re: Medical residency spinoff. Rank the specialties

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If I'm spending 200k on my education you better bet I'm not letting "community needs" choose for me

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I agree with that thought process.

It all depends on what you as a person want to do. Many people go in thinking they want to be a surgeon because that's what being a "real" doctor is all about. They are nearly always extremely type A, demanding, and rude af to staff that they don't work closely with. It's easily the most demanding, but they believe this is one of the few fields where they make miracles happen and save lives.

For those that dont have the aptitude to get a residency like that you would normally end up, like everyone else said, in IM or FP. The system makes it difficult for a mediocre medical student to truly want to do what they want, so many end up in a field completely unrelated to their interest, or dreams. I wouldn't necessarily say the system is rigged against anyone, it's just competitive.

Going from undergrad to Med School is comparable to going from high school sports to college, IMO. You go from being one of the smarter/hardest working students on campus, to being surrounded by the best of the best. That guy that busted your curve in orgo? He's going to be riding the curve while another guy/girl is busting his. That's the nature of it, its competitive, as it should be. Do you want the middle-of-the-mall med student operating on you or do you want him doing your check ups? I'm going with check-ups all day.

CRNAs haven't just entered the field homey, they pioneered it, long ago

Derm is the holy grail if you can get in and like the field. Short residency, great hours, great pay. Derm > surgical fields based on quality of life alone. All surgical subspecialty residencies are now at least 5 years and derm residency is comparatively a joke.

Radiation oncology is underrated because people don't know about it, but I'm biased...

** all my statements are based assuming you like said specialty because if you don't your life will be shite anyway

Most desirable to me would be general surgeon followed by dermatology.

There really isn't a best to worst. There's a most to least competitive, but why would you want to go into a field just because it's harder to go into? I wouldn't go into derm even if a program had offered me a free spot because I have zero interest in skin.

Just remember Doc that while you're putting in long hours at the hospital some unemployed oilfield baw named Jody is stuffing your missus

Have you considered Optometry as a surgical specialty?

life as an ER MD can be nice, no call, good pay, satisfying work, excitement, you can pretty much set your own schedule.

If I were doing it all over again, I would have looked at the dental route and entered into a dental sub-specialty, such as peds or OMS (oral surgery). Virtually none of them work a 40 hour week, they don't have as many reimbursement complications as traditional physicians and they make a ton of money (and let's be honest...it is a job and that matters).