Chanes at academic cardiology fellowship prog?

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angrybirds

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Hello people,

Wanted to get a sense of what my chances of matching at a top academic research heavy institution for cardiology fellowship. Here’s my stats:

- US grad
- Low Tier IM Residency in mid-west
- PGY3 taking a research fellowship at home institution while applying
- Letters: strong, all from department chairs but don't know their name relevance in the large cards world (basically the biggest hitters available to me at my institution)

Research Experience:
1) Published: 4 (2 first author, 2 co-author)
2) Submitted/Under Review: 3 (1 first author, 2 co-author)
3) In preparation: 3 (2 first author, 1 co-author)
4) Abstracts/Oral Presentations: 7 (4 first author, 3 co-author)
5) Posters: 20 (all first author)
6) Awards/Recognition: 1 research award, 0 grants

How’s the research exp for top institutions like the Harvard affiliates, UCSF, Hopkins, Duke, Stanford, etc? I worked my ass off pretty damn hard, if that’s not enough, then I don’t know what more I can do, it was pretty much the only thing in my app that I could fix. Does coming from a low tier IM program hurt me drastically?

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Hello people,

Wanted to get a sense of what my chances of matching at a top academic research heavy institution for cardiology fellowship. Here’s my stats:

- US grad
- Low Tier IM Residency in mid-west
- PGY3 taking a research fellowship at home institution while applying
- Letters: strong, all from department chairs but don't know their name relevance in the large cards world (basically the biggest hitters available to me at my institution)

Research Experience:
1) Published: 4 (2 first author, 2 co-author)
2) Submitted/Under Review: 3 (1 first author, 2 co-author)
3) In preparation: 3 (2 first author, 1 co-author)
4) Abstracts/Oral Presentations: 7 (4 first author, 3 co-author)
5) Posters: 20 (all first author)
6) Awards/Recognition: 1 research award, 0 grants

How’s the research exp for top institutions like the Harvard affiliates, UCSF, Hopkins, Duke, Stanford, etc? I worked my ass off pretty damn hard, if that’s not enough, then I don’t know what more I can do, it was pretty much the only thing in my app that I could fix. Does coming from a low tier IM program hurt me drastically?

The research could help you substantially, but the caliber of the research matters. Where were those articles published? Were they geared toward a specific research focus?

p diddy
 
The research could help you substantially, but the caliber of the research matters. Where were those articles published? Were they geared toward a specific research focus?

p diddy

All original research articles (no case reports, review articles, etc). Published ones in journals with impact factor 2-4 (subsidies of JACC, Circulation, European Heart Journal). Submitted one to JACC proper. The in preparation, don't know where those going yet. Most papers geared towards cardiac imaging.

Interesting, that it would make sense I guess that towards the top programs quality of research matters. What about grants? Do top programs expect you to have some grants under your name? I heard of a few fellows being accepted whom already had training/early career research grants (which is amazing, I don't know how they do it).
 
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All original research articles (no case reports, review articles, etc). Published ones in journals with impact factor 2-4 (subsidies of JACC, Circulation, European Heart Journal). Submitted one to JACC proper. The in preparation, don't know where those going yet. Most papers geared towards cardiac imaging.

Interesting, that it would make sense I guess that towards the top programs quality of research matters. What about grants? Do top programs expect you to have some grants under your name? I heard of a few fellows being accepted whom already had training/early career research grants (which is amazing, I don't know how they do it).

The research will help and help especially if you target programs with strong imaging groups. A grant is great but not necessary to match.

p diddy
 
Hello people,

Wanted to get a sense of what my chances of matching at a top academic research heavy institution for cardiology fellowship. Here’s my stats:

- US grad
- Low Tier IM Residency in mid-west
- PGY3 taking a research fellowship at home institution while applying
- Letters: strong, all from department chairs but don't know their name relevance in the large cards world (basically the biggest hitters available to me at my institution)

Research Experience:
1) Published: 4 (2 first author, 2 co-author)
2) Submitted/Under Review: 3 (1 first author, 2 co-author)
3) In preparation: 3 (2 first author, 1 co-author)
4) Abstracts/Oral Presentations: 7 (4 first author, 3 co-author)
5) Posters: 20 (all first author)
6) Awards/Recognition: 1 research award, 0 grants

How’s the research exp for top institutions like the Harvard affiliates, UCSF, Hopkins, Duke, Stanford, etc? I worked my ass off pretty damn hard, if that’s not enough, then I don’t know what more I can do, it was pretty much the only thing in my app that I could fix. Does coming from a low tier IM program hurt me drastically?


If you're talking MGH/UCSF/Hopkins/Duke - it will be difficult, but is possible. You have a strong research resume compared to 95% of applicants. You're helped by the number of fellows Cards takes. You will absolutely match, just a matter of how high on the academic reputation ladder. If there is anyway you could reach out to faculty at those institutions, either formally or informally, it may help. Do any faculty at your institution know any faculty at those places? Have you published in an area very similar to work done by one of the faculty there and could possibly get yourself known by asking to collaborate with them? Fellowship is very much a "who you know" game, so try to get yourself known, personally.
 
By the way, yes there will be people with grants and such entering Cards fellowships, but in general, you will have more research exp than most who land even at top places. You're fighting an uphill battle due to your residency's reputation, and that alone.
 
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