Neuro/IM combined residency

[GiantGiantsFan]

Hi,

I'm a third year just starting my clinical rotations. Right now I'm doing an outpatient adult medicine rotation, and I really like it. However, I am also very interested in the brain; I majored in Neuroscience in college and have done some brain research. I'm wondering, is there any reason for doing an IM/neuro combined residency beyond being unable to choose between the two fields? Is your patient care enhanced by knowledge of the two fields, or are you basically splitting time between the two fields, and as a result being less effective in each of them? Would appreciate some thoughts on this. Thanks!

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[buckley]

Hi! I'm interested in that myself...because I think the IM training is really important. If I do decide to practice as a neurologist, I want to be able to handle hospital acquired pneumonia, DM, etc. I'm a little scared that one year of internship won't be enough, but from the grapevine I hear the neuro programs try to be holistic anyway. Plus there aren't really a lot of combined programs like that out there so I'm thinking they will be very competitive. Goodluck to you!

 

[Miami_med]

Hi! I'm interested in that myself...because I think the IM training is really important. If I do decide to practice as a neurologist, I want to be able to handle hospital acquired pneumonia, DM, etc. I'm a little scared that one year of internship won't be enough, but from the grapevine I hear the neuro programs try to be holistic anyway. Plus there aren't really a lot of combined programs like that out there so I'm thinking they will be very competitive. Goodluck to you!

Every patient on the neuro service has DM, so that shouldn't be a problem. After they stroke, they aspirate and develope pneumonia. You'll have no problem as a neurologist dealing with these entities.

P.S. The internship will be enough for both of these entities. Third year is probably enough for these two entities.

 

[Nasem]

Im curious... aren't you able to do both residencies ? like do 3 years of IM, THEN do 3 years of neuro ?

 

[Archdelux]

I beleive that IM/Neuro is 5 years total. Speaking of which--I assume that most people doing IM/NEuro go into Neuro--does that mean that IM is one year (or the intern year) and Neuro is the normal 4? Or how does it work? Is it possible to go into either IM or neuro after such a residency, or will someone not be sufficiently trained/experienced in IM?

 

[obieards]

Hi,

I'm a 3rd year and I'm also considering Med-Neuro, mainly because I am almost certainly wanting to focus on the geriatric population and I think I'd be best prepared as both an internist and a neurologist. I think I would want to focus on neurodegenerative/end-of-life care of the elderly, but I'm not sure if I want to focus on just the neuro aspects or if I also want to be prepared to deal with the more acute internal medicine stuff (PE's, MI's, ESRD, etc.) I'd probably have to do the latter anyway as a neurologist, but what about all liver, kidney, and other problems that will plague my patients in addition to the neuro?

Any and all + & - regarding a double-board IM-Neuro vs. either Neuro or IM would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[PhakeDoc]

as a 4th yr student going in to neuro who also thought of the combined programs, I think they would be most ideal if you absolutely knew you wanted to be either a neurointensivist or neurohospitalist.

 

[sunset823]

Plus there aren't really a lot of combined programs like that out there so I'm thinking they will be very competitive. Goodluck to you!

As an FYI, there are 6 programs:
Indiana
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Stony Brook
Tulane
West Virginia U
Med College of Wisconsin