Category Archive: Why did you choose….?

Spotlight Interview: Why Did You Choose Urology? (OSU Resident)

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Choosing a Specialty, General Surgery Rotation, Urology, Why did you choose....?

June 1, 2012

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A Urology Resident’s Perspective: From an interview with a urology resident The Ohio State University Medical Center  in Columbus, Ohio.

Part of an interview series entitled, “Specialty Spotlights“, which asks medical students’ most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

  • What attracted you to Urology?
I knew that I was attracted to surgery, but I was not interested in living a “surgeon lifestyle.”  Many doctors, including surgeons in other specialties, recommended during medical school that I check out urology.  Urology was not on my differential and the thought of dedicating my life to the urinary tract did not seem appealing.  I was convinced to do a 2 week surgery subspecialy rotation in urology.  I was amazed at the breadth of surgical procedures they performed.  I also enjoyed all the different equipment (or toys) that they utilized.  There was also a lot of variety in clinic between medicine and office procedures.  I appreciated the fact that urologists worked hard, but most days were still done at a reasonable hour.   This allowed the urologists to maintain a healthy balance between work and life outside the hospital.  Probably, the deciding factor was how genuinely happy the urologists were and when asked, all of them stated they would choose urology if they had to do it all over again.

 

  • Describe a Urologist’s typical work day?

The work week is usually split fairly evenly between clinic and OR.  I would say that most urologists have around 2 OR days and 3 clinic days, although many clinic days may have time dedicated to office procedures.  Obviously, the clinic days are going to be more routine office hours.  OR days vary a lot depending on what type of cases you perform.  Most procedures are outpatient and relatively short.  If you plan to do a lot of cancer surgery then you will do some longer cases and therefore will have some evenings spent operating.

 

  • What type of lifestyle can a Urologist expect?  

It is still a surgery field which means you still have early rounds due to early OR cases.  I feel that residency hours are comparable to other surgery fields, with the main difference maybe being home call for urology versus in-house call for many other fields.  I feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel though.  In practice, most days will have office-hours type of schedule.  A lot depends on what types of cases you decide to do and how the call is split up.  In general, there are less emergent surgeries in urology than most other fields.  If you are at a busy hospital there still may be ER consults and inpatient catheter issues that will need to be addressed in the middle of the night.  I think that most nights, even on call, you can expect to get a decent amount of sleep.  Relative to some surgery fields, you should have adequate time to spend with family and doing hobbies during the evenings and weekends.

 

  • What is the average salary of a Urologist?

Overall, probably between $200,000 and $600,000 with starting salary between $200,000 to $400,000.  A lot has to do with private practice versus academics and how saturated the specific market is.  I think most academic urologists will make between $200,000 to $300,000, but with certain bonus/incentive packages may eventually make more.  If you are starting off in a bigger practice in a more competetive location, you will likely start off closer to the $200,000 range, but with time can build up your practice and eventually be making greater then $500,000.  There has also been a trend towards hospital employed urologists.  These hospitals will often provide higher starting salaries (e.g. closer to $400,000), but may have more of a ceiling on how much you can earn from there.

 

  • What is the job market like for Urology?

Most of the big, destination type cities are relatively saturated.  Having said that, you can likely get a job just about anywhere but you may just have to take a big pay cut.  There are many relatively rural hospitals that are desperate for urologists and will pay good money to lure you out there.  I would say in general that the job market is good, but you may need to have some flexibility on where you want to end up practicing.

 

  • What can you tell us about Urology Sub-specialties?

Urology fellowships are 1-2 years.  As opposed to the trend in many other surgical fields, you definitely do not need a fellowship to get a good job.  Most residents will only do a fellowship if they want to do academics or if there is a specialty field that they feel they did not get adequate exposure to during residency and they desire extra training in.  In some big cities, fellowships may give you a marketable skill, but most fellowship trained urologists will still practice general urology with maybe a slant towards that specialty.  If you really just want to do one specialized field and not other parts of urology, then academics is likely your best option.

