What kind of doctor do you want to be? And why?

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Orthopedic surgeon.

When I busted up my knee I had surgery and the two doctors/surgeons I had were the coolest guys I ever met. I always wanted to be a physical therapist but I feel as a PT my job wouldn't be challenging enough. As an orthopedic surgeon I can still help people get better and back to their sports and experience autonomy and interesting and challenging work.
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I want to be a Plastic Surgeon or Spine Surgeon. I love surgery. Plastic surgery because I loves surgery, lifestyle and I would like to help people feel beautiful. Spine surgeon as a second choice because I love long hours surgery too, and help people to be fine without back pains and things bothering them.
 
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Infectious Disease Specialist, Neurosurgeon, or Oncologist.

All 3 are very complex and appeal to me more than anything else. An IDS is number one as I would love to solve mysteries and help patients that have diseases others can't find or fix.
 
I will wait until I am in medical school before I start deciding whetehr if i will specialize or not. Saying that I will brings a little ignorance.
 
What interests you the most now?

^^ That's the main point of this thread.
 
bcfan25 said:
Infectious Disease Specialist, Neurosurgeon, or Oncologist.

All 3 are very complex and appeal to me more than anything else. An IDS is number one as I would love to solve mysteries and help patients that have diseases others can't find or fix.
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Sounds like someone's been watching too much House. ;)

Dentist, comprehensive. WHAT?:rolleyes:
 
I actually do like House, but i'm well aware of how it is not very realistic in terms of how things are done. No hospital would let that stuff fly. I had some prior experience with ID which is what got me interested.

I however got my information on ID from here:
http://www.idsociety.org/
 
bcfan25 said:
I actually do like House, but i'm well aware of how it is not very realistic in terms of how things are done. No hospital would let that stuff fly. I had some prior experience with ID which is what got me interested.

I however got my information on ID from here:
http://www.idsociety.org/
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Well, it's good you're doing your homework. I was just kidding with you though, as the fields you mentioned were coincidentally the same as the main characters on the show (though I guess Foreman is a neurologist not a neurosurgeon, but heck, combine Chase and Foreman and you basically have a neurosurgeon...:rolleyes:). Both ID and oncology are very commendable specialties to pursue.
 
I know you were. I'll be doing lots of volunteer work and shadowing this summer to get a feel for what I like most as it's impossible to tell prior to seeing and experiencing the work first hand. Hopefully i'll get some good opportunities. :)

As far as undergrad majors are concerned i'm currently looking to pursue Biology (with a biomedical concentration) or Neuroscience. I'm a junior though so i'll have time for that to change.
 
Probably a pediatric EM physician, I think I'd love the action an I like the little people.
 
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Personally, I wanted to be the kind of surgeon that could take any surgical case and treat it, but fat chance of that happening since 'general surgeon' actually means 'abdominal surgeon' basically.

If I do, in the future, become a doctor, I would probably be something behind the scenes so that I don't have to interact with too many people.. Especially of the stupid kind. Research or something.
 
Archabacteria said:
Personally, I wanted to be the kind of surgeon that could take any surgical case and treat it, but fat chance of that happening since 'general surgeon' actually means 'abdominal surgeon' basically.
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Actually, general surgeon also means "huge gigantic abscess surgeon" or "someone accidentally 'sat' on something and got it stuck in there and can't get it out surgeon."
 
Radiology.

Although being a physician is something I've always wanted to be, I will always be a physicist at heart, and the closest I can be to physics in the field of medicine is radiology.

Plus, I enjoy complex, expensive machinery and high end computers. Radiology sounds like my kind of job. Who knows what we will have in 2019 when I get my MD.
 
FictiousForce said:
Radiology.

Although being a physician is something I've always wanted to be, I will always be a physicist at heart, and the closest I can be to physics in the field of medicine is radiology.

Plus, I enjoy complex, expensive machinery and high end computers. Radiology sounds like my kind of job. Who knows what we will have in 2019 when I get my MD.
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Unless you get involved in research, you're probably not going to be doing any physics or math as a radiologist. And to tell you the truth, you'll probably spend most of your day in a dark room staring at a big computer screen.

