Peds surgery research - when to find time

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If one was interested in peds surgery and wanted to take a year off for research but the program is of a strict 5yr duration without an optional research year, how should one go about it? One option would be to do it at the end of 5 yrs, but then one would be applying for the fellowship. Normally one applies in the 4th year and matches at the end of 4th year to start after finishing the 5th GS year.

Here if one applies during the research year and matches at the end of the research year, then there will be another year before one starts the fellowship. Is there any way to avoid this gap or a repeat of research year?

Originally Posted by maverick_pkg

If one was interested in peds surgery and wanted to take a year off for research but the program is of a strict 5yr duration without an optional research year, how should one go about it? One option would be to do it at the end of 5 yrs, but then one would be applying for the fellowship. Normally one applies in the 4th year and matches at the end of 4th year to start after finishing the 5th GS year.

Here if one applies during the research year and matches at the end of the research year, then there will be another year before one starts the fellowship. Is there any way to avoid this gap or a repeat of research year?

I would talk with the pediatric surgeons at your institution and see if you can do any clinical projects with them now, get published, and apply as a PGY-4 like anyone else. If you match, then the problem is moot. If you don't, look to the non-ACGME accredited fellowships at some of the larger Children's hospitals (Cincinnati, CHOP, etc...) and do one of those, apply again for fellowship, and then do another (or throw a critical care fellowship in there, as many pediatric critical care fellowships allow surgeons as well) during the second year. The other thing to realize is that if you are looking for basic science research, it is fairly difficult to accomplish anything in just one year, meaning you are looking at two years anyway (applying during the first year and then finishing out your time after you've found out where you'll match).

thank you