What life is like in 10 specialties—from the physicians who know

As a medical student, do you ever wonder what life is like in various physician specialties? The AMA Specialty Guide simplifies medical students’ specialty-selection process, highlights major specialties, details training information, and provides access to related association information. It is produced by FREIDA™, the AMA Residency & Fellowship Database®. 

And over the years, dozens of physicians from around the country and working in a variety of practice settings have taken the time to be featured doctors in the AMA’s "Shadow Me” Specialty Series, which offers advice directly from AMA member physicians about life in their specialties. Check out their insights to help determine whether a career in one of these 10 physician specialties might be a good fit for you.

1. Anesthesiology

   1. This article features perspectives from three anesthesiologists, including Rachel Clement, MD, who is employed by a multispecialty medical group within Confluence Health, which recently received an award from the AMA for its work on improving physician satisfaction and reducing burnout. Confluence Health is a member of the AMA Health System Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
   2. Dr. Clement is the daughter of two physicians, one of whom, her father, was an anesthesiologist and “the happiest physician I’ve seen,” she said. “Because of him, I also had a front-row seat to the more stressful aspects of the profession: call, challenging cases and unpredictable schedules. With that early exposure, I haven’t been shocked by these things in my own work. However, observing it is different from living it, and there have been some surprises.”

2. Dermatology

   1. Four dermatologists weighed in with their insights on life in the specialty, including Klint Peebles, MD.
   2. “Dermatology requires patience and innovation along with a thirst for lifelong learning and exploration,” Dr. Peebles said. “There are a staggering number of possible diagnoses in the field of dermatology, and a large proportion of these are rare or otherwise lacking in substantial data to help guide a rigorous, evidence-based therapeutic approach.”
   3. Dr. Peebles is a dermatologist at Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, also a member of the AMA Health System Program.

3. Diagnostic radiology

   1. This article gathers the acumen of four diagnostic radiologists about life in their specialty. That includes Olaseni Azeez Arogundade, MD, who is employed by a group practice affiliated with Confluence Health. Dr. Arogundade said he typically works nine-hour shifts, during which he spends about 80% of his time reporting on diagnostic imaging examinations.
   2. “This involves meticulously analyzing a variety of imaging modalities, including X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds, to provide accurate and timely interpretations that aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients,” he said. The remainder of his time “is dedicated to performing image-guided procedures using fluoroscopy and ultrasound. These procedures allow for precise visualization and localization of anatomical structures, facilitating interventions, such as biopsies, fluid aspirations and injections, under real-time imaging guidance.”

4. Emergency medicine

   1. Among the four emergency physicians who shared their wisdom for this AMA article is Usamah “Sam” Mossallam, MD, who is employed at a group practice and an academic medical center by Henry Ford Health in Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Henry Ford Health also is a member of the AMA Health System Program.
   2. He noted that while his employer has many processes and initiatives directed at enhancing physician well-being, emergency physicians also can benefit from smart personal choices. “Having family support and time to exercise and decompress are extremely important in emergency medicine,” he said. “Time for self-reflection and self-improvement is also necessary.”

5. Obstetrics and gynecology

   1. For this article, five ob-gyns shared their reflections, including Kimberly D. Warner, MD, who works at Colorado Permanente Medical Group, a member of the AMA Health System Program.
   2. Dr. Warner described the typical ob-gyn as resilient, collaborative and empathic. She also said the most challenging part of the specialty is having two patients at a time. “We always have the mom and the baby, and that's a very emotionally charged time,” she said. “It’s important to connect quickly, build trust and acknowledge that this is a life-changing event. You want to make it incredibly meaningful, special and safe.”

6. Ophthalmology

   1. This article collects astute comments from three ophthalmologists, including David H. Aizuss, MD, chair-elect of the AMA Board of Trustees. A typical nonsurgery day for him consists of seeing 25–30 patients in the morning followed by another 25–30 in the afternoon. On his weekly surgery day, he performs about 10 anterior segment surgical procedures—primarily cataract extraction with intraocular lens implants—at an outpatient surgery center next door to his office building in the morning, then returns to his office for laser vision-correction procedures in the afternoon.
   2. He said the most challenging aspect of the specialty has to do with the fact that eyesight is so critical to quality of life. “As ophthalmologists we perform highly technical, complex surgery that can easily go awry if there is not extraordinary, constant attention to detail. One error inside of an eye could result in severe visual loss, so the surgery is highly stressful for the patient as well as the physician.”

7. Orthopaedic surgery

   1. For this article, three orthopaedic surgeons took time to give the straight dope about life in their specialty. That includes Heather Kowalski, MD, who specializes in pediatric orthopaedic surgery and is employed by University of Iowa Health Care, in Iowa City. University of Iowa Health Care also is a member of the AMA Health System Program.
   2. She pointed out several skills every physician in training should have for the specialty.
   3. “Orthopaedic surgeons need to have an interest in the intersection of form and function and how modifying or changing one part of the body will impact other functions,” she said. “They need to be able to think on their toes when plans A through C don’t work and be ready to move ahead with other options in the operating room or during a trauma situation. They need to gather data and make a plan quickly when the situation mandates but also be able to sit back and think through how their decisions will impact patients in the long term.”

8. Pathology

   1. Four pathologists weighed in on what it’s like in their specialty, including Scott Koepsell, MD, PhD, who specializes in pathology and laboratory medicine with a subspecialty in transfusion medicine and cellular therapy. With more than a decade in practice, he said one of the skills every physician in training should have for pathology is effective communication.
   2. “We are constantly visiting and advising by phone with our colleagues, sometimes in high-stakes situations. Learning how to have an on-point message that is concise is imperative,” Dr. Koepsell said. “In addition, we generate pathology reports making a diagnosis after examining tissues or fluids or other tests, and those reports must be clear and contain all the information needed to take care of our patients.”

9. Pediatrics

   1. Three pediatricians took time to share their perceptions of life in their specialty, including Kanani Titchen, MD, who is a pediatrician and an adolescent medicine physician.
   2. She said one of the skills every physician in training should have for adolescent medicine is the ability to connect, the “ability to listen—really listen with one’s whole self and with love in mind—skills in motivational interviewing and ability to be authentic and in the moment with our patients are essential. Understanding and embodying trauma-sensitive care is also key and currently there’s not much education for this, let alone testing for it.”

10. Psychiatry

    1. This article gathers reflections from five psychiatrists, including Alpa Shah, MD, who has been in practice for 25 years, most recently as a perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist. Previously, before she moved to the U.S. from India, she was an ob-gyn. She is employed by Marshfield Clinic Health System, in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Marshfield Clinic Health System is another member of the AMA Health System Program.
    2. “Psychiatry is unique in the sense that you have to be able to establish rapport and have therapeutic alliance,” she said. “It’s not just going through a checklist of symptoms. You’re not going to get patients to talk with you and engage with you unless you can establish that alliance and rapport. Active listening and empathy are important in general in medicine, but more so in psychiatry and I’m not sure the board exams can really get to that.”

FREIDA’s AMA Specialty Guide is your definitive, comprehensive source for information on physician specialties which goes beyond this look at life in 10 specialties.

Find out more with exclusive data from the AMA that shows which physician specialties are seeing the biggest drop in burnout.