Exploring Medical Specialties

"What type of doctor do you want to be?" is something I've been asked so many times, and something I answered pretty differently fairly often.  I got asked this a lot while I was an undergrad and definitely a lot at my medical school interviews.

While I'm just starting medical school soon, I've had some clinical experience (about 10 months, not a whole lot) and I wanted to really explore medical specialties and see where I could potentially be my happiest.

So remember, I'm not a post-residency fellow, a licensed physician, or even a third year medical student.  However, I'd like to do some early soul-searching and do the second half of my deciding in medical school.

Among the things I'm considering are (in no particular order):

-Emergency Medicine
-Pediatrics with a subspecialty in cardiology, oncology, or neurology
-Internal medicine with a subspecialty in cardiology, oncology, or nephrology
-Anesthesiology
-Neurology
-Dermatology
-Pathology
-Radiology
-Ophthalmology
-Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

I've had enough clinical experience to make some really basic observations: in pediatric medicine, it seems like much of the pathology isn't the patient's fault.  For example: a 6 year old patient hasn't been smoking a pack a day for 40 years along with abusing alcohol and other dangerous drugs.  I've seen a lot of neuropathy and renal disease in adults secondary to type II diabetes, and things like hyperlipidemia, strokes, and hypertension caused by leading an unhealthy lifestyle for many years (but being able to prevent it).

There's something I've always enjoyed when I've shadowed pediatricians, I think it's the personality of the doctors and residents, and also how kids just seem to be fun patients (when they're reasonably okay in terms of health).  A lot of things I've seen in adult patients are a lack of adherence to medication regimens, not visiting a doctor and letting conditions progress (ex: a patient who waited almost 20 years to get a condition evaluated, because they said they hated doctors).  I've been told to stay away from pediatric neurology on grounds that it's very complicated, but I'd like to find something in medicine that isn't very complicated, hah.

I can't wait to get more clinical experience and learn more about each field.  I think it'll be tough but also really exciting, not to mention humbling, I bet.


Til next, readers.

Winning Plans to Save Money During Medical School

FAFSA: Completed
Undergraduate Debt: It's still there!
Plans to Save Money During Medical School: In Progress..

Well, with med school coming up and undergrad loans still being paid off, I decided to compile a list of ways to help with money during medical school:

1. Forget spending money on detergent, I'm going to beat my clothes on a rock in the middle of a river.

2. Whenever there is free food ANYWHERE, I'll take it and if anyone stops me I'll say "Don't worry, I work here. You know, upstairs." Or growl ravenously.

3. OR: Eat what I grow on Farmville.

4. Sell my car, lose weight, and travel by human-powered glider.

5. Use my oil paints to make absurd, splattery messes and sell them as "prized work from an inspired, visionary Dutch artist."

6. As for electric bills: I'll hook up everything to my racing bike: by the end of the year I'll weigh 0 pounds but have a bill of $0.00. Success. Sort of.

7. Stress out a little extra so the hair I lose from it will save me money on haircuts.

Or I guess I could live okay during med school and land a practice in interventional neurodermatoradiopathology.

Choosing a Medical School

Haha, I typed "Shoosing a Medical School" because I was thinking of "Selecting" and "Choosing" at the same time. Either way, this article should help you "shoose" the med school that's right for you.

Alright, so you've been accepted! Definitely take time to celebrate and share the excitement with the people you care about.

However, now, you've got a decision to make about where to attend. The most important advice I have here is "go where you think you'll be happy," and "consider where you had a great interview day."

I can't decide for you, and no one else can, but hopefully my post can help a little.

The schools I considered the most (I've narrowed it down but I'm still deciding and waiting to hear back from one final school) were the ones where I felt put together a great interview day. Applying for medical school and going to interviews is expensive, and kind of stress-inducing, so it's nice when a school does what it can to make your interview day really smooth.

Warmth (for lack of a better term): Warmth of the place you're at might not seem like a big deal at first, but you'll be there for 4 years (or more if you're doing a research track). See if the students really collaborate a lot and are friendly, rather than competitive and not open to helping. I haven't interviewed at a school where students seemed self-interested, but I'm sure different people get different vibes.

Research: Are you interested in becoming an MD/PhD or researching as an MD? Then I'd consider looking at the calibre of research at that institution, but if you're more focused on developing clinical skills, I'd take a look at the medical school's clinical training sites.

Reputation: From what I've heard, where you go to med school doesn't matter that much when it comes to residency (but I'm totally open to being corrected, enlightened). I think you have to just do really well on your boards and clinical rotations, and also get solid rec letters, and you should be in good shape.

I wouldn't let this "lower-tier" or "high-prestige" talk get to you, go where you'll be happy for the next 4 pretty intense years of your life, and where you think you can have a great support system, as well as great clinical training.