I'm sure many people have seen this flowchart image before, but since I'm at this stage of my medical school career I figure it was worth re-posting (courtesy of hvattum.net). I'm pretty lazy, and sometimes the light hurts my eyes, so.... hmm... what's really sad is that this chart seems as a good a way of picking a specialty as my last 2.5 years of medical school experiences. D'oh.
For more detailed advice, here are some books you may find of interest:
Another one worth browsing:
Beyond just reading though, I recommend finding upperclassmen, residents, and attendings who share your interests. Talk to everyone: the people closer to where you are in your training can tell you the right steps to take right now to meet your goals, while the ones further down the road (like department chairmen) can give you a big-picture assessment of the field and where it is headed. After that, it's up to you to figure out if you want to go down that road yourself, or blaze a new trail altogether different!
Random Note: Today is Pi (3/14) Day!
LOL, I hadn't seen that algorithm before! I always found the Goo Chart quite accurate though if you care to check it out!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/177/12/1545
Medical school does not provide adequate opportunity for medical students to make a truly informed career decision. A medical career can span 50 years and we only get 3rd year mandatory clinical rotations and 4th year electives to choose a specialty. This is why many doctors regret their specialty decision. In addition, medical students and residents are not provided with a significant enough business education to prepare them for the pitfalls of private practice. In the book, The Medical Entrepreneur Pearls, Pitfalls and Practical Business Advice for Doctors, a list of the 25 first steps that are necessary to take when entering or joining a private practice is provided. Residents and students often do not understand the implications of their career choice as it relates to compensation, lifestyle, impact on family, practice management issues, who they "report to"-ie a hospital or physician group.
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