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The spread of super-specialisation is an alarming problem of modern medicine

So why is it that the modern physician prefers to manage just one organ and a surgeon wants to operate on one type of bone? Why is it that the narrower the speciality the greater the prestige when the average patient with multiple chronic conditions desperately needs someone to heed the big picture? And what happens to all those nurses, residents and trainees who find themselves caught on the horns of a dilemma – whether to blindly follow a subspecialist’s lead and treat the organ in isolation or listen to their instincts and care for the human being? I am afraid it has become increasingly challenging to do the latter.

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Featured

 Adapt or die: lessons from the history of medical specialization

Today in the US and all over the world, there are over 120 medical specialties, and choosing one’s path in this medley of choices can be a daunting task. However, life before the era of specialization was not so complicated. All doctors used to be generalists, but many forces over the centuries shaped their gradual evolution into specialists.

 Medical Specialties and Our Health Care System

The fact that so many medical students are choosing lucrative specialties like dermatology over internal medicine should be a clarion call that our health care system needs an overhaul. It is unfortunate that a doctor can earn $2,000 per hour performing a cosmetic procedure while a primary care physician earns far less preventing and treating life-threatening diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Payment disparities like this have turned our nation’s health care upside down, and fewer medical students are choosing specialties like internal medicine that focus on managing the health of the whole patient.

 Medical Specialties as Flowers: An Entertaining and Educational Journey for Doctors

Imagine walking through a vibrant garden, where each flower represents a different medical specialty. The garden is not only beautiful but also educational, offering a humorous glimpse into the diverse world of medicine. Let's take a stroll through this botanical wonderland and explore the specialties as flowers, each with its own unique charm and personality.

 My Story: how do medical students choose their specialties?

Most people go through four years of medical school, and nobody talks to them about people who have disabilities. There’s such a huge need for it. We have all these veterans who return from war with amputations and chronic pain. Even a simple thing like accessibility, we take it for granted. Medical students must be exposed to these types of things. It also gives us an opportunity to recruit the best of the best in this specialty.

 The best medical specialty you’ve never heard of

The most common response when I introduce myself as a preventive medicine resident is an interjection, “You mean family medicine?” I have come to realize that the majority of the healthcare field has never heard of preventive medicine as a unique medical specialty. It’s a shame, because preventive medicine is truly the best medical specialty you’ve never heard of.

Articles of Interest

Real Doctors Share Why They Decided To Become Ob-Gyns

Ob-gyns have a unique line of work: They spend their days looking at vaginas, doing screenings, delivering babies, and generally doing all they can to make sure you’re healthy below the belt. Combine that with long hours and overnight hospital shifts, and this job is no joke. But what makes someone decide they want to go into this line of work—and is it really what they thought it would be? We consulted several ob-gyns for their take.

$500,000 Pay, Predictable Hours: How Dermatology Became the ‘It’ Job in Medicine

Americans’ newfound obsession with skin care has medical students flocking to this specialty.

Beyond Primary Care: Which Specialties Are Needed in Growing Physician Shortage

Here, we examine some of the medical specialties with looming gaps, based on a report from Merritt Hawkins and Associates. Family Medicine and general Internal medicine topped the list of shortages.

Fewer Doctors Are Choosing to Go into Emergency Medicine

Hundreds of unfilled residency spots in emergency medicine are telling us that critical care is in trouble

Five emerging medical specialties you’ve never heard of — until now

As medicine evolves, so do the types of doctors most needed. Demand for some of these physicians is already high.

Five Medical Specialties That Need More Doctors

The projected shortage of doctors is expected to cut across the medical profession, but some specialties will be affected more than others. Medical students choosing their career tracks may want to consider which specialties will be in highest demand.

How the medical profession can help heal divisions as well as diseases

Medicine need not be confined to the role of cultural bellwether, a sheep with a bell on its neck that reveals where the whole flock is headed. Along with other professions such as law, clergy and education, medicine can and should play the leadership role of a shepherd, helping our society to develop more thoughtful, balanced and generous approaches to the challenges that face us. After all, the word doctor means teacher, and our culture needs the best instruction we can offer. The dawn of a new year makes the time ripe for such a shift in medicine’s role.

Insights from doctors about different physician specialties

Each physician profiled in the series provides a behind-the-scenes look at their daily work, the rewards and challenges of their specialty and valuable advice for medical students who may be considering similar paths. Whether you’re drawn to high-intensity emergency medicine, the delicate precision of surgery or the community focus of family medicine, these profiles help illuminate the road ahead, aiding students in making informed choices as they progress through medical school and beyond.

Medical Specialties With The Best Work-Life Balance

Finding a work-life balance in the medical profession can be challenging but is crucial for long-term satisfaction and well-being. Certain medical specialties offer a better equilibrium between professional responsibilities and personal time, enabling practitioners to thrive inside and outside the hospital or clinic. Below, we rank these specialties based on their inherent qualities contributing to a better work-life balance.

Medical Specialties: Finding Your Niche in Medicine

Finding a medical specialty that aligns with your priorities and values is essential to long-term job satisfaction. In a field in which burnout may be becoming more commonplace, pursuing a medical career that feels purposeful and promotes your wellness is a radical and important act. You are not alone in this pursuit; look to friends, family, and mentors for support, while also remaining true to yourself and your goals.

