Question about EM and primary practice

[JennaK]

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My question is if you do the residency in Emergency Medicine than say in 10 years can you open your own practice in town as a family doctor?

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

I'm not sure... I know that EM is a relatively new field and some ED's are still staffed by family doctors. I don't know if it works the other way though.

What I can tell you is about a relatively new residency in EM/IM. It's a four year program that will allow you to be board certified in IM and EM.. Work ten or so years in EM and when you feel like a change you could always open a practice in IM. something to think about.

 

[JennaK]

Thats a good idea. Thank you,certainly something to think about about look into🙂

 

[skypilot]

I have heard from an EM doc that the answer to this question is yes. After practicing EM for 10 years you will have seen so many illnesses you will be qualified to change to FP. But you will never be able to say board certified in FP unless you go back and redo two years of residency. (without the EM/IM residency mentioned earlier)

I guess we should ask an EM resident though to know for sure.

 

[alanlee]

I'm not sure... I know that EM is a relatively new field and some ED's are still staffed by family doctors. I don't know if it works the other way though.

What I can tell you is about a relatively new residency in EM/IM. It's a four year program that will allow you to be board certified in IM and EM.. Work ten or so years in EM and when you feel like a change you could always open a practice in IM. something to think about.

I thought it was FIVE years, not four (2.5 years for each). At least the ones I've looked into were five (eligible for double-boarding by ABIM and ABEM).

 

[Ryan]

There are also EM/FP residencies available.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

There are also EM/FP residencies available.

😱 It's like a dream come true! My aspirations for the broad FP base, combined with Emergency care. Sweet! Thanks for the info.


... Mind citing your source for this? Again, Thanks. 👍 🙂

 

[stoic]

It's my understanding that the only EM/FP programs are osteopathic and therefore not open to MD's.

There are EM/IM programs, but those tend to be very academic oriented.

Although EM does do a lot of primary care in the emergency room, there is quite a bit of stuff that an EM doc isn't really qualified to do. An EM doc practicing for 10 years in the ER wouldn't be up on current managment of chronic condictions - that's not their job.

With some remediation, a EM doc could swing it as a general practitioner, but couldn't really call him or herself a family practictioner (and there is a difference).

 

[Ryan]

😱 It's like a dream come true! My aspirations for the broad FP base, combined with Emergency care. Sweet! Thanks for the info.


... Mind citing your source for this? Again, Thanks. 👍 🙂

My apologies Salty Squeegee, the above poster is correct. Hopefully the AOA will open their residencies to MDs. However, I do know of an MD who has BC in both Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine. I will ask him how he did it and report back, my bet is that he completed his EM residency first, and then did an FP residency...that would be a pretty lengthy endeavor though.

 

[JennaK]

Yes, get back with us on that. A EM/FP would be perfect.

 

[skypilot]

Well if it takes 5 years to do EM/FP you might as well do both residencies which are only 2 years each (Plus the internship year in medicine which is common to both residencies). 🙂

 

[8744]

You do not have to be a board certified in Family Practice to practice "family medicine." A Family Practice group might not hire you if you are coming out of Emergency Medicine but nothing will stop you from setting up your own General Medicine practice. A licensed physician, in any specialty, has considerable latitude in the scope of his practice. Other then some specialized procedures which require a mandated amount of training (endoscopy, for example) you can do whatever you feel comfortable doing. I am planning on going into Emergency Medicine myself. A lot of the EM physicians have told me that Family Medicine is a good part of Emergency Medicine.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

...A lot of the EM physicians have told me that Family Medicine is a good part of Emergency Medicine.

This was my feeling on the whole thing as well. I would like to be well versed in acute as well as a broad chronic care-base. Possibly even do some clinical research as well. 👍