heal with the heart
1 month ago
all that matter is one second
How to figure out what kind of doctor i should be
It made me
Yay! 
"It was a great learning experience and a personal journey."
How I did it:
- Go on your rotations during 3rd year with an open mind.
- Consider each specialty for it's best and worst.
- Consider the fact that at some point the specialty will become routine, even people dealing with the rarest cases deal with mundane things. So does it give you fulfillment in other ways besides being exciting and new?
- Think about how busy in life you want to be.
- Always go with your gut.
People doing this are also doing these things:
Entries
excited
2 months ago
im really looking forward to becoming a doctor its always been my dream i want to help people in there needs i have to cousin that are sick then i want to be there superhero
1 year into clinical rotations
23 months ago
Family Medicine – no. I would hate being an expert at nothing, attempting to cover everything. Way too much maintenance and preventative care, however important, does not interest me.
ENT – earwax. too much clinic, not enough OR. and surgeries of the face have been the only thing that really makes me squeamish (i.e. rhinoplasty). sadly not for me.
Orthopedics. measuring angles and calculating loads? so there’s the too much physics/carpentry aspect. but also they really are jocks, dropping everything to treat athletes like they’re more important than the rest of the world, and “getting big” themselves. but mostly bones don’t interest me, even in trauma.
Neurosurgery – I like brain pathology, but can’t handle the depressing neuro-devestation in the NICU. and spine surgery is way too long and boring.
Internal Medicine – surprisingly more tolerable rounds than pediatrics was, though maybe I know more at this point. However, I don’t get the same thrill from medical management that I did in the OR. And I still don’t like clinic or the bread and butter checkups. And none of the subspecialties really has me excited. NOT CARDS. ugh.
I didn’t get to see much GI, and definitely would not do nephrology, but honestly I’d decided on surgery as I was starting this rotation. I’m more concrete, less cerebral (I know that’s the stereotype). And I do get excited about going to the OR, about abdominal procedures, even I&D’s, because I’m actually doing something and get immediate satisfaction.
General Surgery!
I loved Pediatric Surgery, but several of the other fellowships after general are appealing, so I think 5 years will be enough time to redefine my career further.
Now, I’ve just got to get into residency….
just into my third rotation...
2 years ago
2nd (half) year over and a few more of the IM specialty sections interested me – Cardio, GI, Endocrine and Heme/Onc actually.
No to Genetics. Ick.
No to Renal (secondary to an obnoxious teacher). And I hate managing IV fluids.
Surprisingly enjoyed learning derm, or at least the infectious/visual aspects of it. Maybe just because I was somewhat good at it.
Psych – no. I don’t have the patience/skills to deal with mental illness. And I’m iffy on the medications.
Pedi – the people ARE nice, like everyone said. However, I am currently inexperienced at consoling children ages 1 – 7 and that makes me frantic and sloppy with my exams.
I was also stuck on the Neuro floor of the Pedi hospital and am pretty sure that experience has turned me off to Neuro, whether it was the attending’s obscure disease rants or my lack of interest in managing seizures.
Surgery – wasn’t expecting to like this one as much as I do. only a week into it and I love scrubbing in whenever possible, and am actually doing the prep reading. Maybe I’m just more scared of these residents tearing me to pieces. or maybe I do like the physical activity involved in daily work. or maybe I am meant to complete my Grey’s fantasy…
