Applying late to CT fellowship vs applying in CA-3 year?

[ace_inhibitor111]

Hi, interested in CV fellowship, but unfortunately my schedule next year has my rotation at the end of November to mid January next year, and not sure I’ll be able to get LORs in time. Has anyone experienced this and how big of a disadvantage is applying in January? Has anyone been able to apply in CA-3 year and make it work? Thinking of maybe doing a year of PP in between.

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[ToKingdomCome]

Hi, interested in CV fellowship, but unfortunately my schedule next year has my rotation at the end of November to mid January next year, and not sure I’ll be able to get LORs in time. Has anyone experienced this and how big of a disadvantage is applying in January? Has anyone been able to apply in CA-3 year and make it work? Thinking of maybe doing a year of PP in between.

Just get a CT anesthesia letter and you’ll be fine. If you do A year of PP, doubt you go back and do a fellowship

 

[thinkorswim]

Have you tried asking your program director to change your block schedule so that you do cardiac earlier?

 

[ace_inhibitor111]

Have you tried asking your program director to change your block schedule so that you do cardiac earlier?

I could but it might potentially mess up everyone else’s schedule since usually there’s only two residents at a time on the rotation. Been asking some people in my group to switch but no luck. Is there any disadvantage to applying as a CA-3 from an application/chances standpoint?

 

[abolt18]

I could but it might potentially mess up everyone else’s schedule since usually there’s only two residents at a time on the rotation. Been asking some people in my group to switch but no luck. Is there any disadvantage to applying as a CA-3 from an application/chances standpoint?

Not necessarily a disadvantage. Certainly pros and cons. I'd say there is a certain ease of just continuing training straight through.

Personally, I had a gap year between residency and fellowship, but only because I didn't match the first time. It worked out fine. I stayed on as faculty for that 1 year, made $400K but lived off about 80 which was only a slight increase above residency after moonlighting money (made about 90 pre-tax the last year of residency).

Shoveled the rest away into retirement accounts, maxing out Roth 403b, Post tax 457b, and Backdoor Roth IRAs twice during that 12 months.

Set aside a bunch of cash to have as an emergency fund, and then a "fellowship fund" that I took $2K/month out of plus an extra $6K for holidays/vacations because I didn't want to moonlight during fellowship. So there was $30K total in that "fellowship fund" that we slowly whittled away throughout the year.

Got to get written and oral boards out of the way too, which was nice to not have to worry about those during fellowship.

If I had the choice, I still would have gone straight through from residency, but my path worked fine.

 

[DrN2O]

For the next year or so, it's an applicants' market. Just work hard, learn specialized anesthesia, apply early/on time, get application submitted/completed before end of 2023, with a letter from a friendly CT anesthesiologist, and interview as many programs as possible. I expect the trend of more unmatched spots and fewer applicants to continue. You may match in June 2024. If not, try to have your PD call about the unfilled spots after match. A gap year is a red flag for some, just as other non-traditional factors (unfairly) such as specialty/program switch, IMG, FMG, or DO. And you may not be as motivated to apply as a CA-3 while your classmates are getting job offers (if not already).

P.S. Just realized your CT rotation is in November. Haha, you are totally fine. My advice would apply to people who does CT at the end of CA-2.