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Hey everybody,
I am a PGY-2 in a front-loaded neurology residency program seeking advice from senior residents, fellows, and attendings. I have various thoughts about future career options and have spoken to some of my attendings, who have been in academia for most of their careers. I was hoping for a broader perspective. Any help would be appreciated, however, from academics and non-academics alike. For the record, I posted this on Reddit as well to cover more ground
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Epilepsy
I recently completed our brief dedicated epilepsy rotation, focused on reading EEGs and having some exposure with EMU and outpatient. I have really enjoyed reading EEGs and also my exposure to epilepsy, specifically surgical planning. I could look at EEGs all day and like localizing seizure foci with neurodiagnostics. It’s very methodical, and I like focusing on one patient at a time in the EMU.
As a resident, the pace of our primary inpatient services (General and Stroke) can be draining, at times. Seeing my attendings on their 7 days on - being responsible for the primary team, disposition, consults, and calls from outside hospitals - looks exhausting as well even though they have they have residents and fellows. Although I like the pace of outpatient more, I do appreciate the skills I have learned in managing inpatient problems. Given this, I have not ruled out neurohospitalist work.
We do not have neuro-ID at my institution. I know there are not many places that have a dedicated division for this speciality. It seems like it would be restricted to academia or to a governmental organizations like the CDC. I would like more exposure but am not sure if doing an away elective is worth it.
I am a PGY-2 in a front-loaded neurology residency program seeking advice from senior residents, fellows, and attendings. I have various thoughts about future career options and have spoken to some of my attendings, who have been in academia for most of their careers. I was hoping for a broader perspective. Any help would be appreciated, however, from academics and non-academics alike. For the record, I posted this on Reddit as well to cover more ground
.Epilepsy
I recently completed our brief dedicated epilepsy rotation, focused on reading EEGs and having some exposure with EMU and outpatient. I have really enjoyed reading EEGs and also my exposure to epilepsy, specifically surgical planning. I could look at EEGs all day and like localizing seizure foci with neurodiagnostics. It’s very methodical, and I like focusing on one patient at a time in the EMU.
- Is there a version of this career where one only reads EEGs, focuses on managing EMU patients, and manages surgical patients (i.e., a hospitalist-like career where one is 7 on-7 off, reading EEGs when not involved in patient care). If so, could this work in a non-academic center? If not, could I work for an academic center and be simultaneously employed by a teleneurology company?
- Can someone make a living in teleneurology by only reading EEG?
- Intraoperative monitoring is a skill usually taught in clinical neurophysiology fellowships. I do not want to do CNP but I would be interested in training in IOM. Would this be possible in epilepsy fellowship and beyond? What does a career in teleneurology look like for IOM?
- My undergraduate degree was in biomedical engineering, and I always saw myself part-time contributing to projects involved with brain machine interfacing, specifically focused on cognitive enhancement. Do you know of any fellowship programs that could help me get into the medical device world? Would I need to continue in academia to accomplish this goal post-training, given I do not have a PhD, or could I do this cold without much on my CV? Attendings have told me I should look into movement disorders or even neurorehabilitation, but I really do like reading EEGs so I don't think those would be options for me.
- Current epileptologists, what are potential downsides that you did not foresee prior to completing training?
As a resident, the pace of our primary inpatient services (General and Stroke) can be draining, at times. Seeing my attendings on their 7 days on - being responsible for the primary team, disposition, consults, and calls from outside hospitals - looks exhausting as well even though they have they have residents and fellows. Although I like the pace of outpatient more, I do appreciate the skills I have learned in managing inpatient problems. Given this, I have not ruled out neurohospitalist work.
- Would being a neurohospitalist only managing non-vascular pathology be possible in a non-academic center?
- Also, if one wanted to pursue an outpatient specialty (e.g., epilepsy), could a contract be negotiated where one could earn extra money by being an attending on a consult service (at that person's choosing)?
- At my institution, the consultant attendings are taking calls through the night and also attending the inpatient services. Is this typical?
- Current neurohospitalists, what are the cons of your day-to-day?
We do not have neuro-ID at my institution. I know there are not many places that have a dedicated division for this speciality. It seems like it would be restricted to academia or to a governmental organizations like the CDC. I would like more exposure but am not sure if doing an away elective is worth it.
- What does a career in neuro-ID look like?
- How much is traveling a part of the job, specifically internationally?
- Is doing a fellowship in neuro-ID worth it if you’re not in academia or practicing in a large city?
- Neuro-ID docs, what has been the most/least rewarding aspects of your job?