 

  • What are the potential downsides of Urology that students should be aware of?

Urology is a tough surgical residency.  With any type of surgery comes complications and stress.  Although call may be better than some surgery fields, there are still going to be emergent cases or patients crashing in the middle of the night and on weekends.  You are dedicating yourself to the urinary tract which means a lot of bloody urine and prostate exams.  Everytime you tell people what field you’re in you have to answer the question, “why urology?”

 

  • What else would you tell medical students who are considering Urology?

If you want variety and enjoy being busy then this is a good field to consider. Compensation is definitely on the higher end which is a bonus!

 

Editor's Note: For more help choosing a specialty in medicine, I highly recommend one or both of these two great books. I found both very useful.

 

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Spotlight Interview: Why Did You Choose Family Medicine? (Oregon Resident)

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Choosing a Specialty, Family Medicine, Family Medicine Rotation, Why did you choose....?

June 1, 2012

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A Family Medicine Resident's Perspective: From an interview with a family practice resident at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, OR.

Part of an interview series entitled, "Specialty Spotlights", which asks medical students' most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

  • What attracted you to Family Medicine?
Autonomy. Mobility. I wanted the sense that I was choosing a specialty that would allow me to work as much or as little as I wanted and that would allow me to place my family in a town of our choosing (likely a small town).
 
I also love the tradition in family medicine of trying to manage a patient by yourself as much as possible. There are a lot of efficiencies and preventative virtues in this approach to care. I feel like so much can be done in a small community that keeps thousands of people from ever having to be admitted to a hospital.
 
I love the intellectual challenge of receiving a patient into my office and managing all of their complaints. The situation demands that I be fluent on a variety of medical topics and able to comment on the current state of the medical literature. I really enjoy the challenge to read broadly and competently on a range of medical issues, it allows me to possess a synthesized view of medicine and patient care, to be sure I am not engrossed in too many minute details.

 

  • Describe a Family Physician's typical work day?

Most days will start at 8:00 am. We see patients until 11:00 and then break for Lunch until 12:30. We see patients after lunch until 4:30. A large number of family docs will have a half-day on Friday.

 

  • What type of lifestyle can a Family Doctor expect?  

Your lifestyle will be pretty good. Weekends are virtually always free if you do not do hospital work. You will have regular call, but you rarely have to go in.  Most problems while you are on call are resolved over the telephone.

 

  • What is the average salary of a Family Practice Physician?

There is a great range of earning potential in FP.  The average salary is around $150,000.  However, you can see fewer patients in a day, or work fewer days in a week and earn less than this. If, however, you see patients quickly, become medical director of a nursing home or two, work extra on the weekends, etc, it is very possible to make much more than this.

 

  • What is the job market like for Family Medicine?

Honestly, it couldn't be better. Family docs can go anywhere they want. Lots of recruiters will call you throughout your residency. There is a great need of primary care docs in every corner of this country.

 

  • What can you tell us about Family Medicine Sub-specialties?

There are a few options as a family medicine physician. Some of the fellowships include hospital medicine (i.e. become a 'hospitalist'), geriatrics, adolescent care, and Sports medicine. For the most part, fellowships are one year in length. Sports medicine doctors end up making a bit more money than a generalist and the other sub-specialties.

 

  • What are the potential downsides of Family Medicine that students should be aware of?

In family medicine there is a lot to the business side of things. You will be responsible for managing much of the business side. If you are not a good businessperson, not organized, or dislike that type of thing, this part of the job could be a real drain. The salary is on the lower end for physicians, but it is still a very good living.

 

  • What else would you tell medical students who are considering Family Medicine?

If you want to do outpatient care in a small community, this is a great field.

 

 

Editor's Note: For more help choosing a specialty in medicine, I highly recommend one or both of these two great books. I found both very useful.

 

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Spotlight Interview: Why did you choose OB/GYN?

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Choosing a Specialty, OB/GYN, OB/GYN Rotation, Why did you choose....?

