Sleep Medicine FAQs.

[TheWowEffect]

Q- What defines a Sleep Specialist?

Ans- AASM Definition of a Physician Sleep Specialist

American Academy of Sleep Medicine
02/14/2007


The American Academy of Sleep Medicine is the organization representing sleep medicine specialists, sleep centers and sleep-related breathing disorder laboratories, patients, and the public. As an independent, recognized medical subspecialty, sleep medicine has come of age, with ACGME-accredited fellowship training programs, ABMS subspecialty certification and a separate healthcare provider taxonomy code from CMS.

With these designations and increasing recognition, the AASM has defined sleep medicine specialists:
"A physician who is a sleep specialist is certified in the subspecialty of sleep medicine and specializes in the clinical assessment, physiologic testing, diagnosis, management and prevention of sleep and circadian rhythm disorders. Sleep specialists treat patients of any age and use multidisciplinary approaches. Disorders managed by sleep specialists include, but are not limited to, sleep related breathing disorders, insomnia, hypersomnia, circadian rhythm sleep disorders, parasomnias and sleep related movement disorders."

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[TheWowEffect]

Q- Can someone tell me more about the fellowship in Sleep Medicine?

Ans- A fellowship training program in sleep medicine equips physicians with a comprehensive understanding of the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of all sleep disorders.

These programs are offered by teaching hospitals, academic medical centers, health care systems and other institutions.

In the late 1980s the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) began accrediting sleep medicine fellowship training programs. In 2003 the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) officially recognized sleep medicine as a medical subspecialty. As a result the ACGME started accrediting sleep medicine fellowship training programs in 2005.

The pre-requisite for entry into a Sleep Medicine fellowship program is completion of training in internal medicine, psychiatry, neurology, pediatrics or otolaryngology.

At the current time, there are 59 ACGME accredited fellowship programs with approximately 142 training positions.

 

[TheWowEffect]

Q- Where do I search for more information on Sleep Medicine fellowship programs?

Ans- There are two main sources- Freida and AASM. See below for links-


Freida Online Residency/Fellowship search



AASM Sleep Medicine Fellowship search

 

[michaelrack]

family docs are also elgible for sleep medicine

 

[docCarter]

family docs are also elgible for sleep medicine

Absolutely! FPs made up about 2% of the 2007 new Certification exam for sleep medicine.

 

[MellowYellowCA]

Q- Can someone tell me more about the fellowship in Sleep Medicine?

Ans- A fellowship training program in sleep medicine equips physicians with a comprehensive understanding of the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of all sleep disorders.

These programs are offered by teaching hospitals, academic medical centers, health care systems and other institutions.

In the late 1980s the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) began accrediting sleep medicine fellowship training programs. In 2003 the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) officially recognized sleep medicine as a medical subspecialty. As a result the ACGME started accrediting sleep medicine fellowship training programs in 2005.

The pre-requisite for entry into a Sleep Medicine fellowship program is completion of training in internal medicine, psychiatry, neurology, pediatrics or otolaryngology.

At the current time, there are 59 ACGME accredited fellowship programs with approximately 142 training positions.

what percent of sleep med docs do psychiatrists make? and what about internal medicine and neuro? do they favor any field over another?

how difficult is it to get this fellowship? Are most programs only 1 year?

 

[michaelrack]

what percent of sleep med docs do psychiatrists make? and what about internal medicine and neuro? do they favor any field over another?

how difficult is it to get this fellowship? Are most programs only 1 year?

Most fellowships are only 1 year, although there are a few 2 year reseach fellowships (Pittsburgh)

 

[michaelrack]

I don't know if the 2-year fellowship at Pitt still exists.

There is no mention of it on the WPIC website, only a link that directs to a 1-year fellowship with the Pulm Department.

...Unless this is what's being referenced: http://www.sleep.pitt.edu/content.asp?id=1584

However, that looks/sounds like a 2-3 year post-doctoral program for PhD's -- doesn't give me the impression that at the end the MD would come out a Sleep Medicine Specialist.

Thoughts?

I wasn't aware that the 2 year Pitt fellowship (which was previously aimed at psychiatrists who wanted to do sleep/research) no longer existed. I guess I don't know if there are still any 2-year sleep fellowships. I

 

[danielmd06]

I don't know if the 2-year fellowship at Pitt still exists.

There is no mention of it on the WPIC website, only a link that directs to a 1-year fellowship with the Pulm Department.

...Unless this is what's being referenced: http://www.sleep.pitt.edu/content.asp?id=1584

However, that looks/sounds like a 2-3 year post-doctoral program for PhD's -- doesn't give me the impression that at the end the MD would come out a Sleep Medicine Specialist.

Thoughts?

Some (many?) programs will offer an elective second year of a sleep medicine fellowship for the express purpose of research on top of clinical education. There may be a small minority that force the issue: https://sleep.med.harvard.edu/training/clinical-sleep/BWH. The ACGME website should have specific details like 1 year, 2 years, or 1-2 year programs available.