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Editorial Reviews
The first medical specialty selection guide written by residents for students! Provides an inside look at the issues surrounding medical specialty selection, blending first-hand knowledge with useful facts and statistics, such as salary information, employment data, and match statistics. Focuses on all the major specialties and features firsthand portrayals of each by current residents. Also includes a guide to personality characteristics that are predominate with practitioners of each specialty.A terrific mixture of objective information as well as factual data make this book an easy, informative, and interesting read.--Review from a 4th year Medical Student
Related Reviews
A Must Read for Every Medical Student
I read this book during my second year of med school and found it to be an invaluable resource. The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty is divided into two parts. The first has general information about specialties and the Match along with strategies to approach both. The information on the NRPM alone is reason enough to buy the book. After reading Part One, I had a much better understanding of how to plan for residency while still in the early stages of medical school. The second part of the book profiles individual types of residencies. Each chapter is written by a resident or practicing physician in that area. They provide a glimpse into what it is like in those specialties. Each chapter focuses on personalities, scientific interests, lifestyles, and the residency experience. The book even provides details and statistics covering match percentages, employment data, average weekly work hours, and median compensations. The only valuable piece of information that it does not provide are average GPAs and USMLE scores for the specialties. It also briefly covers fellowships for each residency. The specialty chapters are in alphabetical order for easy reference. Although it does not cover every single possible specialty and subspecialty out there, it comes close and definitely includes all the major ones. Whether decided on a specialty or not, this book is perfect for anyone at any stage of medical school or pre-medical education. The earlier one reads this book, the better.
Keep a few things in mind when you read this book
It is an informative book. Students will learn a lot from reading this book. But the authors for each specialty are merely telling you the positive aspects of their specialty. Students still should seek more information about some of the issues why you may not want to choose a specific specialty. For an example, in Ob/Gyn the author for that section addresses males in the specialty as 'still having a role' in ob/gyn. True. But, in many, many metropolitan areas males ob/gyns struggle to find jobs. You'll not find information like that in this book. Pathology section doesn't mention how for the past 10 year or so the job market has really suffered. Because the duration of residency has decreased from 5 years to 4 years many residents are not equipped to function fully as an attending. Hence many employers seek out applicants with a fellowship in a subspecialty. This has created a huge demand for fellowship training which is very limited in number in comparison to the number of residents seeking fellowships. It, as I've been told, is one of the few physician specialty where you are not really guaranteed a position after residency. But the book doesn't tell you things like that. Anesthesiology section doesn't paint the real picture of the power struggle between CRNAs taking over MD anesthesiologists' jobs. Rather it more or less states how they all need to work together. In the meanwhile Colorado has just become the 16th state to allow CRNAs to practice without the supervision of an MD. So, use this book as a book that tends to advertise each specialty without informing you on issues that may cause you not to choose a certain specialty.
One of the better books on comparing specialties
I would recommend this book to the undecided medical students in their 3rd year- I bought this early in my 4th year after having read Anita's book on Choosing a Medical Specialty, and still being uncertain. I was trying to talk myself out of Gen Surg... Ultimately, a book is not going to make the decision for you, but it is good to be informed and it helps to either reinforce what your gut instinct is telling you. Try to borrow a friends or buy a used copy- but it's definitely worth a read!
I bought this book on a lark for my girlfriend who is a medical student and wanted to find out more about specializations. It's a bit american-centric but then again the book was written by americans. However, she still found the book extremely relevant in answering most, if not all, of her queries. The book is divided into all the varying specializations offered and each is specialization is written by a specialist in the particular field being discussed. All in all, a great deal for doctors-to-be and makes for an interesting read on a lazy sunday afternoon for the casual reader like me.
A Great Reference for 95% of US Medical Students
If you're having trouble deciding what particular path of medicine to follow, this guide could be very beneficial. With all of the studying/reading/slaving one does as a medical student, it's easy to forget that you quickly need to decide what you want to be when you grow up. Written by a collection of very talented people who seemingly all studying or trained in Chicago, this book delves into all major specialties, the application basics, and even how personality might play a role.
