If one is interested in an academic clinical professorship, then is fellowship a must? Or can you get a job right after residency? Does it depend on your specialty?

I think it depends on the specialty. I can really only speak to psychiatry, because that's what I'm doing. The psych residency is 4 years, and most residencies with a research track give you 25-50% time in the 3rd year to do research, and up to 90% in the 4th year. Some people are able to write a K award application in their 4th year and get a job right away. Others do a PGY5 year for more research.

I don't think it hurts to do fellowship except for the pay during fellowship.

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I think it depends on the specialty. I can really only speak to psychiatry, because that's what I'm doing. The psych residency is 4 years, and most residencies with a research track give you 25-50% time in the 3rd year to do research, and up to 90% in the 4th year. Some people are able to write a K award application in their 4th year and get a job right away. Others do a PGY5 year for more research.

Hurricane, have you decided to pursue a research fellowship in the Basic Sciences? Or in Clinical Research? I am at a crossroads right now...and finding myself disillusioned with how everyone in my particular program (who does the Research Track in Psychiatry) is staying here 8-9+ years (residency included) if they're Basic Science.

If one is interested in an academic clinical professorship, then is fellowship a must? Or can you get a job right after residency? Does it depend on your specialty?

It depends on part in your field of interest. Obviously, if you want to be a cardiologist, you have to do a cardiology fellowship. But if you're interested in Gen Med, Gen Peds, Gen Surg, etc., no fellowship is required. I know there are fellowships in Gen Med and Gen Academic Peds that those interested in academics can do, but they're not required (just helpful).

It depends on part in your field of interest. Obviously, if you want to be a cardiologist, you have to do a cardiology fellowship. But if you're interested in Gen Med, Gen Peds, Gen Surg, etc., no fellowship is required. I know there are fellowships in Gen Med and Gen Academic Peds that those interested in academics can do, but they're not required (just helpful).

If you can deal with the pay, a fellowship will be very helpful in getting more training in research, having senior academic medicine people as mentors that will give you contacts and guide research projects.

For most research, I think it's a must (certainly anything in Oncology). For some gen fields, it's close to an unspoken must.

Also, depends a lot on where you do the fellowship.