<p>I have the book called The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Medical Specialty by Brian Freeman. I found it to be very interesting and it tells a lot about each specialty. </p>
<p>Anyhow he mentions that Three specialties: Preventive Medicine, Nuclear Medicine and medical genetics, have very few residency positions that not too many students consider them options.</p>
<p>Can someone tell me about the three areas? I'm very curious because I know very little about it. </p>
<p>Also is medical genetics the same as geneticist? I thought they were a fellowship in internal medicine...</p>
<p>Perhaps everyone has no idea either....</p>
<p>^ Oh thanks. Sounds like a new field.</p>
<p>HOw about the other two fields?</p>
<p>Physical medicine - highly integrated working with occupational and physical therapists...I've heard it described as a somewhat similar working relationship as that between Anesthesiologists and Nurse Anesthetists. Haven't really looked into it much, but seems like there would be lots of potential to do a lot of things - could join with the anesthesiologists who run pain clinics, could work in various skilled nursing facilities, could do a lot of things...</p>
<p>from the AAMC:
Physical medicine and rehabilitation, also referred to as rehabilitation medicine, is the medical specialty concerned with diagnosing, evaluating, and treating patients with physical disabilities. These disabilities may arise from conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system such as neck and back pain, sports injuries, or other painful conditions affecting the limbs, for example carpal tunnel syndrome. Alternatively, the disabilities may result from neurological trauma or disease such as spinal cord injury, head injury, or stroke. A physician certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation is often called a physiatrist. The primary goal of the physiatrist is to achieve maximal restoration of physical, psychological, social, and vocational function through comprehensive rehabilitation. Pain management is often an important part of the role of the physiatrist. For diagnosis and evaluation, a physiatrist may include the techniques of electromyography to supplement the standard history, physical, X-ray, and laboratory examinations. The physiatrist has expertise in the appropriate use of therapeutic exercise, prosthetics (artificial limbs), orthotics, and mechanical and electrical devices.</p>
<p>As for Nuclear med...probably something that radiologist have tried to incorporate into their field some.</p>
<p>From the AAMC:
*A nuclear medicine specialist employs the properties of radioactive atoms and molecules in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, and in research. Radiation detection and imaging instrument systems are used to detect disease as it changes the function and metabolism of normal cells, tissues, and organs. A wide variety of diseases can be found in this way, usually before the structure of the organ involved by the disease can be seen to be abnormal by any other techniques. Early detection of coronary artery disease (including acute heart attack); early cancer detection and evaluation of the effect of tumor treatment; diagnosis of infection and inflammation anywhere in the body; and early detection of blood clot in the lungs are all possible with these techniques. Unique forms of radioactive molecules can attack and kill cancer cells (e.g., lymphoma, thyroid cancer) or can relieve the severe pain of cancer that has spread to bone. The nuclear medicine specialist has special knowledge in the biologic effects of radiation exposure, the fundamentals of the physical sciences and the principles and operation of radiation detection and imaging instrumentation systems.
*</p>
<p>^ I was speaking about preventive medicine not physical. It's all good thanks anyhow.</p>
<p>Preventive Medicine is not a real specialty. All fields of primary care practice preventive medicine</p>
<p>I think there might actually be residencies in this. I know one of my classmates was discussing it -- apparently this program either requires or offers an MPH along the way?</p>
<p>From the AAMC CiM page:</p>
<p>*A preventive medicine specialist focuses on the health of individuals and defined populations in order to protect, promote and maintain health and well-being, and to prevent disease, disability and pre-mature death. The distinctive components of preventive medicine include: 1. Biostatistics and the application of biostatistical principles and methodology; 2. Epidemiology and its application to population-based medicine and research; 3. Health services management and administration including: developing, assessing, and assuring health policies; planning, implementing, directing, budgeting, and evaluating population health and disease management programs; and utilizing legislative and regulatory processes to enhance health; 4. Control of environmental factors that may adversely affect health; 5. Control and prevention of occupational factors that may adversely affect health safety; 6. Clinical preventive medicine activities, including measures to promote health and prevent the occurrence, progression, and disabling effects of disease and injury; and 7. Assessment of social, cultural, and behavioral influences on health.</p>
<p>A preventive medicine physician may be a specialist in general preventive medicine, public health, occupational medicine, or aerospace medicine. This specialist works with large population groups as well as with individual patients to promote health and understand the risks of disease, injury, disability, and death, seeking to modify and eliminate these risks.
*</p>
<p>Same source says there were only 5 PG-1 and 2 PG-2 positions offered in 2007.
Sounds very similar to MPH stuff. Wouldn't be surprising if there was an MPH component.</p>
<p>There are very very few spots in those areas (probably countable on two fingers) which is why we're not quite sure if they count as specialties.</p>