Then again, there are several neurologists who perform EMGs, read EEGs and even interpret sleep studies without fellowship training. The latter may become more difficult with the new, stricter guidelines for becoming certified in sleep medicine, but technically, you don't need to have done a fellowship to do EMGs and EEGs.
Looks like you can get grandfathered into sleep medicine until 2011, but lot of extra things to do in order to qualify for this.
Physiatrist become accredited through the ABEM in order to perform EMGs, of course, neurologist are welcome to do the same. The requirement I believe are proving that you did six months of EMG rotations with 200 documented studies and taking a big exam.
Okay, lets just add to the fire a bit shall we. You can also do your own carotid dopplers if you document 100 preceptored studies and take a big exam through the american society of neuroimaging.
In my opinion, if any neurologist should be able to read a basic outpatient EEG. All of the specialized areas that come along with epilepsy: surgery evaluations, electrocorticograms, intensive monitoring, etc. That should really be left to the fellowship trained guys (in my opinion, hopefully most would agree with me on that).
There is a particular person that I know who thinks that he does not need any fellowship training and knows every loophole that I mentioned above in much more detail than I can list here. He sits and talk about money money money money!!! You know in the old cartoons where a person's eyeballs become dollar signs as they are talking??
My personal thoughts are, the amount of outside work you'd have to do to get qualified for EMG, sleep, vascular work ups, etc, although possible, would be pretty difficult to do while maintaining residency and getting ready for basic neurology boards (which are more important). I would just be easier to do the fellowship.
