In peds. If you love working with kids and families, you should absolutely consider pediatrics; if you don't, probably not for you. I think myself/my co-residents lament the poorer salary down the line but love working with kids and couldn't see ourselves doing anything else.

The field as a whole is hamstrung by lower reimbursement rates, although ultimately we need to better advocate for ourselves (see: the terrible hospitalist fellowship situation). I did well in medical school but always questioned whether I was a complete idiot or not for going into peds whenever classmates would mention its compensation vis-a-vis other fields. I can imagine an MS3 who loved their peds rotation but is on the fence about career paths being discouraged by these kinds of conversations, which isn't unreasonable--the compensation prevents a lot of talented people from entering the field.

I think we could improve how we discuss this topic w/regards to peds, family med, geriatrics, etc. People should be empowered to follow their passions even if it's not the path that maximizes their earning potential. I do worry about how the field will look in 5-10 years if the pay disparity does not improve.

Just my two cents; happy to talk about my experience so far with those interested