you'll find more information in the forum entitled "combined residencies...aka EM/IM"
A search for EM/IM or emergency and internal medicine does not yield anything on this forum.
Just take it in stride dude. Questions always go answered (not something most forums can claim), and responses are helpful, but there is a necessary hazing that occurs first. It's all in good fun, and there are MANY informed posters who will chime in and answer.
Not too intrepid on your part, and you strike me as a rather intelligent person. I searched under "dual residency", and got 41 threads, a good number being EM/IM.
We probably need to hone the search function on this forum then so it picks up items in responses, not just titles, maybe?- I will admit I did not search "dual residency" as I was not interested in searches for peds/EM or Family/EM and assumed that EM/IM or emergency and internal would cover the bases as that is how most of us refer to the combined program in emergency medicine and internal medicine.
It really frustrates you? Really? Then why don't you find the old threads? And this one thread shows a lack of camaraderie, despite otherwise a whole forum of support for each other? Do you think you're a bit myopic there?why do you guys waste so much time admonishing people for not searching hard enough to find old threads instead of just answering the question? it's really frustrating to see this lack of camaraderie and respect towards newcomers
Two of my colleagues completed an EM/IM/CC Residency, and are both practicing as academic ER physicians as well as rounding in the ICUs (surgical and medical). One is heavily in to research as well.
I also find it irritating when people reply 'do a search'. As if they own the forum or something. People have a right to ask a question despite the fact that it might have been answered 2 years ago.
We don't lack for newcomers. If someone isn't comfortable posting on an anonymous internet message board, where will they be comfortable?
) Doing both simultaneously would be very difficult. People do different things with such a residency. Some options include EM with inpatient IM, Academic EM, Research, EM Critical Care, EM Administration, International Medicine (with an ID Fellowship), Chest pain or short stay unit work, etc.so does thew combined residency/dual boarded physician work in the ER and ALSO see patients as an IM doc - seems like a lot of work. I am way to lazy to pull shift work and also follow patients in an out patient setting (probably why I also did not search dual residency
What is the advantage to this dual status? Or why would some one seek out this type of residency??
old man
If you don't have first hand knowledge about EM/IM programs, why chime in by saying 'do a search' Just keep it moving and say nothing at all homey. (I'm probably gonna get flamed, but so what) Some of you dudes on the forum really take the FATTY mc whatever (do a search, search function, etc) to new heights. It ain't that serious
Veronica,
There are people who have "dual appointments". I personally know of two physicians working at two different academic centers who split their time between EM and IM. One was a "grandfathered" internist who works "part time" 8-10 shifts in the ED and also serves as one of the hospitalists in an observational medicine unit (an inpatient unit, not an EM obs unit). The other is a EM/IM dual residency trained, dual boarded doc who literally switches off every 2 weeks between an academic ED and a internal medicine teaching service. He tells me the only difference between his inpatient service and that of his IM colleagues is that the IM residents refer to his rounds as "speed rounds".
Both have joked that they have admitted patients to themselves. I always wonder if they have also blocked their own admissions to their own services...
In short, if you'd like to do it, you can probably find an academic center to let you practice both EM and IM.
- H
)
With all the prior (distracting) posts I had to look back and see what the original question was
I know when I was trying to decide between combined vs. categorical residency I looked through the threads and would have appreciated a fresh post, so I'm just paying it forward.
I realized I didn't actually answer your original question
It took me a very long while to decide to do the combined program. One luxury I had was that there was an EM/IM program at my med school so I took advantage of that. I talked with and shadowed the program director, talked with residents (EM/IM, EM, and IM) but finally made a decision after doing both an EM rotation and my medicine sub-i (I don't think you really get an idea of what it'd be like to do both until you work your a$$ off trying to act like an intern- and still even then it doesn't compare to actual intern yr ). Anyhow, I decided to pursue the combined program because it affords an incredible amount of options- both EM and IM fellowships as well as jobs in both fields. It wasn't indecision per se- initially I thought I wanted to practice both hospitalist and EM doc- but there are so many niches to fill it's hard to say exactly what I'll be doing in 4.5 yrs from now. And depending on where you end up for residency the strength of different aspects of training (i.e. EM, US, Tox, medicine subspecialties, etc.) will also influence your ultimate career decision. I honestly don't know if the dual cert will help in my future career if I end up in one field or the other. I see it being of use if I decide to go into academics or CC, but hey, it can't hurt 
