Question for MDs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than the occasional shift on call, a pediatrician in an office probably doesn’t think about work at home.

I know my dermatologist doesn’t even have shifts on call.

It’s still pretty inflexible - if you have patients scheduled, you can’t just leave early to gk to a school play.

HAHAHHAAHAHAHA. I work in a pediatrician office and they work a ton from home - finishing up notes, replying to messages, sending orders/referrals, etc. The time in the office is non-stop and so they work from home to catch up.

My Dad's a pediatrician and he would take plenty of 2 AM calls about minor fevers or head into the hospital to see a seriously ill patient.

[Anonymous]

Podiatry used to have the highest professional satisfaction rates, due to a couple of factors:
Office hours only
No terminal patients (cancers occurring on the foot get referred out)
You can actually fix someone's problem, which is a huge deal to them, and they are very grateful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not an MD, but dentist or especially a
orthodontist.

Biggest mistake I made was not pursuing this as a career - my experience both when I was a kid with braces and then again when my kids had them.

No!
These guys are always on call.

Crown falls off, chipped tooth, fall from playground equipment, mouth sports injury on a late Thurs evening , bracket pops off, wire snaps- all dentist and ortho "problems" and emergencies that easily and often occur 24/7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - DS was thinking ER or pathology, his father thinks pathology will be replaced by AI in the future. What about a medical examiner, all clients are deceased so is that easier to leave at the end of the day (except for the emotional part)?

An ME works long hours and have a high case load - especially in high crime areas, high profile cases, and very laborious.
And often times need to testify in court on top of a back log.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - DS was thinking ER or pathology, his father thinks pathology will be replaced by AI in the future. What about a medical examiner, all clients are deceased so is that easier to leave at the end of the day (except for the emotional part)?

My kid did a med school rotation there and make sure you kid can handle deal bodies (or parts of dead bodies in all shapes and conditions). My kid wasn't too crazy. she can handle dead bodies fine but it was a bit much for her

[Anonymous]

My DS is a hospitalist-- 7 days on and 7 off. No emails from patients and notes are done before he leaves the hospital. Also, no on-call hours.

[Anonymous]

Radiologists can have a 9-5 schedule. Also Anesthesiologists can make their schedule 9-5 (or a version of it). Both are compensated well. However, keep in mind both of these fields have less “patient care” meaning less interactions with their patients. So it depends on whether that’s important for interested parties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Radiologists can have a 9-5 schedule. Also Anesthesiologists can make their schedule 9-5 (or a version of it). Both are compensated well. However, keep in mind both of these fields have less “patient care” meaning less interactions with their patients. So it depends on whether that’s important for interested parties.

All true, but consider that many specialties are not readily available to just any medical student who wants them. Matching into a desirable/competitive residency program is not guaranteed, so if your child's interest in medicine is contingent on admission to a specific residency type, going to medical school may be risky.

[Anonymous]

Oral Surgeon

[Anonymous]

The ROAD specialities are coveted for their relative work-life balance but also accordingly competitive to match into.

[Anonymous]

The ROI on medical school continues to go down. I would guide your child to a more lucrative career path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The ROI on medical school continues to go down. I would guide your child to a more lucrative career path.

Like what?

[Anonymous]

Radiologist

[Anonymous]

Dentistry. None of my family dentists work on Fridays and our orthodontist doesn’t start until 11am on Tuesday and closes at 7 on Thursday.

[Anonymous]

Psychiatry, salaries are increasing especially if rural and there are some jobs you can do totally WFH remote