Anesthesiology or Neurology?
I am a medical student (MS2) having a difficult time deciding between anesthesiology and neurology. I am fortunate to attend a medical school with magnificent anesthesiology and neurology departments, so there has been no shortage of clinical-, research-, and mentorship opportunities. Went to graduate school for neuroscience (pain research) and have continued doing pain research as a medical student, so my mentors and connections are spread out across both departments.
I just wrapped up my neurology clerkship and had a great time. The residents and attendings felt like "my kind of people", and could see myself being quite content with neurology as a career. I do think I am more intellectually interested in neurology, but I also believe that anesthesiology may be slightly more aligned with my preferred workflow and work environment.
What I am ideally looking for:
- A mix of procedures and cerebral work
- Variety in acuity (prefer high over low-acuity)
- Medically complex patients
- Preferably inpatient based
- Ability to carve out my own niche
- Not limited to academia or community
- Shift work appeals to me, but could be fine with 9-4 with procedure days
- Strong job security (insulated from AI and scope of practice expansions)
- Geographic flexibility
Would really appreciate hearing from people in either field, especially anyone who seriously considered both.