Internal Medicine

IM was quite a ride. My school had me at 2 different hospitals with 2 completly different systems. I thoroughly enjoyed the program through our main teaching hospital, but the second month through the military hospital was very hectic. The military hospital was not very supportive in my opinion. I got the distinct feeling that some physicians were only working there to "pay-back" the government. The best teaching physicians seemed to be non-military. While my team was better than most, a fellow med student was put on a team that would never inform her of when rounding would begin or even where it would begin. Very hectic.

I thought our main teaching hospital did a GREAT job in IM though. One of my faculty members I would consider a complete genius, and I would gladly work with him again.

IM residents work very hard here. I definitely give them 2 thumbs up for enduring such a rigorous program. After these two months, I have definitely learned to appreciate the field, but I can't see myself in Internal Medicine.

Psychiatry

I have finished my psychiatry rotation, and it has by far been the most fun and exciting rotation yet. Coming into medical school, I was dead set on emergency medicine because you have new and exciting challenges with every patient. Psychiatry seems to be very similar in that almost every patient has a different story, yet psychiatry still has continuity of care. Originally I didn't really know whether continuity of care made a difference to me, but I am quickly learning how much I enjoy seeing my patients get better and lead more fulfilling lives.

We also had some exposure to child psychiatry during my rotation, and I thought it was a lot of fun. I've heard from numerous sources that the field has a high burn-out rate, it is just too hard to deal with, etc., but I don't see why. The chance to make an improvement in a child's emotional well-being seems greatly rewarding. Maybe this burn-out rate is partially due to dealing with parents, but if you are going to be dealing with kids in any aspect, you need to be able to handle parents.

I think right now my top two choices in residency are:
1.) Psychiatry with a fellowship in child & adolescents
2.) Pediatrics

Looks like I am stuck dealing with parents in either case. :)

Sure the pay isn't as great as other fields and psychiatry isn't the most prestigious specialty around, but I think if I could benefit just 1 child in every 100, I'd be happier in child psychiatry than a lot of other fields.

I would definitely recommend others looking into this exciting field, and feel free to ask any questions. I'll do my best to answer them.

Mission Trip

This past week I participated in a small medical mission trip within the small town of Canutillo(sidenote: If you haven't ever been on a medical mission trip, you are missing out). There was a bunch of MSI's, a couple MSII's, and a few MSIII's watching over everything. While we didn't have all the medications that I would have liked, I think we did a lot of good. On top of all the good we did, I learned a few things myself.

For one, I love teaching. 90% sure I will go into academics at least part-time.

Second, be careful with needles. We had an MSI stick herself with a used needle, and I had to get her to the hospital for bloodwork. Everything turned out well though.

So whether you are a pre-med, med student, or doctor try to make time for medical mission work. It can be lots of fun.

Children Poll

I recently posted a poll asking "How many children could you raise in medical school?" I won't even provide all the stats because there was an overwhelming majority saying they could raise a grand total of ............0.

I asked this question because there is a number of students in my class that are currently raising children. While I am in the majority that doubts I could ever raise children in medical school, the group in our class that have kids are doing amazing. Two classmates have 3 kids under the age of 10!!!! Wow! And all of them are wonderful kids.

So for those thinking about raising a family in medical school - it is definitely possible. Just make sure you have a VERY supportive spouse.

Family Medicine

Its been awhile since I posted, but I am now also done with family medicine. It was a lot more fun than I expected. I love trying (and hopefully succeeding most of the time) to diagnose anything and everything. Still, I am not a big fan of DRE's, and I am sure it will only get worse once Internal comes around.

Overall my school gives students a lot of autonomy in family, and it really facilitated learning. I think family provided me with a solid background for whatever I decide to specialize in. I know that many students bash family for the lack of pay, prestige, etc., but I think everyone should give it a chance. You will learn a lot and have a lot of fun doing it.