Hi, I'm applying for residency this year and struggling to choose a specialty - psych vs. IM. If I do IM, I'll likely pursue endocrinology since I enjoy working in clinic and don't love procedures. Here are what I see as the pros/cons - I appreciate any input!
Psych pros:
-ability to run my own practice/work outside of a hospital setting
-I'm really interested in psychotherapy, and I enjoyed reading my psychiatry textbook
-I hate working nights, and psych offers opportunity for a regular 8-5 schedule
Psych cons:
-not getting to use much physiology or lab data/imaging to make decisions
-during my rotation I found the social work aspect of inpatient psych frustrating
-my rotation was all inpatient, and it felt like we monitored patients for a few days and then sent them home without doing much
Endocrinology pros:
-I enjoy the analytical/problem-solving aspects of IM and ability to measure results
-I like working in clinic, and endocrinologist lifestyle seems nice after residency
-my personality seems more similar to the IM doctors I rotated with than to the psychiatrists
Endocrinology cons:
-longer hours during residency, have to apply to fellowship
-not as much flexibility in terms of work settings
-I'm definitely interested in diabetes but wondering if would become too repetitive
Psych pros:
-ability to run my own practice/work outside of a hospital setting
-I'm really interested in psychotherapy, and I enjoyed reading my psychiatry textbook
-I hate working nights, and psych offers opportunity for a regular 8-5 schedule
Psych cons:
-not getting to use much physiology or lab data/imaging to make decisions
-during my rotation I found the social work aspect of inpatient psych frustrating
-my rotation was all inpatient, and it felt like we monitored patients for a few days and then sent them home without doing much
Endocrinology pros:
-I enjoy the analytical/problem-solving aspects of IM and ability to measure results
-I like working in clinic, and endocrinologist lifestyle seems nice after residency
-my personality seems more similar to the IM doctors I rotated with than to the psychiatrists
Endocrinology cons:
-longer hours during residency, have to apply to fellowship
-not as much flexibility in terms of work settings
-I'm definitely interested in diabetes but wondering if would become too repetitive