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Cheeky
Student
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"What are the key factors to consider when deciding between different medical specialties" ?
Any advice
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5 answers
Dr H
Dr. H's Research
1334
Answers
Australia
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Hey Cheeky,
So here is a healthy dose of reality—because choosing a medical specialty is no joke (unless you’re going into comedy-based therapy, in which case, sign me up). 😁😅
Cheeky, Karin P. brought the "start early" energy. Her advice? Get into internships and volunteering ASAP, because med schools don’t just want smart people, they want experienced smart people. Also, when you finally get to med school, your rotations will do half the decision-making for you. One day you’ll wake up and realize you either love stitching people up or never want to see another scalpel again.
Katie Heckle hit the point on the realily—no specialty is perfect. Some pay more, some let you sleep, some involve kids (pediatrics), and some involve... less friendly patients (looking at you, proctology). The trick? Figure out what makes you tick. If work-life balance matters more than money, maybe avoid neurosurgery. If research excites you, academia might be the move. Whatever clicks, talk to people already doing it and see if they still have a soul left.
Martin Schoen her advice is short and sweet—your interests will change as you go. One day, you might think you’re destined to be a trauma surgeon. Then you actually do a trauma rotation and realize, "Oh wow, I do NOT like being awake at 3 AM covered in someone else’s blood." Shadow different specialties, test the waters, and don’t stress if your plan shifts.
Other golden nuggets of wisdom because you want to put these as a list to consider as well.
Where do you want to live? Rural areas need family docs more than plastic surgeons. Big cities? You’ll find a niche for anything.
How long do you want to be in school? Some specialties require a decade of training—hope you like studying.
How much money do you want to make? Pediatricians are saints, but they don’t make surgeon money. Dermatologists? They get paid well and sleep at night.
What kind of patients do you want? Love kids? Pediatrics. Hate talking to people? Pathology. Enjoy high-stakes decisions? Emergency medicine. Prefer long-term care? Family medicine.
So Cheeky, I suggest to Keep an open mind, test the waters, and pick something that won’t make you dread Mondays for the rest of your life. All the best and hope you got somethings cleared. Stay amazing! 🤗😉
So here is a healthy dose of reality—because choosing a medical specialty is no joke (unless you’re going into comedy-based therapy, in which case, sign me up). 😁😅
Cheeky, Karin P. brought the "start early" energy. Her advice? Get into internships and volunteering ASAP, because med schools don’t just want smart people, they want experienced smart people. Also, when you finally get to med school, your rotations will do half the decision-making for you. One day you’ll wake up and realize you either love stitching people up or never want to see another scalpel again.
Katie Heckle hit the point on the realily—no specialty is perfect. Some pay more, some let you sleep, some involve kids (pediatrics), and some involve... less friendly patients (looking at you, proctology). The trick? Figure out what makes you tick. If work-life balance matters more than money, maybe avoid neurosurgery. If research excites you, academia might be the move. Whatever clicks, talk to people already doing it and see if they still have a soul left.
Martin Schoen her advice is short and sweet—your interests will change as you go. One day, you might think you’re destined to be a trauma surgeon. Then you actually do a trauma rotation and realize, "Oh wow, I do NOT like being awake at 3 AM covered in someone else’s blood." Shadow different specialties, test the waters, and don’t stress if your plan shifts.
Other golden nuggets of wisdom because you want to put these as a list to consider as well.
Where do you want to live? Rural areas need family docs more than plastic surgeons. Big cities? You’ll find a niche for anything.
How long do you want to be in school? Some specialties require a decade of training—hope you like studying.
How much money do you want to make? Pediatricians are saints, but they don’t make surgeon money. Dermatologists? They get paid well and sleep at night.
What kind of patients do you want? Love kids? Pediatrics. Hate talking to people? Pathology. Enjoy high-stakes decisions? Emergency medicine. Prefer long-term care? Family medicine.
So Cheeky, I suggest to Keep an open mind, test the waters, and pick something that won’t make you dread Mondays for the rest of your life. All the best and hope you got somethings cleared. Stay amazing! 🤗😉
Karin P.
Lecturer, Student Advisor
468
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Cheeky,
If you want to go to Medical school, you have several years of schooling in front of you before you need to make this decision. I would recommend that you start looking for internships and volunteer opportunities in the medical field while you are still in high-school and during your undergrad studies. It will help you get perspective and define what you want to do. It's also necessary to have medical experience to get into medical school (check the requirements for schools you would consider).
During the first 2 years in Medical School, you'll learn mostly theory in the classroom. During the last 2 years, you'll get clinical experience. You'll rotate through several specialties and get to know them. Typically, you'll fall in love with one or more specialties and apply for residency in that specialty.
The main factor to consider should be your interest in the field.
Other factors that come to mind:
The kind of work you would prefer, e.g. would you want to work in a hospital, clinic or in private practice? Or maybe, you want to do research? Or teach?
