Fellowship Training in Sleep Medicine

What does it mean for a physician to be fellowship-trained in sleep medicine? If you are a patient, why should you care? Learn how fellowship training may enhance your experience at your next doctor's visit to treat your sleep disorder. Medical training is really confusing. Even while I was in college, working in a sleep clinic over a summer and completing applications to medical school, I didn't really understand what all the titles meant. There is a litany: intern, resident, fellow, attending, house staff, and a smattering of others. In order to sort out the vocabulary, it can be helpful to understand the typical training process of doctors in the U.S. (with the understanding that it can be even more complicated abroad - for example, the title Mr. is higher than Dr. among surgeons in England). After completing a 4-year degree at a college or university, medical school begins. This also typically lasts 4 years, usually with 2 years of classroom education followed by 2 years of clinical training on the hospital wards. This may less commonly be lengthened by time spent in research or even obtaining master's degrees in public health (MPH) or business administration (MBA). After graduation from medical school, post-graduate training begins. Depending on the primary field or specialty selected, the length of this training varies. For example, doctors who practice internal medicine, pediatrics, or emergency medicine are trained for 3 additional years. Those who select obstetric...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news