I am seeing a lot of specialty-choosing angst on the timeline today so here is a thread of some of the best advice I was ever given about how to choose a specialty!

Start by making a list of "NEED" "WANT" and "BYE FOREVER" For example, "need to have options to work with my hands" applies to a lot of specialties, but if "the OR" falls below "NEED," you can start triaging things. Also include patients in this list- kids, health etc

Think beyond residency. For me, when I thought I wanted to do EM, one thing that made me realize it wasn't for me was seeing how different the day to day of an attending was vs a resident. Residency is just a small part of the timeline. Think "Do I want to do this at 65?"

And finally the best piece of advice I ever got: What is the bread and butter of that specialty? What will you deal with 10x a day for the rest of your life? Can you see yourself still finding joy in that thing? If the answer is yes, then that specialty is a good fit for you.

It's a scary, huge commitment, & as med students we don't get enough exposure to everything to know 110% that we are making the right choice. But if you *know* you love the basics/everyday parts of the specialty, it goes a long way to knowing you will be happy in it long term.