Other scheduling question -- psych or IM/neuro first?

[Doctor Bagel]

My residency lets us choose which we want to start with, and I have no clue. I'm sure it all works out in the end and is pretty much the same, but does anyone see an advantage of picking one over the other. I'll enjoy psych more, so starting there is less misery-inducing, but I'll seem like less of an idiot in IM in the first month than I will later in the year when I'm rotating with people who've been doing IM wards several months.

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[Doc Samson]

There's no argument here - medicine first. Do it while your skills from medical school are still intact and your medicine colleagues are floundering just as much as you are. Save the psychiatry for later. Brocolli first, cake later.

 

[Sneezing]

^ This

 

[maranatha]

There's no argument here - medicine first. Do it while your skills from medical school are still intact and your medicine colleagues are floundering just as much as you are. Save the psychiatry for later. Brocolli first, cake later.

Total agree, but for different reasons. Having done medicine before inpatient psychiatry will be very valuable. You'll feel more comfortable dealing with your patient who is non-responsive, complaining of chest pain, acute abdominal pain, ect. and the psych nurses are freaking out asking for you, the doctor. Medical issues come up ALL THE TIME when you're on the unit and the more medicine you know, the better off your patients are and the more comfortable you'll feel.

 

[atsai3]

My residency lets us choose which we want to start with, and I have no clue. I'm sure it all works out in the end and is pretty much the same, but does anyone see an advantage of picking one over the other. I'll enjoy psych more, so starting there is less misery-inducing, but I'll seem like less of an idiot in IM in the first month than I will later in the year when I'm rotating with people who've been doing IM wards several months.

Everyone stresses out about this decision. Whichever way you choose, it turns out okay in the end.

During my internship, I requested medicine first but ended up getting assigned to psych first. I felt dumb for the first two weeks, but it turned out okay in the end. The medicine helped me with the rest of inpatient during PGY2 as well as call during PGY2-4.

-AT.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Thanks, everyone. Hmm, so medicine first. Good to know it will work out fine either way, though.

 

[Faebinder]

Best path to learn.


Medicine first.

At least 4 months of Psychiatry second.

Neurolorgy third.