Inpatient vs Outpatient child psych in residency

[Abby_Normal]

Of the programs I'm ranking, most fulfill the child psych requirement through an inpatient rotation in first or second year. A few, on the other hand, have a longitudinal outpatient experience in third year. I am on the fence about whether I want to pursue a child psych fellowship. Any thoughts on which setting is better to help me make an informed decision?

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[heyjack70]

You will probably want some child psych in your first two years because applications to fellowship happen early 3rd year? Or end of 2nd year, I think.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

You will probably want some child psych in your first two years because applications to fellowship happen early 3rd year? Or end of 2nd year, I think.

Early 3rd.

 

[masterofmonkeys]

Early 3rd. I was lucky enough to be able to do a lot of both. They both have upsides and downsides. Inpatient will get you a nice broad cross section of issues, from Autism to childhood psychosis to suicidality to straight up behavioral issues. Outpatient can be really hit or miss. I honestly did not get very much out of my outpatient experience simply because 50%+ of it was parent education and ADHD, which I'm hearing is not atypical. On the other hand, I'm now doing an elective (As a 4th year) in an Autism clinic and that's been extremely helpful.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

If you are on the fence about child, I say inpatient. If you can do an inpatient child rotation and still want to do fellowship, you should do the fellowship. It is just as likely you will do an inpatient child rotation and never want to treat children again. I’m not as sure that an outpatient experience would be as polarizing.

40% of medical students interested in psych want to do child. 30% of PGY-Is want to do child. 20% of PGY-IIs want to do child, and 12% of PGY-IIIs go into child. I made up these numbers, but they have been consistent for a very long time and sampling child psychiatry is important.

 

[Abby_Normal]

You will probably want some child psych in your first two years because applications to fellowship happen early 3rd year? Or end of 2nd year, I think.

Is that for the regular fellowship or for fast track?

 

[hamstergang]

You work on your application in July/August, submit by September, then interview October through December, then match in January, and finally start by that July. So all this happens in your 3rd year if you fast track, or your 4th year if you don't.