecialty can match heme/onc in this aspect. You will see hundred of trials over a monthly basis on various chemotherapeutic agents... cardiology and oncology are the most well funded specialties when it comes to research...

Hope this helps...

 

[texashemonc]

Completely agree with other posters. AI is a fairly cushy field, probably least stressful in all of internal medicine private practice. Nearly all outpatient office practice, hardly ever see my AI colleagues in the hospital, never on the weekends! Very rare for hospital consults, much less any emergencies. If you don't mind the doldrums of dealing with allergy shots and testing, and want a relaxed lifestyle, that is the way to go.

Heme/Onc is much more stressful. Lots of inpatient consults for everything in addition to a demanding outpatient office at times with sicker, elderly patients. Definitely more variety though. Was in hospital last night at 3am with a emergency pregnant patient with DIC postpartum who bled and bled. Weekend call can be quite rough too. Not a good specialty for part-timers.

 

[docindi1]

Any suggestions on how to make up for residency at an average community program. It certainly hasnt helped me with my previous hemonc application. What all do I need which could make my application impressive despite the above?
I have research[ basic], publication possibly in a year and also an additional fellowship which I am doing currently.

 

[nomer24]

For those in allergy/immunology, what would you recommend for the following scenario:

1) R2 stuck between cardiology (going all the way with my true love) vs allergy/immunology (also love immunology and 'think' I would prefer the lifestyle)

2) Already have cardiology research, but no A/I research.

3) Elective rotation in October this year with the option of doing an outside rotation in A/I.

4) One letter so far (from program director), no idea how to get more A/I letters considering there is no A/I in our program.

Please help with any helpful advice...
thanks!

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

For those in allergy/immunology, what would you recommend for the following scenario:

1) R2 stuck between cardiology (going all the way with my true love) vs allergy/immunology (also love immunology and 'think' I would prefer the lifestyle)

2) Already have cardiology research, but no A/I research.

3) Elective rotation in October this year with the option of doing an outside rotation in A/I.

4) One letter so far (from program director), no idea how to get more A/I letters considering there is no A/I in our program.

Please help with any helpful advice...
thanks!

Can you get a hospitalist job at an academic center with A/I, and during your off time, do a year of research in an A/I lab?

 

[dharmabum7]

if you are interested in ai but no ai program. would try to rotate with an allergist (even community) to at least get a letter. also would consider doing some asthma research with a pulmonologist at your program. this would look if you are applying. would also consider trying to submit the aaaai conference, deadline is in early sept.

good luck.

 

[allergyasthma]

I had the dilemma between GI and A/I. GI was alot of fun due to procedures. Not much in A/I.

The pros of A/I is lifestyle, lifestyle, lifestyle. I love medicine but by the time I got done with IM residency, I was burnt out. I did not want to take care of another 90 year old with syncope. There isn't much that I can do. For those in IM, thank you for your dedication. We need good internist. That being said, A/I is rewarding. I get to see kids and adults. Food allergy is gratifying. There are those who say that it is boring. Wait til you have a kid with food allergy. It is really stressful trying to practice food avoidance. If you can lift that restriction, it is a huge relief for parents.

Allergic rhinitis---yeah this can be boring but it is a big income source.

Asthma--cool research coming down the pipeline, such as new biologics.

Immunodeficiency--rarely seen. If you see one, you've made a big impact on the patient's quality of life.

Heme/onc vs A/I? Heme/onc does have cool research protocols and job market is great..from what I hear. A/I job market is great too. I had 3 job offers in a big metropolitan city after training.

Call for A/I is nice. Wait did I say, what call??? I just carry my pager. Nice.

You HAVE to do rotation in both and ultimately decide what you enjoy. If you don't enjoy it, you will be unhappy, your patients will be unhappy and your life will suck. Mine don't. I like what I do.