Unaccredited Fellowship vs Other Residency

[Guest]

Thoughts on a situation would be appreciated.

Emergency medicine attending, age 38. Prior military experience in for 8 years. in neurosurgery program previous as pgy-2 forced to leave, then pursued my military career and emergency medicine. I have done well, money isn’t bad and debt paid off but I still have that itch to pursue my true passion of neurosurgery. Anyone made a 2nd career switch or repursue neurosurgery later in life? I assume 30+ career left. Meet with programs? Start research? Go to meetings?

Thoughts?

[Focus]

I think you'd have to pay your own way through residency and your ability to work on the side could be seriously limited. I would discuss with programs but I think you're going to find a lot of polite disinterest.

[Guest]

You could maybe do an unaccredited fellowship part time, get letters and show interest while working? Anyone know of a list. I can think of Loma Linda, Boston U, and Miami. Any others?

[Guest]

Has anyone on here done a 2nd residency in neurosurgery? If so how were the logistics of it made?

[Guest]

(06-15-2020, 01:43 AM)Guest Wrote: Thoughts on a situation would be appreciated.

Emergency medicine attending, age 38. Prior military experience in for 8 years. in neurosurgery program previous as pgy-2 forced to leave, then pursued my military career and emergency medicine. I have done well, money isn’t bad and debt paid off but I still have that itch to pursue my true passion of neurosurgery. Anyone made a 2nd career switch or repursue neurosurgery later in life? I assume 30+ career left. Meet with programs? Start research? Go to meetings?

Thoughts?

honestly, if you were forced out of a neurosurgery residency over 8 years ago, i agree with others above who say you will likely not find another program. in the modern era, it is rare to lose a neurosurgery residency position on a whim. long gone are the days of the chair firing a resident on a whim. i do not know you, but my guess is that were a series of occurrences that led your PD to determine that neurosurgery was not a good fit for you. As painful as it is to hear that, where there is smoke there is fire. If you are passionate about neurosurgery, find ways to collaborate in research or even innovation in the neurosurgery space. I am very close with a few EM attendings who do a great deal of neurotrauma research. at least one has become world renowned in tbi research. or get involved in neuro innovation. invent neuro devices. so many ways to feed your passion without changing specialties.


only my thoughts.

[Guest]

I was in a similar situation, left as a senior resident, now I am in anesthesia and not happy with my life.  I want to debulk tumors, clip aneursyms, I miss operating...I partially agree with the above, but when you had a few attendings write you letters and say you are great for neurosurgery, but you did some things to get the PD not on your side - there is something called politics involved.  I passed my written boards, operated autonomously, have the skills, etc.  It was a malignant team that I didn't mesh with, the job was actually pretty easy to me.

[Guest]

I would definitely not look to neurosurgery for happiness.

[Guest]

Why not. I define my life with my job. I don’t have much of a life outside of work. I just like to work.

[Guest]

Poor thing. You will fit in well. Go for it.

[Guest]

Similar situation: I am a Neurology residency grad doing Locums. I graduated from a top medical school. Is there any way to try to do neurosurgery as a 2nd residency? BTW I am 33 if that matters, Step 1 260, good grades. Does anyone know a person who did NSG as a 2nd residency? Thank you.