Five Tips For Choosing Your Medical Specialty

So you’ve decided to go to medical school to pursue your dream of becoming a doctor. Congratulations! But wait -- the decision-making process is far from over. Another big choice you’ll have to make between now and earning those prestigious two initials after your name? Selecting a specialty. Let’s take a closer look at a few ways to pick a specialty that’s right for you.

1. Start Early

While most students don’t officially choose a specialty until at least the third year, it’s never too soon to start considering your options -- particularly when it a career-making decision is involved.

Whether you know little about the various specialties heading into medical school or you’ve had a firm interest in surgery since before you could spell “scalpel,” due diligent in an important part of the process. Conduct ample research, talk to practicing physicians, and arrange to shadow a doctor, if possible. AMA Wire’s useful and informative “ShadowMe” series offer an insightful look into the day-to-day work of physician. And remember: the sooner and more comprehensively you research specialties, the more information you’ll have at your disposal when the time come to make a decision.

One other thing to keep in mind? Even if you have your heart set on a particular medical specialty, keep an open mind and have a backup plan. Things don’t always go the way you expect them to. Having a backup plan can help you stay on course even if your trajectory takes an unexpected turn.

2. Consider Your Skills, Interests and Goals

Your specialty will determine the course of your career and even your life. Why shouldn't it be directly informed by your own unique skills and goals? While thoughts about money, prestige and lifestyle can cloud the big picture, fulfillment and success are most likely to be found when guided by other factors.

Taking time to consider your own strength and weakness in an important part of the process. This also means considering what area of medicine you find most appealing. Do you enjoy variety, perform well under stress, or enjoy performing procedures over diagnostics? How you answer each of these questions should directly relate to particular specialties in terms of fit. Ideally, your skills, interests and goals will be in alignment with your eventual choice of specialty.

3. Get Adequate Information

Choosing a specialty is far from a cursory process, and merits some intensive, below-the-surface considerations. In order to make the most informed decision, it’s critical to understand specific practice characteristics for each specialty under consideration. From questions about type of patients to practice options related to everything from location (urban, rural, etc.) to type (solo, group, HMO, etc.), these questions should be determining factors -- not afterthoughts -- when choosing a specialty.

4. Patients First

The fact of the matter is that there would be no doctors without patients. It makes sense that considering the type of patients and patient populations you prefer can help you hone in on an ideal specialty.

For example: there’s a significant difference between fields like pediatrics and family medicine which typically involve long-term patient relationships and specialties like emergency and medicine and anesthesiology which usually involve more extreme circumstances and crisis management. Which type of relationship are you looking for in your medical career?

If you’re not a people person, meanwhile, some specialties, such as pathology, have limited patient contact. Others have contacts primarily focused on a particularly subset of the population, like the aging or the mentally ill. Failure to consider these aspects can lead to a specialty which may not be a good fit while choosing well can largely enhance your professional fulfillment.

5. Lifestyle Matters

While the word “doctor” and “lifestyle” may first bring to mind thoughts of mansions and yachts, we’re talking about your personal life in general. Are you the type of person for whom career is everything, or are you more focused on achieving a balance of your personal and professional life?

Some specialties are not only more time-consuming, but are also unpredictable. Surgeons, for example, are often on call and may spend long hours in the operating room. Other specialties are more limited to ‘normal” working hours. Picturing the life you want to lead outside of work can help you land on the most tenable specialty.

One final thing to guide you through the process? Choosing a specialty is a personal decision so be sure to follow your own path. Ultimately, while choosing a specialty can feel like a momentous decision, these guidelines can help you narrow down the field.