June 1, 2012

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An OB/GYN Resident’s Perspective: From an interview with an obstetrics and gynecology resident at Banner Good Samaritan, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Part of an interview series entitled, “Specialty Spotlights“, which asks medical students’ most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

  • What attracted you to OB/GYN?

I enjoyed the opportunity of working with women over the course of their lifetime health care needs.  From adolescent to geriatric patients you can develop life-long relationships with your patients and families.  Labor and Delivery is exciting and fun to be a part of.  Delivering patients was rewarding and the patients generally are very appreciative of your service. I also enjoyed working with the type of people who typically choose Ob/gyn as a career. I tried to talk myself out of it because of what others had to say, but throughout 3rd year medical school, every subsequent rotation came back to how much I enjoyed Ob/Gyn and I realized that I wouldn’t have been happier in any other specialty.

 

  • Describe an OB/GYN typical work day?

Usually it starts early (to the hospital before 6 most days, this will get better after residency), postoperative and postpartum rounding on patients in the hospital then usually clinic 3-4 days per week.  Most Ob/Gyn’s will have one full day of surgery per week.  Depending on the group you practice with, you’ll be on call about every 4th night for deliveries and one weekend a month.  Clinic may be interrupted by deliveries but they are usually quick.

 

  • What type of lifestyle can an OB/GYN expect?  

It is highly variable, if you choose to be on call for all of your patient deliveries, you can expect to be interrupted frequently as babies are born at all hours.  However most practices will share call amongst the group and with other groups.  Usually Ob/Gyn’s will be on call every 3rd-4th night and maybe one weekend a month.  That is typically home call and you come in for deliveries only. Many Ob/gyn’s are working parents and often female with a relatively normal home and family life.

 

  • What is the average salary of an OB/GYN?

Salary is highly variable based on call schedule and region but most will typically start in the low 200’s initially for most urban areas.  Rural regions tend to start much higher but the call schedule can be more demanding as well.  It is not unusual to increase significantly, again based on call schedule and delivery volume.

 

  • What is the job market like for OB/GYN?

Great! As long as people keep having babies!  There is a projected shortage in all aspects of medicine and Ob/Gyn is no different.  You can typically find a job close to any area where you may want to live.

 

  • What can you tell us about OB/GYN Sub-specialties?

All subspecialties are three year fellowships: Gynecologic oncology, Maternal Fetal medicine, Reproductive endocrinology and infertility and urogynecology.  Salaries and lifestyles are generally improved with all of those specialties to varying degrees and there is always a market for them.

 

  • What are the potential downsides of OB/GYN that students should be aware of?

Like I mentioned before, babies are born at all hours, especially at 3 o-clock in the morning.  However you can make the schedule what you want, if you join a large group you’d have to take less call but you’d likely be busier during those call nights.  Malpractice insurance and lawsuits are a well known downside to the field. As long as you understand this going into it and it is not a surprise, it will not be a problem.

 

  • What else would you tell medical students who are considering OB/GYN?

In the end you choose a specialty that you really enjoy. Don’t choose solely based on lifestyle or salary.  Don’t try to fool yourself either though, those things are important but if you hate your job, it makes for a miserable lifestyle.

 

 

Editor's Note: For more help choosing a specialty in medicine, I highly recommend one or both of these two great books. I found both very useful.

 

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Spotlight Interviews: Why did you choose general surgery?

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Choosing a Specialty, General Surgery, General Surgery Rotation, Why did you choose....?

May 31, 2012

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A General Surgery Resident’s Perspective: From an interview with a general surgery resident at Orlando Health, in Orlando, Florida.

Part of an interview series entitled, “Specialty Spotlights“, which asks medical students’ most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

  • What attracted you to General Surgery?

I appreciate the combined operative and medical management of patients. Surgeons make definitive management of patient issues. There is a great variety of operative procedures. As a general surgeon I am able to care for both long and short term patient management scenarios. There is a great deal of job opportunities and availability. I enjoy team-based patient management.

