Interested in Pediatric Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology

[Craigielawson]

Third year DO student here that's intrigued by anesthesiology. I have always wanted to do cardiology, but I think I would be much happier in anesthesia. I still will do rotations in both next year just to make sure, but I've been trying to do some research and was just curious if someone knows of programs that offer pediatric cardiothoracic fellowships. Or, would you have to do a fellowship in each category? Either way, how competitive are these programs? Another thing that I've seen lately is the dual pediatric-anesthesiology residency? Does anyone have insight on those as well? I'm sorry for all the questions, but one last one. Is it hard to do/learn anesthesia procedures being left handed? (Obligatory board scores: usmle step 1 250, comlex 657. 4.0 pre-clinical gpa)

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[Mad Jack]

Just do anesthesia>peds anesthesia. You'll get plenty of pediatric cardiac experience that way, just by the nature of pediatrics.

 

[Docuronium]

http://www.pedsanesthesia.org/fellowships/

 

[criticalelement]

peds anesthesia is a long road.. six years. So is cardiology. I feel you will a lot more respected as a cardiologist. Anesthesia is aking hits from a lo of different directions. The salary is abysmal for the responsibiliy you take on and very little private practice opportunities available today. And this trend to being a hospital employee is rapidly accelerating. I personally would not make that committment unless the future was clearer for anesthesiology. And dont listen to program directors. They are like used car salesman.

 

[Mman]

peds anesthesia is a long road.. six years.

Since when is it 6 years? 1 year intern + 3 years residency + 1 year fellowship

 

[Nivens]

The path to pedi cards anesthesia is anesthesiology > pediatric fellowship > congential cardiac anesthesiology fellowship. Both fellowships would be one year in this case, for a total training time of 5.5-6 years. I ultimatrly decided against the combined residency because once I finished my 4th year sub-i I realized I did not want to be a pediatrician. I am very happy with my decision so far. One thing you need to consider about pedi cardiac anesthesia is you become geographically limited in terms of jobs as not every hospital does these sorts of cases. Oftentimes there is a regional referral center, and you would need to be associated with them.

 

[Craigielawson]

I've went through multiple cardiac procedures myself. And while I have loved every cardiologist I've had along the way, I find myself not having the spark with children the way I see most pediatric cardiologists. Then again, I can't imagine being an adult cardiologists: telling patient after patient to lose weight and stop smoking. And not to mention, obesity is becoming a huge problem in pediatrics too. Plus anesthesia wouldn't be seeing the dud cases of random chest pain or vasovagal syncopes. On top of that, I couldn't see myself as a generalized pediatrician or internist if I couldn't get a fellowship. But I could at least see myself as doing general anesthesia. I got into medicine to connect with patients in the sense of knowing what the patient is going through and I think anesthesia is one field that could fulfill that for me. Sorry for a synopsis of my future personal statement. Thanks for the link though, I will look into!

The only thing really holding me back from being fully committed to anesthesia is being left-handed. I know that sounds ridiculous, but every time I watch someone do a procedure and then ask me to do it, I get frustrated from trying to figure out how to do it reversed or what's most comfortable for me to complete. I have no problem staying late and working more to get it done properly; just want to make sure there's opportunity to do so.

 

[Mman]

The path to pedi cards anesthesia is anesthesiology > pediatric fellowship > congential cardiac anesthesiology fellowship. Both fellowships would be one year in this case, for a total training time of 5.5-6 years. I ultimatrly decided against the combined residency because once I finished my 4th year sub-i I realized I did not want to be a pediatrician. I am very happy with my decision so far. One thing you need to consider about pedi cardiac anesthesia is you become geographically limited in terms of jobs as not every hospital does these sorts of cases. Oftentimes there is a regional referral center, and you would need to be associated with them.

100% of our peds cardiac people did peds fellowships only that featured a good amount of cardiac.

 

[Mman]

The only thing really holding me back from being fully committed to anesthesia is being left-handed. I know that sounds ridiculous, but every time I watch someone do a procedure and then ask me to do it, I get frustrated from trying to figure out how to do it reversed or what's most comfortable for me to complete.

And yet nearly every right handed person learning to intubate hates the fact you have to hold the laryngoscope with your left hand.

Don't let your handedness worry you at all. There are only so many procedures we do and personally I can do them all with either hand, except the laryngscope is always in the left hand.

 

[Docuronium]

I've went through multiple cardiac procedures myself. And while I have loved every cardiologist I've had along the way, I find myself not having the spark with children the way I see most pediatric cardiologists. Then again, I can't imagine being an adult cardiologists: telling patient after patient to lose weight and stop smoking. And not to mention, obesity is becoming a huge problem in pediatrics too. Plus anesthesia wouldn't be seeing the dud cases of random chest pain or vasovagal syncopes. On top of that, I couldn't see myself as a generalized pediatrician or internist if I couldn't get a fellowship. But I could at least see myself as doing general anesthesia. I got into medicine to connect with patients in the sense of knowing what the patient is going through and I think anesthesia is one field that could fulfill that for me. Sorry for a synopsis of my future personal statement. Thanks for the link though, I will look into!

The only thing really holding me back from being fully committed to anesthesia is being left-handed. I know that sounds ridiculous, but every time I watch someone do a procedure and then ask me to do it, I get frustrated from trying to figure out how to do it reversed or what's most comfortable for me to complete. I have no problem staying late and working more to get it done properly; just want to make sure there's opportunity to do so.

I wouldn't borrow trouble---it will all come in time

 

[Nivens]

100% of our peds cardiac people did peds fellowships only that featured a good amount of cardiac.

Sorry, didn't mean to suggest that path was the only way to do pedi heart cases as an attending. I was just describing the training path of someone who wanted formal super specialty training in pedi hearts.