Double-boarded IM/PMR

[salmonella]

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Is there any value of being double boarded in IM and PM & R in a practical sense? Are these people more marketable in private practice setting?

 

[pirate]

I think the big benefit it adds is marketability. You are set up to be a medical director of an inpatient facility. If you were in academics, you might be able to split your time and do both throughout the year. Not sure how much it would add in terms of salary. You would have the satisfaction of knowing how to handle a bunch of medicine issues without having to make calls to your peers in IM. Having said all of this, realize that 90+% of all rehab directors aren't double boarded and obviously do ok. You would also learn a lot of the general medicine while you are working as an attending. i.e. in 10 years, will you say "wow, I'm glad I got that extra training?"

all this coming from someone contemplating the same issues...
good luck with your decision

 

[pirate]

Sorry- missed your comment about private practice. My guess is that if you want to do outpatient work, you might be able to serve as a PMD for your TBI, SCI, pain, etc patients. But I think it would be less valuable than if you wanted to care for inpatients.

 

[rehab_sports_dr]

This has been discussed elsewhere on the forums. In short, of the 5-10 attendings I know who are double-boarded, most if not all are not going to bother renewing their IM board. When I asked them about their experiences, they said that any extra time in training would be better spent in fellowship training.

 

[PMR TX MS]

Generally the answers to this question have been limited to private practice. What about staying academic and wanting to do research in an area that overlapped both fields? Would double boarding be worth it for this type of career path?

 

[Hemisphere]

what area would that be? I could only think of cardiac or pulmonary rehab... i have also heard before that docs who get double boarded end up practicing rehab anyway instead of IM. it might help for research but might not be absolutely necessary since most pm&r docs just want to go into pain and not do any research



at least teh one's on this forum LOL ;0)