 

  • Describe a General Surgeon’s typical work day?

I usually wake up at 0400,I am at hospital by 0500 to round on patients until about 0700. I will be in the OR from 0700 until about 1600 with intermittent 30-60 minutes breaks between cases to eat, follow-up on patients, and see new consults. From 1600-1800 we follow-up on outstanding patient issues and setup for following day. On good days, I return home and from 1800-2000 I study for following day cases and current patient problems. On non-operative days, simply change the OR times  to clinic from 0800-1600.

 

  • What type of lifestyle can a General Surgeon expect?  

As a general surgeon I work weekends at least 2-3 times per month. The amount of free time you will have is extremely dependent on your sub-specialty choice. Private practice surgeons enjoy significantly more free time while surgeons in academic practice spend more time with research and have less operative/clinic time generally. Call is usually taken for 24 hours periods and you will be working most of the day and night. Some surgeons have a tendency to scheduling elective cases during their call days, but this depends on how difficult your call is.

 

  • What is the average salary of a General Surgeon?

The overall salary of a surgeon is highly variable amongst sub-specialties, typically  between $250,000-$500,000.

 

  • What is the job market like for General Surgeon?

There is no lack of general surgery positions. I would say they are extremely available for both private practice and academic positions. There is some variability among sub-specialties. However, overall, we are one of the most high recruited specialties.

 

  • What can you tell us about General Surgery Sub-specialties?

Residency for general surgery is 5 years mandatory and more commonly 1-2 years research years during PGY2 or 3. Therefore, many general surgery residencies last 6-7 years before fellowship. Fellowships typically last 1-2 years. Subspecialties have more call and higher salary. Additionally, sub-specialties are generally in more demand than general surgeons.

 

  • What are the potential downsides of General Surgeon that students should be aware of?

The schedule is less flexible due to emergent surgical problems. Surgical shift hours are not reliable and typically cases will be delayed or run over and require staying at the hospital beyond a call or shift. This leads to a schedule that can be variable. Training programs are not as “intense” as they were historically, although there are still high expectations of surgical residents. There are not many other residents/doctors who work as hard as general surgeons.

 

  • What else would you tell medical students who are considering General Surgery?

One thing students should realize is that there is more peri-operative management being handled by hospitalist services for elective surgical problems. Therefore, some of the duties and responsibilities of a surgeon 20 years ago and being placed in the hands of non-surgeons. Additionally, surgical critical care services are beginning to  limit the medical management requirements of general surgeons.

 

 

Editor's Note: For more help choosing a specialty in medicine, I highly recommend one or both of these two great books. I found both very useful.

 

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Spotlight Interview: Why did you choose psychiatry?

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Choosing a Specialty, Psychiatry, Psychiatry Rotation, Why did you choose....?

May 31, 2012

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A Psychiatry Resident’s Perspective: From an interview with a psychiatry resident at UC Irvine in Irvine, California

Part of an interview series entitled, “Specialty Spotlights“, which asks medical students’ most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

  • What attracted you to Psychiatry?

I like the idea of working with the whole person. I feel like in psychiatry you address a person’s social, financial, and relationship concerns, which in my mind are the most important part of life.

 

  • Describe a Psychiatrist’s typical work day?

There are different fields in psychiatry, but what I’m interested in is private practice. I’ll probably end up splitting my days between therapy and medication management appointments. Therapy appointments usually go an hour, med management about 15-20 minutes. In those visits the person already has a therapist but consults a psychiatrist for medications.

You can also work in an inpatient setting in a hospital, work for the prison system, do telemedicine (something else I’m interested in), work with children, geriatrics, forensic, or almost anything else you want. I like the variety of the specialty.

 

  • What type of lifestyle can a Psychiatrist expect?  

Psychiatry has the big advantage of being a less demanding specialty. Depending on your working situation, you might be on call once a week or so. Even the psychiatry residency usually has weekends off! Most private practice psychiatrists work around 30 hours per week.

