Anyone else not excited about the specialty they are applying to/applied to?

[lidocaine99]

M4 here- I don’t know if this is normal but I don’t feel particularly excited about the specialty I’m applying to .. more than anything I’m ambivalent and a little nervous . I was between a couple different specialties in the end and couldn’t decide between them so I kind of just picked one two weeks ago and am planning on applying this cycle.

I’ve already tried to reassure myself that I can switch after my prelim year if I want (since the program requires a prelim medicine year). Idk if this is normal or an indication to take a year off and reevaluate :/ has anyone else been in this situation?

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[lidocaine99]

I'm kind of in this situation right now. Med school moved quickly and I feel like I didn't have time to truly decide what I actually want to do (or wouldn't mind doing). Good news for you is if the specialty you're applying to requires a prelim year then its one of the better ones lol

I wish you weren't in the same situation but its nice to know I'm not alone. Hopefully we'll be okay.
I'm applying neurology so I'm not sure everyone would agree it's one of the better ones hahah

 

[Tenk]

If it makes you feel better, I really enjoyed emergency medicine pre Covid. Now post Covid I would retire on the spot and never look back.

It’s good to find a specialty you enjoy, but remember, everything can change in an instant. 🤷‍♂️

 

[DrStephenStrange]

I wish you weren't in the same situation but its nice to know I'm not alone. Hopefully we'll be okay.
I'm applying neurology so I'm not sure everyone would agree it's one of the better ones hahah

Most neurology programs have now moved to being categorical. The ones that still require a prelim year are usually with linked prelims, so they are not actually at a separate institutions. I wouldn't hold on the thought that you could easily switch after intern year if you want to. Switching specialty mid-residency is usually a difficult process that requires a lot of coordination and paperwork between the 2 programs/PDs. If you're not completely sure that you want to do neurology, then it's gonna be tough because neuro residency in itself is one of the most grueling, and being nerds about all things neuro and liking what we do are what keep us going sometimes. It's kinda too late now since application submission is less than 1 month away, and taking a year off would probably hurt you more than helping unless you would be working on research for a more competitive specialty. At the same time, interviewers are really good at catching on your level of enthusiasm for the field, and that could be a negative for the match if it's really obvious during your interviews.

You're in a tough spot for sure, so I'd suggest you find what you really like about neurology for now and focus on that for interviews, and then find a way to make peace with the fact that you're going to be a Neurologist. Maybe talk to some Neurologists, or mentors if you have any, and see if they can give you some more insights in what you may be missing out on about the field and that could possibly cheer you up a little bit.

I may be bias, but outside of residency though, I'd say neurology is one of the good ones for sure. The career potential looks great with decent benefits and work/life balance even straight out of residency without fellowship.

 

[lidocaine99]

Most neurology programs have now moved to being categorical. The ones that still require a prelim year are usually with linked prelims, so they are not actually at a separate institutions. I wouldn't hold on the thought that you could switch after intern year if you want to. If you're not completely sure that you want to do neurology, then it's gonna be tough because neuro residency in itself is one of the most grueling, and being nerds about all things neuro and liking what we do are what keep us going sometimes. It's kinda too late now since application submission is less than 1 month away, and taking a year off would probably hurt you more than helping unless you would be working on research for a more competitive specialty. At the same time, interviewers are really good at catching on your level of enthusiasm for the field, and that could be a negative for the match if it's really obvious during your interviews.

You're in a tough spot for sure, so I'd suggest you find what you really like about neurology for now and focus on that for interviews, and then find a way to make peace with the fact that you're going to be a Neurologist. Maybe talk to some Neurologists, or mentors if you have any, and see if they can give you some more insights in what you may be missing out on about the field and that could possibly cheer you up a little bit.

I may be bias, but outside of residency though, I'd say neurology is one of the good ones for sure. The career potential looks great with decent benefits and work/life balance even straight out of residency without fellowship.

Thanks for your perspective. I probably shouldn't have said I am ambivalent in my original post. I chose neurology because I find the pathophysiology very exciting and really enjoyed studying the subject, and am excited for the future of the field. I guess I'm just nervous because it feels like a last minute decision whereas many of my friends have stuck with the same specialty for a long time, plus the more grueling residency. But ngl your post did cheer me up a tad.

 

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Most neurology programs have now moved to being categorical. The ones that still require a prelim year are usually with linked prelims, so they are not actually at a separate institutions. I wouldn't hold on the thought that you could easily switch after intern year if you want to. Switching specialty mid-residency is usually a difficult process that requires a lot of coordination and paperwork between the 2 programs/PDs. If you're not completely sure that you want to do neurology, then it's gonna be tough because neuro residency in itself is one of the most grueling, and being nerds about all things neuro and liking what we do are what keep us going sometimes. It's kinda too late now since application submission is less than 1 month away, and taking a year off would probably hurt you more than helping unless you would be working on research for a more competitive specialty. At the same time, interviewers are really good at catching on your level of enthusiasm for the field, and that could be a negative for the match if it's really obvious during your interviews.

You're in a tough spot for sure, so I'd suggest you find what you really like about neurology for now and focus on that for interviews, and then find a way to make peace with the fact that you're going to be a Neurologist. Maybe talk to some Neurologists, or mentors if you have any, and see if they can give you some more insights in what you may be missing out on about the field and that could possibly cheer you up a little bit.

I may be bias, but outside of residency though, I'd say neurology is one of the good ones for sure. The career potential looks great with decent benefits and work/life balance even straight out of residency without fellowship.

That residency life though.... one of the worst

 

[mrbreakfast]

1) If you match at a categorical program (which statistically you are very likely to) you should not anticipate your PGY1 year "counting" should you decide to transfer to another specialty. It's essentially at the discretion of whatever program you would be trying to transfer to.

2) Neurology residency isn't actually that grueling on average. It all depends on where you train, but you shouldn't be at risk of hours violations. You get used to the volume. And with the overwhelming majority of people doing 1-year fellowships (or not doing fellowship at all) the overall training length is pretty short.

3) You have chosen a specialty with one of the hottest job markets and (if you go outpatient) very good lifestyle potential. There's always an end in sight.

 

[Dantes]

I don't have a good answer but I'm also feeling very "blah" about applying, and anxious at the same time in case I hate whatever I get into, and want to switch down the line. Schools that shorten their pre-clinical have the right idea to get students more exposure.

Edit: also OP with regards to neuro I guess try to find the right program? For all the horror stories I read online about people breaking 80-100 hour weeks, I personally know people in more than one program who never break hours, and work 60-75 inpatient and 35-45 outpatient.

 

[lidocaine99]

I don't have a good answer but I'm also feeling very "blah" about applying, and anxious at the same time in case I hate whatever I get into, and want to switch down the line. Schools that shorten their pre-clinical have the right idea to get students more exposure.

Edit: also OP with regards to neuro I guess try to find the right program? For all the horror stories I read online about people breaking 80-100 hour weeks, I personally know people in more than one program who never break hours, and work 60-75 inpatient and 35-45 outpatient.

Sorry you're in a similar situation. We'll get through this and hopefully it will work out!
Also good point about finding the right program, and that's great to hear that your peers have had good experiences at their programs.