Career advice and residency application...

[deleted9493]

I know that these questions get asked repeatedly in specialty forums here, so I apologize for adding to the pile. However, I've not found a thread that specifically addresses what I want to know...so here it goes...

Believe it or not, I've enjoyed my pediatrics and anesthesiology rotations in third year more than everything else and about equally so. I like the procedures and acuity of anesthesiology but the continuity and population involved in the practice of pediatrics. Some have suggested pediatric anesthesiology or doing a critical care fellowship after a pediatrics residency and I like the thought of both but I'm left with the decision of anesthesia v. peds. Does anybody have any words of wisdom with regards to deciphering what field will bring the most long term satisfaction/fulfillment?

Additionally, if I were to go the pediatrics route, can anyone give me a sense of what specific programs and/or level of programs I should be looking at? I'm an osteopathic student from Michigan with 678/94 on comlex and 243/98 on usmle and research limited to undergraduate work. I know that pediatrics is largely not competitive with regards to residency but at the same time I don't feel that my application (outside of my board scores) is very competitive...so I didn't know what type of programs to begin looking at. Any input would be outstanding!

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[oldbearprofessor]

I know that these questions get asked repeatedly in specialty forums here, so I apologize for adding to the pile. However, I've not found a thread that specifically addresses what I want to know...so here it goes...

Believe it or not, I've enjoyed my pediatrics and anesthesiology rotations in third year more than everything else and about equally so. I like the procedures and acuity of anesthesiology but the continuity and population involved in the practice of pediatrics. Some have suggested pediatric anesthesiology or doing a critical care fellowship after a pediatrics residency and I like the thought of both but I'm left with the decision of anesthesia v. peds. Does anybody have any words of wisdom with regards to deciphering what field will bring the most long term satisfaction/fulfillment?

Additionally, if I were to go the pediatrics route, can anyone give me a sense of what specific programs and/or level of programs I should be looking at? I'm an osteopathic student from Michigan with 678/94 on comlex and 243/98 on usmle and research limited to undergraduate work. I know that pediatrics is largely not competitive with regards to residency but at the same time I don't feel that my application (outside of my board scores) is very competitive...so I didn't know what type of programs to begin looking at. Any input would be outstanding!

We are working on getting a pediatric thread going on the "mentoring" forum. The problem is that we really need input from a general pediatrician/hospitalist as well as specialty advice. We're working on this. Meanwhile, if you know anyone who is an attending who is willing to do this, have them join SDN and PM me.

As far as your actual question, a pediatric residency is very different than an anesthesia one. Only you can make that decision after doing elective rotations in each. A sub-I in pedi should help a lot. Related to careers in pedi, if your interest is procedures and not "out-patient" then among the careers that might fit are cardiology, pedi EM, NICU and PICU. Except pedi EM which has a pathway through EM or pedi (very different, discussed frequently on the EM board), there is no need to choose among those until your second year of pedi residency. PICU is undoubtedly the closest to anesthesia, but people change their perspectives on these a good bit in their early years of training. You will be competitive for most if not all pedi programs if your clinical performance is good along with your scores.

 

[UVa2005]

So you are right, you have a couple options. You can do anesthesia and then do a peds anesthesia fellowship. This is great if you love anesthesia however, if you like patient care beyond the OR, continuity, etc then maybe not the path for you. You can also do a Pediatrics residency with a critical care fellowship which would still give you plenty of procedures as well as longer patient care (outside of the OR) and depending on where you are you COULD get some continuity since you do have some children who always seem to be in the hospital . You final option is to do pediatrics and then do a PICU/Anesthesia fellowship. This would leave you board certified in peds, anesthesia, and critical care. Giving you OR time and ICU time however this option takes the most time (3 years of residency, 5 years of fellowship). In terms of programs, just make sure you choose a hospital that has a very active PICU. Not just a PICU that sees the moderately ill and then refers out the rest. In my opinion, you should go somewhere that does cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, is a PEDIATRIC trauma center, etc so you can get a wide variety of PICU patients. Just ask when you are interviewing what variety of patients the PICU sees and if they transfer patients to other PICUs in the area if the patients decompensate. Good luck!

 

[oldbearprofessor]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=394638

 

[deleted9493]

I want to thank you both for your advice--there aren't many (or any) pediatricians in my hospital/program that have been able to give me quality answers as you have. I really do appreciate your insight.