 

  • What is the average salary of a Psychiatrist?

Again depends on your situation, but you’ll see something like $200,000 as an average. In California, psychiatrists generally take cash only and charge around $300 an hour.

 

  • What is the job market like for Psychiatrist?

There’s a big need for psychiatrists. In particular, child psychiatry needs more people.

 

  • What can you tell us about Psychiatry Sub-specialties?

Child psychiatry: 2 extra years after residency (but you can eliminate your 4th year of adult and make it 5 years total for adult and child). There is more demand for this field. The salary is generally higher. The lifestyle is about the same for this and all the others.

Forensic psychiatry: 1 extra year. Harder to get a footing in this one, but pays very well once you do ($1000 per hour for testifying in court). Custody hearings can be part of this specialty.

Geriatric psychiatry: 1 year. Not too sure about the job market. I imagine it’s in high demand. Probably similar salary to adult.

 

  • What are the potential downsides of Psychiatry that students should be aware of?

It definitely takes a certain personality to do the job and do it well. You need to be able to separate yourself from some of the sad stories you’ll come across. You also need to be able to set boundaries well with people.

 

  • What else would you tell medical students who are considering Psychiatry?

It’s a great job and something to definitely consider. Some people say there’s not much medicine involved, which is as true as you make it. You can definitely go a more therapy-centered route if you prefer. But, if you love the medicine and research side, there’s plenty of opportunity for that as well. The brain isn’t very well understood.

 

Editor's Note: For more help choosing a specialty in medicine, I highly recommend one or both of these two great books. I found both very useful.

 

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Spotlight Interview: Why Did You Choose Family Medicine? (Ohio Resident)

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Family Medicine, Why did you choose....?

April 5, 2012

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A Family Medicine Resident’s Perspective: From an interview with a family medicine resident from Columbus, Ohio.

Part of an interview series entitled, "Specialty Spotlights", which asks medical students' most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

    • What attracted you to Family Medicine?

I grew up wanting to be a doctor because of the influence of my own family doctor in my life.  I love the emphasis that Family Medicine places on developing long term relationships with patients.  This provides a daily reminder that behind every disease is a person with hopes, dreams, and fears.  I also have a passion for nutrition and fitness and I have found that developing great rapport with my patients is an essential step before they will trust me enough to make dramatic and important lifestyle changes.  I really enjoy the breadth of knowledge that my field requires.  It excites me to realize that, of necessity, I will be learning for the rest of my life.

 

  • Describe a Family Physician's typical work day?

This depends on what type of work you choose to do.  Family Physicians can choose to work in an outpatient setting only, as a hospitalist, in an ER, or in an urgent care center just to name a few possibilities.  A typical Family Physician who works in an outpatient setting will work from 8:00 or 8:30 am until 5:00 or 5:30 pm, M-F.

 

  • What type of lifestyle can a Family Physician expect?  

Again, this largely depends on how you choose to practice.  Call responsibilities range from no call at all to one weekend in 8 to call every other day.  If you're interested in providing OB care or in working in a very rural area your call responsibilities are likely going to increase.

 

  • What is the potential salary of a Family Physician?

There's a lot of regional variation, but across the country most FPs make somewhere between $130k and $350k with the average being somewhere around $200k for most FPs in their peak years.  That being said, I know one FP that makes $50k per year and one that makes $500k per year.  Again, there's a wide amount of variation.  Also, many locations will offer loan repayment to family physicians that practice in their communities.

 

  • What is the job market like for Family Medicine Doctors?

In a word, excellent.  Family physicians are needed everywhere and residents are recruited heavily starting in their first year of residency.

 

  • What are the potential downsides of Family Medicine that students should be aware of?

There are some negative misconceptions about Family Medicine that come out strongly in most academic institutions (e.g., you can't go into FM if you rock the USMLE because it would be a waste of your talent, FM offers very little opportunity for research, etc.).  Also, your compensation can depend in large part on how business-savvy you are and how efficiently you organize your office.  This is becoming less of an issue as more FPs are employed by hospitals or HMOs, but is still a consideration for most small groups.