For 95% or more of all US medical students this is something they SHOULD peruse through if they have the slightest hesitation about what specialty to choose. However, my minor critiques are for the small margins the book glosses over. The author mentions how the possibilities are nearly endless with an medical degree, but it leaves it at that. A few examples of a MD/JD lawyer or MD/MBA executive would help. Also some of the very small niche residencies are completely omitted (e.g. prevmed and occhealth). Also, despite the OB/GYN chapter being written by a Navy physician, he completely forgot to mention the possibilities the military can present. [He mentions the public health service but not the military?] Hopefully these holes can be filled in for the next edition.
For 95% or more of all US medical students this is something they SHOULD peruse through if they have the slightest hesitation about what specialty to choose. However, my minor critiques are for the small margins the book glosses over. The author mentions how the possibilities are nearly endless with an medical degree, but it leaves it at that. A few examples of a MD/JD lawyer or MD/MBA executive would help. Also some of the very small niche residencies are completely omitted (e.g. prevmed and occhealth). Also, despite the OB/GYN chapter being written by a Navy physician, he completely forgot to mention the possibilities the military can present. [He mentions the public health service but not the military?] Hopefully these holes can be filled in for the next edition.
Of all the books I've read in medical school this is the most important. Most other books about residency have one page summaries of the specialties and talk mainly about interviewing and applying. This book has 20 pages per specialty written by a resident in the field with personality profiles, pay scales, ways to pad your CV, honest info on the dark sides of certain specialties, etc. Also there are several chapters at the beginning explaining the way the computer algorithm works for the match and how the match came to be out of recent history. It is a must read for every medical student during the third year. I recommend reading it over Christmas so you can finalize your decision by March and set up fourth year accordingly.
Actually, as its name implies.. This book is the ultimate guide in the process of choosing a specialty.
Other books that come after it are anita tylor's "how choose a medical specialty", which is more to the point but gives little detail about each specialty. After is "So You Want to Be a Brain Surgeon" which has much less in each specialty than the previous two.
Other books that come after it are anita tylor's "how choose a medical specialty", which is more to the point but gives little detail about each specialty. After is "So You Want to Be a Brain Surgeon" which has much less in each specialty than the previous two.
A good read, especially given information from both professionals and those currently in residency. Current as of late '03...so still relevant information. I'm an MS1 and enjoyed the book as it gives me a much better idea of many specialties/subs.
This book is good read. Valuable info on choosing a specialty, esp for those who are lost (which are most!). Book was in perfect condition.
I read this book when I started medical school and then reviewed it throughout school. The book is written by a physician who had recently been in residency training in anesthesia and it seems like he found doctors he knew from medical school and residency to write each chapter about each different specialty. This approach works well b/c then you get to hear all of the Pros and Cons from and actual physician in that specialty. The book has lots of basic info on how to select a specialty as well as info on the match and the competitiveness of different specialties.
Each specialty chapter gives background info on the specialty. It also gives info like average salary, average work week, competitiveness, ave USMLE score (for some chapters), fellowship opportunities, personality type of the specialty. This is a very helpful resource which is good to own or check out from your medical school library.
Each specialty chapter gives background info on the specialty. It also gives info like average salary, average work week, competitiveness, ave USMLE score (for some chapters), fellowship opportunities, personality type of the specialty. This is a very helpful resource which is good to own or check out from your medical school library.
Very helpful in reviewing the different specialties in the medical field. Great for helping that medical student get an early jump on what area to consider.
Great book for students starting med school
This book was really helpful in giving me the general insights into different specialities that I ought to keep in mind as I enter med school. Moreover, the book is excellent in preparing you for what you have to do to be a competitive applicant for residency.
Great advise for the single med student
This book has great advise in it for the single med student. However, if you happen to be married and a parent most of the advise is far too time consuming and impractical.
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What impressed me most about this book was the quality of information--everything was accurate, up-to-date, and written in an engaging way. I learned many things about each of the specialties I am consdering that I'd never read anywhere else. I also appreciated the fact that each specialty chapter is written by someone who's actually "been there, done that"--they're all written by residents.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to any medical student who is pondering what specialty to choose.