Fellowship

[Perrotfish]

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Question from a medical student: What are the opportunities for Family Practice doctors to subspecialize? If I choose Family practice, would I still retain the option of doing something such as a cardiology fellowship down the line? Are there fellowships that are specific to family practice vs. Internal Medicine?

 

[deleted87716]

Family medicine is a generalist field. Although there are fellowships available within FM, they're generally intended to deepen one's experience in a specific area, not turn you into a specialist. Fields like cardiology are specialties of internal medicine, and require completion of an IM residency.

Check out the FAQ at the top of the forum.

 

[secretwave101]

I'm generally not a fan of fellowships in FM. You lose quite a bit of money by taking another year to train, and unlike the major specialties like cards, pulm, endo, GI, neuro, etc, you don't really make much more money when you're done. You also aren't a true "specialist". You're just a generalist with a deeper fund of knowledge in one area.

I recently worked with a FP who has a sports med focused clinic. He's kinda the sports med guy in town. I spent the week with him, and guess what I saw....lots of 65 year olds with cholesterol problems, well-child visits and URI's. In other words, he does family medicine 85% of the time, and then occasionally, he checks out someone's knee or ankle. I guess he has a "horse week" where, for reasons that mystify everyone but 'butterfly effect' people, he has dozens of people in who fell off their horse. One week a year. Never knows which week it'll be.

So, if you want to sub-specialize, don't go FM. Go IM.

 

[michaelrack]

I'm generally not a fan of fellowships in FM. You lose quite a bit of money by taking another year to train, and unlike the major specialties like cards, pulm, endo, GI, neuro, etc, you don't really make much more money when you're done. You also aren't a true "specialist". You're just a generalist with a deeper fund of knowledge in one area.

Sleep medicine is an exception. FM docs who do a 1 year sleep fellowship can make much more the FM docs who practice primary care. Howver I agree with the other posters that IM is a better choice if you want to subspecialize.

 

[deleted87716]

Sleep medicine is an exception. FM docs who do a 1 year sleep fellowship can make much more the FM docs who practice primary care.

Sleep fellowship?

😴

Seriously. I'd sooner work at Starbucks. At least they have some variety in their day.

No offense, of course. I'll go for a ride on your boat anytime. 😉

 

[secretwave101]

Dude, no kidding. I was gonna put the sleeper icon up there but you beat me to it.

Also not meant to be offensive, just SO not my interest area.

 

[Leukocyte]

Sleep medicine is an exception. FM docs who do a 1 year sleep fellowship can make much more the FM docs who practice primary care. Howver I agree with the other posters that IM is a better choice if you want to subspecialize.

How can a FP get a sleep fellowship? I thought sleep only accepts certain specialties, like neurology, psych, IM, and FM is not one of them. I have checked on-line, non mention FM as candidates!

 

[deleted87716]

How can a FP get a sleep fellowship?

Details here: https://www.theabfm.org/cert/caq.aspx#caq4