ACGME v. non-ACGME fellowships

[J ROD]

I know this has been discussed before but I wanted some more recent input if you all will indulge me since it may affect where I rank programs for residency. I have 3 programs I really like but the pain fellowship option kinda tips it for me.

I am applying Psychiatry but also have been interested in pain management and think Psychiatry could offer a different aspect to that management. I also enjoy doing procedures.

One program I applied to has a non-ACGME pain fellowship and they are friendly to Psy and it seems a very possible route for me since I would be known to the program and could tailor my electives while there. Because I know coming from a Psy background is very hard I think having this option would be very good for me.

First, how would the non-ACGME affect my ability to find work, get paid, etc.?

Also, I am limited on my knowledge so please enlighten me overall. Is this a viable option even? I know there are few Pain Psy docs overall.

Thanks in advance!

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[deleted185747]

my 2 cents

If pain is your ultimate goal then chose PM&R or anesthesia. If Psychiatry-Pain is your ultimate goal then you had better be ivy league for both residency and fellowship and walk on water or you will be passed up for interventional jobs later on. If you want to do med management then you will be desirable with lesser ranked training.

 

[J ROD]

From what I can tell and want, more med management and limited intervention. I don't expect to be doing what an anes pain does after a 1 yr neuro based pain fellowship. I would just want to work in pain and also do regular Psychiatry stuff as well. I would think the fellowship I had in mind would make me a little better off to do that. I would like to do less invasive procedures and obviously med management with my background and other less invasive techniques. Thank you for replying.

 

[freddydpt]

From what I can tell and want, more med management and limited intervention. I don't expect to be doing what an anes pain does after a 1 yr neuro based pain fellowship. I would just want to work in pain and also do regular Psychiatry stuff as well. I would think the fellowship I had in mind would make me a little better off to do that. I would like to do less invasive procedures and obviously med management with my background and other less invasive techniques. Thank you for replying.

Actually, there is a trend among some fellowships to recruit psychiatry residents and it ends up being a selling point for their other sought after recruits interested in procedures. If the psych applicant expresses they want more clinic time, that leaves more procedure time for the other applicants. Interventional vs. less interventional tracks. Then there is the obvious co-fellow education that can be provided from the psychiatry applicant on behavioral management and subtleties of the medications prescribed in pain from the psych point of view.

 

[SSdoc33]

jdub, i realize you are a psychiatrist and may or may not be thinking all that clearly in general, but i do have one simple question:

are you out of your mind?

 

[A Witty Fool]

Not very viable. Stick to psychiatry and maybe doing an addictions fellowship to enhance dealing with pain med management/pain population.

Offer rTMS in your clinic to scratch that procedure itch and tell all your pain patients it may improve their depression.