Whats a good Medical Specitalty??

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ACane78

ACane78

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So I was just wondering what people thought would be a good subspecialty or which they like the most and why? Thanks a bunch!
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A good specialty is one that you enjoy doing.

Since you're posting on hSDN, I'm guessing you're in HS now... there's absolutely no need for you to pick one at this point. I've changed my mind about what I want to do 5-6 times at least and I'm still not sure. Of my friends who are doctors who knew what they wanted to do when they started med school, none of them wound up in the specialties they said they would.


Now, if you're looking for a good gateway specialty, something to get some easy early exposure to medicine. A lot of high school students start out shadowing in Orthopedic Surgery. It's a good introductory field b/c you'll get to see what clinic is like and then you follow patients into surgery. There are arthroscopic cases, done with a scope, so it's projected onto a monitor and you'll actually get to see what's going on as opposed to an open surgery where only the people operating have a good view. I spent a summer shadowing an othopedic surgeon in HS and it got me hooked. It really is one of the big reasons I'm in medical school today.
 
Depakote said:
A good specialty is one that you enjoy doing.

Since you're posting on hSDN, I'm guessing you're in HS now... there's absolutely no need for you to pick one at this point. I've changed my mind about what I want to do 5-6 times at least and I'm still not sure. Of my friends who are doctors who knew what they wanted to do when they started med school, none of them wound up in the specialties they said they would.


Now, if you're looking for a good gateway specialty, something to get some easy early exposure to medicine. A lot of high school students start out shadowing in Orthopedic Surgery. It's a good introductory field b/c you'll get to see what clinic is like and then you follow patients into surgery. There are arthroscopic cases, done with a scope, so it's projected onto a monitor and you'll actually get to see what's going on as opposed to an open surgery where only the people operating have a good view. I spent a summer shadowing an othopedic surgeon in HS and it got me hooked. It really is one of the big reasons I'm in medical school today.
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Sounds nice. I am planning to shadow a orthopedic surgeon too.
 
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ACane78 said:
So I was just wondering what people thought would be a good subspecialty or which they like the most and why? Thanks a bunch!
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As of now, I'm really interested in neurology or neurosurgery simply because I find the brain/nervous system fascinating. Who knows what I'll want to do in 6 years when it comes time to actually apply to medical school, though! I am also intrigued by anesthesiology, but haven't shadowed anyone in the field so I don't really know what it is like.

This summer I am shadowing an eye surgeon (which will be particularly interesting because he has performed 2 eye surgeries on me). Hopefully this will give me some good exposure to other fields.
 
Yeah I haven't got to shadow anyone yet, but I plan on it. I'm only in 10th so I still have time, but I have a friend going to NEOUCOM and he said that shadowing helped him, and I still have to get a look to make sure its what I want to do. I hope that if I do shadow a surgeon that I'll get to actually see part of a surgery.
 
ACane78 said:
So I was just wondering what people thought would be a good subspecialty or which they like the most and why? Thanks a bunch!
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Orthopedic, LASIK, and Neuro surgery. They pay a lot.

In all seriousness though, a "good" specialty is one that is interesting to YOU. This is really personal preference, TBH. The only way I can really think about going about answering this is by answering with "which pays the highest?", which I already answered. The only other alternative is which pays the highest and doesn't take away too much time from your personal life. The magic specialty would probably be something along the lines of Dermatology.

Go into a specialty because you WANT TO. You don't want to spend the next 20-40 years of your life in a specialty you hate, especially if you aren't getting paid a lot because that just makes it a hundred times worse. Medicine isn't like Business or law, in those fields you can jump around and do a whole bunch of different stuff. You can have a degree in accounting and become a CFO or controller in your 40's and make a ton of money that way and you can do other stuff on the side. All you need is a CPA. In medicine, once you are in your specialty THAT IS IT, and what you get paid is what you get paid, there are no promotions, that's it.

Unfortunately, physicians are probably never going to get paid what they used to and salaries aren't going to be increasing. They are either going to stay where they are (most likely) or decrease (maybe). It isn't worth going into this field for the money anymore because a lot of folks with four year degrees are actually making more than Primary Care doc's in the long run (I would say, I could be wrong though). Do it because you want to is the message here, and a "Good specialty" is one that YOU ENJOY, doesn't kill your personal life, and is high paying.
 
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jefgreen said:
In all seriousness though, a "good" specialty is one that is interesting to YOU. This is really personal preference, TBH.
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I have to agree. I think you should just pick whatever you find fascinating or fun. Right now, I'm thinking pediatrics, but I'm also reminding myself that I could change my mind, especially once I get some experience.

Besides, isn't choosing your specialty part of the point of medical school clerkships?
 
okay I definitely see how you saw what you saw, but you interpreted that question wrong. Thanks, but I did not ask what pays the most, and I'm not going into this field for the money if thats what your thinking, I've been forewarned plenty of times not to go into for the money, and to do business or something like that if I want money. I just wanted to know what people liked. Of course it should be something I enjoy, right now I'm interested in everything, and yes I know I have a long time before I have to decide that, but I'd still like to get incite on some things to help me decide who to shadow.
 
ACane78 said:
okay I definitely see how you saw what you saw, but you interpreted that question wrong. Thanks, but I did not ask what pays the most, and I'm not going into this field for the money if thats what your thinking, I've been forewarned plenty of times not to go into for the money, and to do business or something like that if I want money. I just wanted to know what people liked. Of course it should be something I enjoy, right now I'm interested in everything, and yes I know I have a long time before I have to decide that, but I'd still like to get incite on some things to help me decide who to shadow.
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Unless you take risk, you will never make much money in business. But, I assume that is with anything. Anyway, enough.

Otherwise, you pretty much answered your own question.

"What are good specialties"

"I have time to decide, I think I will shadow physicians"

There you go.
 
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ACane78 said:
okay I definitely see how you saw what you saw, but you interpreted that question wrong. Thanks, but I did not ask what pays the most, and I'm not going into this field for the money if thats what your thinking, I've been forewarned plenty of times not to go into for the money, and to do business or something like that if I want money. I just wanted to know what people liked. Of course it should be something I enjoy, right now I'm interested in everything, and yes I know I have a long time before I have to decide that, but I'd still like to get incite on some things to help me decide who to shadow.
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Generally, someone in surgery, the ER, and maybe family medicine are good to shadow in. While I personally do not like family medicine, it may just be your niché. Good luck, feel free to ask any questions you have bud.
 
Have to go with general dentistry. You get to practice ortho, oral, peds, perio, endo, EVERYTHING! How sweet is that?
 
ACane78 said:
So I was just wondering what people thought would be a good subspecialty or which they like the most and why? Thanks a bunch!
Click to expand...
Far and away the best specialty in the USA is dermatology with a derm path fellowship in terms of money and lifestyle. I understand you might want to save the world and derm does not fit that view but once you get divorced because you took care of your patients instead of your spouse you will regret not doing derm.
 
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willabeast said:
Far and away the best specialty in the USA is dermatology with a derm path fellowship in terms of money and lifestyle. I understand you might want to save the world and derm does not fit that view but once you get divorced because you took care of your patients instead of your spouse you will regret not doing derm.
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You bumped a seven year old thread.
 
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