Choosing a medical specialty is one of the most important decisions that we all have to make in our medical careers, and for most of us it is not easy to choose! I have changed my specialty over the last few years and learned important lessons that I am sharing in this post. There are two simple questions that you can ask yourself narrow your choices down and the first one is a lot more important than you may realise!
Question 1- What do I want my work-life balance to look like in the long run?
Burnout is the hot topic that everyone is talking about especially in the midst of a global pandemic and it often develops gradually in your medical career1. Keeping a good integration of work and personal lives is essential to avoiding burnout, when choosing a specialty it is important to consider how you can balance the activities that bring you happiness while having a fulfilling career.
There are a several questions that you can ask yourself to help you decide what path to take such as the following:
How long is the training?
Where would I have to move- rural and city placements?
What will my work timetable look like as a consultant- in and out of hours work, on-call shifts?
Will I still be able to take part in the societies/ social groups/ gym classes that I enjoy?
Will I have the level of social interaction with family and friends that I would like?
Question 2- Am I interested in a procedure-based specialty?
This significantly narrows it down to a handful of choices and they each have their positives and negatives. It is important to consider the requirements and the level of experience that is required to make an application as well as the competition ratios.
Often many surgical specialties are very competitive and doctors have to apply for several years before getting accepted into a training program. While this can be disheartening it is also an opportunity to continue to build up your medical knowledge and skills.
For those still undecided
If you are still unsure of where to apply I would encourage you to choose placements in specialties that you are interested in and trial how our working life will look and if you are able to balance it with your other commitments.
I started my training in obstetrics and gynaecology in the UK but after a few years I did not feel it was the right fit for me and when I moved to Australia I took up an emergency registrar position which I greatly enjoyed but did not see myself in this specialty in the long run. I finally found my calling in general practice and I came to the realisation that the experience and skills that I gained over the years were invaluable and I now have a unique set of skills that I can use to help my patients.
There is no harm in spending a few extra years trying out different specialty jobs and taking your time to decide what is right for you. Keep an eye out for the podcast series with special guests to learn more about the various specialties.
References:
1. Shaker (2020) ‘Preventing burnout through wellness and an attitude of gratitude’, Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, accessed 16 January 2021.
Comments