The Ultimate Guide To Choosing a Medical Specialty

Terms of Use......Page 3
Want to learn more?......Page 4
Contents......Page 7
Authors......Page 11
Organization......Page 15
Acknowledgments......Page 16
Part 1. Planning Your Medical Career......Page 19
“MD” Really Stands for “Major Decisions”......Page 21
Internship, Residency, and Fellowship......Page 24
Why has Choosing a Specialty Become So Difficult?......Page 25
What about Choosing the “Wrong” Specialty?......Page 29
References......Page 30
In the Beginning there was General Medicine......Page 31
Who Wants to be a Specialist?......Page 33
The Need for Board Certification......Page 34
Specialists Versus Generalists......Page 35
The Generalist Strikes Back: Primary Care in the 1990s......Page 36
The Cycle Turns Again: Who Wants to be a Specialist? (PART II)......Page 38
References......Page 39
3 Ten Factors to Consider in Specialty Selection......Page 41
Generalist, Specialist, or None of the Above......Page 42
Intellectual Content and Clinical Issues......Page 43
Amount of Patient Contact......Page 44
Prestige, Status, and Social Expectations......Page 45
Lifestyle Considerations......Page 46
Length of Residency Training......Page 47
Future Income and Earning Potential......Page 48
Job Opportunities and Predictions about the Specialist Workforce......Page 49
References......Page 50
4 Personality Assessment: Are You My Type?......Page 53
Personality Type and Medical Specialty......Page 54
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator......Page 56
Looking at the Big Picture......Page 61
References......Page 62
5 Finding the Perfect Specialty......Page 63
Basic Science (Preclinical) Courses......Page 64
“Careers in Medicine”......Page 65
Clinical Rotations......Page 66
Glaxo Pathway Evaluation Program......Page 67
Internet Resources......Page 68
Medical Journals......Page 69
Mentors and Colleagues......Page 70
Research Projects......Page 71
Specialty Interest Groups......Page 72
Summer Between MS-I and MS-II......Page 73
Challenges for Today’s Female Physician......Page 77
Career Satisfaction Among Female Physicians......Page 79
Sex and Surgery: Being a Female Physician in the OR......Page 82
Considering Your Practice Options......Page 83
Find a Mentor—Be a Mentor......Page 85
References......Page 87
Two Specialties for the Price of One......Page 89
Why Train in Two Specialties?......Page 91
Disadvantages of a Dual Specialty Residency......Page 92
The Big Three: A Closer Look at Selected Combined Residency Programs......Page 93
The Triple Board Programs: Mastering Three Specialties......Page 97
References......Page 98
8 Options for the Undecided Medical Student......Page 99
Aiming for Confidence and Commitment......Page 104
Introduction to the Match......Page 105
The NRMP: Let the Computer Decide Your Fate......Page 107
ERAS: Let the Computer Simplify Your Life......Page 109
The “Early” Match: Non-NRMP Specialties......Page 111
Internships for Sale: How to Secure a PGY-1 Position......Page 113
Applying to More than One Specialty......Page 116
After the Interview: Communicating with Residency Programs......Page 117
Creating Your Rank-Order List......Page 120
The Match Algorithm: The Longest 6 Minutes of Your Life......Page 122
Breaking the Rules: How to Prevent Match Violations......Page 123
References......Page 125
Two Doctors, One Match......Page 127
How the Couples Match Actually Works......Page 129
Other Issues Surrounding the Couples Match......Page 131
Words of Wisdom: Six Tips from Matched-and-Married Couples......Page 133
Rising Above the Competition......Page 137
Advice for Medical Students—By Specialty, A to Z......Page 139
12 Your Medical Career Beyond Residency......Page 155
To Subspecialize or Not: The Fellowship Decision......Page 156
Conventional Practice Options......Page 157
Alternative Medical Careers......Page 162
Reference......Page 165
Part 2. Specialty Profiles......Page 167
The Specialty of Perioperative Medicine......Page 169
Essentials of Anesthesia......Page 170
Coping with Intra-Operative Emergencies......Page 172
Masters of the Airway......Page 173
The Doctor-Patient Relationship......Page 174
Below the Blood-Brain Barrier: Relationships with Surgeons and Staff......Page 175
Anesthesiologists and Drug Addiction......Page 176
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 177
A Primer on the Anesthesiologist–CRNA Debate......Page 178
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 181
Why Consider a Career in Anesthesiology?......Page 183
References......Page 184
Melanomas, Moles, and More......Page 187
Dermatology is Both Medicine and Surgery......Page 189
Misperceptions about Dermatology......Page 191
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 192
Dermatology’s Origins and Future Directions......Page 194
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 195
About the Contributor......Page 197
References......Page 198
What is Emergency Medicine?......Page 199
Emergency Medicine Requires Many Skills......Page 202
Treating Trauma Patients......Page 204
Occupational Hazards in the ED......Page 205
Lifestyle Considerations: Working in Shifts......Page 206
Stress, Burnout, and Career Satisfaction......Page 208
Practice Options: The Real World......Page 209
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 211
Why Consider a Career in Emergency Medicine?......Page 214
References......Page 215
Defining the Scope of Practice......Page 217
Specializing in Primary Care and Generalist Medicine......Page 219
The Doctor–Patient Relationship......Page 221
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 222
Future Challenges for Family Medicine......Page 224
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 226
Why Consider a Career in Family Practice?......Page 227
About the Contributors......Page 228
References......Page 229
Surgical Basics......Page 231
The Art of Surgery......Page 233
Beyond Technique: The Intellectual Side of Surgery......Page 236
The Doctor–Patient Relationship......Page 237
The “Surgical Personality”......Page 238
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 240
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 241
Why Consider a Career in General Surgery?......Page 245
References......Page 246
Internal Medicine is Really “Adult Medicine”......Page 247
Ready to Exercise Your Brain?......Page 249
The Doctor–Patient Relationship......Page 251
Being on the Front Line of Medicine......Page 252
The Internist as “Head Coach”......Page 253
