Let's talk about Family Medicine. Deciding on a speciality is probably one of the most life-altering things I have done.. and I've barely mentioned it on the blog! It's been my intention to write about it in-depth for a while now.. but I wasn't in the right mood to do it justice. So this week, I'll take a swing at it and hopefully I can convey my passion, excitement, and love for this speciality:
First, let's talk about what the specialty includes! Really, we should discuss what the speciality doesn't include because that is a much shorter list. In bigger cities, family docs may not do quite as much because there are specialists nearby for nearly every procedure. But outside of the metro, the GPs (general practitioners) deliver the babies, prescribe the blood pressure and diabetes medications, remove the skin cancers, complete the PAP smears, do the colonoscopies, sports physicals, well-child checks, sick visits, joint injections, see patients in the hospital, and patients at the nursing homes.. the list goes on and on --- can you see why I'm drawn to the field?
I was lucky to go to medical school without any thought about providing for myself or my family with my career. I went with the sole intent to study medicine so I could provide care to anyone/everyone that crossed my path. If I didn't pursue medicine, I would likely be spending these years of my life at home raising kiddos. I have a huge passion for primary care and truly believe that people are best cared for when they have a medical "home base". I feel honored to be that person in just a few more short years!
Next, let's spend a minute chatting about the programs I am applying to. There are two programs through UNMC that make, dare I say, better use of the fourth year of medical school. The fourth year is a year filled with electives aimed at obtaining letters of recommendation, evaluating potential residency programs, and gathering skills to support the remainder of your training/career. Unfortunately, the year often turns out extremely hectic and expensive as you are balancing rotations with traveling for interviews and another set of board examinations. You pay the normal amount for a year of tuition when you are frequently away!
These programs I am applying to have a solution -- you use that fourth year of medical school as an additional year of residency. You don't spend money on tuition. You don't spend money on interviews. But even more important, you have an extra year to spend in training learning the million awesome services that family physicians can provide! This is even more important since there are work hour restrictions on residents (80 hours/week maximum). My favorite part of the programs is that the first year is an amazing transition between being a student and a resident. Instead of abruptly switching from student to doctor on July 1st, 2015 - they provide a smooth ramp. Ideally, that would happen with all programs! Also, the attending physicians and residents all seem super helpful, patient, and happy to teach. The programs seem incredible!
One of the programs is entirely family medicine with all four years in Omaha. The second program is a combination of internal medicine and family medicine. After the first two years, you declare which specialty you'd like to pursue. With that program, you have the option of spending the final two years at a rural site (which means less sharing with other residents - a problem at a big academic center like UNMC).
The journey to Family Medicine was a tough one at times. I thought, when I entered medical school, that I would be a general pediatrician. I love kids, I love working with families, I love spending time in clinic teaching, and I love continuity with my patients. In my head, I thought peds was the best fit for me.. but deeper down, I think I knew that Family was my place. In medical school, I spent time as an officer in the Family Medicine Interest Group, the Pediatrics Interest Group, and as a medical school representative in a newer group- Primary Care Progress. When I wasn't at school or studying, I was spending time volunteering with women in Omaha. I continually find myself dreaming of how best to use my degree in the future- can I create a free clinic in town? volunteer providing care at local shelters? travel abroad for annual medical missions? work my buns off locally and use that income to support these causes? All of these will be incredible opportunities as a family physician! They would be options as a pediatrician, but I would be limited in who I could care for.
I feel so good with my decision to be a generalist! I am just getting started with everything I wanted to document & share.. but this post is wordy enough for tonight. I'll have two sets of interviews this month - the first on March 12th and the second a few weeks later. It is incredible to think that in one month's time I may know where I'll be finishing my training. Yikes! How fun! This will be a whirlwind! In the meantime, I'm working on my fourth year schedule in case I am not selected (which is a big possibility because the other applicants are all very competitive!)
Stay warm and safe in this frigid weather!
xo,
Krista
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