 

  • What else would you tell medical students who are considering Family Medicine?

Family Medicine is a wonderful field.  As a Family Physician you will have the opportunity to impact the lives of your patients in ways that almost no other physician can.  You will see your patients at some of the best and worst moments of their lives, and they will come to greatly trust and value your advice.  Daily patient encounters as a Family Physician can be incredibly rewarding.  Family Physicians have almost limitless career opportunities both in terms of where they want to practice and in terms of how they set up their practice.  This amount of freedom is amazing.

 

 

Editor's Note: For more help choosing a specialty in medicine, I highly recommend one or both of these two great books. I found both very useful.

 

 

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Spotlight Interview: Why Did You Choose Ophthalmology? (Hopkins Resident)

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Ophthalmology, Why did you choose....?

April 5, 2012

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An Ophthalmology Resident’s Perspective: From an interview with an ophthalmology resident at Johns Hopkins University

Part of an interview series entitled, “Specialty Spotlights“, which asks medical students’ most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

  • What attracted you to ophthalmology?

Ophthalmology is a high tech field. We use lights, lasers, and lenses. I like the microsurgery and there is a great balance of clinics and surgery. The surgeries that we perform are most often quite short.

 

  • Describe a ophthalmologist’s typical work day?

On clinic days we usually work from 8am until 5-6pm.  Surgery days usually start a bit early, around 7:30am, but they can be completed by 4:00pm.  Most ophthalmologists have 1 to 2 days in the OR each week with the rest of the time spent in the clinic.

 

  • What type of lifestyle can a ophthalmologist expect?  

Ophtho is the BEST lifestyle for surgical field. Simply compare it to ENT, plastics, ortho, urology, etc. Depending on practice setting, likely there will be call (to cover trauma, open globes, acute angle, etc) but it is manageable.

 

  • What is the potential salary of a ophthalmologist?

In metropolitan areas (if you can even find a job), you can expect to earn much less that in the suburbs or rural ares. You might expect mid to high 100s starting in general ophthalmology in an urban and desirable location.  If you are willing to move to the middle of nowhere, you can expect much more than that, upwards 300-400K.

 

  • What is the job market like for ophthalmology?

The market is saturated in most metropolitan areas. As I stated above, there is a need for the rural and some suburban areas.

 

  • What are the potential downsides of ophthalmology that students should be aware of?

Ophthalmology is very focused on one body part, and can even be focused on one layer of tissue (cornea!).  The other thing you have to be aware of is that the optometrists are constantly trying to take over everything that we do.

 

  • What else would you tell medical students who are considering Ophthalmology?

If you are interested, schedule a rotation early.  Also, you get to sit for surgeries!

 

Editor's Note: For more help choosing a specialty in medicine, I highly recommend one or both of these two great books. I found both very useful.

 

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Spotlight Interview: Why Did You Choose Ophthalmology? (OSU Resident)

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Ophthalmology, Why did you choose....?

April 4, 2012

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An Ophthalmology Resident’s Perspective: From an interview with an ophthalmology resident at The Ohio State University

Part of an interview series entitled, “Specialty Spotlights“, which asks medical students’ most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

  • What attracted you to Ophthalmology?

The first four things that come to my mind are: 1-The range of care, everything from medical management to surgical intervention. 2-The lifestyle. 3-Patient continuity. 4-Most ophthalmologists thoroughly enjoy going to work every day. 

 

  • Describe a Ophthalmologist’s typical work day?

Office time or clinic time takes up some of the week (usually 3-4 days) and surgery takes up the rest of the week.  You can work an 8-5 day but some choose to see more patients and have longer hours.

 

  • What type of lifestyle can a Ophthalmologist expect?  

The workload is very manageable. Unlike other surgical sub-specialties, the schedule can be flexible and there is opportunity to have a good amount of time off.  Many weekends will be free but there is call and it can be very busy.