Although I do agree with you, the physics and math behind MRI and CT is pretty cool. In under grad w derived the equations, and then reconstructing and manipulating your own images kinda blows your mind.
 
bigtruckguy3500 said:
Unless you get involved in research, you're probably not going to be doing any physics or math as a radiologist. And to tell you the truth, you'll probably spend most of your day in a dark room staring at a big computer screen.

Although I do agree with you, the physics and math behind MRI and CT is pretty cool. In under grad w derived the equations, and then reconstructing and manipulating your own images kinda blows your mind.
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I know, I don't expect to be doing any physics while actually on the job, but sitting in that dark room, at least I can do some thought experiments in my head and keep my interest in physics alive.

Sitting in an air conditioned dark room behind a big, fancy, computer and managing complex machinery sounds fun.
 
Hospitalist. /Thread. Lawl jk. but not about the hospitalist. I've always felt that most people want to become Neurosurgeons and other high paying areas because of the money and status. I have nothing against Neurosurgeons but i just feel like people forget about the people they're treating. They treat them and toss them away and get their 5 grand for the day. I want to be a doctor who stays with the patient, a doctor who's always there if they have any questions. A doctor whos existence is based on the patient. Thats why i want to be a hospitalist. And 7 days on and 7 days off with 230k isn't bad either Rofl.
 
For me it would have to be Anesthesiology, Emergency medicine or pediatrics.

I find pharmacology to be fascinating, and being an anesthesiologist would require that I apply knowledge of pharmacology to successfully manage a patient during surgery.

Emergency medicine is a possibility since I work best in high pressure situations (and I'm kind of an adrenaline junkie) and being an ER would expose me to a wide variety of cases.

Lastly, I would enjoy being a pediatrician because I like children.

Of course, being a pharmacist is also an option for me, but I'm starting to think that working in a pharmacy would bore me to death.
 
I would like to become a Neurologist for several reasons. I can say the clique one about helping people but to be honest I wanted to choose a career where I can gain a lot of success, prestige and money; but I know if I wanted to become a doctor for those reason I could never achieve it. The why question was something I ponder for a long time and still don't have a complete answer but I believe I was meant to pursue this career strongly based on my love for math and science as well my keen intellect and observational skills. Plus, my father always wanted a doctor in the family and all the medical books he collected would just go in the trash. Though, I don't fully know why I want to become a doctor yet(besides the belief that I have to) I know why I would want to become a neurologist, last year my grandfather passed away but before he passed he had some symptoms of alzheimers and he just seems so lost and scared. I began to how horrible it would be to leave this world not knowing or understanding who your loved ones were.
 
GS or Endo. I think GS would be interesting, but I feel that unless I worked at a large hospital (urban or university setting), the surgeries would become monotonous and robotic. Lap Cholies, hernias, appies etc... Maybe this is not the case, but it seems this way to me. Endo, simply because as of right now, it seems so vast and interesting... I'll probably change my mind a million more times before I even step foot into a residency interview but hey, it's nice to dream.
 
A pathologist, because I hate dealing with patients who are alive.
 
I want to be a cardiologist because my family has a long history of heart problems.
 
bigtruckguy3500 said:
Actually, general surgeon also means "huge gigantic abscess surgeon" or "someone accidentally 'sat' on something and got it stuck in there and can't get it out surgeon."
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Ah, yes. Abscesses. My family has had a few of those all down the male line except for me. The Wilderness First aid book my dad has simplifies the procedure down to 'make incision, stuff cavity full of gauze.'
 
It's funny. I've always looked towards a career in general practice, whether as a MD or a PA. For whatever reason, the fast-pace of the emergency room has never really appealed to me. Can see why others are interested in it, but I've always been more interested in pediatrics and family care.
 
Archabacteria said:
Ah, yes. Abscesses. My family has had a few of those all down the male line except for me. The Wilderness First aid book my dad has simplifies the procedure down to 'make incision, stuff cavity full of gauze.'
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Your dad does this at home with out antibiotics or medicated gauze? He's got a heck of a lot more guts than I do. I've seen some nasty abscesses get even worse when people try to drain them themselves then come to the ER.
 
chrslbrt said:
I want to be a pharmacist (Yes, its a technically of doctor) because I actually want to enjoy my life.
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This is so funny I think I pee'd a little. I was a pharmacy major in undergrad before switching to pre-med/chemistry. Unless you want to work in a hospital, which is becoming very competitive (a good number of graduates complete a residency now), being a pharmacist might be the most soul-sucking job out there. I worked at a 24 hour CVS for two summers and it was awful. Sure, the pay is nice, but the job is mind-numbing and support from management is non-existent. To a big corporation you're just another worthless peon.

