Fast Track for Crit Care (without Pulm)

[AAOx2]

Hi all-

I'm a fourth year med student currently interviewing for IM residencies and thinking about a career in cardiology or critical care medicine, among other sub-specialties. What would make me REALLY likely to go right ahead and choose crit care is if I knew I could fast track into it; eg do 2 years IM, with a guaranteed spot (given competence) in a 2 year CC fellowship. This would be a four-year track to attendingship in a field which I really like, as opposed to spending possibly 6 for cards which I like about the same. (I would not fast track cards, because I'd want to have a better shot at getting my location of choice.)

So, does fast-track crit care (without pulm attached) exist? If so, which programs offer it?

Thanks!

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[Mental Gymnast]

AAOx2,

It seems you may have a misunderstanding of the fast track also known as "short" track, ABIM research pathway, or physician-scientist research pathway among other names. Cardiology fast track is actually 7 years (2 years IM, 2 years clinical cards, 3 years research) per the ABIM requirements, not 4 years as you had mentioned. Pulm fast track is 6 years, etc. These are programs that really invest in candidates committed to a career in research. So it's only "faster" if you were planning on doing a research post-doc anyways. Not sure about research heavy critical care tracks, per say but I would imagine it being virtually impossible to find programs that "double-board" you in IM and critical care in only 4 years.

 

[AAOx2]

Very informative, thank you.
I'd always thought that "short-track" cards was a 5 year program which you could optionally follow by post-grad research and/or fellowship in cards subspecialties. By that logic, I was just wondering if a four-year path to crit care existed (considering CC is two years by itself, though CC/pulm is three). Pipe dreams I guess... Just a bit tired of spending my twenties (and a good part of my thirties to come, it seems) living like a student!

Still glad I went to med school though, would rather live like a student and do what we do on a daily basis than pretty much any other job on earth

AAOx2,

It seems you may have a misunderstanding of the fast track also known as "short" track, ABIM research pathway, or physician-scientist research pathway among other names. Cardiology fast track is actually 7 years (2 years IM, 2 years clinical cards, 3 years research) per the ABIM requirements, not 4 years as you had mentioned. Pulm fast track is 6 years, etc. These are programs that really invest in candidates committed to a career in research. So it's only "faster" if you were planning on doing a research post-doc anyways. Not sure about research heavy critical care tracks, per say but I would imagine it being virtually impossible to find programs that "double-board" you in IM and critical care in only 4 years.

 

[sluggo]

I am finishing my 3rd year of IM and then doing a 2 year ccm fellowship. If you want to be a SMART critical care doctor, the 3rd year of IM is great. There is a lot of subtlety that you can pick up.
Good luck