 

  • What is the potential salary of a Ophthalmologist?

Starting salary approx $170,000.  At about five years out the salary climbs to somewhere in the mid $200,000 range. A few fellowships can lead to more income (retina especially) but there are fellowships that lead to less income (pediatrics).

 

  • What is the job market like for Ophthalmology?

The market for ophthalmologists in urban areas is quite saturated. There are a few opportunities in desirable suburban areas, but many of these are full as well. Rural areas have openings and usually a higher base pay.

 

  • What are the potential downsides of Ophthalmology that students should be aware of?

Finding a job in a desirable location is not an easy task. You can say this about most specialties in medicine. Also, there is a high cost of practice operation. The overhead for an ophthalmologist is much higher than most specialties. We have lots of toys to play with, but they all cost money.

 

  • What else would you tell medical students who are considering Ophthalmology?

The early match often requires an early commitment to ophthalmology and it is to the applicant’s benefit to submit their application as early as possible because some programs extend interviews on what appears to be a rolling basis. Good luck!

 

 

Editor's Note: For more help choosing a specialty in medicine, I highly recommend one or both of these two great books. I found both very useful.

 

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Spotlight Interview: Why Did You Choose Neurology?

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Neurology, Neurology Rotation, Why did you choose....?

March 31, 2012

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A Neurology Attending's Perspective: From an interview with a neurology attending at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor

Part of an interview series entitled, "Specialty Spotlights", which asks medical students' most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

  • What attracted you to neurology?

The subject matter was, and still remains, the most interesting part of medicine to me.  I love figuring out where the problem is—the “localize the lesion” question that is the heart of neurology.  But perhaps the most important is that I enjoy the day-to-day interactions with patients:  the types of questions they have, the exams I have to do, the problems we have to deal with…  I saw what it was like in med school, and realized this was my favorite by far.

 

  • Describe a neurologist's typical work day?

A clinic day is 8-5, with fairly long visits for each patient.  I get 30 minutes for a follow up and 60 for a new.  Most of the visit is getting the history.  In the hospital (teaching hospital with residents), rounds are usually mid-morning, consults in the afternoon.

 

  • What type of lifestyle can a neurologist expect?  

There are a few neurological emergencies, which are uncommon but usually end up going to an ICU right away.  You can pick a subspecialty that has minimal emergencies.  Most private jobs I see have call q 4-6.  However, call is usually from home, answering questions.  The biggest determinant of lifestyle is reimbursement.  If you have a billable procedure like EMG, botox, EEG, sleep studies, you can pay your salary quite easily and have a very relaxed schedule—probably 50 hours a week at most.  Without a procedure, much more time is necessary, as the visits can last a long time so you may have long clinic hours.  60 hours or so.  Call may be q4-6 but I rarely see attending neurologists in the hospital after 9 PM or before 7 AM.  Usually call is handled from home.

 

  • What is the potential salary of a neurologist?

A private neurologist will start at about $200-250K.  They will need some procedure (EEG, EMG, sleep studies, botox, etc) to be able to maintain that without a terrible clinic schedule.

 

  • What is the job market like for neurology?

I get advertisements for neurology positions all over the country, all the time.

 

  • What are the potential downsides of neurology that students should be aware of?

Seeing patients in clinic takes longer than most specialties but bills the same, which can hurt the reimbursement a lot. Most neurologists need some sub-specialty training to get a procedure like EMG or EEG.  In a private hospital, you stand the risk of being consulted on every mental status change, which is rarely neurologic.  They are easy consults, but could make call very annoying.  Most neurologists just tell the consulting team to get a bunch of tests that night and then see the patient in the AM.

 

  • Every specialty has a reputation, how do you respond to the reputation of neurologists?

