Anesthesia CC vs IM Pulm/CC

[(Pants)^2]

I'm torn. I will be finishing IM residency this year and then doing a chief year next year. After that, I'm toying with the idea of applying for Anesthesia instead of Pulm/C.C.

It would be only one more year to do full Anesthesia + C.C. than it would be to do Pulm / C.C.

any thoughts?

I know people who have done this before, and they seem pretty content.

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[proman]

Do you want to be an anesthesiologist? Do you want to be a pulmonologist? Answer that first, and you have your decision. As you mentioned, Anesthesia/CCM is a total of 4 years for you. If you just want to do CCM, that could be done in 2 (no need for the pulm part). How much do you want to be in the OR?

 

[KGUNNER1]

I'm torn. I will be finishing IM residency this year and then doing a chief year next year. After that, I'm toying with the idea of applying for Anesthesia instead of Pulm/C.C.

It would be only one more year to do full Anesthesia + C.C. than it would be to do Pulm / C.C.

any thoughts?

I know people who have done this before, and they seem pretty content.

Proman is exactly correct. If you want to be an anesthesiologist, then do an anesth residency.

If you just want to be an intensivist, the ABIM will certify you if you adequately complete an AGME approved 2 yr critical care program. I think there are about 30 or so, check FRIEDA http://www.ama-assn.org/vapp/freida/pgmrslt/1,1239,,00.html.

KG

 

[(Pants)^2]

I feel that anesthesia is more complete training + more procedures, which I enjoy. In my MICU experience, anesthesia was better at critical care and they enjoyed it more. They knew more physiology, knew vents better, and could attend to crashing patients better. And when we need an airway in the MICU that is even remotely difficult, the pulm / CC guys don't even attempt it. They call anesthesia.

I don't know. I have to think about it some more (or paradoxically, maybe less). I did like the O.R. a lot as a med student and was actually on track to go into general surgery when I had a talk with a very kind and very tired Cardiac Surgery Fellow that made me reconsider.

I'm doing a month of anesthesia in November. We'll see how it goes.

 

[NDESTRUKT]

I'm in your same boat - I was totally going to do gen surg until I've talked to residents as well as attendings about the hours they have to work after residency.

What are your thoughts for me? Would you go back to do gen surg again? It's ridiculously tiring!

 

[(Pants)^2]

Yeah, sometimes I regret not going into general surgery. You can only make the best decision you can at the time, ya know.

My advice would be to go for what you like best. Being a resident is shi**y regardless of IM or General Surg. There are your cush jobs like Rads and Derm, but they aren't really doctors!

(let the flaming begin!)

Do what you like best, and let the pieces fall where they may.