I am a MS 3 currently on my child psych rotation and I am truly enjoying myself and the kids. I can see myself doing this in the future but I would also want to do something else like cards, neuro, em, picu.... My question is, is it possible to be board certified in child psych and something else and be effective in both fields???
Child Psych and.....?
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Do you find it sad or depressing? I've heard the child cases can be emotionally overwhelming. If you like it I don't see why you would even want to do anything else with it... the lifestyle is probably better in child psych than any of those other fields.
It is a little depressing at times but these kids are so resilient and want to get better....for the most part, they are just looking for someone who cares. I ask because there are other aspects of pediatrics that I like but I know that I want to also help children on a deeper level
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It is possible to enter Child Psych from Peds if you're willing to spend an extra 3 years:
http://www.aacap.org/aacap/Medical_...Child_and_Adolescent_Psychiatry_Training.aspx
http://www.aacap.org/aacap/Medical_...Child_and_Adolescent_Psychiatry_Training.aspx
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Sure it is, just takes doing 4 residencies or fellowships. That would be psych, pediatrics, child psych (a subspecialty of psych, not peds), and then pedi cards, pedi EM or PICU. I think triple boarding is still around (not sure) which would simplify the first three in terms of timing, but I can't see much of a way around then doing the 4th one as a fellowship.
In addition to going broke from board exams, you'd not really have much chance to practice all of these. On the other hand, a PICU doc or pedi cardiologist who was a board certified pysch and child psych would definitely be an advantage.
Also, I'm not at all sure I agree that child pysch is particularly depressing compared to pedi critical care specialties or some other pedi specialties such as neuro. The hours are usually a bit better than the pedi subspecialties, but, I don't think most folks go into any of those fields focused primarily on the hours.
Sure it is, just takes doing 4 residencies or fellowships. That would be psych, pediatrics, child psych (a subspecialty of psych, not peds), and then pedi cards, pedi EM or PICU. I think triple boarding is still around (not sure) which would simplify the first three in terms of timing, but I can't see much of a way around then doing the 4th one as a fellowship.
In addition to going broke from board exams, you'd not really have much chance to practice all of these. On the other hand, a PICU doc or pedi cardiologist who was a board certified pysch and child psych would definitely be an advantage.
Also, I'm not at all sure I agree that child pysch is particularly depressing compared to pedi critical care specialties or some other pedi specialties such as neuro. The hours are usually a bit better than the pedi subspecialties, but, I don't think most folks go into any of those fields focused primarily on the hours.
If I were to do peds cards and child psych, for example, it would be peds 3, cards 3 and child psych 2. I was talking to a child psychiatrist and he said that if I entered through the peds route that I would only need 18 months of child psych.....also why would being a picu doc or peds cardiologist boarded in child psych be an advantage (this is the question I am trying to figure out for myself)?
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There are many pyschiatric issues in chronic and acute pediatric patients. The question is how would you be able to create a niche. Almost certainly, you would be a PICU or cards doc primarily and then be an "expert" in those populations on psychiatric issues. This could become a research focus as well. Not sure if it is worth it though or if it would be a viable career path, but it's not impossible.
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There is. One of my classmates just matched into it. http://www.chp.edu/CHP/triple+board+program
Not sure which other programs have them, but they're definitely still around.
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It seems to me the best fields that would mesh with child psych would be either developmental pediatrics or neurology. I could see somebody being outpatient in that case and seeing patients from both areas in a combined clinic. That may work out. Other combinations would be rather difficult I would say, such as the inpatient-focused subspecialities such as PICU/pediatric cardiology.
Just being board certified in a field but not practicing it full time can be hard. Like would you spend 50% of your time as a child psychiatrist and 50% of your time with your other subspecialty? I'm board certified in general pediatrics but not having done it since the end of my residency in 2008, I couldn't just become a full-time pediatrician overnight. As the saying goes do you want to be a jack of all trades but a master of none?
If you are a very motivated individual sure anything can be done, but you would be one of few to go that route I imagine. Having done 7 years of post-graduate training myself, I imagine at some point you will just want to be done and focus on one field--my bet is during your first year of fellowship.
Just being board certified in a field but not practicing it full time can be hard. Like would you spend 50% of your time as a child psychiatrist and 50% of your time with your other subspecialty? I'm board certified in general pediatrics but not having done it since the end of my residency in 2008, I couldn't just become a full-time pediatrician overnight. As the saying goes do you want to be a jack of all trades but a master of none?
If you are a very motivated individual sure anything can be done, but you would be one of few to go that route I imagine. Having done 7 years of post-graduate training myself, I imagine at some point you will just want to be done and focus on one field--my bet is during your first year of fellowship
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I have seen multiple people do PICU/cards (for the CICU aspect) but have not met anybody doing anything beyond that. In fact PICU/cards is common enough that there are actually places that will do a 5 year combined fellowship.
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My question is, is it possible to be board certified in child psych and something else and be effective in both fields???[/QUOTE]
The answer is yes! Triple board is alive and well. There are currently 9 programs, mostly in the Midwest and East Coast. The residency is 5 years (2 years peds, 18 months adult psych, and 18 months child psych). After that you can pursue any pediatric or psychiatry fellowship. You can also do a categorical pediatrics residency then do a post peds portal (3 years, there are 4 programs).
There are advantages and disadvantages to triple board training, but you develop a unique skill set that is valuable to multiple practice settings and fellowships. For example, the GI, adolescent, hospitalist, and child abuse fellowships at my program have also expressed strong interest in a triple board fellow. I am not interested in PICU so never asked them, but one of my co-residents is. I am not sure about cards either. Triple boarders have the same training as other combined peds programs (med peds, ER peds, neuro peds, etc). Most triple boarders do some form of child psychiatry. But there are several who pursue peds fellowhips and practices.
Now the question is whether you want to do 4 residencies/fellowhips, which would be 8 years for any peds specialty (or 9 if you did categorical peds then post peds portal, then fellowship). There are people who have done it and there are people who have done them all separately (3 years peds, 5 years child psych etc). I have obviously considered a peds fellowhip, but decided that the extra three years would not offer any advantage over the 5 years of triple board I already did, but my interests are very different from yours.
The answer is yes! Triple board is alive and well. There are currently 9 programs, mostly in the Midwest and East Coast. The residency is 5 years (2 years peds, 18 months adult psych, and 18 months child psych). After that you can pursue any pediatric or psychiatry fellowship. You can also do a categorical pediatrics residency then do a post peds portal (3 years, there are 4 programs).
There are advantages and disadvantages to triple board training, but you develop a unique skill set that is valuable to multiple practice settings and fellowships. For example, the GI, adolescent, hospitalist, and child abuse fellowships at my program have also expressed strong interest in a triple board fellow. I am not interested in PICU so never asked them, but one of my co-residents is. I am not sure about cards either. Triple boarders have the same training as other combined peds programs (med peds, ER peds, neuro peds, etc). Most triple boarders do some form of child psychiatry. But there are several who pursue peds fellowhips and practices.
Now the question is whether you want to do 4 residencies/fellowhips, which would be 8 years for any peds specialty (or 9 if you did categorical peds then post peds portal, then fellowship). There are people who have done it and there are people who have done them all separately (3 years peds, 5 years child psych etc). I have obviously considered a peds fellowhip, but decided that the extra three years would not offer any advantage over the 5 years of triple board I already did, but my interests are very different from yours.
