What makes FP great?

[texdrake]

I have an issue. I am a fourth year student in the miltary and need to decide in the next couple months what I am going to do with the rest of my life. I have limited my choices to Family Practice and Pediatrics. Problem is I can't decide. Anyone want to tell me what makes Family Practice and a FP residency the better of the two decisions?

Thanks in advance...

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[Teufelhunden]

I have an issue. I am a fourth year student in the miltary and need to decide in the next couple months what I am going to do with the rest of my life. I have limited my choices to Family Practice and Pediatrics. Problem is I can't decide. Anyone want to tell me what makes Family Practice and a FP residency the better of the two decisions?

Thanks in advance...

Hey Beau, it's Kevin. I wish I could help you, but this decision is a m____f___er. Even now, I'm considering switching to FP from Psych. Personally, I don't care for peds so that's never been a dilemma for me. However, my take on FP is this: you can make of it what you want. Whatever area you want to focus on, you can. If there are aspects of FP you'd rather not deal with (i.e. gyn), you can simply not accept those patients, or refer them to someone else.

I think FP offers more flexibility than almost any other field. Take urgent care for example. Anyway, good luck deciding.

 

[texdrake]

Hey Beau, it's Kevin. I wish I could help you, but this decision is a m____f___er. Even now, I'm considering switching to FP from Psych. Personally, I don't care for peds so that's never been a dilemma for me. However, my take on FP is this: you can make of it what you want. Whatever area you want to focus on, you can. If there are aspects of FP you'd rather not deal with (i.e. gyn), you can simply not accept those patients, or refer them to someone else.

I think FP offers more flexibility than almost any other field. Take urgent care for example. Anyway, good luck deciding.

Hi Kevin, long time to speak.

Thanks for the advice, it is a difficult decision. I was all set to be a FP and then I did a pediatrics rotation up here at Madigan and I really have enjoyed it, hence the indecision...

 

[lowbudget]

I had to make the same decision last year. I'd be interested in what others think.

My opinion for FP over Peds:
1) Continuity of care into adolescence and adulthood- My outpatient pedi preceptor was uncomfortable dealing with sexuality, gynecology, substance abuse, and pregnancy, depression and anxiety. (Basically common "adult" issues that kids deal with). Economically, you're more diversified in terms of your patient/revenue base. There's an oversupply of pediatricians and undersupply of geriatricians. FP allows you to take both populations on.

2) Comfort with non-pedi-internal-med issues because they're built into the curriculum: Most FP curriculum have Ortho, Sports Med, Neuro, Derm, Uro, and ENT built into them. Programs vary but these specialties see both adults and kids. Of course, for FP you can extend your training using elective time. Most Pedi curriculum have these too, but they're mostly structured as selectives/electives.

My opinion for Pedi over FP:
1) Comfort with the sick kid. You see more kids and sicker kids in Pedi than in FP. By volume alone, you should see a lot of pathology repeatedly. There is much more hospital care, ICU care, and high tech Neo exposure in the Pedi curriculum than FPs. You'll find that this gap is wider in the unopposed community FP programs vs. university FP programs. The really sick kids with complex pathologies needing complex procedures/research protocols usually end up in university setting.

2) Economically, Peds is better positioned to see kids than FPs are in seeing kids. See: http://www.aafp.org/fpm/20050700/45cari.html

All of these variables can be changed by taking on electives and tailoring your practice to fill in gaps. The real world question usually is how "comfortable" are you (how much liability are you willing to take)?

 

[dr_almondjoy_do]

You can see as many pediatric patients as you like in FP. You can cater this profession to what you like. For instance, I like FP, but I prefer adolescent/women's health over pediatrics. I am sure I will see some kids, and I don't mind. From what I hear, it's best to find a program that has a lot of peds (community health center) and do your electives in peds oriented fields, and that includes all the peds specialities.

But if you want to work with children only, then go for peds. Kids are awesome, but very contageous! lol

 

[ramonaquimby]

For instance, I like FP, but I prefer adolescent/women's health over pediatrics.

me too!!

anyway, i think you (OP) should decided this way: are you planning on praciticing outpatient/clinic or do you want ot be a hospitalist? that what i think it should come down to: if the former, do FP. if latter, do peds. you can be a peds-strong FP -- just do all your FP electives in peds! but if you like resp/neuro peds, or NICU, and stuff like that that i personally can't stand, do peds.

hope that helps (as fas as opionions go! )

 

[DOtobe]

I was in your same situation - I originally was going to do pediatrics then decided on doing FP instead. The reasons I decided on FP were:

- my peds rotation was too monotonous (I don't think I could handle day after day of ear infections)
- I liked the variety of patients family practitioners see
- FP allows you to tailor your practice to whatever type of patients you want to see.

Regarding residency, both are three years, so I don't think that is an issue in your case. It pretty much depends on if you would be happy seeing nothing but children, or if you would like more variety and see elderly patients, do women's health care, etc.

 

[texdrake]

I was in your same situation - I originally was going to do pediatrics then decided on doing FP instead. The reasons I decided on FP were:

- my peds rotation was too monotonous (I don't think I could handle day after day of ear infections)
- I liked the variety of patients family practitioners see
- FP allows you to tailor your practice to whatever type of patients you want to see.

Regarding residency, both are three years, so I don't think that is an issue in your case. It pretty much depends on if you would be happy seeing nothing but children, or if you would like more variety and see elderly patients, do women's health care, etc.

My issue regarding residencies is the lack of focus I see in FP. I don't like the way that it seems like a resident has a different attending and a different direction every month. I don't see a continuity in education and feel that it woudl be like repeating my 3rd year several times over...