The longest path

The DO EM programs are 4 years.

I agree with you Angie. I think they need to make residencies more specialized early on. Why be board certified in OB/GYN if you're never going to use it? I wouldn't cut the third year clinicals though. I think its important to get an idea of the various specialties. Fourth year could be revamped in some way, although it was nice having all that time off.

I liked 4th year too. I do think the third and fourth years are important to get broad exposure and have time to decide on a specialty. Obviously, DH could have used even a little more time than that. (Really, if he had more time, he would have done a derm rotation and might have saved us some time and heartache).

I agree that there should be some way to fast track to a more specialized field.

[DCJenn]

I think 99% of the dawkters would agree that medical school prepares you for nothing but the next step.

But back to the original question:

Child neurology:

3 peds

3 neurology (of which the Army required 9 months be rotations in adult neurology- it was supposed to be a year but they shortened it due to a severe shortage in CN)

There are people who do an intern year in peds and then three years of child neurology. They are just as much "child neurologists" as those who do the 3/3 version. MOST people do 3/3 because most people don't decide to do the fellowship until they are some point through residency.

Bottom line: 4 or 6 years after medical school.

Jenn

[GrayMatterWife]

Endo/vascular neurosurgery = 7 years neurosurgery followed by a typically 2 year fellowship = 9 years.

[houseelf]

Someone break out some wine and a violin because I'm about to throw a big ol' pity party of "oh-honey- we-got-it-so-bad". (Please indulge me here, my head is spinning from everything that is going on in my life right now).

You can't get a peds surgery fellowship without research and publication. It absolutely can't be done. There are approximately 25 spots per year and only 46% of the applicants match anywhere at all. In fact, many people with extensive research and other fellowship training still do not match and apply a second year. With this being said, the shortest time frame you can expect is 9 years. Seriously. I'll admit it, and I'm only just a teeny-weeny bitter about it.

General Surgery-5 years. Research plus maybe other fellowship training to get spot- 2 years. Peds surgery fellowship- 2 years.

Still, I know that there are others out there in this longer. How they continue to do this, I honestly do not know.

Kelly

[Sheherezade]

I think research could be a great learning tool, but I am of the opinion that the "research" element to applying for fellowship is more a macho test than about education. It demonstrates a higher commitment, maybe? Or sets you apart from the crowd? It also suggests that you may shoot for academic medicine instead of private practice and bring glory to the program by making a difference later in new modes of patient care?

This is now my second hijack....so I'll shut up. I just think that the "research" requirement often has less to do with learning to think differently and more to do with being better/different than the other applicants to a competitive fellowship. It's the most competitive fellowships that seem to require it more. Otherwise, too many people meet the bar. JM-ever so cynical- O.

[ides]

I think having to do extra years of dedicated research within a residency sucks. DH specifically wants to do a fellowship and specifically wanted a community general surgery program since the academic atmosphere drives him nuts. It's true that the super competitive subspecialities require dedicated research to get noticed, however, at dh's program there are many who have gone into plastics and oncology (quite competitive I believe) and didn't do any research year/s. That said, they do start research in their first year and publish a few articles before they finnish year five, as well as have high absite scores. I think this is much more acceptable. I believe the dedicated research years are a pointless exercise, unless of course you desire to do research as a career. Down with research!!

[SuzySunshine]

Two of DH's residency years are dedicated research but it doesn't have to be that way. They are technically elective years and some residents do use them to do their fellowships. However, if you're going to go into academics you do the research.