Are There Any Medical Specialties That Are Worth All The Hard Work In Medical School And Residency?

This question was originally posted on Quora.com and was answered by Robert Frantz, B.S., M.D. Zoology & Medicine and Healthcare, The University of Oklahoma (1996)



No. None of them.

If you asked me this question during a medical school interview I would write “reject” on your application and turn it in. In the comments section I would probably say something like:

“This candidate seems to have a glaring deficit of insight concerning medical education. Their motivation seems to lack altruism and they seem unprepared for the rigors of medical study. I anticipate if this candidate were admitted to our school, they would likely drop out when the study became too difficult.”

This is one of those questions that if you have to ask, it’s not for you. The study of medicine should be a “calling.” That is, you must feel compelled by some unseen force to accomplish this. Otherwise, when the going gets tough (and it will…. when you have to deliver the news that no family member ever wants to hear) you’re just going to run the other way screaming like a sane person.