# What Makes Some Doctors Decide to Become Proctologists? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172 "2015-06-22T19:36:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/21 "2015-06-22T21:51:19Z")
They make money out the wazoo. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/22 "2015-06-22T21:51:23Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > So, how does this explain the increasing percentage of women who go into it? It’s not meant to explain it. It’s true, more women are entering General Surgery. And my experience with female General Surgeons is mainly the same as with male General Surgeons. Lots of talent, a goodly number with macho attitude. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/23 "2015-06-22T21:52:12Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I do know that some surgical fields are VERY territorial (OB/GYN being the first one that comes to mind). How so? In terms of getting residences, opening a practice, etc? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/24 "2015-06-22T21:52:59Z")
There are probably some cases where it’s a personal thing. Interns rotate through a number of different specialties as part of their training and encounter a series of different doctors. There are undoubtedly cases where a particularly good doctor inspires interns to follow in his of her specialty. So some doctors became proctologists not because they had an interest in the specialty but because they encountered an outstanding doctor who happened to be a proctologist. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/25 "2015-06-22T22:16:34Z")
They go into it because there are always openings. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/26 "2015-06-22T23:31:52Z")
This is just an educated guess, but I think that anyone who seriously goes into the medical profession has long since left any ‘middle school’ giggling self-consciousness behind. And if not they aren’t the type that’s going to go very far in it… ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/27 "2015-06-22T23:44:03Z")
They like seeing new faces. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/28 "2015-06-22T23:53:39Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > This is just an educated guess, but I think that anyone who seriously goes into the medical profession has long since left any ‘middle school’ giggling self-consciousness behind. And if not they aren’t the type that’s going to go very far in it… In front of patients? Sure. Behind the scenes? That’s another story. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/29 "2015-06-24T23:20:44Z")
They don’t like sunshine. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/30 "2015-06-25T00:40:54Z")
You would think the earning potential is limited. There are so many perfect assholes in the world. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/31 "2015-06-25T00:52:08Z")
I keep reading that as if it has a typo, and should read more like: You would think the earning potential is UNlimited. There are soooooooooo \*\*many \*\*perfect assholes in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/32 "2015-06-25T01:45:24Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > They go into it because there are always openings. Ouch. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172/33 "2015-06-25T02:24:42Z")
So two proctologists are discussing their most baffling cases. One proctologist tells the other one about the time he put his hand into a patient and pulled out a large bouquet of flowers. The other proctologist looked really amazed and asked, “Where did those flowers come from?” The other proctologist answered very cooly, “How should I know? There wasn’t any card!!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-some-doctors-decide-to-become-proctologists/723172.md?page=1)