But don't let me hold you back! P.S. - I would throw Plastics and Rad Onc on your list of most competitive specialties.

And all you cats that want to be OB/GYN's, wait until you have to pay malpractice insurance. Your reaction will be that of state senator Clay Davis':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCySTWFcnlM&feature=related
 
I genuinely want to become a psychiatrist. I've always been interested in psychology it self, being a psychiatrist is just a bigger step/challenge. I want to know why people do the things they do and how does the body work in general, I'm so fascinated by humans in general, always wondering what's going through their mind. :corny:

Though it may sound cliche, my ultimate goal in life is to be able to die saying I've given back more than I've taken away. At the bare minimal make someone's day better with the small things. :)

Even though I'm a freshman in high school..I know I will absolutely love what I do. I want to make my life, my family's along with the future better, long term. I know I will achieve my goal/dream eventually.:xf::D
 
I want to be the kind that saves lives :)
The specialty won't matter until I get there.
 
Yeah! This is a great topic. I love to see people smile. That's one reason I wanted to become a cosmetic dentistry when I was a kid. How good it is to give people that natural and ever-charming look and a great smile! :) Not just that! The dream to become a Cosmetic Dentist came from seeing my relatives treat their clients as a dentist. And I think, being a cosmetic dentistry is a good profession to have because I will be able to help those people children who don't have any means to get regular dental check-up.

Kalamazoo Dentist | Dentist in Grand Rapids mi


 
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Personally, I would love to be a Pathologist, specializing in anatomical pathology. The only reason is I guess is it just interests me. Then again, I'm sure there's a 50% chance I'll change my mind.
 
bandgeek0295 said:
Personally, I would love to be a Pathologist, specializing in anatomical pathology. The only reason is I guess is it just interests me. Then again, I'm sure there's a 50% chance I'll change my mind.
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Medical examiner type of thing? The show 'Dr. G' is one of my favorite medical shows, and it seems like a decent career.
 
AntiHouseMD said:
Medical examiner type of thing? The show 'Dr. G' is one of my favorite medical shows, and it seems like a decent career.
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Nah, in a hospital environment. I'm finishing my last few weeks of volunteering in autopsy. Personally, I would love to do autopsies to find causes of disease/advance medical knowledge. It's a shame there's not nearly enough autopsies just to specialize in that. I've never been a fan of anything forensics, but I do enjoy those shows. On a side note, one of our Pathology residents got to work with Dr. G.:cool:
 
Yay!

My first post on this site!

I guess I can intro myself here :) I'm Dusty!

I think I would like to do some sort of surgery....trauma surgery and neurosurgery really interest me right now. But hey, I'm just a sophomore in high school so we'll so when I get to the end of med school, LOL.

Neurosurgery especially, the main reason being that I think we know so little about the brain and there's a lot of potential for advance there. I would like to be one of the people putting new technology and knowledge to good use.
 
Welcome to the forums Dusty.:) I am a high school junior. I used to want to do anything neuro. I wish you the best of luck.
 
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Anesthesiologist (particularly pediatric).
Plastic surgeon/ENT (reconstructive: burn victims and those born with deformities rather than the cosmetic part).
OMFS if I somehow learn to gain more interest in the mouth.
Maybe FM.

I'm quite indecisive. I'll most likely change my mind in like two months time. :laugh:
 
Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent (would consider an extra year in Forensic and specialize in pediatric forensic patients) is my top interest.
Under that, pediatric neurology or pediatric neurosurgery.
Under that, Preventive Medicine.
And, under that, Pediatric Rheumatology.
 
I'd love to be a Psychiatrist. Why? Because I have a passion for science and love to help people. Everyone comes to me for help and I love being reliable. I'd like to be a general Psychiatrist so I could serve all in need (I don't know if general could work with kids/teens though..) I also love neurology/psychology and fascinated by the human mind.

Medicine is a fabulous field with such rewarding experiences. This thread is also really inspiring to read. Seeing everyone's motivation for pursuing their specific medical field 8D
 
Fai said:
I'd love to be a Psychiatrist. Why? Because I have a passion for science and love to help people. Everyone comes to me for help and I love being reliable. I'd like to be a general Psychiatrist so I could serve all in need (I don't know if general could work with kids/teens though..) I also love neurology/psychology and fascinated by the human mind.

Medicine is a fabulous field with such rewarding experiences. This thread is also really inspiring to read. Seeing everyone's motivation for pursuing their specific medical field 8D
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A General Psychiatrist could, in theory, work with children and adolescents and many do in private practice; however, employers much prefer the C&A fellowship (2 extra years) and the fellowship, overall, gives you much more ability and freedom to work with the age group (in other words, it's harder to do without it, your skills improve with it and you become more marketable). By the way, psychiatrists who complete the child and adolescent fellowship (C&A) still work with adults; it does not limit you to the age group. Just so you know, there are also fellowships in Addiction Psych., Forensic Psych., Geriatric Psych., Psychosomatic/Consultant-Liaison Psych., Sleep Medicine and a few others that psychiatrists can do; but the fellowships required are not usually open to them. There are also fellowships that don't led to board certification in anything; but do explore a different sector (Public Psych., for example). The same idea applies with these: it, in no way, limits you to that one sub-specialty.

I love psych. passionately and it is the reason I am pursuing medicine. Though I listed other specialties, when it comes down to it, I have trouble seeing myself doing anything else.
 
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I want to be Dr. House. Because he gets to wear a suit, has a cool cane, and gets free Vicodin refills.
 
House doesn't get free Vicoden refills, he usually just bullies that poor pharmicist. ;)
 
Starlightembers said:
A General Psychiatrist could, in theory, work with children and adolescents and many do in private practice; however, employers much prefer the C&A fellowship (2 extra years) and the fellowship, overall, gives you much more ability and freedom to work with the age group (in other words, it's harder to do without it, your skills improve with it and you become more marketable). By the way, psychiatrists who complete the child and adolescent fellowship (C&A) still work with adults; it does not limit you to the age group. Just so you know, there are also fellowships in Addiction Psych., Forensic Psych., Geriatric Psych., Psychosomatic/Consultant-Liaison Psych., Sleep Medicine and a few others that psychiatrists can do; but the fellowships required are not usually open to them. There are also fellowships that don't led to board certification in anything; but do explore a different sector (Public Psych., for example). The same idea applies with these: it, in no way, limits you to that one sub-specialty.

I love psych. passionately and it is the reason I am pursuing medicine. Though I listed other specialties, when it comes down to it, I have trouble seeing myself doing anything else.
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Very informative. Thanks! I'll think about subspeciality in my fourth year of med school :p But it's good to know that I'm not "locked in" that subspeciality, per-se. Plus, there's a disappointing shortages of C&A Psychiatrists.

Psychiatry is such an awesome speciality and I'm glad I see that people DO care about this field of medicine (many want to go to higher paying specialities or think that Psych is a bunch of bogus). I agree with you. There are some specialties I would like to pursue as well, like Neurology or Optometric but Psych is the true passion for me.
 
You can ignore my username. It just goes to show how quickly my mind changes.
Now I want to become a skin doctor who can also perform minor surgical and aesthetic interventions (I shall leave you to guess the appropriate term for that;) ).
 
FictiousForce said:
I know, I don't expect to be doing any physics while actually on the job, but sitting in that dark room, at least I can do some thought experiments in my head and keep my interest in physics alive.

Sitting in an air conditioned dark room behind a big, fancy, computer and managing complex machinery sounds fun.
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I think what you're actually looking for is Rad Onc.
 
I want to be a cardiologist ! is simply my childhood dreams. also the place where I live( Kosova ), is the profession with more benefits.
 
I want to be a Neurosurgeon!, specialize in Spinal surgery. I love the anatomy and the fact that there is much much more to discover about the brain in years to come. its a very mysterious organ ill have to say.
 
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