Path to Sleep Medicine specialist

[DD214_DOC]

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Is a residency in neurology the only path to a SM fellowship? Since I have been dealing with the evaluation and tx of OSA (which has pretty much ruined my academic life up to this point) I have developed quite an interest in the field, but don't know much about it. Please fill me in.

It seems like a cool field that is pretty open for research as well, especially the crossover of psychiatry with said sleep disorders. Apparently lots of people have some type of sleep disorder, and with the obesity problem (although obesity is only correlated in about 1/2 of OSA pts) I see it only growing.

 

[CB1Antagonist]

The alternative paths to sleep fellowship are:

1. Pediatrics- Pediatric Neurology- Sleep
2. Internal Medicine- Pulmonary fellowship - Sleep
3. Psychiatry - Sleep
4. Neurology - Sleep

 

[eviorr]

I would add:

5. Otolaryngology (ENT) - Sleep

I'm very interested in sleep medicine; if that interest holds out through the five years of peds / child neuro, I could definitely see myself taking that route to SM.

- Erick

 

[DD214_DOC]

Does the Psychiatry path limit one to only doing the Behavioral Sleep Medicine fellowship?

 

[nycdoc22]

"Does the Psychiatry path limit one to only doing the Behavioral Sleep Medicine fellowship?"

No. I believe that is for clinical psychologists.

FYI there is a shortage of pediatric sleep medicine specialists. Doing it after peds neuro would be ideal (but lengthy!)

"pretty open for research" - it is very open to research right now...there are a lot of unknowns in sleep.