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Electronic_Rub9385 t1_j95yu5v wrote

I’ve been a general practitioner for 25 years. Nothing is safe from the impacts of AI and technology. Having said that, not much has changed compared to when I started medicine 25 years ago.

Some little things have changed but nothing that is sea-leaves changing.

The biggest change that I have witnessed is the overwhelming corporatization of medicine which has not been good for doctors or patients. This will only continue to go badly unfortunately.

My advice-go where your heart leads you. Do medicine that you are passionate about. Make sure the medicine you do matches your personal values. If you don’t like interacting with patients then be a pathologist or an internal medicine sub specialist or a surgeon or a proceduralist like PM&R or anesthesia.

Eventually AI will be ubiquitous in the next 15-20 years. I will be retired. But AI is unlikely to replace us in the next 50 years. They will be more like helpers and assistants. Real replacements will probably take 150-200 years.

Any specialty you pick there is only one component to being a successful physician - exercising good judgement. If you can exercise good judgement (this comes with time, and practice and repetitions and good residency and fellowship training) you will be very successful for the rest of your life no matter what you pick.

Don’t sweat it. You will be fine with whatever you go with. Except radiology. Don’t pick that.

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Particle_Partner t1_j975h74 wrote

I totally agree. Every field has its pros and cons, but fortunately, in medical training, you get to try lots of different things before graduating as a doctor. Even after that, there are different types of residencies and fellowships.

It's really a matter of finding the right personal fit, at something you're able to do physically and mentally for the next 45 years.

If you really want lifelong job security..., sorry it doesn't exist for doctors or anyone else. Plan on doing a few different things over the course of the next 45 years as you grow professionally and your interests and priorities change over time. Who knows, you might end up doing something that doesn't currently exist. Radiology and radiation oncology didn't exist in 1894, the Xray hadn't been discovered yet!

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