Possible to do Double Boards?

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GreekIsleSunset

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Hello, I am wondering how possible it is to combine specialized training in two similar, yet different, fields. For example, I might like to do neurology and psychiatry. It would be great to be involved in neurological research and treatment a few days a week and work in a private psychiatric practice the others. What does it take to find and get into such programs? Thanks!

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GreekIsleSunset said:
Hello, I am wondering how possible it is to combine specialized training in two similar, yet different, fields. For example, I might like to do neurology and psychiatry. It would be great to be involved in neurological research and treatment a few days a week and work in a private psychiatric practice the others. What does it take to find and get into such programs? Thanks!

There are a handful of combined neuro-psych residency training programs in the country (as well as other combinations such as med-neuro and med-peds). Word on the street is that most people who go through a combined program end up mostly practicing in one of the fields, unless you have some very specific niche in mind.
 
sacrament said:
There are a handful of combined neuro-psych residency training programs in the country (as well as other combinations such as med-neuro and med-peds). Word on the street is that most people who go through a combined program end up mostly practicing in one of the fields, unless you have some very specific niche in mind.
Sacrament is right on. Neuro-psych is a combination that would likely involve you treating patients with neuro probs who have psych problems as well...I'm basing this on the double-boarded doctor I know who is in a neuro practice and gets the referrals from the other docs for those more needy/challenging patients with chronic pain+depression/anxiety or depression+[insert psych dx here]. There's a lot of overlap between the two specialties.

Check out FREIDA (google it) to see some of the combination programs. There's FP-psych, FP-IM, IM-Peds, Peds-Neuro, etc., etc.

Though it probably goes without saying, you can also do 2 residencies to get double boarded...the second time you won't have to do a prelim/transitional year but this route is still longer.
 
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My psych attending was triple board eligible at the end of her residency in peds, adult psych, and pediatric psych - she'd be triple boarded but she still had to take the boards for adult and ped psych. She said in hindsight it wasn't as useful because apparently you have to pay malpractice for every service (pediatrics, adult psych, pediatric psych) and as a hospitalist there was no way she could work enough to justify the hospital paying for each of them, although she had a advantage because the other doctors didn't have to explain the kids' medical stuff to her like they have to do with some psych attendings
 
It used to be the case that all people training in Psych or Neurology ended up being boarded in both, because it was one test, I believe. So they become Board Certified in Neurol and Psych. I thought that was interesting!
 
So no EM-Gas?

Or does that exist only in the mind of the pre-med student with ADD?
:p
 
sunnyjohn said:
So no EM-Gas?

Or does that exist only in the mind of the pre-med student with ADD?
:p
EM/IM, EM/peds, and EM/IM/CCM(ICU) are the only programs I believe.
 
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