Neurologists and Schizophrenia

[solumanculver]

Hi, I'm currently interviewing at MD/PhD programs for next year. I'm really interested in neuroscience, and schizophrenia in particular. I've sort of had this idea that I would go into psychiatry, but the more I think of it the less I seem cut out for it. I'm not interested in therapy at all, just the plain neuroscience of it, and I'm also not interested in these other psychiatric disorder either, like personality disorders or whatever.

Is there a way to legitimately see patients with schizophrenia as a neurologist? To have patients referred to you and everything? I realize that neuropsychiatry/behavioral neurology is meant more for dementias and psychiatric consequences of neurologic disease, but is it reasonable to specialize in schizophrenia with this kind of background as well?

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[Fencer]

Medicine is becoming increasingly regulated. Schizo disorders belong to the psychiatrists. Agitation, memory disorders, confusional states belong to the neurologists. If your research interest drives you to Schizophrenia, then, you need to do a Psych residency, perhaps, within a research track. If you are interested in Behavioral Neurology, then Neurology is your way.

 

[BrianUM]

I too was wondering the same thing...I am leaning towards neuro as a profession but love certain aspects of psych...can neurologists effectively manage simpler things like depression and anxiety w/o referral to a psychiatrist?

 

[DeanWormer]

In clinical practice they are very different neuro and psych with neurology being closer to an IM subspecialty and neurosurgery and neuroradiology then psychiatry which is far more of a nonmedical field. Psychiatrists have schizophrenia like we have stroke. A psychiatrist treating strokes (if one knew how or wasn't afraid) would probably be looked at funny and not reimbursed for CVA management.

Go into psych if you like what you mentioned and do a clinical/research neuroimaging fellowship so you can PET scan schizo-brains.

 

[HoyaBlue02]

You should look into these combined programs:
[FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=+1]Psychiatry/Neurology[/SIZE]. <img height="5" hspace="0" vspace="0">[FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1]Florida [/SIZE].<img height="5" hspace="0" vspace="0"> [SIZE=-1]University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Medical Center Program
Miami, Florida 755-11-44-009 [/SIZE] [FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1]Massachusetts[/SIZE].<img height="5" hspace="0" vspace="0"> [SIZE=-1]University of Massachusetts Program
Worcester, Massachusetts 755-24-44-010 [/SIZE] [FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1]New York[/SIZE].<img height="5" hspace="0" vspace="0"> [SIZE=-1]New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus) Program
New York, New York 755-35-44-011 [/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]New York University School of Medicine Program
New York, New York 755-35-44-008 [/SIZE] [FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1]Rhode Island[/SIZE].<img height="5" hspace="0" vspace="0"> [SIZE=-1]Brown University Program
Providence, Rhode Island 755-43-44-005 [/SIZE] [FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1]South Carolina[/SIZE].<img height="5" hspace="0" vspace="0"> [SIZE=-1]Medical University of South Carolina Program
Charleston, South Carolina 755-45-44-012 [/SIZE] [FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1]West Virginia[/SIZE].<img height="5" hspace="0" vspace="0"> [SIZE=-1]West Virginia University Program
Morgantown, West Virginia 755-55-44-001 [/SIZE]