If you do a fast-track residence, are you a "real physician"?

[foo]

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A Cardiologist (in private practice) suggested to a family member, who is currently an MD-PhD student (about to graduate), that if he does a fast-track residency, he will not be considered a "real doctor" (presumably because his clinical training would be suboptimal).

Was he just being a dick, or is there something to this criticism? Please advise!

Thanks in advance.

 

[FSAP]

A Cardiologist (in private practice) suggested to a family member, who is currently an MD-PhD student (about to graduate), that if he does a fast-track residency, he will not be considered a "real doctor" (presumably because his clinical training would be suboptimal).

Was he just being a dick, or is there something to this criticism? Please advise!

Thanks in advance.

Clearly he is being a douche.

 

[Shifty B]

Cardiologists are doctors?

Fast track residencies only shift some time from the internal medicine portion of your training to your fellowship and give you more time for research. You still spend as much time in your fellowship and often more. Of course you're a real doctor.

If you're applying for some private practice job, yeah, they might prefer someone who spent all their time doing clinical stuff and not research. But if you were going for that you wouldn't be doing that fast track residency.

 

[nothingman]

I would also add that in at least some fast-track programs, your early "graduation" to fellowship is incumbent on scoring well on an in-service exam or passing other standards of competence.

I.e., if they feel that you're not ready to move on and need the extra residency year up front, they reserve the right to have you do so.

 

[calvinNhobbes]

I would consider someone who short tracked to be less clinically experienced than someone who didn't, but it probably doesn't matter in the long run.

Clinicians will consider any clinical training less than what they did to be inadequate training.

It's no different than PhDs complaining that an MD/PhD is not a "real" PhD.

 

[strangeglove]

I would consider someone who short tracked to be less clinically experienced than someone who didn't, but it probably doesn't matter in the long run.

Clinicians will consider any clinical training less than what they did to be inadequate training.

It's no different than PhDs complaining that an MD/PhD is not a "real" PhD.

It's also like older doctor's grumbling about residency work-hour restrictions.

 

[bubbachuck]

<insert reference to walking to school in 5 feet of snow uphill both ways>