2 answers
Violet
Student
Gallup, New Mexico
1
Question
Asked
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Why did you choose the specialty you do?
#Medicine #Doctor
I've been around doctors my whole life due to the fact I had a tethered spinal cord when I was born. I still visit the hospital once a year and being the medical field has always interested me. I'm not sure what specialty I want to go into yet but I'd like to know what each one does.
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2 answers
Pauline J. Jose, M.D.
Physician
3
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Pauline J.’s Answer
I chose Family Medicine because I wanted to be able to help all patients and not be limited to one part of the body, or one age range. I like taking care of the patient and his whole family. I know that sometimes people have ailments because they are not well in their family or work life and I like being able to talk to them about everything about them and in the long run get to help them feel better. I also chose FM because I know I have a variety of job options to get into. I can work in Urgent Care, in a Wellness Center, in the hospital, in my own clinic or in a medical group practice. Personally I have worked in the emergency room, seen patients in the hospital, nursing home, done house calls, precepted medical students and I have my own practice. I am busy but it is my choice. Being in one place during one's whole career is also possible if that is one's preference. But that is just proof of how versatile a family medicine physician can be!
Estelle Archer
Gynecologist
1322
Answers
United States
Updated
Estelle’s Answer
Violet,
It's great that you are already researching the different fields of medicine.
There are major categories that might be helpful to consider. For example, pediatricians and internists are doctors that diagnose and treat diseases in children and adults, respectively, but they usually do not perform procedures. Surgical specialists are much more procedure oriented, but they often do not get the long term relationships with patients because they treat the condition and have short term follow up, in general.
Other major categories are psychiatrists, radiologists, and pathologists. Each of these fields has specialists.
I think that a helpful first step is to decide if you want a surgical field or not then go from there. I recommend shadowing physicians when you are in college or volunteering at a clinic when you are in high school and college.
It's great that you are already researching the different fields of medicine.
There are major categories that might be helpful to consider. For example, pediatricians and internists are doctors that diagnose and treat diseases in children and adults, respectively, but they usually do not perform procedures. Surgical specialists are much more procedure oriented, but they often do not get the long term relationships with patients because they treat the condition and have short term follow up, in general.
Other major categories are psychiatrists, radiologists, and pathologists. Each of these fields has specialists.
I think that a helpful first step is to decide if you want a surgical field or not then go from there. I recommend shadowing physicians when you are in college or volunteering at a clinic when you are in high school and college.