coffeeplz Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 I'm starting med school this September, and am interested in working palliative care. According to the CMA, a two year sub-speciality in palliative care is in the implementation process (you can read about it on page 45 of this document, which is page 57 according to my browser). Since it doesn't yet, the exact details aren't known but it looks like anesthesiology, internal medicine, neurology, and pediatrics will be the formal entry routes. I think between all of those, neurology appeals to me the most right now (I studied neuroscience as an undergraduate and did some neuro research and found the concepts very interesting). It seems like it might also be possible to do it via Family, but it's not for sure...and I'll be honest, I don't really know what all of this means: However, it is being proposed that entry be allowed from other disciplines (including family medicine) providing they include a prerequisite of 12 months of clinical medicine-based rotations (six months of which are at the senior level) designed to allow achievement of competencies in the consultation and care of complex medical patients, interprofessional care, and effective communication skills. I'm wondering what neuro is like, or if anyone has any insight into working in palliative care in general. If someone has gotten into palliative by another route, I'd love to hear about it. Also incidental, but if someone were choosing between McGill and MacMaster with palliative (perhaps by way of neuro) in mind, would either be particularly good for that? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughboy Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 I know people who have done palliative fellowships from family medicine, anesthesia, emergency medicine and critical care. Neuro seems like it would be a pretty reasonable entry route too, I just don't happen to know anybody who's gone that route. Have you had clinical (or personal) experience with palliative care? I only say that because it takes a certain type of person to work in that field, and it would be good for you to have experience early on. As well, I wouldn't use palliative care as a deciding factor between Mac and McGill for med school -- lots of med students make drastic changes to their career plans during clerkship. Good luck! If someone has gotten into palliative by another route, I'd love to hear about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACHQ Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 agreed with above. anecdotally, I have noticed that it seems the majority of palliative care docs/fellows that I have interacted with on the wards are family docs with extra training (usually 1 year) in palliative care. It's interesting this document says a two year sub-speciality in palliative care is being implemented (2 years ontop of a 5 year royal college program!), which seems overkill to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeeplz Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Yeah.. it does seem pretty intense. Thanks for the feedback everyone! I will also ask around in the other Primary Care Residencies forum about peoples' experiences in palliative by way of Family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anesthete Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 In my neck of the woods the vast majority of PC docs are family docs + one year of additional training. I know an internist and an anesthetist who did an extra year in PC as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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