How do I choose a specialty?

Make sure you don’t overlook these important factors when determining what to practice:

  1. Assess your skills—not just the amount of money you wish to make.
  2. Gain clinical experience in your preferred specialty.
  3. Research the culture and availability of your specialty.
  4. Choose a backup specialty.

What specialty has the best lifestyle?

The ROAD specialties, standing for radiology, ophthalmology, anesthesiology, and dermatology have historically been the best for those optimizing for lifestyle.

Can MDS switch specialties?

It is still possible to switch specialties if you are already in practice. It’s been done, but it requires a degree of sacrifice. It will require that you repeat residency, you may have to move and you will have to take a pay cut for several years.

Which medical specialty earns the highest salary?

RELATED: The list of the top 10 highest physician salaries by specialty for 2019

  • Neurosurgery — $746,544.
  • Thoracic surgery — $668,350.
  • Orthopedic surgery — $605,330.
  • Plastic surgery — $539,208.
  • Oral and maxillofacial — $538,590.
  • Vascular surgery — $534,508.
  • Cardiology — $527,231.
  • Radiation oncology — $516,016.

What is the lowest paid type of doctor?

Pediatric infectious disease has the lowest compensation of any physician specialty, according to Doximity’s “2021 Physician Compensation Report” released Dec. 16.

What makes a specialty competitive?

Competitiveness is not related to specialty difficulty; it is simply based on numbers. Specialty competitiveness is measured by the percentage of positions filled by senior students in medical schools. The higher the fill-rate, the more competitive the residency.

Can a doctor have more than one specialty?

There are dozens of different medical specialty boards that certify doctors in different specialties and sub-specialties, ranging from internal medicine and psychiatry to urology, plastic surgery and ophthalmology. Many doctors have earned board certification in more than one specialty.

Can you switch specialties as a PA?

Because PAs receive general medical and surgical education and are required to recertify regularly, they can often change specialties without needing any new certification.

What is the hardest specialty to match into?

Competitive programs that are the most difficult to match into include:

  • General Surgery.
  • Neurosurgery.
  • Orthopedic Surgery.
  • Ophthalmology.
  • Otolaryngology.
  • Plastic Surgery.
  • Urology.
  • Radiation Oncology.