Applying to Geriatrics, Difference btw IM vs FM?

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PGY1RESIDENTLOVESMEDICINE

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1. Is it worth applying for a geriatrics fellowship
2. Can FM apply to both IM geriatrics and FM geriatrics? What's the difference between the two?

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1. Is it worth applying for a geriatrics fellowship
2. Can FM apply to both IM geriatrics and FM geriatrics? What's the difference between the two?

Geriatrics Fellow here. I was IM trained and I am in an IM Geriatrics program.

1. It depends on your career goals. Are you interested in academic medicine, medical education, or medical directorship? Do you want to limit your practice to seeing older complex patients?

2. As FM you can apply to both IM and FM Geriatrics programs. AAFP considers Geriatrics a CAQ for FM vs. ABIM which considers it a board certified specialty for IM. My Geriatrics rotation during residency was at an FM Geriatrics program. It was more clinical w/ less QI/academics/research, and had more outpatient than inpatient months. I am currently training in an IM Geriatrics program. There is a focus on QI/academics/research, and we have more inpatient than outpatient months. Honestly, I feel I should have done an FM program as this was my pivot toward outpatient work and was not very interested in QI/research.
 
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Geriatrics Fellow here. I was IM trained and I am in an IM Geriatrics program.

1. It depends on your career goals. Are you interested in academic medicine, medical education, or medical directorship? Do you want to limit your practice to seeing older complex patients?

2. As FM you can apply to both IM and FM Geriatrics programs. AAFP considers Geriatrics a CAQ for FM vs. ABIM which considers it a board certified specialty for IM. My Geriatrics rotation during residency was at an FM Geriatrics program. It was more clinical w/ less QI/academics/research, and had more outpatient than inpatient months. I am currently training in an IM Geriatrics program. There is a focus on QI/academics/research, and we have more inpatient than outpatient months. Honestly, I feel I should have done an FM program as this was my pivot toward outpatient work and was not very interested in QI/research.

Thank you for your response. CAQ, so one wouldn't be board certified or considered a specialist?

I've been gravitating towards doing a fellowship just to gain 1 more year experience at another institution. I just feel like 3 years in residency is just not enough for me to go practice as a hospitalist. Is this a normal feeling to have as a third year?

-If you look at it, if a family physician received internal medicine trained geriatrics fellowship, it would make them better qualified/likely to be hired as a hospitalist.

Also, what is your perspective on geriatrics palliative combined fellowships? Is it worth the extra 2 years? I mean 5 years out of medical school and not be a surgeon.
 
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Thank you for your response. CAQ, so one wouldn't be board certified or considered a specialist?

I've been gravitating towards doing a fellowship just to gain 1 more year experience at another institution. I just feel like 3 years in residency is just not enough for me to go practice as a hospitalist. Is this a normal feeling to have as a third year?

-If you look at it, if a family physician received internal medicine trained geriatrics fellowship, it would make them better qualified/likely to be hired as a hospitalist.

Also, what is your perspective on geriatrics palliative combined fellowships? Is it worth the extra 2 years? I mean 5 years out of medical school and not be a surgeon.

CAQ = Certificate of Additional Qualification, its a recognized fellowship program, and thus having a CAQ = BC.

The rest i'll let others answer.
 
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How come there is no geriatrics forum on studentdoctor? Or am I overlooking this?
Sleep vs Geriatrics, I just found out you can only do ONE rank list. :/
Got interviews in both, and would hate to take away someone's spot if I have to chose one or the other.
 
Thank you for your response. CAQ, so one wouldn't be board certified or considered a specialist?

I've been gravitating towards doing a fellowship just to gain 1 more year experience at another institution. I just feel like 3 years in residency is just not enough for me to go practice as a hospitalist. Is this a normal feeling to have as a third year?

-If you look at it, if a family physician received internal medicine trained geriatrics fellowship, it would make them better qualified/likely to be hired as a hospitalist.

Also, what is your perspective on geriatrics palliative combined fellowships? Is it worth the extra 2 years? I mean 5 years out of medical school and not be a surgeon.

As Septoplasty stated above, CAQ is equivalent to Board certification, it is just the way the AAFP designates it.

I have seen several FM trained physicians who are doing Geriatrics with the intention of becoming hospitalists. I do not think it will help you with your goal. Geriatrics is a largely outpatient based specialty. You get exposed to different settings of intermediate (short term rehab/SNF) and outpatient care (clinic, home visits, indepedent/assisted living, long term SNF). Your inpatient months are spent doing inpatient consults for geriatric syndromes, not as the primary team.

I did consider combined Geriatrics/Palliative programs, but did not feel prepared to make a 2 year commitment. I started off on Palliative to explore that interest and have decided against pursuing dual board certification for various reasons, but that is an entirely different conversation.

I have a couple of FM friends who have done a Hospitalist fellowship. Whether it actually helps you get a Hospitalist job is hit or miss (non ACGME accredited), but it will certainly expose you to additional inpatient training to increase your comfort level.
 
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I appreciate your honest and straight forward responses. A part of me was scared to ask anything, worried about trolls putting me down for being unaware of these things. Thank you so much, and Best of luck to all of you guys in life. :)
 
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