Fellowship or Not?

[pgy4psych]

Hi Guys,

PGY4 here. soon to graduate.

In a dilemma of whether to do a geriatrics fellowship.

Any practicing fellows out there? are you happy you did it? did you regret it?
any difference to renumeration?

I'm interested in working in nursing homes/VA.......

any advice appreciated.

susan.

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[Sneezing]

I'm not a fellow. Just a random person with an opinion. Don't do the fellowship.

 

[billypilgrim37]

Are you at a program that has a good geri fellowship? Is there a good geri fellowship in the town where you'd like to live? Do you not mind moving?

Depending on those answers, the answers to your question are probably different. Is it going to make you much extra money? Probably not. Will it be extremely valuable in lots of intangible ways (i.e., knowing what you're doing)? Maybe. Are you the sort of person who cares about intangibles? That matters too. Are you in a bigger city where rents cost more than 1000 dollars a month for a studio apartment? If so, that might make you want to do the scholarship. Does the local artsy theater play far too many Woody Allen movies? Is the nearest Dunkin' Donuts kosher? If you throw a dollar in the road, will a hipster pick it up? These are all more relevant questions than you might think.

 

[zolof]

it seems there is a paucity of geriatric fellows/attendings on this board. Would appreciate some more input. I am considering it as well.

 

[whopper]

I didn't do geri fellowship but I did do a forensic fellowship.

The fellowship was tough but I learned a lot and from one of the best docs in the country. While I often knock down ranks because there really is no good system, I'd rate the guy there. He advanced the field of math, the field of medical science, and he was a great teacher. The guy spent at least two hours (usually more) of one-on-one time with me per week where he actually taught for real.

If you're interested in Geri, and want the best education on it do fellowship. It could open academic and research doors if you want to go that road.

You can still be a great doctor without it (but you really need to devote yourself to life-long learning), it'll likely not increase your earning potential, and I don't see a strong demand for it (in comparison with a general psychiatrist) though that can change with baby-boomers getting older.

I had some geri questions I wanted answered, and the PD of the geri fellowship in the area and I had a talk. The guy gave me information on the level of what I would've had to spend hours with lit-searches in a few minutes.