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	Archives: 2003	71		12/25 02:09am
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dearest doctors and knowledgable people,
I want to get into "Rheumatology" As in Rheumatoid Arthritis...Is this acutally a field? And Am I allowed to study two fields? I also want to do Hematology...

BUT!! MY MAIN GOAL IS TO GO INTO BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, I THINK! EVENTUALLY, I WANT TO CREATE FAKE MEAT (LIKE ARTIFICIAL HEARTS AND LUNGS, EXCEPT MAKING ARTIFICIAL MUSCLES).

Is this included in BIOMEDICAL Engineering or is it a different field?

So it is Doctor vs. Biomedical Engineer...

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 01:40 pm: Edit

Well there's no question about it, we need fake meat. I'll take mine rare, thank you.

By Happeepanda (Happeepanda) on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 - 05:13 am: Edit

i just read about tissue engineering...

maybe that is actually making fake meat...

anyway, a dutch scientist recently patented a process of making "in vitro meat"

back to rheumatology...

is rheumatology a field??

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 - 08:11 am: Edit

"is rheumatology a field??" That is a good question! I'd like to know too. Why not do a Google search & report back?

By Happeepanda (Happeepanda) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 02:24 am: Edit

rheumatology is a sub-specialty within internal medicine! (but i just read that you already knew that!)

By Takiusproteus (Takiusproteus) on Thursday, August 12, 2004 - 11:24 pm: Edit

Making 'meat' is one of the core fields of Biomedical Engineering, yes.

By Kkgirl06 (Kkgirl06) on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 11:19 pm: Edit

Does anybody know anything about public health or could you refer me to a resource to learn more about it? i know many doctors who have both the M.D. and M.P.H. degree. do most doctors go to medical school first and then get their masters? Thanks in advace.

By Inspiration (Inspiration) on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 06:44 pm: Edit

Does anybody know which top schools are specialized for women's studies? I want to be an OB-GYN...

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Sunday, August 15, 2004 - 01:11 pm: Edit

Medical schools don't really specialize in anything at all, though some tend to produce more primary care type docs and others more research oriented folks. [hint: Read the archives!]
Get your MD from any med school and then you can select your residency program for training. This 3-7+ year period is where you will specialize and make decisions about such things.

By Mr_Sanguine (Mr_Sanguine) on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 07:20 pm: Edit

Dr Sedrish --

does it ever happen that someone can get assigned to a residency that they don't really want? Or is it true that the majority will get what they're going for?

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 08:25 pm: Edit

Yes. You will probably select & in turn be selected for training via the National Resident Matching Program (http://www.nrmp.org/). Read up on this little gem of a lottery because if you go to med school, chances are the letter/email (in my day it was published by candidate number in the USA Today!) they send you will shape the rest of your life in a big way.
While most people get the specialty they're aiming for, not that many get into the pgm they prefer, much like applying to med school all over again. Herein lies one of the real benefits of a top-notch med school.
You don't have to apply anywhere you don't want to go, but in theory you do have to go where you're selected. Some folks weasel out of their commitment, others don't but you ultimately wish they had.
Fun times.

By Mr_Sanguine (Mr_Sanguine) on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 09:36 pm: Edit

wow, really in USA Today?

So which is exactly more imporant -- specialty or program? And just to clarify, by program, are you referring to where (what school) you do the residency?

Have you ever known anyone that was unhappy with what they were assigned to? It just seems like such a big thing, essentially as if you're being told by some organization what you're doing for the rest of your life.

thanks for your help

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 09:53 pm: Edit

USA Today indeed. And I lived in Puerto Rico then, where it wasn't (back then) so easy to find.

Specialty is way more important. Residency is only a few years, whereas your specialty is what you do your whole working lifetime.

Unhappiness in residency?? Ha!! Everyone is unhappy. It's the psychotic ones you have to watch.

Read House of God by Samuel Shem. I read it as a 1st year med student and thought it was a joke. Nope.

Fun times.

By Jothed0rk (Jothed0rk) on Wednesday, September 01, 2004 - 05:12 pm: Edit

I will be attending UCLA in the fall & am currently a biochemistry major. I have always wanted to be a pediatrician, but lately I have been reconsidering and maybe going into forensics.

If I do decide to go into forensics, would I still need to go into medical school?

By Sar (Sar) on Friday, September 10, 2004 - 11:25 pm: Edit

Dr. Psedrish, the psychotically happy ones? lol
What should we watch them for?

House of God? Why that title?

I read Calculating God recently. It's more about philosophy than medicine, but it's got some interesting medical ethics debates in it.

By Collegebound123 (Collegebound123) on Saturday, September 11, 2004 - 04:42 pm: Edit

If I'm going to be a Biochemist Major, what fields in medicine involve this? Will I have to still go to a medical school?

By Blessed85 (Blessed85) on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 02:13 pm: Edit

Hi
I am really interested in pediatric neurology. Do you know if there are any medical schools that are well known for that?

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 05:39 pm: Edit

If you want to be a biochemist, then of course you don't need to be a physician. If you want to be a physician who uses his/her biochemistry a lot, I suppose you could do so as a pharmaceutical researcher, though these are more often PharmDs & PhDs.
Pediatric neurology, and all other specialties, are areas selected after you graduate from med school. It makes no difference where you get your MD.
Read the archives if you're really interested. Hell, just scroll up to August 15 and read.

