Doctors.......................

[Shadow Man]

What I understand of the medical profession is that every medical doctor starts out the same with the training etc, then work in a hospital, then specialise or become a GP.

If working for the NHS they are all on the same pay structure so I was wondering how in Gods name do they recruit for say, working in the clap clinic!!! The choice of being primarily involved in something like cardiology or radiology as opposed to examining pustulating herpes on some AIDS infected male prostitute can not be nice!!! Granted, I am sure all aspects have gruesome sides, but the clap clinic???

So, if you were gifted enough to be a doctor what would you choose to specialise in and what would you avoid at all costs?

I would choose Physiotherapy, becuase I quite like physical activity

I would never choose geriatrics because old people moan all the time.

I appreciate this is a rather boring question, but I am watching the cricket and we are doing very bad, so there.

[Panic Button]

neo, for practice you could wallpaper your hall through the letterbox

[alijangra]

Would love to be an orthopaedic surgeon or maybe dermatologist. Wouldnt like to work in oncology as it would prob make me worry more about getting cancer.

[Dassie]

Like most NHS doctors I'd specialise in fobbing you off to save money, not bother to open at the weekend and I'd avoid NHS hospitals for fear of contracting MRSA etc

[alijangra]

Dassie I think you will find that 'most' NHS doctors work in the hospitals which indeed do open at the weekend! In my area all GP's take part in the on-call rota at the weekend so people who really need a doctor get one. The NHS is far from perfect (not the doctor's fault, but the government who force cuts) and Im not saying all doctors are sent from heaven above but many do a fantastic job and save lives every day. It has become very popular to slate doctors and nurses these days, a bit of a media trend. Nobody reports the good stories and dedication, just the bad stuff. It is why I left nursing a while back, but I have since returned and I know (dont care what anyone else thinks!!) I go over and above the call of duty on a regular basis for many of my patients, running errands for my elderly patients because their families choose to ignore their existence.

[MrXLA]

I suppose it's quite easy for somone who HAS NOT spent 5-6 years in undergraduate education, spent a further 5-7 years (minimum) specialising to slate those that have.
Why don't you try working in a tough environment with ever increasing hours and demands and decreasing resources and then maybe you'll have some idea what your taking about.

In answer to the original question its not that simple (nothing ever is), its not quite like, I think I'll be a plastic surgeon and pop off to specialise, you have to be dedicated and fortunate to end up in the training pathway you really want.

By the way physiotherapy is not a speciality in medicine, doctors are not physiotherapists, physiotherapists are and geriatrics is now known as care of the older adult/elderly

[MrXLA]

NB that was in response to Dassie

[MrXLA]

I think sometimes the general public forget that doctors are humans too.
Just because an intelligent and caring person has chosen to dedicate their working life to the care of others its not an excuse for everyone else to s*it on them from a great height, sadly in society this is what happens.
I'd be thankful that at the moment doctors appear to accept this form of treatment, because one day they won't and where do you think that will leave the UK healths service.

[MrXLA]

I think sometimes the general public forget that doctors are humans too.
Just because an intelligent and caring person has chosen to dedicate their working life to the care of others its not an excuse for everyone else to s*it on them from a great height, sadly in society this is what happens.
I'd be thankful that at the moment doctors appear to accept this form of treatment, because one day they won't and where do you think that will leave the UK health service.

[MrXLA]

sorry for the double post

[MRSK]

I would be very happy if it was a matter of 'choosing' a speciality! As the media have depicted recently many will end up in specialitys not chosen but given. What a sad state of affairs..........!