Newest doctors shun infectious diseases specialty

Despite guiding colleagues and the public through the COVID pandemic and the recent mpox outbreak; despite their lifesaving work in keeping hard-to-treat infections from spreading in hospitals; despite high job satisfaction and a profession that many described to NPR as "never boring": new doctors are not choosing to specialize in infectious diseases. It's a decline that has the field's top experts searching for explanations.

Physician Burnout by Specialty 2024: Top 10 Medical Specialties with Highest Burnout

Emergency Medicine, Hospital Medicine, and Family Medicine consistently appear among the specialties with the highest burnout rates. Reasons include the high volume of patients, the severity of conditions treated, and the extensive hours required.

The AMA predicts a shortage of medical specialists by the next decade

Hospitals across this country are facing a shortage of specialty doctors. And for what it's worth, the American Medical Association extended those trend lines into the future and found that if nothing changes - this is just a forecast - but if nothing changes, the country would be short 77,000 specialists in years to come.

The Happiest Medical Specialties

A recent report stated that these physicians were happiest in their medical specialties: Plastic surgery (71%), Public health and preventative medicine (69%), Orthopedics (65%). Otolaryngology (65%), Urology (63%).

The pandemic highlights why women need better doctors

“It's supposed to be the front door into the health-care system. The primary health-care team should be the one helping address people’s health care, social, and mental health needs,” she says. “Unfortunately, in the United States compared to other similarly wealthy countries, we invest the least in primary health care, and our primary health-care providers aren't reimbursed to the level of specialists.”

The Specialists’ Stranglehold on Medicine

There are so many specialty organizations because each develops authority over a niche market and vigorously guards its turf. Imagine building a house by allowing each workman to do his own thing. The plumber would put a sink in every room. The electrician would install chandeliers on every ceiling. The carpenter would panel every room in luxurious wood. That’s how health care works.

The Ultimate List of Medical Specialties and Subspecialties

The different practices in the medical field is as expansive and multifaceted as the intricacies of the human body. The ability for a doctor to specialize and focus on one of many specialties exist for each of these fields of medicine.l.

Unique Medical Specialties to Consider

When people think of medical specialties, they usually consider common ones like cardiology, pediatrics, or neurology. However, many unique and lesser-known medical specialties are just as meaningful and fulfilling. These specialties can lead to exciting careers in groundbreaking fields, helping many patients improve their quality of life. There can be challenges to working in these specialties, but if it’s something you’re passionate about, it can be incredibly rewarding. Here are some unique medical specialties to consider:

What Are the Most In-Demand Doctor Specialties?

As the nation’s population expands and ages, it faces a shortfall of physicians across the specialty spectrum. According to projections made by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States will see a shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians by 2034, including a shortage of between 17,800 and 48,000 primary care physicians — a group that includes some of the most in-demand specialties.

What Do Doctors Do? A List of 10 Common Medical Specialties

Here’s a quick guide to some common specialties and what they treat:

What medical specialty has the biggest shortage?

Some of the specialties with the most significant shortages include: Primary care: This field, which includes general practitioners, family medicine doctors and internists, faces the highest demand. The shortage of primary care physicians is driven by an aging population, an increase in chronic diseases and a growing need for preventative care. Psychiatry: Mental health has become a growing concern, and the shortage of psychiatrists is exacerbated by the stigma surrounding mental health care and the increasing demand for mental health services. Emergency medicine: Emergency departments are seeing an increase in patient volume, yet there aren’t enough physicians to meet this demand, making emergency medicine one of the most strained specialties.

Which Medical Specialty Should You Choose?

When I was in medical school and thinking about the specialty I should pursue, I based my decision upon whether or not I wanted to carry a pager. I hope this infographic helps you as you make your decision!

Why Doctors Aren’t Going Into Pediatrics

The elephant in the exam room, though, is that pediatricians earn less than specialists in almost every other medical field in the United States. A key reason is that so many children live in poverty and therefore qualify for Medicaid, which pays far less for care than private insurance and even less than Medicare.

Resources

10 Physician Specialities With Low-Stress & More Flexibility

No matter which medical specialty you choose, the most satisfied physicians are the ones who put their wellbeing, and the wellbeing of their patients, first. This is why it’s important to choose an area of medicine that makes you and your future life happiness a top priority. We hear the question "What are the happiest medical specialities?".

6 Best Medical Specialities Shaping the Future of Healthcare Research through Surveys

When it comes to shaping the future of healthcare research, six “most in demand specialties” stand out for offering more opportunities to participate in impactful surveys. These specialties provide crucial insights and play a significant role in guiding medical advancements.

American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)

Established in 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), a not-for-profit organization comprising 24 medical specialty Member Boards, is the pre-eminent entity overseeing the certification of physician specialists in the United States. The primary function of ABMS is to assist its Member Boards in developing and implementing educational and professional standards to evaluate and certify physician specialists. By participating in these initiatives,

Council of Medical Specialty Societies

Our mission is to advance the expertise and collective voice of specialty societies in support of physicians and the patients we serve.