Specialties

After each rotation, I consider whether that could be a career. I've never thought myself a surgeon but I tried to go into the rotation with an open mind. Nevertheless, I did not find my passion here. For whatever reason, I do not particularly find the abdomen fascinating, and too much of a general surgeon's time is spent there. The rest, soft tissues, vasculature, the breast, and the neck, just don't do it for me. Anatomy was neither a strong point nor a strong interest for me, and I did not find myself drawn to the hospital care of surgical patients, even those with burns, trauma, or intensive care issues. Most importantly, I just don't feel a fit with the surgeon crowd (though of course, much diversity exists and stereotypes don't permeate the group) and I can't see myself with a surgeon lifestyle.

Of the subspecialties, I only really liked hand surgery, and I don't like it enough to give up the rest of the body. Though I like the intensity and immediacy of trauma, I do not have the personality for it and I cannot see myself dealing with that kind of injury process (especially when so much of it involves domestic violence). While I did not get much exposure, I cannot see myself doing colorectal, neuro, orthopedics, plastics, vascular, or pediatric surgery. I'm not sure about thoracic (having to go through general surgery deters me), urology, or ENT.

I also experienced emergency medicine. For a long time, I was very interested in the field, which is growing in popularity. However, I decided it was not for me. I loved the emphasis on efficient history and physical diagnosis, the procedures, and the focus on acute and life-threatening injuries. I also like the hospital-based aspect of it and the shift work hours. But after experiencing some time in that environment, I didn't feel a fit. There is a lack of appreciation, too much triage without follow-up, and the unfortunate reality that most patients in an ER do not belong there or should have had their medical needs addressed earlier by a primary care doctor.