found that medical school students were most likely to change specialties from orthopedic surgery and general surgery.
found that doctors specializing in urology, neurology, nephrology, endocrinology, family medicine, and radiology experienced the highest rates of burnout. Parzuchowski also believes that institutions and mentors are more willing to invest time and resources in medical school students who are sure about their path and are passionate about their chosen specialties. For example, he engaged in radiation oncology research and attended conferences, but he admitted,"What other people found exciting about radiation oncology didn't excite me.
Interestingly, many medical school students never discuss feelings of uncertainty about their chosen specialties, according to Parzuchowski. He hopes that admitting to feeling unsure and normalizing those conversations will help medical students feel more comfortable seeking guidance so that they can make more informed decisions earlier in their medical school careers.
"It wasn't until getting down to the point where I had to make the decision that I had to apply to match that I started thinking, Do I really want to do this?" Parzuchowski says.When he decided to change specialties, Parzuchowski pulled out of Match Day. He then pursued a master's degree in public health and a residency in internal medicine. It proved to be the right decision.
"I knew [when I switched specialties] that the worst that could happen was that programs would tell me no...but I would rather take some risk and pursue something that I felt called to pursue," she says.
Medicine Sucks...