As enriching and rewarding the conversations revolving around the NEET-SS preparation are, we can’t undermine the importance of discussing the right branch for Super Speciality.

But which factors should determine this crucial decision? It is inevitable to get lost in the world of doubts, assumptions, biases, others’ opinions, lack of expert guidance, etc. while taking this life-altering decision. 

Dr. Saurabh Dixit, an important part of the Dream Team, gives the clarity you seek so that your decision-making process becomes more manageable and is devoid of biases.

Your Affinity For the Subject

It is essential to understand the SS branch you choose today will shape the rest of your life. After you clear the NEET-SS, you will deal with the patients of the selected branch for the rest of your professional journey. You need to introspect and ask yourself if you would look forward to walking into a clinic or hospital every day as a Super Specialist of your chosen branch. So, before you ask your seniors, friends, parents, and mentors, question yourself and understand where you see yourself in a few years from now. The branch that excites you and makes you excited every day is the branch that should complete your nameplate!

The Conclusions Drawn During Rotational Training

You should not miss your rotational training because this period will help you analyze your interests and strengths. While dealing with patients suffering from different kinds of diseases during this phase, you draw some practical and vital conclusions about the clinical scenarios you would like to deal with for the rest of your life. You may develop a fondness for reading multiple books, papers revolving around different subjects and broad specialities. However, the experience you gain in a clinical setting helps you understand your interests in a better way.

So, don’t take your rotational training for granted!

The Bigger Picture

While it is important to live in the moment and focus on the present, however, the decision of finalizing your SS branch requires you to think of the future. Doctors end up spending most of their time around patients, thereby prioritizing their work regardless of time and circumstances. This is why it is crucial to make an informed decision determined by relevant factors. For instance, it is essential to consider the kind of city you see yourself spending the rest of your life in. Some branches like Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery don’t have much scope in smaller cities, towns, and villages. Such branches are institutional and require you to work in a Tier-1 city to access the necessary equipment and team. 

A Urologist, for instance, can run their clinic independently and will not require an extensive setup to kick start their journey. An Onco-surgeon, on the other hand, cannot use their skills and knowledge to the fullest in a small town in the absence of a qualified team. 

Do you wish to go back to your hometown after the completion of your studies with the aim of enhancing the standard of healthcare services there? Or do you see yourself working in a metropolitan city in a big hospital among the most brilliant minds across the country? Do you prefer practicing independently? Or would you rather be a part of a great team of doctors?

Once you have the answers to these questions, finalizing your SS branch becomes easier.

Lifestyle Preferences

When you choose to become a doctor, you commit yourself to keeping your work above yourself because you deal with people in pain who expect you to lessen their suffering, heal them, or save their life. However, certain fields like Neurosurgery are more demanding than others. If you choose to walk on a path like this, the number of emergencies you will encounter regularly won’t let you have a work-life balance. And if a hectic schedule fails to scare you or exhaust you mentally and physically, picking a speciality like Neurosurgery won’t be challenging for you. 

But in case you don’t want the life that mainly revolves around working, you must opt for the branch that enables you to travel, spend quality time with your family, and engage in the activities you find refreshing.

Please remember that money should not be a crucial determinant in this process because, as a super-specialist, every branch is rewarding if you are passionate and good enough. Instead, focus on where and how you see yourself in the future and how content that picture makes you.

A life-altering decision like this must be a product of careful analysis. It will decide where you work, the kind of cases you deal with, and how satisfied you go to bed every night. So, choose wisely.

Watch this video for a better understanding and more clarity on the topic: