Can IM trained docs work in Emergency departments/Urgent care?

[Captain DO]

Just wondering because they say 20% of ER and urgent care visits are patients under 18yrs old, and IM docs train for 18+ only.

Wondering if this prevents IM docs from working there?
or makes them feel uncomfortable working there?
or they can just don't see the younger patients?

How does it work?

Thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[deleted547339]

Just wondering because they say 20% of ER and urgent care visits are patients under 18yrs old, and IM docs train for 18+ only.

Wondering if this prevents IM docs from working there?
or makes them feel uncomfortable working there?
or they can just don't see the younger patients?

How does it work?

Thanks.

Why does this keep coming up? If you want to do internal, do internal. If you want to do emergency, do emergency. If you don't value your time and can't decide, do EM/IM.

 

[premedk]

But the real answer is yes you can, especially in smaller ERs and at VAs. I know plenty of IM trained docs and residents that moonlight in ERs. Not a full time gigs though.

 

[Captain DO]

Why does this keep coming up? If you want to do internal, do internal. If you want to do emergency, do emergency. If you don't value your time and can't decide, do EM/IM.

Obviously it keeps coming up cause part of our decision to go into IM vs FM vs EM depends on the answer to this question. For many different reasons. Don't worry your lil head about the specifics of why. You're welcome to stay away from these questions if it gives you such a mental wedgie.

 

[Captain DO]

But the real answer is yes you can, especially in smaller ERs and at VAs. I know plenty of IM trained docs and residents that moonlight in ERs. Not a full time gigs though.

Thanks.

Are these opportunities in smaller ER's/urgent cares readily available to both IM and FM? or is FM preferred over IM due to the training with adolescents?

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

But the real answer is yes you can, especially in smaller ERs and at VAs. I know plenty of IM trained docs and residents that moonlight in ERs. Not a full time gigs though.

Yeah, I don't know any IM-trained docs doing full time ER work outside of the rare person who started in the ER 20 years ago and just kinda grandfathered themselves in since then.

I know a few doing urgent care work, and given y'all's lack of any pediatric training it has always made me nervous.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

To answer the OPs questions:

It will except in areas that are desparate

It should

Most places are single coverage, so not seeing kids means they don't get seen which means less money.

 

[premedk]

Thanks.

Are these opportunities in smaller ER's/urgent cares readily available to both IM and FM? or is FM preferred over IM due to the training with adolescents?

Family Med are definitely preferred. I just got off my EM rotation at a small center where around half the guys were FM boarded, the other half were EM, some of hospitalists did a couple shifts a month to make extra money. This places payed all MDs the same rate, but most places pay the non EM boarded guys less. This is in southeast, outside of urban areas.

I really like working in the ER, but don't want to commit to the lifestyle so I'm doing IM with the thought that I can work in the ER every now and then(at least in my town).

 

[deleted547339]

Obviously it keeps coming up cause part of our decision to go into IM vs FM vs EM depends on the answer to this question. For many different reasons. Don't worry your lil head about the specifics of why. You're welcome to stay away from these questions if it gives you such a mental wedgie.

I hope your condescension serves you well. Your consultants will love you.

 

[DrDrummer]

Yeah, I don't know any IM-trained docs doing full time ER work outside of the rare person who started in the ER 20 years ago and just kinda grandfathered themselves in since then.

I know a few doing urgent care work, and given y'all's lack of any pediatric training it has always made me nervous.

VAs often have a setup that is essentially an ED staffed by internists.

 

[Raryn]

VAs often have a setup that is essentially an ED staffed by internists.

And the expectation of no peds and minimal/no Ob.

But it's usually more of an urgent care than anything else.

 

[bingbongbink]

Sloan Kettering has an Urgent Care which functions as the ED which I believe is fully staffed by internal medicine docs. All of the patients are adults with underlying malignancies.