Opinions Regarding IM/Psych Joint Residencies and Career Options

[MercifulCamper]

I'm early in my medical school training, but the two specialties that interest me are IM and Psych. Furthermore, I have a history as a caretaker of a family member with a chronic and life-altering psychiatric disease. Moreover, I have enjoyed my exposure to IM so far. I find myself being pulled in both directions at the moment. I want to get people's thoughts on IM/Psych combined residency programs, whether they are worth it, and what career paths are for those going down this route.

I'm also drawn toward a future fellowship in hem/onc for several reasons. However, one of the primary reasons is that I enjoy helping people through vulnerable times, finding out what matters at the end of life, and handling these difficult conversations. If that's the route I end up setting on, it makes zero sense to do a combined residency.

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[NotAProgDirector]

The worst reason to do an IM/Pysch residency is that you can't decide which you want. Ultimately you figure that out by your PGY-3, and are stuck with 2 more years of training.

 

[MercifulCamper]

The worst reason to do an IM/Pysch residency is that you can't decide which you want. Ultimately you figure that out by your PGY-3, and are stuck with 2 more years of training.

I understand this. I was asking more what career options are for those that go the IM/Psych route. I was hoping to get input from those that have gone through this training path and from those who have seen clinicians in the hospital/clinic working as well. How practical is it? Do you have to end up settling on practicing one over the other?

My school does not have this program and to be quite honest very few academic centers have it.

 

[ontiquicuo]

I'm also drawn toward a future fellowship in hem/onc for several reasons. However, one of the primary reasons is that I enjoy helping people through vulnerable times, finding out what matters at the end of life, and handling these difficult conversations. If that's the route I end up setting on, it makes zero sense to do a combined residency.

You've got plenty of time to decide. Given these interests, think about a palliative care fellowship. I'm pretty sure you can get there from either psych or IM.

 

[solitarius]

Combined residency programs are universally a waste of time and a bad idea.
Adding another year of unnecessary residency or even fellowship is a gift to your residency program at your expense.
You cannot know how ****ty residency is until you are in it. Why would you lengthen it unnecessarily?

 

[coconutlover]

Pick a career and stick with it. The reason american medical education is so inefficient is partly because we delay choosing of career and sticking with it for soooooooooooo long.

 

[pazzer2]

It would be very hard to practice both IM and Psychiatry together at the same time. Unless of course you did inpatient consultation-psychiatry practice full time.

If not then the practice setups are completely different, and the patient populations don't overlap much. I would suggest to pick one or the other. Nowadays psych is seen as a very good option for work-life balance.

 

[RangerBob]

I've never met anyone who did IM/psych. I've heard of a few FM/psych. But in practice all seem to practice just one of the specialties (as is the case for most who do a combined residency)

I agree with the others it would be a waste of time. Pick what you'll enjoy more, and if you really like both, consider inpatient psych consults. Our consult psychiatrist still regularly uses his medicine skills, often catching medical things the internists have missed.