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Professional Development Series

This session explores the complexities of specialty selection for medical students, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful career decisions over hasty conclusions. With a focus on personal values, interests, personality traits, and skills, we discuss the impact of these factors on job satisfaction and burnout among physicians. Learn about the various specialties and subspecialties, common pitfalls in selection, myths surrounding professions, and effective self-assessment strategies. Equip yourself with the tools to make a well-informed career choice in medicine that aligns with your aspirations.

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Professional Development Series

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  1. Professional Development Series Part 1

  2. What will I be when I grow up? The answer is no longer just “doctor”

  3. The Big Decision • Most med students spend more time deciding what car to buy than on selecting a career. • Little thought goes into a lifelong decision. • Hasty decisions can lead to burnout, changing residency programs, an unhappy career.

  4. Statistics/Job Satisfaction • 40% of physicians report being very satisfied • 20% of physicians report complete dissatisfaction • The rest are somewhere in between

  5. Pitfalls to Choosing a Specialty: • Anxiety over exams/grades detracts from focusing on the merits of the specialty • Subjective grades can influence final impressions • Bitter residents and attendings/personality conflicts • One bad rotation does not preclude one from choosing that specialty • Lack of participation • Lack of “nittygritty”outpatient experience • Not enough time to look at every specialty in 1 year • Lack of guidance resources/lack of time

  6. Over 60 Specialties and Subspecialties • Allergy and Immunology Anesthesiology • Cardiology Colon and Rectal Sx • Dermatology Emergency Med • Family Practice General Sx • Genetics Infectious Disease • Internal Medicine Neurology • Neurosurgery Nuclear Medicine • OBGYN Oncology • Ophthalmology Orthopedic Surgery • Otolaryngology Pain Management • Pathology Pediatrics • Physical Med/Rehab Plastic Sx • Preventive Med Psychiatry • Radiology Rheumatology • Thoracic/CV Sx Urology

  7. Sample Specialty Divisions Hospital Based Specialties: Radiology, Pathology, Emergency, Surgery Comprehensive care for one population: Pediatrics, OBGYN Primary Care: Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics Tertiary Care/Referral-Based/One Organ System: GI, Dermatology, Urology, Neurology, Cardiology

  8. Myths and folklore or truth?? • All orthopods are jocks. • Gynecologists have the worst sex lives of all doctors • Pathologists are socially inept. • You should be a surgeon like your father. • Psychiatrists are crazy! • Dermatology is good money and short hours. • General surgeons do all the work with little pay. • ER docs are adrenaline addicts. • Internists are nerds.

  9. Four Domains of Career Assessment • Personal Values – what is important to you • Physician Values in Practice Scale • Interests – what you like • Medical Specialty Preference Inventory • Personality – what are you like? • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator • Skills – what you can do and do well • Experience on clinical rotations

  10. Personal Values: • Hours • Income • Intellectual Stimulation • Type of Patient Population • Generalist vs Specialist • Work Environment • Patient Contact • Social Status

  11. Other considerations: • Paperwork/Managed Care • Job Opportunities • Length of Training • Academic Competitiveness • Malpractice/Litigation

  12. What are your interests?

  13. Personality: What are you like? Results of multiple studies: Surgeons: extroverted, practical, social, less creative, competitive, structured Controllable lifestyle specialists: withdrawn and rebellious Hospital-based specialties: low tolerance for ambiguity, desire high structure OBGYN: warm and helpful Primary care: desired long term patient relationships Action oriented people who desire immediate gratification: sought out ER, surgery, anesthesiology

  14. Myer-Briggs Personality Type IndicatorMBPTI • Developed in the 1950’s • Used in medical schools across the country • Helps guide specialty selection by determining personality and temperament • Identify strengths and weaknesses • Take each year for best results • www.capt.org for a fee can get expert feedback

  15. MBTI: Four dimensions of personality yield 16 different personality types • Extroversion (E) vs Introversion (I): How we interact with the world and where we direct our energy • Sensing (S) vs Intuition (I): The kind of information we naturally notice • Thinking (T) vs Feeling (F): How we make decisions • Judgment (J) vs Perception (P): Whether we prefer to live in a more structured way or a more spontaneous way