The kind of work environment you thrive in and the work/life balance you want to have. An emergency department e.g. will be more hectic and unpredictable than a dermatology practice.
The length of residency (and possibly fellowship) required: Residency can take between 3 to 8 years depending on specialty.
The cost of setting up your own practice taking into account things like equipment needs and the cost of malpractice insurance.
The kind of patients you are going to have and your desired relationship with your patients. Will you be more of a personable doctor or a big equipment doctor? As a family doctor you'll have lots of patient contact. As a surgeon, there is not as much personal contact. As a pathologist.... If you want to be a pediatrician, you need to be good with kids.
Where would you like to live, and what does the community need? A remote rural community will probably not need a cosmetic surgery practice.
What kind of income do you want to have? A pediatrician salary is significantly less than a surgeon salary.
I hope this helps a bit! All the best to you!
KP
https://medschoolinsiders.com/pre-med/4-years-of-medical-school-timeline/
https://medschoolinsiders.com/medical-student/how-long-is-residency-by-specialty
https://www.kaptest.com/study/mcat/doctor-salaries-by-specialty
If you want to go to Medical school, you have several years of schooling in front of you before you need to make this decision. I would recommend that you start looking for internships and volunteer opportunities in the medical field while you are still in high-school and during your undergrad studies. It will help you get perspective and define what you want to do. It's also necessary to have medical experience to get into medical school (check the requirements for schools you would consider).
During the first 2 years in Medical School, you'll learn mostly theory in the classroom. During the last 2 years, you'll get clinical experience. You'll rotate through several specialties and get to know them. Typically, you'll fall in love with one or more specialties and apply for residency in that specialty.
The main factor to consider should be your interest in the field.
Other factors that come to mind:
The kind of work you would prefer, e.g. would you want to work in a hospital, clinic or in private practice? Or maybe, you want to do research? Or teach?
The kind of work environment you thrive in and the work/life balance you want to have. An emergency department e.g. will be more hectic and unpredictable than a dermatology practice.
The length of residency (and possibly fellowship) required: Residency can take between 3 to 8 years depending on specialty.
The cost of setting up your own practice taking into account things like equipment needs and the cost of malpractice insurance.
The kind of patients you are going to have and your desired relationship with your patients. Will you be more of a personable doctor or a big equipment doctor? As a family doctor you'll have lots of patient contact. As a surgeon, there is not as much personal contact. As a pathologist.... If you want to be a pediatrician, you need to be good with kids.
Where would you like to live, and what does the community need? A remote rural community will probably not need a cosmetic surgery practice.
What kind of income do you want to have? A pediatrician salary is significantly less than a surgeon salary.
I hope this helps a bit! All the best to you!
KP
Karin recommends the following next steps:
Martin Schoen
APRN
309
Answers
Ocala, Florida
Updated
Martin’s Answer
The answer to this is relatively simple and lies with you. It depends on your interests, which can change as you do various rotations while in medical school. The best way to gain some experience is to volunteer or shadow various specialities including nursing homes, VA facilities, private practitioners and the like. It can be challenging to find these, but if you pursue them, something will be there.
I love how simple you keep it. Thank you for giving a fast response!
Cheeky
Katie Heckle
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
1
Answer
Knoxville, Tennessee
Updated
Katie’s Answer
Your exposure and experience during your different rotations will be key to helping you decide. Pay attention to which specialty you find interesting and sustainable. Every specialty will have pros and cons, there is no one perfect area of medicine. Identify what is most important to you (work/life balance, salary, research, etc) and let that guide you as you go through the rotations. As you start to find ones that you enjoy, reach out to specific providers in that area to get more information on how their career is going.
Thank you for sharing
Cheeky
Kelly Mitchell
Consulting
4
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Kelly’s Answer
Because there are so many different medical specialities, shadowing can be a helpful experience to learn what interests you. Often times you can search for shadowing, internships, or volunteer programs that allow you to see all the different medical specialities out there.
Shadowing: you can sign up to shadow many healthcare professionals such as, nurse, physical therapist, or dietician. This opportunity gives you a sneak peek into the profession and what kind of patients they each care for.
Internship: many medical centers offer internships or programs for people passionate about healthcare but unsure what field they want to go get into. These internships or programs can range for from a few weeks or months, and some offer pay. This is a great way to see all the different healthcare specialities available.
Volunteering: many hospitals offer volunteer opportunities which can be another great way to learn about all the different medical specialties and see what sparks your interest.
Shadowing: you can sign up to shadow many healthcare professionals such as, nurse, physical therapist, or dietician. This opportunity gives you a sneak peek into the profession and what kind of patients they each care for.
Internship: many medical centers offer internships or programs for people passionate about healthcare but unsure what field they want to go get into. These internships or programs can range for from a few weeks or months, and some offer pay. This is a great way to see all the different healthcare specialities available.
Volunteering: many hospitals offer volunteer opportunities which can be another great way to learn about all the different medical specialties and see what sparks your interest.
Loved reading this, thanks!
Cheeky