Any point to Med/Psych?

[BobA]

First I'll say I don't want to practice both IM and Psych when I'm done. It's difficult enough to stay current with either one.

I AM interested in Med/Psych because:
1) I'm not 100% convinced that either field is entirely the right one for me and want to keep my options open
2) slightly more competitive for possible Sleep Fellowship
3) just a better C/L, geriatric psych doc when finished
3) I'm interested in being a psychiatrist at a nice academic medical center and being dually boarded might help this (partly because of C/L ability)

Any one of these reasons aren't enough to make me want to go Med/Psych, but the combination of them is tipping me that way. . . What are people's thoughts on Med/Psych?

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[Doc Samson]

First I'll say I don't want to practice both IM and Psych when I'm done. It's difficult enough to stay current with either one.

I AM interested in Med/Psych because:
1) I'm not 100% convinced that either field is entirely the right one for me and want to keep my options open
2) slightly more competitive for possible Sleep Fellowship
3) just a better C/L, geriatric psych doc when finished
3) I'm interested in being a psychiatrist at a nice academic medical center and being dually boarded might help this (partly because of C/L ability)

Any one of these reasons aren't enough to make me want to go Med/Psych, but the combination of them is tipping me that way. . . What are people's thoughts on Med/Psych?

If you want to practice CL academically, you'll still need the fellowship. Double boarding will only get you a job on a med/psych unit. Unless you're going to practice both (and the opportunities for that are few and far between), the time and cost in terms of training and maintaining licensure and certification in both (plus subspecialty!) is not worth it.

 

[whopper]

If you have a strong interest in it, go for it.

However as Doc Samson mentioned, there are few places that actually use it. I only knew of 1 med/psyche unit since residency. Often times, such a place will just have a psychiatrist & IM working together in a more intimate relationship.

For myself, it was something of a downer to not use my medical knowledge that I worked so hard to build up as much as I'd like. Medical knowledge will come into play in psychiatry from time to time & its important that you not forget it. I wouldn't though mind using it more than I currently do now.

A more practical combined residency with psychiatry I've seen is Family Practice & Psychiatry. Several FP docs I've seen often times have to deal with psychiatric issues. Several FP practices employ a psychiatrist of clinical psychologist as an advisor of sorts to double check cases & make sure the patient's mental health needs are met. PCPs also prescribe psychotropic medications much more than psychiatrists.

 

[michaelrack]

I AM interested in Med/Psych because:
1) I'm not 100% convinced that either field is entirely the right one for me and want to keep my options open
2) slightly more competitive for possible Sleep Fellowship
3) just a better C/L, geriatric psych doc when finished
3) I'm interested in being a psychiatrist at a nice academic medical center and being dually boarded might help this (partly because of C/L ability)

1. I've know several med/psych residents switch after 1-2 years to straight psych or med (this was when I was a resident; the rules might have changed since then). Find out first if the med/psych program you will apply to allows you to switch within the institution and at what point you get credit for completing internship.
2. I've been in contact recently with several sleep fellows/sleep docs who took the med/psych route.
3. Not enough reason to suffer through medicine residency
4. won't really help that much at getting a academic position except at academic center that has a med/psych residency program. I've seen West Virg Univ-Charleston advertising recently.