MD Thoughts on Triple Boards - underserved areas?

Started by _Kvothe_
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peds primary care psych triple boards underserved
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_Kvothe_

_Kvothe_

Full Member
5+ Year Member
I just wanted to gather people's thoughts on programs like Triple Boards and their utility in underserved areas. I currently live in a state that's mostly underserved, and I see myself practicing here in primary care. When I talked to my FM preceptor she mentioned that she rarely refers patients to psych because it's so hard to get them in. With that in mind, would a program like TB be valuable for underserved areas where psychiatrists (and especially child/adolescent psychiatrists) are not available? As I'm thinking about this program one of the ideas that I come back to is if I'm going to be prescribing psych medications and treating patients with psychiatric disorders as a part of my primary care practice, I might as well have a good foundation of psych knowledge. But I've also heard that it's expensive and difficult to maintain multiple certifications and most people who do TB residencies end up working in one of the three specialties rather than blending all of them.
 
OP is talking about maintaining three board certifications. It does appear to be expensive and cumbersome to meet the CE for all three. I know a few triple board people that drop one or two certifications as they continue because it isn't necessary.
Dave1980 said:
No need. Go FM.

Also you can't just get a "certification" you need to do a residency. Surprised you don't know that as a med student...
Click to expand...
 
So, not in the same vein as the OP, but some specialties have an absurd number of board certifications people can use as a marker of “success”. Cardiology for example has their own boards, but also echo, nuclear, vascular, CT, and the various subspecialties... this is all ultimately a money making scheme IMO

We need to stamp this crap out before it becomes ridiculous
 
I feel like the TB is a pipe dream. If you want to work in rural areas, FM is a better specialty to overall just serve a population - that is what the specialty is all about.

TB is just putting off the decision of what you want to do with your life (talking out of my *** here). If TB was useful, there would be more residency programs.

This post was based 100% on my worthless opinion.
 
mistafab said:
I feel like the TB is a pipe dream. If you want to work in rural areas, FM is a better specialty to overall just serve a population - that is what the specialty is all about.

TB is just putting off the decision of what you want to do with your life (talking out of my *** here). If TB was useful, there would be more residency programs.

This post was based 100% on my worthless opinion.
Click to expand...

Sometimes a pipe dream is all you can afford.
 
People rarely get triple-boarded because there's either no need or no way to feasibly maintain a career in several specialties to justify all the certifications. As an FM doc you will learn to treat basic psych disorders like depression and anxiety, and if you have a strong interest in that area you can always learn more and perhaps pursue a fellowship. A psychiatrist on the other hand will be more equipped to treat severe psych disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar, etc, and will have a very different practice structure from a typical FM doc -- they might need to see their patients weekly, for example. You can only see so many patients. Getting triple-boarded would probably only serve to make your waitlist that much longer.
 
Although it’s not an official “triple board” program, pediatrics/anesthesia/pediatric anesthesia is analogous and pretty common. Most of those doctors don’t end up in underserved communities.
 
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