Christian doctor - specialty??

Christian doctor - specialty?

Hi all -

I’m a 4th year medical student trying to decide (very soon) what to pursue for my lifelong career in medicine.

A little bit about me:

I am pretty introverted, but I am very good at talking with people and especially listening to them. I think this is one of my gifts, and my smile has a way of creating warmth to interactions with patients. However, I fear that too much patient interaction would drain me due to my tendency of introversion. I love alone time, but too much alone time can definitely spiral into social isolation for me. It’s easy and comfortable for me to be by myself.

I also have ADHD but not hyperactive type. Executive dysfunction and procrastination are huge obstacles in my day to day life. Even simple things that are habits for others like daily hygiene can be difficult for me and what takes some people 10 minutes can take a lot longer for me. Almost impossible to separate from this is my struggle with depression. I’ve managed to keep on going when things are important enough. My adrenaline with deadlines and school requirements has kept me on this path, along with the fact that pretty much in middle school I told myself I was going to be a doctor and that was just that. I do what I have to do and nothing more. I have all these ideas of how I want to serve the Lord through my work, but i often feel paralyzed and without any energy to do anything above the minimum. Responding to texts, emails, phone calls is a nightmare for me, and most of my closest friends and family would even tell you that it takes me forever to get back to them.

All this being said, I really do have a deep desire to serve God and want Him to use my strengths for His purpose. Bottom line, though, is that I have to ultimately make a decision here about what to pursue.

High on my radar right now are: - Family medicine/geriatrics: I loved my geriatrics rotation which involved working at nursing homes and doing home visits for hospice patients. It was so rewarding to be invited to be a part of such personal and emotional conversations and I LOVE hearing life stories from the elderly population (the funny and the wise). However, I’m a bit concerned about the level of patient interaction that this would involve, as I don’t want to come home at the end of the day completely drained socially. I am also concerned about the level of admin work and time spent on notes given that my ADHD makes these kind of tasks very challenging to get done in a time efficient manner.

  • Geriatric Psychiatry: for the same reasons above, I just think this could be a very rewarding field. The population is aging and the need for mental health services is only increasing. My main concern here is that it becomes just medication management versus truly getting to talk with the patients. I would also be worried that this could take an emotional toll if the work often feels futile. I don’t know much about the day to day life, but I think it involves a lot of memory care and depression management for those with chronic conditions. I could see it being really great for my personality, but am having a hard time finding out about the daily life, especially from a Christian perspective.

— Radiology: Obviously this one is quite different. Perhaps the complete opposite. My thought here is that I am introverted and recalls like puzzles. The job here would be mostly that, a job. Sure, I would have interactions with many other physicians throughout the day, but minimal patient interaction. Breast imaging would be a rewarding option, but still would not get to know the patients on a deeper level. However, this job would allow me the most flexibility outside of work, and I could potentially seek fulfillment through time with family and other spiritual relationships outside of work. I could also work from home if the time comes where that could be helpful. Pay is greater, which could allow me to work less. I am just unsure if this would be unsuitable for me given my mental health history and adhd.

  • Important to note: I am 26 and am not in a relationship. I would like to be married and have kids if that be God’s will for me. I am close with my mom and grandmother (who is 90) and would ideally like to get back close to them as soon as possible. My brother and sister (+ new nephew) both live within 2hrs of my mom and granny in Alabama. I’m in med school in Virginia currently.

Would love some insight from brothers and sisters in Christ regarding this decision.

Thanks in advance!

<3 <3