What are the MAJOR differences b/w FP and IM?

[ocean11]

Hey guys...

OK I think I may choose either FP and IM (ofcourse I change my mind often BUT anyways....) I'm doing FP and love it, granted its on the first week. BUt I think I really like being in Clinic and seeing a myriad of diff patients per day. However, I like IM because I have the potential of specializing further and do have an interest in Hem/Onc or Endo...

So here's the deal? is it possible to do IM on a purely clinical basis? also.... what are the ADVANTAGES of doing FP over IM? and disadvantages...

I'm giving both alot of thought and need advice

thanks in advance! hope you guys are all doing well

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[QuinnB]

FP peeps do more ob/gyn, sports med, standard outpt stuff...although some of them have done enough fellowships so that they are doing a fair amt of small time surgeries (derm, mole/skin tag removal, etc...) and a few major ones (c section, etc...)

IM peeps can specialize, often do more inpatient care, tend to be more academic, can be more research oriented, etc...


These are really generalized perceptions. IM people can do as much outpt as they want and a few FP people do a significant amt of inpt care.

 

[justwondering]

just to add to the above:
fp and im practices can look very similar depending on the doctor. some FP docs end up 10 yrs out not practicing peds or OB or doing much procedures by their own choice.

if u like peds and procedures, FP is good for u. some ppl that go into FP also like the ob/gyn training even tho they wont practice it in the US because they plan on doing relief work or something.


i chose FP over med-peds because i think FP residency has more of an outpt focus which i like. u do train in the hospital but they know ure not necessarily going to be an ICU attending, so u wont do as much of that stuff.

i once a non-FP doc say "if u like diseases, go into IM...if u like ppl, go into FP". i think that can be true for the residency training, but i think ur own practice can be what u want.

 

[efex101]

Okay, so I love procedures and hence my interest in FM but really do not want anything to do with peds or ob...is this even possible? I mean straight out of residency can you find a job in FM that does not encompass the two above?

Also, if I do IM can I be procedure heavy? I mean if famy docs can do vasectomy how come and IM doc cannot?

 

[BMW19]

I think you should specify what u mean by "procedures". From what I have heard IM docs consistently do intubation, chest tubes, central lines etc. I don't hear of many FP's doing that stuff. Do you mean minor outpatient procedures? Tag/mole removal, wound care, TP injections etc.? Procedures has a very broad meaning.

BMW-

Okay, so I love procedures and hence my interest in FM but really do not want anything to do with peds or ob...is this even possible? I mean straight out of residency can you find a job in FM that does not encompass the two above?

Also, if I do IM can I be procedure heavy? I mean if famy docs can do vasectomy how come and IM doc cannot?

 

[efex101]

Sorry yeah I mean outpatient procedures.

 

[Law2Doc]

Sorry yeah I mean outpatient procedures.

I would think if you go into some of the IM subspecialties you can probably do nothing but procedures.

 

[colbgw02]

as an FP, you're not obligated to see peds or OB patients. in fact, many FPs don't see OB because it means a big savings in their malpractice insurance. i've also known one FP who didn't see kids either; teenagers were okay. not seeing peds as an FP is less common. you can, of course, expect to spend plenty of time learning both peds and OB during your FP residency.

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

Hey guys...

OK I think I may choose either FP and IM (ofcourse I change my mind often BUT anyways....) I'm doing FP and love it, granted its on the first week. BUt I think I really like being in Clinic and seeing a myriad of diff patients per day. However, I like IM because I have the potential of specializing further and do have an interest in Hem/Onc or Endo...

So here's the deal? is it possible to do IM on a purely clinical basis? also.... what are the ADVANTAGES of doing FP over IM? and disadvantages...

I'm giving both alot of thought and need advice

thanks in advance! hope you guys are all doing well

There are IM docs that have a clinical practice. They might follow one of their patients get hospitalized, but that depends on the group. But if you think that you might want to do endo or Hem/onc then do IM. With family, you can only do fellowships in sports medicine, minor derm, colonoscopies, and C-section. (I know I'm leaving something out - don't crucify me for it). All of the medical subspecialties require IM.

Advantages of FP: broader training base- if you just do a residency and no fellowship, then you can see a bigger variety of patients.

I've been wondering - is your avatar a pic of you?

 

[angel80]

You can do an IM residency with a Primary Care Track. The Primary Care tracks allow you to have much more outpatient training (instead of inpatient electives). In my IM program, if you are in that track, you have 3 months in second year and 3 months in third year devoted to rotating through outpatient clinics like ENT, Ortho, Gyn, Derm, Ophtho, ect. as well as outpt IM clinics, so that you can learn more outpt procedures. Also, in most IM residencies, the required Endocrine and Rheum rotations are primarily outpatient based as well. The reason I chose IM over FP, even though I know I am going to practice OP medicine is that in IM residency, you rotate through ALL of the IM sub-specialties, so you are trained very well in adult medicine. In FP, you spend a lot of time in residency doing Peds, OB, surgery... which is fine, but if you only want to practice adult medicine, it seems like a waste.

 

[ocean11]

There are IM docs that have a clinical practice. They might follow one of their patients get hospitalized, but that depends on the group. But if you think that you might want to do endo or Hem/onc then do IM. With family, you can only do fellowships in sports medicine, minor derm, colonoscopies, and C-section. (I know I'm leaving something out - don't crucify me for it). All of the medical subspecialties require IM.

Advantages of FP: broader training base- if you just do a residency and no fellowship, then you can see a bigger variety of patients.

I've been wondering - is your avatar a pic of you?

Yeah I think I'm leaning towards internal medicine. I want to do more outpatient, but still want inpatient as well. I also love procedures, and I think that you can still do many in IM, namely derm. Anyhow, I also think that IM 'leaves the door open' if you want to train in specialties such as cardio, neph, endo, Infectious diseae, Hem/Onc (which I am considering) etc etc etc.... I mean what happens if you go through 3 years of FP and then suddenly decide that you love cardiology or endocrinology, I mean that would totally suck!

OK with regards to your question bignavypedsguy... the answer is YES!

Thanks for the responses everyone

Ocean11

 

[Llenroc]

If you have any desire to subspecialize in one of the internal medicine specialties, then it makes no sense to even consider family practice. You *cannot* go into internal medicine fellowships as a family practice graduate. Period.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

OK with regards to your question bignavypedsguy... the answer is YES!

sexy. that a professional photo or amateur one?

we need more sexiness in the medical profession.