Neurocritical Care

[Blue Fire]

What do practice patterns look like with this fellowship option available to us in residency? Strictly limited to people in skull base/vascular/tumor? Or could other specialties do it and make it worth while? Seems like a good/valuable skill set to have regardless of subspecialty. Thanks

[Guest]

Dude in my residency enfolded NCC and actually seemed really into it, then went on to a tumor fellowship. Eventually found a tumor job and said it was impossible to do both, nobody wanted it. The coverage, FTE, etc. just doesn't work out. It's really hard to build an elective practice in any subspecialty and then duck out for 1-2 weeks a month to cover the ICU, which is how most ICUs are covered. Most people who truly want to practice NCC probably need to do trauma/general and be at an appropriate trauma or academic center. Based on the crazy shit that most neurosurgeons pull in the ICU tho it's definitely knowledge you can use.

[Guest]

I know of a couple neurosurgeons who do critical care and have a practice in functional

[Guest]

Whether you do NCC formally as an attending, I think doing the enfolded fellowship has the benefit of beefing up your clinical acumen such that you are better able to manage your own patients

[Guest]

(05-07-2021, 09:32 PM)Guest Wrote: Dude in my residency enfolded NCC and actually seemed really into it, then went on to a tumor fellowship. Eventually found a tumor job and said it was impossible to do both, nobody wanted it. The coverage, FTE, etc. just doesn't work out. It's really hard to build an elective practice in any subspecialty and then duck out for 1-2 weeks a month to cover the ICU, which is how most ICUs are covered.  Most people who truly want to practice NCC probably need to do trauma/general and be at an appropriate trauma or academic center. Based on the crazy shit that most neurosurgeons pull in the ICU tho it's definitely knowledge you can use.

Adding onto that, you could use your NCC fellowship to cover call in ICUs overnight, but why would you do that when you would make likely double covering neurosurgery call? 

Like someone else said the only reason to do it is if you're uncomfortable taking care of your patients postoperatively. Another less compelling reason would be if you would like a chill year in residency while also being able to say you're fellowship trained. There's no sense in a neurosurgeon actually pursing a NICU career though IMO.

[Guest]

Really the best thing to do would be to ask a neurosurgeon with a 1/4 week or 1/6 week ICU coverage built into their practice

[Blue Fire]

(05-09-2021, 06:59 AM)Guest Wrote: Really the best thing to do would be to ask a neurosurgeon with a 1/4 week or 1/6 week ICU coverage built into their practice

Does anyone know of such a person? Thanks!

[Guest]

Yes. I do

[Blue Fire]

(05-13-2021, 06:41 AM)Guest Wrote: Yes. I do

Do you have any names? I’d like to get in contact. Thanks!

[Guest]

Sure. There is Joe. And Bill. Also Lenny. And Karla too.