Anyone here apply to Triple Board programs?

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scruffy821

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Cross-posting to the other forums, but did anyone here apply to any of the Triple Board (Peds-Adult Psych-Child Psych) programs? Or are there any current/former triple boarders here?

I'm an M3 seriously considering applying next year, I've read the general pros/cons that people have discussed on previous threads but I'm looking to hear some up-to-date perspectives on the individual programs.

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I could see double, but triple? why?

The reality is you have to be boarded in adult psych in order to get boarded in child psych, so it's essentially the peds equivalent of a Med-Psych program.

If possible I'd rather not get into a conversation about the pros and cons because I've noticed that usually shuts down most threads quickly. Generally people who apply into TB have a specific integrative career goal in mind, my impression is that it isn't worth pursuing otherwise.
 
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I work with several people who did tb, all practice just child psych


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The individual programs are pretty easy to research as you are just a resident in both psychiatry and peds departments. Check out reviews online and do everything you could normally do to evaluate all 3 departments of each program.

I doubt many triple board residents have time to post to SDN as they are incredibly busy. Condensing roughly 7.5 years into 5 is tough.
 
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I did this year and interviewed at Brown! Feel free to PM me. :)
 
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I'm not a triple boarder so I may not be able to answer your questions, though I am at one of the locations that has a triple board program. I know of one attending who was a triple boarder who sees kids in the state hospital, and due to the nature of her training she not only treats the mental health problems of the adolescents on her inpatient unit, but she sees all the kids in the hospital for their annual physical exams and other medical consults. Other than her, I also know of some triple boarders who are consult-liaison psychiatrists for pediatric hospitals.
 
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I'm not a triple boarder so I may not be able to answer your questions, though I am at one of the locations that has a triple board program. I know of one attending who was a triple boarder who sees kids in the state hospital, and due to the nature of her training she not only treats the mental health problems of the adolescents on her inpatient unit, but she sees all the kids in the hospital for their annual physical exams and other medical consults. Other than her, I also know of some triple boarders who are consult-liaison psychiatrists for pediatric hospitals.

The downside to this is that I know of an academic center that places double/triple boarded faculty in both psychiatry and pediatric call pools. As faculty
 
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I'm a current M3 who is planning on applying to triple board. Do any current triple boarders have any advice on what M4 rotations or specific things I could add to my CV between now and ERAS that may strengthen my application. Most of the input I've gotten from others is that it's highly competitive. I definitely have the desire to triple board because I'd like to find a position that has an integrative approach to peds-CAP where it'd be possible to practice both.

Are there specific things these programs are looking for in an applicant?

Does anyone have any idea how many applicants these programs have been getting in recent years?
 
I'm a current M3 who is planning on applying to triple board. Do any current triple boarders have any advice on what M4 rotations or specific things I could add to my CV between now and ERAS that may strengthen my application. Most of the input I've gotten from others is that it's highly competitive. I definitely have the desire to triple board because I'd like to find a position that has an integrative approach to peds-CAP where it'd be possible to practice both.

Are there specific things these programs are looking for in an applicant?

Does anyone have any idea how many applicants these programs have been getting in recent years?

Didn't apply to triple-board programs myself, but as mentioned above one of the most common places to find triple-boarders is on pediatric psych consult services, and at my institution the peds consult service is definitely where I would suggest anyone considering triple board rotate. We don't have a triple-board program ourselves and that's the only rotation where you'd spend most of your time with triple-boarded faculty.
 
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Probably the biggest thing they look for is "why do you need Triple Board" (more specifically, why do you need to practice both?) and having a CV that supports that reason. They want people who have a goal in mind, which in my experience a desire work with specific population(s) that would benefit from combined training. Score-wise, I don't have data to support this, but from residents I've talked to, it ranges from 220-250s so definitely not the deal breaker necessarily.

From 2017 Match data, which is consistent with prior years, typically 40-50 ish total applicants apply every year for around 20 or so positions. Duke is starting their TB program within the next year or two as well which should increase spots. The "competitiveness" is a little misleading because there's attrition every year when people realize the commitment (having less training time, more responsibilities, still have to pass the boards) isn't worth it for their own career goals, so people choose instead to go straight Pediatrics or Psychiatry/fast-track.

Doing aways at TB programs can help to get a sense for both the program and the daily schedule and if it's right for you, but isn't "necessary" to apply.
 
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I would agree that absolutely the most common question I got pushed on was "why triple board", and why it's necessary for your training and career. Programs like to see commitment; they want reassurance that you'll complete the entire training and then stay in the field. If you aren't 100% set on it (yet), then finding a TB away or a local integrated care type setting, or any other rotation with a combined-trained attending would all be good options to solidify your decision making. Any exposure is better than none, and may give you something to write about in your personal statement, or talk about on interviews.

Beyond ERAS submission dates, the rest of your electives will have much less impact on matching (probably none), so just choose what seems interesting to you, or what fills in knowledge gaps.
 
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Probably the biggest thing they look for is "why do you need Triple Board" (more specifically, why do you need to practice both?) and having a CV that supports that reason. They want people who have a goal in mind, which in my experience a desire work with specific population(s) that would benefit from combined training. Score-wise, I don't have data to support this, but from residents I've talked to, it ranges from 220-250s so definitely not the deal breaker necessarily.

From 2017 Match data, which is consistent with prior years, typically 40-50 ish total applicants apply every year for around 20 or so positions. Duke is starting their TB program within the next year or two as well which should increase spots. The "competitiveness" is a little misleading because there's attrition every year when people realize the commitment (having less training time, more responsibilities, still have to pass the boards) isn't worth it for their own career goals, so people choose instead to go straight Pediatrics or Psychiatry/fast-track.

Doing aways at TB programs can help to get a sense for both the program and the daily schedule and if it's right for you, but isn't "necessary" to apply.


What happens when someone leaves a TB program? Do they try to fill that slot? I applied for TB last year but matched to a gen psych program, however, I still have been thinking about trying to pursue triple boarding.
 
What happens when someone leaves a TB program? Do they try to fill that slot? I applied for TB last year but matched to a gen psych program, however, I still have been thinking about trying to pursue triple boarding.

Some programs would, but it also gets complicated if your current completed coursework doesn’t match up well.
 
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