Can you do more than one residency?

[Caysaene]

I didn't know where to put this, so I put it here... 😳

Say someone finished a residency and got certified as an Attending in EM. If, say, you got burnt-out, could you re-Match for another residency? Or would you be stuck as an Attending in EM?

That's one of the last things that has me hesitating about medicine...being stuck in one specialty forever could potentially be tragic. Thanks very much in advance! 😍

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[LizzyM]

I didn't know where to put this, so I put it here... 😳

Say someone finished a residency and got certified as an Attending in EM. If, say, you got burnt-out, could you re-Match for another residency? Or would you be stuck as an Attending in EM?

That's one of the last things that has me hesitating about medicine...being stuck in one specialty forever could potentially be tragic. Thanks very much in advance! 😍

It can be done but it happens very rarely.

 

[dokein]

Some programs result in dual-accreditation (e.g. Medicine + Derm).

 

[DubVille]

It certainly can be done.

BUT if it is not a privately funded residency (which very few actually are private) the hospital will receive less money for training you, I believe about half of what a "first time" resident would receive. So the chances of a place wanting you despite less money is unlikely (especially if it is a competitive specialty).

The information can be found by searching for medicare funding of residents.

 

[shiftingmirage]

They have something called combined residencies like Med/Peds.

 

[DubVille]

I think the OP is talking about rematching later in life, not doing a dually.

 

[J ROD]

Doing another residency is possible if the hospital will pay for the residency cost. Usually the government will cover some of it. Therefore, it costs the hospital more to take on a resident that has already completed a residency. Government will not cover for doing another one.

You could also agree to less or no pay and see if a program will take you.

 

[Law2Doc]

...
You could also agree to less or no pay and see if a program will take you.

I think there are probably rules against this (as it would enable kids from rich families a huge advantage as they don't really need funding).

Agree with the posters who said yes you can do what OP is asking, but there are funding issues in trying to do so, because the government only gives X years of funding per resident, depending on specialty. Once you do a residency, you effectively use up the money the hospital can get per resident. So there is a financial incentive against taking second residency folks.

 

[morning]

They have something called combined residencies like Med/Peds.

There are also EM/IM, EM/IM/CC and EM/FM residencies. Even a few EM/peds residencies that, for some reason, make you EM and peds eligible but NOT pediatric EM. Plus you can get into EM as a peds fellowship, making you a pediatric EM doctor, which leaves the whole fields of pediatrics open as well. I am very interested in EM and read that there will be soon be more critical care fellowships open to EM docs (currently, I think, the only pathways into critical care are after anesthesia or IM residencies, or peds for pediatric critical care.)

And EM docs can do urgent care. I wonder if hospitals would take an EM doc as a hospitalist, or is that only for FM and IM?

 

[Hoody]

I wonder if hospitals would take an EM doc as a hospitalist, or is that only for FM and IM?

EM doc I work with takes IM call once a month every other month. He works ER 8am-5pm and covers the house from 5pm-8am (24hr shift with the next day off). But I work for the gov...and they get to make whatever rules they want.

 

[Morsetlis]

For Critical Care Medicine, there's nothing that prevents IM docs from working in the ICU.

I was just there this morning with my IM doc I'm shadowing and a consulting Gastroenterologist.

 

[J ROD]

I think there are probably rules against this (as it would enable kids from rich families a huge advantage as they don't really need funding).

Agree with the posters who said yes you can do what OP is asking, but there are funding issues in trying to do so, because the government only gives X years of funding per resident, depending on specialty. Once you do a residency, you effectively use up the money the hospital can get per resident. So there is a financial incentive against taking second residency folks.

I know someone that went back and did this for free...

Not sure how they did it....maybe under the table.

 

[ucsfstudents]

It is possible, but uncommon, for someone to complete the residency programs for two separate specialties.

Good luck!

 

[ThaliaNox]

I know of a couple docs who decided mid-way through residency that they hated the specialty and switched fields. It resulted in them not getting paid their last year of residency in both cases, and the "new" residency in both cases was in a significantly less prestigious field. I'd try to make sure you get it right the first time.

 

[Law2Doc]

I know someone that went back and did this for free...

Not sure how they did it....maybe under the table.

I'd say under the table is most likely. There was also a situation a couple of years ago where a rich family "created" a California radiology slot for their son with a large donation, and it became a big fiasco.

 

[J ROD]

I'd try to make sure you get it right the first time.

or at least learn to like it!! 😀

 

[RevDoc]

I wonder if you could go work at a hospital (as attending) with the 2nd residency program you wanted, and do residency work on your own time.

Surely by the time youre an attending you get to skip all the SCUT and busy stuff that residents are required to do.

 

[Caysaene]

Thanks very much, guys - that makes this decision slightly easier. Now, just to decide between MD/DO...OMM looks kind of cool, to be honest, and my grades are far, far closer to DO stats than MD.

Thank you all! 😀

 

[J ROD]

I wonder if you could go work at a hospital (as attending) with the 2nd residency program you wanted, and do residency work on your own time.

Surely by the time youre an attending you get to skip all the SCUT and busy stuff that residents are required to do.

maybe some of it...but you are still in position of inferiority

 

[J ROD]

Thanks very much, guys - that makes this decision slightly easier. Now, just to decide between MD/DO...OMM looks kind of cool, to be honest, and my grades are far, far closer to DO stats than MD.

Thank you all! 😀

Simple....if you get MD, go MD...much better chances at residency if you want something competitive and will not have to explain your degree to your patients.

No, US MD, then the next best thing is DO. Still can get there and do what you want...just more hurdles.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I'd say under the table is most likely. There was also a situation a couple of years ago where a rich family "created" a California radiology slot for their son with a large donation, and it became a big fiasco.

If I recall, the family used money to influence the position of their kid on the NRMP match list.

There are (few in number) residency positions that are made available to candidates outside the Match, and I think that the same restrictions don't apply and it's possible for these spots to be offered to someone without a salary. In other words, I think the NRMP cares about the equal playing field for residency spots, but the ACGME does not.

 

[Moonglow]

This used to happen more often "back then" (pre-1990 when residency funding was done differently), and usually IM to GS - several examples:

http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/patie.../profile/0,0,17648_Dr_Michael_Wait_MD,00.html

http://www.surgery.medsch.ucla.edu/cardiac/doctors_Ardehali.shtml

http://cgi.photobooks.com/scripts/troll.cgi?dbase=mcdallas&page=2&last=mack&pict_id=0000200

 

[DrJosephKim]

As others have mentioned, it's possible but very uncommon these days. Back in the "old days," this was much more common. Now that a significant portion of residency funding comes from Medicare funds, it's much more difficult to get a hospital to pay for your residency if you've already used up your funds.

 

[softmed]

A doctor I know was able to do two residencies because he was in the military first. He did internal medicine in the military, didn't like it so he just acted as a general practitioner. Once he got out, he did an anesthesiology residency.

He explained it like this: the government pays for one residency. If you want to do another, you have to pay for it out of pocket. Since the military was paying for his first residency, he was able to get another one once he left.

 

[Tolip]

Subspecialization is another option. As others have said, if you burn out and stop liking the ED you could do critical care, toxicology, hyperbaric medicine, sports medicine, etc...

 

[rbnsafsadgf]

Many people do preventive medicine residency after other ones. It is usually funded by non-medicare means.