questions about pediatric neurology

[jollyvulcan]

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I am a 3rd year who is definitely neuro bound but I found that I really enjoyed my peds rotation and am considering peds neuro. My understanding is that there are many paths one can take, three of which require doing some peds followed by three years of peds neuro. However, I also understand that some people do a typical neuro residency then a fellowship in peds.

So...I am curious if anyone knows anything about that pathway (i.e. what institutions have good peds neuro fellowships) and whether anyone has some thoughts on the different paths one can take (i.e. peds then peds neuro vs. neuro then peds neuro fellowship).

Finally, if anyone would like to give me their views on adult vs. peds neuro I would like to hear them.

Cheers

 

[bustbones26]

Well here is my experience with this, and take it for what it is worth. My experience is with Army hospitals and here is how we do it.

We have one child neurology residency only at Walter Reed. From what I understand, you can do a year of peds and transition right into the program.

Now if you do a peds residency or neuro residency, and then decide to go to Walter Reeds child neurology program, you are paid by the army as a fellow. Seems odd I know, since it actually is a residency program.

Pros and Cons to either route. If you are dead set on Peds Neuro and go straight through, that is great, but you limit your practice.

If you Neurology Residency and then child neuro, you can pick up patients at the pediatric population and continue to follow them throughout the course of their adult life. If they live that long, because lets face it, some peds neuro diseases are pretty nasty. The con of doing this is, and this is just from what I understand, anybody can correct me on this, no matter how you enter a child neuro program, you need to get a years of peds experience under your belt first. In most neurology residencies, this obviously will not be the case for you so after neuro residency, you'dhave to basically to peds internship and then transition into child neurology, yet oddly get paid as a fellow (at least in the army health system).

If you do peds residency and then child neuro, again, at least in the army system you'd be a fellow and obviously you'd had a peds internship by this point. Unfortunately, if your patients live into adulthood, you may not be legally able to take care of them.

Either way you look at it, peds neurologist are in demand and there are not enough of them to go around. If you choose to do this, you'd be a wanted man/woman

 

[DCHawk10]

I had similar questions to yours and here's what I found / was told:

Your training program can be customized to meet your individual career goals.

"The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology requires that you complete two years of general pediatrics residency or one year of pediatric residency, plus one year of internal medicine residency to become certified in neurology with a special competence in child neurology"

After either 2 years peds or 1 year med/1 year peds, the 3 year Child Neurology fellowship usually consists of one year in General (Adult) Neurology and two years in Pediatric Neurology. One other alternative is if you are an MD/PhD or DO/PhD in neuroscience. Then I think you only have to do 1 year of peds.

It is my understanding that you WOULD be qualified to practice Adult Neurology (since you would be board-certified in Neurology) in addition to Child Neurology at the completion of the Child Neurology fellowship. (I could be wrong)

The benefit of doing 2 years peds (versus 1 year med/1 year peds) is that you would also be board-eligible in Pediatrics following Child Neuro residency. So later on down the road if you ever decided to just do Peds, that would be an option.

I'm not too familiar with the option of doing a Neurology residency and then doing a fellowship in peds, although I'm sure it's possible.

 

[jollyvulcan]

Thanks DC.

So, I am an MD/PhD with basic science research in Neurobiology. If that lets me get by with one less year of training that would be excellent since my bones are starting to creak and I want to actually get moving and practice some medicine. If anyone know more about that please chime in.

Did you say that the three years of peds neuro is a fellowship as opposed to a residency? If so, what implications does that have for payment? Not to sound overly mercenary but more money is always better.

Still looking for anyone who might have some knowledge of fellowship programs in peds neuro following a neuro residency.

 

[DCHawk10]

Most Child Neurology fellowships begin at the PGY-3 level, so pay during your first year would probably be consistent with the PGY-3 stipend of that particular institution. That's usually around $46,000 to $52,000. It would then obviously increase every year.

 

[cajunar]

Thanks DC.

So, I am an MD/PhD with basic science research in Neurobiology. If that lets me get by with one less year of training that would be excellent since my bones are starting to creak and I want to actually get moving and practice some medicine. If anyone know more about that please chime in.

Did you say that the three years of peds neuro is a fellowship as opposed to a residency? If so, what implications does that have for payment? Not to sound overly mercenary but more money is always better.

Still looking for anyone who might have some knowledge of fellowship programs in peds neuro following a neuro residency.

I'm MD/PhD in Child neuro -- they won't let you count your PhD for the year of research, it has to be during your residency and after your peds training. The biggest problem I found trying to set up the research track was finding a peds program that would let me do just a year. A few were willing, but not many.