Can an attending physician apply for a residency to re-specialize?

[Gauss44]

Has anyone else on here wondered if you initially choose primary care or a specialty, and then later wish you picked something else, if you can re-specialize? For example, if you are an established doctor who's practiced for 20 years, could you then apply for a residency in a different specialty? Hope this makes sense.

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[gladlyfocused]

As far as I know, yes they could. I've known a doctor that first specialized in OB/GYN worked a few years and then applied for a residency in Pathology, so far in his last year of residency. Big jump from patient contact to barely any...

 

[TriagePreMed]

Yes, and I've seen this jump happen from neurology to psychiatry and vice versa more than once.

 

[WillburCobb]

Yes. I know one doc who went into path after almost 20 years in family practice and another who went into rad after over 20 years in family practice. This was in the late 60s and early 70s so it was probably easier to make the switch due to less competition. I also know of a resident who has yet to complete a residency and has switched residencies either three or four times. He's been in rad, general surgery, and OB. None of the spots were prelim ones either. Just weird duck who can't figure out what he wants.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Yes, you can re-train with another residency. I would bet, however, that once you have worked as an attending and are getting older, it would be difficult to head back to residency hours and pay.

 

[Bacchus]

Yes, you can re-train with another residency. I would bet, however, that once you have worked as an attending and are getting older, it would be difficult to head back to residency hours and pay.

Agreed. a 4-8X paycut probably would not be fun.

Also, I'm not sure of this being an issue, but it may be hard to get funding from Medicare for the spot if someone had already gone through GME.