<p>Hi everyone. I'm going into my second year in medical school and I'm just trying to figure out what career I want to achieve. Entering medical school I LOVED the idea of being a neonatologist. I love to care for people and I love children especially. I then did some research and found some information that really surprised me. I always knew that doctors worked long and irregular hours, but I found that Neonatologists are always in reach to be called in at basically any time. This is a problem for me because I want to settle down with my longtime committed girlfriend and start a family after residency. Is this do-able, or is it a problem with the work schedule? Anyone that may have experiences with this please reply. Anyways, besides Neonatalogy, I love dermatology. Skin information is very important to me because my cousin and other family members have melanoma, and I would love to save people the pain and longtime committment of having skin cancer. Dermatologists work regular and normal hours, and may be better for a family. I would rather be a neonatologist, but I would settle for a Dermatologist. Any tips?? I really don't know what I should do, and It's stressing me out big time.</p>
<p>It’ll all become clear during your peds and derm rotations during your third year. In the meanwhile there’s no need to stress out about it.</p>
<p>As BlueDevil: Too soon to stress over it.</p>
<p>Derm easy hours, no call decent pay. BORING</p>
<p>Neonatology: Usually work with a group, so are on 24 hours then off. (I am ped surg and have worked with them) Very challenging, fun job. The kids are “black boxes”. If you love physiology and being a detective and actually saving kids, you will love it.</p>
<p>Raise family, settle down. Don’t become a doc or become M-F 9-4 doc such as Derm Doc</p>
<p>Family and work are not mutually exclusive. </p>
<p>First, while having a lifestyle that allows you to accomplish all the things you want to do, picking a field solely off of how many hours you’re going to work. Work that you find interesting will make you far more happier in all areas. I would never be happy as a radiologist even though the hours are way better than those of a pediatric intensivist which is the direction I’m heading. Seriously, follow your interests.</p>
<p>Second, actual work hours as an attending are HUGELY dependent on the group you join. NICU’s have the advantage over most other pediatric subspecialties in terms of being to go to most cities of a reasonable size, but you can end up in big groups so call is infrequent or at an academic medical center (so you have residents in house…plus the really best cases).</p>