What Specialization to Take?

[caloyski5]

finally talked to my dad and sis. both of them said go to where you like better..dagdag pa ng dad ko, the money will come later ;) hth

[smooth]

otep, incidentally, since you're into computers, have you considered a career in medical informatics? its a (fairly) new specialty kaya malaki ang potential for growth. not to disuade you from ENT or ER med pero para lang madagdagan ang mga options mo. yun nga lang, walang patient contact.

dagdag naman sa ENT: if you're considering HNS, i suggest you go to a government hospital. mas madaming mga cases kasi. especially with HNS kasi diyan maganda talagang makita mo ang mga kakaibang kaso. something to tickle your mind (favorite nilang tanungin sa ENT ito e): intra-op kung magka-airway fire, anong una mong gagawin?

[speedy]

hi speedy. if you don't mind, may i ask where you practice mostly? medyo mahirap mag-budget ng family time sa anesthesia di ba?

My practice is in the midwestern US. Residency is always hard and the time it takes to establish yourself in your group takes time. I have been very fortunate to have joined a private practice group that is expansive and modern. Its taken approximately 7 years to develop the practice to where I have all the vacation time I would need and not work any weekends or holidays. My practice is in a state of the art hospital that specializes in open heart procedures of all kinds. I would not consider what I do work at all. I enjoy what I do and my family life could not be any better.

[smooth]

My practice is in the midwestern US. Residency is always hard and the time it takes to establish yourself in your group takes time. I have been very fortunate to have joined a private practice group that is expansive and modern. Its taken approximately 7 years to develop the practice to where I have all the vacation time I would need and not work any weekends or holidays. My practice is in a state of the art hospital that specializes in open heart procedures of all kinds. I would not consider what I do work at all. I enjoy what I do and my family life could not be any better.

UAB? you work with dr pacifico? i was there about 3 years ago. observed lang. UAB's TCVS program is incredible. to be completely honest with you, what impressed me the most with UAB's system is the human engineering. it takes you guys about 15 minutes or so from the time the patient enters the OR to cannulation of the aorta. that is astounding.

incidentally, i'm also in anesthesiology though i mostly do obstetric cases. i came from a major tertiary hospital in manila. our open heart procedures are at par with 1st world standards and we recently opened a cardiac center. if you chance upon a visit, i am proud to say, you'd see that we are not getting left behind.

congrats on your practice.

[OTEP]

smooth,

Wala po akong alam sa computers. I just like being here at Tsikot. hehehe. Sabi nga ng parents ko, maging trauma surgeon daw ako kasi I like cars (and car crashes). hehehe.

[speedy]

UAB? you work with dr pacifico? i was there about 3 years ago. observed lang. UAB's TCVS program is incredible. to be completely honest with you, what impressed me the most with UAB's system is the human engineering. it takes you guys about 15 minutes or so from the time the patient enters the OR to cannulation of the aorta. that is astounding.

incidentally, i'm also in anesthesiology though i mostly do obstetric cases. i came from a major tertiary hospital in manila. our open heart procedures are at par with 1st world standards and we recently opened a cardiac center. if you chance upon a visit, i am proud to say, you'd see that we are not getting left behind.

congrats on your practice.

Its nice to hear from a fellow anesthetist. You must have tremendous patience dealing with screaming pregnant women and staying up all night with labor epidurals. I truly commend you on that! As a cardiac anesthetist, things in the OR move so fast that by the time you get settled in, your already coming off pump! In the last 5 years, off pump surgery has been popular which is great for some but tediously intense for us! Try getting a CO and BP above 90 and low HR while the heart's apex is up in the air and your PA is wedged under sponges with no venous return! Things have to happen fast and I like the fact that I see the change that I am implementing in an instant. I am glad to know that cardiac surgery has not gone unnoticed back home. Specially with the culture and diet we have in the Philippines. Well, I guess we are good examples of practioners who truly enjoy their specialties.

[smooth]

Its nice to hear from a fellow anesthetist. You must have tremendous patience dealing with screaming pregnant women and staying up all night with labor epidurals. I truly commend you on that! As a cardiac anesthetist, things in the OR move so fast that by the time you get settled in, your already coming off pump! In the last 5 years, off pump surgery has been popular which is great for some but tediously intense for us! Try getting a CO and BP above 90 and low HR while the heart's apex is up in the air and your PA is wedged under sponges with no venous return! Things have to happen fast and I like the fact that I see the change that I am implementing in an instant. I am glad to know that cardiac surgery has not gone unnoticed back home. Specially with the culture and diet we have in the Philippines. Well, I guess we are good examples of practioners who truly enjoy their specialties.

thanks and kudos to you too for your practice. btw, if i got your message right, you said "off pump surgery;" do you mean open heart procedures without using a bypass machine? (magagalit mga perfusionists nyan heheh). wow. i've seen it done but i personally wouldn't want to be the one in charge.

the thing i like best about OB is that it is perhaps the only area in medicine where the outcome is generally welcome (new baby!). we are advocates of latching on techniques and seeing the baby in his/her mother's arms is the best sight in the world. and having the mother thank you with tears in her eyes always brings me joy beyond description, happiness beyond compare. i can go on and on (and get really poetic about it) but suffice it to say that no matter what time of the night i get up to rush to a parturient, a great outcome easily makes up for all the trouble

[speedy]

Smooth, oh I wish all patient outcomes are good, but sadly some are'nt. I think that is what inspires us practitioners to continue learning and evolving in our respective practices to incorporate new technologies to limit and decrease the incidences of complications and poor patient outcomes. Your right, perfusionist are not too happy but they are still in the room on stand-bye. The task of maintaining vital hemodynamics during the off pump repair is tedious and challenging and often requires second by second adjustments throuhout the surgery. But like what you have said, the pay-off is in the eyes of the patient and family when you have succesfully traversed the perils of surgery. We are very fortunate to find respective fields that we both enjoy and excell in.

OTEP here are two good examples of practioners who enjoy their practice. Not to discourage you but ever looked into anesthesia?

[buknoy2002]

I'm just wondering out loud here. It's kind of a toss up between Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery vs. Emergency Medicine at the moment. Any inputs would be most welcome. I have around a year to decide on this pa naman. Thanks.

ob gyne...

para maganda view =)

[yebo]

CARDIOLOGIST! ehehehe! check mo to!

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