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 254
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 256
New “Horizontal” Subspecialty Areas......Page 264
Why Consider a Career in Internal Medicine?......Page 266
About the Contributors......Page 267
References......Page 268
Not Just for “Brainiacs”......Page 269
Nuts and Bolts: Thinking as a Neurologist......Page 270
Neurologic Diagnosis: Technology at its Best......Page 272
Therapeutics: "Can You Cure Me, Doc?"......Page 274
The Doctor–Patient Relationship......Page 275
Current Controversies in Neurology......Page 276
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 277
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 279
Why Consider a Career in Neurology?......Page 281
References......Page 283
More than Just Brain Surgery......Page 285
So You Want to be a Neurosurgeon?......Page 286
Practice Options and Employment Opportunities......Page 293
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 295
Why Consider a Career in Neurosurgery?......Page 296
References......Page 297
One Woman—Two Specialties......Page 299
Is it Primary or Specialty Care?......Page 301
Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Operating Room......Page 302
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 303
Gender Issues in the Workplace......Page 304
Dealing with Malpractice Concerns......Page 305
Sharing the Spotlight: Nurse Midwives......Page 306
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 307
Why Consider a Career in Obstetrics-Gynecology?......Page 309
References......Page 310
Ophthalmology: Seeing the Light......Page 313
Specializing in Two Tiny Organs......Page 315
Ophthalmology as a High-Tech Field......Page 317
Performing Surgery on the Eye......Page 318
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 319
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 321
Why Consider a Career in Ophthalmology?......Page 324
References......Page 325
Bones, Muscles, and Joints: The Heart of Orthopedic Surgery......Page 327
Good Operative Skills are Essential......Page 329
The Doctor–Patient Relationship......Page 330
Sports Medicine: Being a Team Physician......Page 331
A Specialty Just for Dumb Jocks?......Page 332
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 333
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 335
Why Consider a Career in Orthopedic Surgery?......Page 337
Reference......Page 338
From ENT to HNS: A Brief History of Otolaryngology......Page 339
Being a Medical and Surgical Specialist......Page 340
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 341
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 343
Why Consider a Career in Otolaryngology?......Page 348
About the Contributor......Page 349
The Study of Disease and Illness......Page 351
Autopsy and Microscopy: To See for Oneself......Page 353
Making Confident Decisions that Change Lives......Page 354
Pathologists as Consultants......Page 356
The Doctor–Patient Relationship......Page 357
Questing for Knowledge: Pathologic Research......Page 358
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 359
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 360
Why Consider a Career in Pathology?......Page 364
References......Page 365
Caring for Children and Young Adults......Page 367
How to be a Good Pediatrician......Page 368
Working with Children and their Parents......Page 370
Being an Advocate for Children......Page 371
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 372
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 374
Why Consider a Career in Pediatrics?......Page 382
References......Page 383
An Overview of PM&R......Page 385
Primary Care (Sort of) with Great Diversity......Page 388
The Doctor–Patient Relationship......Page 389
How to be an Excellent PM&R Physician......Page 390
The Typical Day of a Physiatrist......Page 391
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 392
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 394
Why Consider a Career in PM&R?......Page 398
References......Page 399
28 Plastic Surgery......Page 401
The Evolution of Plastic Surgery......Page 402
The Allure of Plastic Surgery......Page 403
Being the Surgeon's Surgeon......Page 404
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 405
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 406
So You Wanna be a Plastic Surgeon?......Page 411
Why Consider a Career in Plastic Surgery?......Page 412
References......Page 413
The Medicine of Mental Health......Page 415
The Psychiatric Evaluation: Listening to Patients' Stories......Page 417
The Miracles of Psychopharmacology......Page 418
Psychotherapy in the Twenty-First Century......Page 419
ECT: Treating the Mind with Electricity......Page 420
Reflections on Mental Illness and Psychiatry......Page 421
Scope-of-Practice Issues: Psychiatrists Versus Psychologists......Page 422
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 424
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 425
Why Consider a Career in Psychiatry?......Page 428
References......Page 429
Radiation as Cancer Treatment......Page 431
The Typical Day of a Radiation Oncologist......Page 432
Planning Radiation Treatment......Page 434
Radiation Therapy: A Merging of Biology and Physics......Page 435
A High-Tech Specialty for High-Tech Physicians......Page 436
The Doctor–Patient Relationship......Page 438
Being a Part of Multidisciplinary Cancer Treatment......Page 439
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 440
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 442
About the Contributor......Page 444
References......Page 445
The Origins of Radiology......Page 447
A Closer Look at Modern Radiology......Page 448
The Science of Radiology......Page 450
Being a Consultant Physician......Page 451
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 453
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 455
Why Consider a Career in Radiology?......Page 458
References......Page 459
An Overview of Urology......Page 461
Urology is Both Medicine and Surgery......Page 463
Urology Outside the Operating Room......Page 466
The Doctor–Patient Relationship......Page 467
Lifestyle Considerations and Practice Options......Page 468
Special Specialists: Urologists Who are Women......Page 470
Fellowships and Subspecialty Training......Page 471
Why Consider a Career in Urology?......Page 473
About the Contributor......Page 474
Index......Page 475
Internet Resources Guide......Page 493