Can one switch residencies or specialties?

[KGundy]

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Hi! I'm new to posting here, although I've been a lurker for a while. 😳
I am curious about how residencies and specialties work. Specifically, if I was to do a residency such as family medicine, practice in this field for several years, and then decide to do a sub-specialty (such as Sports' Medicine) am I able to do a fellowship several years after residency or do I have to do it all at once?
I know that I still have a lot of time to actually decide which specialty I want to be in, I'm just curious if you are "allowed" to specialties later on in your career.
Thank you

 

[Law2Doc]

Hi! I'm new to posting here, although I've been a lurker for a while. 😳
I am curious about how residencies and specialties work. Specifically, if I was to do a residency such as family medicine, practice in this field for several years, and then decide to do a sub-specialty (such as Sports' Medicine) am I able to do a fellowship several years after residency or do I have to do it all at once?
I know that I still have a lot of time to actually decide which specialty I want to be in, I'm just curious if you are "allowed" to specialties later on in your career.
Thank you

I don't know about that specific specialty and what residency path it is down. In general, once you start down a residency, you are more or less funnelled to a finite number of specialties and subspecialties, though. You can do multiple fellowships, but they need to be one's open to your residency specialty.

 

[skypilot]

You can switch residencies. I know a guy who has done residencies in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine and Psychiatry! Spending 9 years in residency is not my cup of tea though.

You do not have to do your fellowship right away. For example if you do a residency in internal medicine you do not have to immediately do your subspecialty fellowship right away.

Some people like to get a few years practicing general internal medicine as a hospitalist before they apply for a fellowship. I do know of one woman who waited 15 years before doing a GI fellowship after residency!

🙂

 

[KGundy]

Sports' Medicine is a fellowship down the family medicine tree. I'm just curious if you can do fellowships throughout your lifetime or if they all have to be done right after residency.
Is a fellowship much like a residency (as far as hours/pay go) or can you practice independently + complete your fellowship?
I was looking online at a couple of the schools that offer the sports' medicine fellowship and it wasn't very specific about how the program was set up.

 

[KGundy]

You can switch residencies. I know a guy who has done residencies in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine and Psychiatry! Spending 9 years in residency is not my cup of tea though.

If you do a residency in internal medicine you do not have to do your subspecialty fellowship right away. Some people like to get a few years practicing general internal medicine as a hospitalist before they apply for a fellowship. I do know of one woman who waited 15 years before doing a GI fellowship after residency!

🙂

Thank you!
Wow, I wouldn't want to be in residency for 9 years either! That is crazy I can definately see why it would be beneficial to practice for a while before completing a fellowship, just because you'd have so much more experience.

 

[Law2Doc]

You can switch residencies. I know a guy who has done residencies in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine and Psychiatry! Spending 9 years in residency is not my cup of tea though.

That's not actually switching, that's starting over.

 

[skypilot]

Sports' Medicine is a fellowship down the family medicine tree. I'm just curious if you can do fellowships throughout your lifetime or if they all have to be done right after residency.
Is a fellowship much like a residency (as far as hours/pay go) or can you practice independently + complete your fellowship?
I was looking online at a couple of the schools that offer the sports' medicine fellowship and it wasn't very specific about how the program was set up.

You can do them throughout your lifetime but you may take a big earnings hit. Fellowship is much like a residency but often with more research involved. The pay is slightly more than residency perhaps $50 or $60k. Hours can be less, sometimes more if it is something like Cardiology!

Fellowship is not independent practice although you could probably moonlight in the field you have already been trained in.

 

[KGundy]

That's not actually switching, that's starting over.

Would he actually be able to practice in all of these specialties provided he completed testing at the end of residency?

 

[Law2Doc]

Sports' Medicine is a fellowship down the family medicine tree. I'm just curious if you can do fellowships throughout your lifetime or if they all have to be done right after residency.
Is a fellowship much like a residency (as far as hours/pay go) or can you practice independently + complete your fellowship?
I was looking online at a couple of the schools that offer the sports' medicine fellowship and it wasn't very specific about how the program was set up.

I'd bet you can get a lot further in sports medicine if you go down the orthopod route -- the majority of sports injuries will ultimately need this kind of help.

 

[skypilot]

That's not actually switching, that's starting over.

Yes, I think you might not have to repeat the Intern year so maybe it is 7 years not 9. 🙂

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Sports' Medicine is a fellowship down the family medicine tree. I'm just curious if you can do fellowships throughout your lifetime or if they all have to be done right after residency.
Is a fellowship much like a residency (as far as hours/pay go) or can you practice independently + complete your fellowship?
I was looking online at a couple of the schools that offer the sports' medicine fellowship and it wasn't very specific about how the program was set up.

I'm pretty sure you can do your fellowship whenever, but most people do them right after residency. I think this is more of a financial issue as you'll be paid about the same as a resident. Switching residencies is possible but can be difficult and is usually a last resort. As for doing two residencies, I'm sure it's possible but definitely a waste as you won't be able to practice two specialties at once. There is also an issue with funding...I believe that there is a limited number of post-graduate training years you can use but I'm not sure how it works.

Err, why don't you ask this in the resident forum?

 

[KGundy]

I'd bet you can get a lot further in sports medicine if you go down the orthopod route -- the majority of sports injuries will ultimately need this kind of help.

Like orthopedic surgery or what kind of specialty?

I'm currently a personal trainer and just want to stay in something is reasonably sports' related. I've played sports my entire life, so it's something that I love and I want something that combines sports and healthcare (two things I'm passionate about)

 

[deleted50541]

That's not actually switching, that's starting over.

Exactly. My friend left her surgical residency this year as a PGY-3, but failed to get into the derm residency she wanted. She has a new job lined up already, but now she has to reapply again for a residency position and will be starting all over when she finally gets one.