Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Coming Out Of The Closet

"I’m going into emergency medicine."

Head over to The Differential to discover how every medical student must come out - in a way - during the third year of med school.


I don't mean to diminish the stress and anguish involved with the GLBT meaning of the term. I do think it is a valid metaphor. Read the whole article to see what I mean.

4 comments:

Drugmonkey said...

It seems as though you chose the specialty about as diametrically opposed to bench science as you could possibly get, no?

thomas robey said...

Considering that my degree was bioengineering, EM is consistent with the tech training I have. (My undergrad bioengineering degree was medical device-centric.) But if you consider my specific topic of research (stem cells etc.), you are right - I don't imagine any of the potential benefits of ES cell research willbe implemented in the ER.

EM does offer a nice intersection of medicine and society, in terms of the cost of and access to health care. And a good deal of innovation and cost savings come out of research in academic ER's.

I'd say that psych would be further from basic science bench work (with the notable exception of your field), surgery further in terms of whether a dual career is possible, and family practice in terms of whether what you do in the lab could translate to your clinical practice.

Drugmonkey said...

I meant the immediacy of the emergency department. The rapid decision making. The "not sure of what you are going to face from hour to hour" part of it. The (relatively speaking) on duty / off duty nature of it. A lack of continuity with a patient.

thomas robey said...

True, true.

One of the things you mention is a drawback for me. (The only continuity is with so-called "frequent fliers.")

But the on and off aspect fits my personality much better. In the lab, I could never turn it off. I couldn't even change the subject!