There are two.  The first reputation is that neuro cannot fix anything, only diagnose it.  This is now an archaic idea, since we now can treat almost every disease to some degree: we have acute stroke treatments (tPA), many MS treatments, and neurological diseases are one of the top areas of drug research in all companies.  The second is a reverse reputation (one that we notice ourselves about other physicians):  most physicians are terrified of Neurology, and would often much rather consult us than do a neuro exam.  This is a shame, and leads to some disappointing situations.  But it also generates a bit of an “outsider” image between us and all other specialties, somewhat similar to the disconnection between medicine and surgery.

 

  • What else would you tell medical students who are considering neurology?

If you like figuring out problems like a medical detective, and if you are a very observant person who likes little details,neurology should be at the top of your list.

 

Editor's Note: For more help choosing a specialty in medicine, I highly recommend one or both of these two great books. I found both very useful.

 

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Spotlight Interview: Why Did You Choose Dermatology?

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Choosing a Specialty, Dermatology, Why did you choose....?

March 31, 2012

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A Dermatology Resident’s Perspective: From an interview with a dermatology resident at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan

Part of an interview series entitled, “Specialty Spotlights“, which asks medical students’ most burning questions to physicians of every specialty.  See what doctors from every specialty had to say about why they chose their specialty and how to match in their residency.

 

 

  • What attracted you to Dermatology?

The variety of pathology seen in the field of Dermatology initially attracted me. The field allows your to be a clinician, a surgeon and a pathologist all in one day. This kind of variety seems to allow me to be entertained for the next 20+ years.

 

  • Describe a Dermatologist’s typical work day?

The majority of Dermatologist spend there days seeing patients in clinic. Common things are common so most days consist of diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer, acne, benign skin conditions, warts, etc. Some Dermatologists mix their day up with procedures such as benign or cancer excisions, aesthetic procedures, laser surgeries, etc. dermatopathologist spend their days viewing pathology slides to lead to the diagnosis of various skin conditions. Mohs micrographic surgeons use a special surgical technique to treat skin cancer at the microscopic level. Procedural and Cosmetic Dermatologists uses injections, chemicals, lasers and surgical techniques to improve the aesthetic appearance of their patients.

 

  • What type of lifestyle can a Dermatologist expect?  

Most Dermatologist work 5-6 days weekly. The majority of patients are seen between 8am and 5 pm. Dermatologist who are affiliated with hospitals may seen Dermatology consults throughout the day and occasionally on weekends. There are only a few Dermatological emergencies. Therefore, your evening and weekends are used to enjoy family or personal interest. Although the hours of a Dermatologist may be limited to 40-50 hours per week, most Dermatologist will tell you they spend a large amount of time reading new literature and review old text as the field is very vast. A good trained Dermatologist must stay up with current recommendations.

 

  • What is the earning potential of a Dermatologist?

Typically, a Dermatologist may earn roughly between $200,000 and $400,000. This depends on the setting of your practice (Academic vs. Private), location of your practice (Urban vs. Rural) and Volume of patients. With any specialty, there are always outliers. Dermatologist who see large volumes of patients, perform cosmetic or surgical procedures, may earn more income.

 

  • What is the job market like for Dermatology?

There is currently a shortage of trained Dermatologist across the United States. Therefore, the job market is pretty good.

 

  • What are the potential downsides of Dermatology that students should be aware of?

Many people (especially other physicians) comment about the awesome lifestyle of Dermatologist. Although generally dermatologist have great lifestyles, they work very hard for this lifestyle. If you are looking for a field that is “easy,” Dermatology is not for you. The training is an intense 3 years filled with countless hours of clinic and reading…Lots of reading. Life as an attending may be seen as glamorous but your earning potential is based on how hard you work. Due to the shortage of Dermatologist, many physicians have to “stretch themselves thin” in order to accommodate their patient population. Many Dermatologist work beyond normal business hours and even weekends to accommodate the patients they serve.

 

  • What else would you tell medical students who are considering Dermatology?

It will be very helpful to get a full Dermatology experience during your medical school training. The more you see, the better you will understand the field and if it is a good choice for you.

 

Editor's Note: For more help choosing a specialty in medicine, I highly recommend one or both of these two great books. I found both very useful.

 

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