"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
- Robert Frost
- Robert Frost
When starting medical school, we are encouraged to keep an open mind to all the different specialties available before choosing a path early on. This makes perfect sense. We have only been given a limited exposure of what some fields have to offer (through prior clinical experiences and exaggerated medical dramas on TV). Such passive interactions are usually not enough for us to make an informed decision. Only a handful of students know exactly which specialty best suits them after matriculation and stick with it through all four years of education.
I have been fortunate to be able to take a year off before becoming a medical student in August, and because of this extra time to reflect on my past, it is becoming apparent to me which field in medicine I may best fit in. So today, I would like to announce that I will be using this blog to record my entire journey throughout medical school and am excited to see if I will end up specializing in neurology or be destined for another specialty. Stay tuned.
I will be watching with intense interest as you launch down this path. There are three medical specialties devoted to this sacred organ- neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry. I am specializing in the last of those, which is an intensely rewarding approach to the brain, but to actually see, to touch, to intervene directly upon the living tissue that bridges the gap between mind and body would be both an exhilarating thrill and a sobering responsibility. I wish you the best of luck on this journey.
ReplyDeleteThank you Doctor Matt. I absolutely agree that the fields of neurology and psychiatry should be intimately used together. If I end up in ns, my dream would be to bridge the two together in practice.
DeleteVery interesting. The brain is super interesting. Have you read "The Brain that Changes itself" by Norman Doidge? I recently wrote a review for it here . I think you'll enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI'll be back and watching... good luck!
Thanks for the link barefootmeds, but it appears to be broken. Just checked out your blog and it's truly as awesome as your title. Looking forward to hearing more of your feedback.
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