By Wobudong (Wobudong) on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 05:58 pm: Edit

Pediatric neurology is a subspecialty usually addressed in fellowship training following completion of a neurology residency program. The top fellowship programs are likely to be offered by the top children's hospitals, e.g., Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (aka CHOP) Boston Children's, Duke Children's, Texas Children's, Pittsburgh Children's, UCLA, Rainbow Babies and Children's (Cleveland). All of those hospitals have a teaching affiliation with one or more med schools in their respective cities. How you distinguish yourself in med school will determine whether you are offered a neurology residency. How good a resident you are will determine your chances for a pediatric neurology fellowship.

By Blessed85 (Blessed85) on Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 10:57 pm: Edit

Thank you so much Wobudong for replying.
So let me get this straight.
First I go to med school for 4 years and then I do a neurology residency for 3 years. After that I do the pediatric neurology fellowship for another 3 years.
Is that right?
Thanks again

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 10:10 am: Edit

Not exactly. Between med school and residency (sometimes called a fellowship in pedi neuro), a year or two of general (peds +/- int med) residency training is required. Depending upon the pgm where you'll do pedi neuro, a year of research experience may be needed.

http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/train/pedsnro/prereqs.html

...............or................

http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/neuro/resident/pedneur1.htm

BTW, I've never known anyone who really knew what specialty they wanted to pursue before they even began med school. It's like deciding what you'll like from a buffet table before you've ever been to a restaurant. Keep an open mind.

By Blessed85 (Blessed85) on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 11:48 am: Edit

thanks psedrish
i know it was a bit early but I couldn't contain my enthusiasm for learning about the mind. I didn't even know pediatric nerology existed until 3 days ago. I guess I was just really excited at the idea of blending two things I love

By Concerneddad (Concerneddad) on Saturday, September 18, 2004 - 11:45 am: Edit

edit

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Saturday, September 18, 2004 - 01:28 pm: Edit

edit

By Concerneddad (Concerneddad) on Saturday, September 18, 2004 - 01:53 pm: Edit

As far as contributing to these boards, I do so regularly. Indeed, if you do a search of my previous posts, I try to be very helpful to those students interested in a career in law.

In fact, you are free to inquire of those on the boards as to the contribution I make on a weekly basis.

Moreover, I handle numerous questions privately from prospective Tulane students and parents, as my son is a Dean's Honor Scholarship winner and freshman at Tulane, following a pre-med and Creative Medicine course. That, of course, is the reason I read the pre-med/med. board.

So, I will continue to contribute as I have in the past, and I will consider your offer to help me start a "law board."

By Nyugrad (Nyugrad) on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 07:23 am: Edit

To the original poster-I have spoken to many engineers and they all say that an MD will help you to become a better engineer. Why not go for a degree in biomedical engineering, and if admitted to med school, go for the MDphd. My own son, who is in an 8 year program, is going that route.

Or, you could do a residency and then fellowship subspecializing in rheumatology and then return for a research phd if that is your intentions.Good Luck, you have a long road, but I am impressed that you are so focused and know what you want at such a young age.

By Nyugrad (Nyugrad) on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - 07:30 am: Edit

kkgirl106,

You can either get the MD or the MPH first. Some who don't get into med school get the MPH in the hopes it will help them get in the next time. In some instances, it does. You could attend med school first with an interest in preventive medicine, and then go for an MPH. MPH programs LOVE MDs, RNs, or anyone with a medical background.

It's a great and very needed field in this day and age. Best of luck.

By Glas989 (Glas989) on Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 12:04 am: Edit

What is the difference between the different Cardiologists?

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 06:09 pm: Edit

Cardiologists come in two flavors: invasive & non-invasive. The latter are very rare nowadays, as almost all cardiology fellowships now teach the skills required to do cardiac catheterizations and angioplasties. In general, the road to becoming a Cardiologist is through a full 3-4 year Internal Medicine residency and then another 3 years or so of cardiology fellowship. These slots are highly competitive.

Heart surgery is handled by Cardiac Surgeons. These guys are not cardiologists at all. They are trained via the surgical route with a 6-7 year program of first general surgery and then cardiovascular surgery. These slots are even tougher to get.

By Glas989 (Glas989) on Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 06:38 pm: Edit

I've also seen "Interventional Cardiologist", what about that?

Thanks for all info.

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 08:33 pm: Edit

interventional=invasive.

By Glas989 (Glas989) on Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 09:01 pm: Edit

Thanks!

Could you give me an outlook on Neurology and Pulmonology? As you had said Cardiology slots are highly competitive and whatnot this kind of worries me. I want to most likely be a Neurologist or a Pulmonologist(leaning more on Pulmonologist) so any info on these two are highly appreciated.

P.S. Money doesn't matter much as long as it's good enough to live on(and pay loans :P).

By Psedrish_Md (Psedrish_Md) on Monday, September 27, 2004 - 09:00 am: Edit

It's too early to even guess what you might like. Even as a 4th year med student, having rotated through most everything, many of us really only knew what we didn't want to do for the rest of our lives, not what we did want to do.
So many things will influence you between now and then. For many, it will be a particular professor you meet who will serve (usually unknowingly) as a mentor and spark your interest in his or her area. In addition, there will be your own (and others') assessment of your skills, your lifestyle needs and of course your opportunities.
Relax....this always takes care of itself in due time.