  16. Extraversion Introversion Interest Orientation E I Outer world of actions, objects, and people Inner world of ideas and concepts

  17. Sensing Intuition Perception S N Immediate reality and direct experience Inferred meanings and relationships

  18. Thinking Feeling Judgment T F Reliability of logical order – cause and effect Priorities based on personal importance and values

  19. Judgment Perception Environment Orientation J P Judging attitude – Control of events and systematic planning Spontaneity – Curious, awaiting events and adapting to them

  20. Choosing Your Specialty • Step 1: Select specialties of interest • Step 2: Select factors important to you • Step 3: Rate your specialties

  21. Glaxo Pathway Evaluation Program http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/RESIDENT/CareerCounseling/interior.htm?self-assessment.htm Self assessment will rate medical specialties according to compatibility Co-sponsored by Duke University

  22. Glaxo Critical Factors • Caring for Patients • Continuity of Care • Autonomy • Diversity • Personal Time • Expertise • Income Satisfaction • Creativity • Certainty of Outcomes • Clinical Decision Making • Patient Decision Making • Interacting with Other Physicians/ Members of Health-care Team • Manual /Mechanical Activities • Pressure • Responsibility • Schedule • Security • Sense of Accomplishment

  23. AAMC Careers in Medicine Program Password protected

  24. Year 1 •   Orientation to Careers in Medicine • Seek out an advisor or mentor • Understanding Yourself • Complete the Specialty Indecision Scale for personalized guidance on your career concerns. • Attend CiM workshops • Begin completing self-assessment exercises

  25. Year 2 * Continue self-assessment * Complete self-assessment exercises * Review completed Personal Profile with advisor Exploring Options * Begin gathering basic information about specialties of interest through CiM Specialty Pages, other online sites, and library research * Attend Specialty Panel and Information Group sessions provided by your school * Compare your self-assessment information to the information you have gathered about specialties. Narrow down your specialty interests to 3-4 top choices * Plan your 3rd year schedule * Take Boards Step 1

  26. Year 3 • Begin clinical rotations • Review the Charting Outcomes in the Match report to assess qualifications and competitiveness for different specialties  • Conduct informational interviews and/or participate in preceptorships • Contact associations and specialty organizations • Meet with your advisor to discuss your top choices • Complete the "Choosing Your Specialty" exercise

  27. Year 4: Getting into Residency • Research residency training programs through AMA's FREIDA, AMA's Graduate Medical Education Directory (Green Book), or Osteopathic Opportunities http://opportunities.osteopathic.org/ • Complete the Residency Preference Exercise • Begin reviewing and comparing residency programs • Begin preparing residency applications. • Complete applications and designate programs to which your materials will be submitted • Take Boards Step 2 • Interview with residency programs • Complete the Residency Program Evaluation Guide

  28. Sources for Researching Residency Training Programs • CiM specialty pages http://www.aamc.org/students/cim/start.htm • AMA’s FREIDA http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/graduate-medical-education/freida-online.shtml • Graduate Medical Education Directory http://opportunities.osteopathic.org/

  29. What Do I Do Now? • Excel in your clinical clerkships • Program directors like to see as many clerkships with Honors as possible – especially in specialty of choice • Explore extramural elective opportunities: • http://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/electives/start.htm • Shadow drs on breaks and holidays, engage in research projects • Summer between 1st and 2nd year: National Health Service Corps, AMSA/SALUD • Participate in CiM self-assessment and Glaxo Pathway Program • Explore specialties through personal experience, talking to others, CiM, Glaxo, and other resources

  30. Session 2: Surviving 3rd and 4th YearClerkships

  31. Session 3: Getting Into Residency • Applying for residency • Writing a CV and personal statement • Getting letters of recommendation • Residency interviewing

  32. Choosing a Career in Medicine: Sources: 1. The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty, second edition by Brian Freeman, MD • Ren Stinson / University of Iowa 3. Michael G. Kavan, Ph.D Associate Dean for Student Affairs Creighton University School of Medicine

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