Considering applying to psych (eventually child psych)

[spinnerette]

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Hi guys,
I am a 4th year med student currently considering the possibility of psych.
For the past couple months, I was leaning more towards neuro (trying to decide between behavioral neuro or psych) but I am seriously falling in love with outpatient psych.

If I were to do psych, I would love to do child psych because I have worked with quite a few autistic patients when I was doing my Peds clerkship (that is actually the reason I am considering psych).

One issue is that I can't schedule a child psych elective til later this year since the spots are filled up now.

Would it look bad in my application if I mention about child psych even though I haven't taken any child psych electives?

Should I just keep my mouth shut til I get into the residency program and then try to get into their child psych pathways?

What do you guys think?

 

[PistolPete]

If you really love both equally, apply to both neuro and psych. That will give you several more months to look at different programs first hand, and decide what you want to do with your life.

I don't think it will look bad on your application if you mention child psych but haven't done an actual child psych rotation, although what do I know? I'll be a fellow applicant this year. But I think you'll be fine.

Best of luck!

 

[OldPsychDoc]

In my experience, at least 50-75% of applicants I interview express some kind of interest in Child, with only a minority of these having elective experience in the specialty*. So I wouldn't worry. Plenty of time to get that exposure later.

*(probably why so many are interested...they don't know what they're really getting into!)

 

[Sharpie1]

*(probably why so many are interested...they don't know what they're really getting into!)

Can you elaborate on this? I am starting a child psych rotation (because I too am interested in child psych) in a little over a month and that just scared me a little...

 

[spinnerette]

In my experience, at least 50-75% of applicants I interview express some kind of interest in Child, with only a minority of these having elective experience in the specialty*. So I wouldn't worry. Plenty of time to get that exposure later.

*(probably why so many are interested...they don't know what they're really getting into!)

50-75%? does that make child psych very competitive?

 

[OldPsychDoc]

50-75%? does that make child psych very competitive?

Actually--by the time 3rd year rolls around, most of them have changed their minds...

If you're interested in and committed to child, you really can usually find a fellowship someplace.

 

[peppy]

Can you elaborate on this? I am starting a child psych rotation (because I too am interested in child psych) in a little over a month and that just scared me a little...

One reason that many people end up turning away from child psych is because you quickly realize that a lot of times the reason the kid is acting out is because they are in a dysfunctional family or some other bad social situation that is not really fixed by medical treatment. I think trying to educate the families and help them do the best they can could be rewarding but for many people this kind of stuff can be depressing and discouraging.
I've also heard people comment on being very disturbed by some of the behaviors of the conduct disorder kids (the ones who kill animals and such).

Of course, not all of child psych is grim. Just have to be prepared to deal with the downsides. I hope that you have a good experience in it!

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

One reason that many people end up turning away from child psych is because you quickly realize that a lot of times the reason the kid is acting out is because they are in a dysfunctional family or some other bad social situation that is not really fixed by medical treatment. I think trying to educate the families and help them do the best they can could be rewarding but for many people this kind of stuff can be depressing and discouraging.

That was my feeling, exactly. I spent a month on child psych as a student and I think I saw ONE patient who I actually felt had an axis I disorder... the rest were in really chaotic family situations and had parents who were unwilling to accept any responsibility and just wanted to medicate the problem away. Of course I can't say this anywhere because somebody always jumps in with "Well, MY kid really needs to be medicated, not all of us are bad parents!" Which may well be true, but I'm not interested in sifting through them.

 

[Bartelby]

That was my feeling, exactly. I spent a month on child psych as a student and I think I saw ONE patient who I actually felt had an axis I disorder... the rest were in really chaotic family situations and had parents who were unwilling to accept any responsibility and just wanted to medicate the problem away. Of course I can't say this anywhere because somebody always jumps in with "Well, MY kid really needs to be medicated, not all of us are bad parents!" Which may well be true, but I'm not interested in sifting through them.

Agreed. Mornings often felt like: ADHD/ODD, ADHD/ODD, depression, ADHD/ODD, OCD, ADHD/ODD, lunch. There were also plenty of patients with pervasive developmental disorders, neurological disorders requiring psychiatric intervention, anxiety disorders, more of the medical rather than social stuff, but it gets a little overwhelming trying to put out all of the bad parenting fires in the time alotted.

But for the OP's question, I wouldn't think expressing an interest in Child Psych without the rotation would hurt you as long as you enjoy (and could do as a career) adult psych as well.

 

[digitlnoize]

In my experience, at least 50-75% of applicants I interview express some kind of interest in Child, with only a minority of these having elective experience in the specialty*. So I wouldn't worry. Plenty of time to get that exposure later.

*(probably why so many are interested...they don't know what they're really getting into!)

Yeah, I'm actually worried about this when interviewing. Do I really want to be just another guy saying "I want to do child?"

I have had some good child experience with high acuity inpatient cases. The attending there told me, "If you can enjoy working here, you'll love child psych anywhere else." And I really did enjoy it.

For me, I find the development of pathology (and I've seen real pathology, in addition to messed up social situations) at such an early age extremely fascinating, although sad. I enjoy working to help those patients, far more than peds with a hurting ear or old people with CHF.