Child neurology residency: ins and outs ~ part I

Child neurology is a 5 year program. It is 2 years of pediatrics and 3 years of neurology residency. Some do it for 6 Years ~~ 3 years Pediatrics plus 3 years Neuro.

Medical students usually decide on their 4th year if they want to pursue child Neuro so they can apply for the 5 year program. Most programs are still split ~~ meaning one has to interview with two programs {Neuro and Peds} usually on a two-day visit. I was on the San Francisco early match for the child Neuro match and Nrmp for the Peds match. Child Neuro is not an early match anymore.

Some also have a 5-year combined program ~~ meaning once matched to the Neuro part, a spot is already saved for the categorical Peds part. I looked for programs that are, of course, strong; and Neuro dept and Peds dept that talk to each other and have a good relationship. That's the case here at IU. You could say the program directors talk about who they want to match so essentially it's a combined program.

I did my third year Neuro rotation in the adult world. I enjoyed it a lot and started entertaining a Neuro specialty as a third year medical student. I went into med school wanting to be in pediatrics. I just could not give up the kids! My first elective as a fourth year was a child Neuro outpatient rotation. During that month, I confirmed my passion for Neuro and Peds. So I combined them and applied for a child neurology residency.

The first two years
I was essentially a Peds resident. I was treated as one. I belonged in the Peds world. I loved it. I had continuity clinic in general Peds.

Here's what my 2 years of Peds residency looked like.

First year of Peds:
~Emergency medicine rotation
~Anesthesia elective (mandatory rotation for interns then. To get procedures done: intubations, lines etc) I took call at the Nicu.
~Community elective (another mandatory rotation. We learned about advocacy, community resources etc. it's also a month for quality improvement QI projects to be done. Semi research month)
~Elective -- I chose adolescent medicine.
~Hemeonc wards
~Pulmonary wards
~General Peds/hospitalist
~County hospital inpatient and newborn wards ~~ I attended deliveries!
~Community general Peds, mostly urgent care visits
~Subspecialty wards and consult (it was endocrinology for me)
~Another general Peds hospitalist month

Second year of Peds
~Research elective
~Developmental pediatric wards/metabolism wards
~General Peds urgent care
~Cardiology inpatient and consult
~Developmental behavioral (outpatient) pediatrics
~Neonatal Icu night float
~Emergency medicine rotation
~Adolescent medicine (mandatory rotation)
~Peds ICU
~Another neonatal Icu month
~Subspecialty wards
~Subspecialty outpatient elective





^^this is me as a Peds intern. Prego and vacationing in San Fran for our babymoon^^


Linking up with Medical Mondays. Tune in for part II later this week.

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