Rheumatology Fellowship Application Thread: '08-09 version

[Hydrocortisone]

Invites
Boston University: Sjogrens
Brigham and Women's: Rheumor, Sjogrens
Cedars-Sinai: Rheumor
Cleveland Clinic: Rheumor, jerold, hotjoints, Sjogrens
Columbia University: london12
HSS: Sjogrens
Johns Hopkins: Rheumor, Sjogrens
Louisiana State U: jerold
Mayo Clinic (Rochester): Rheumor
MUSC: levallor, Hydrocortisone
NYU: Rheumor
Northwestern U: Rheumor
Rush: jerold
Suny Downstate: Hydrocortisone
Temple U: london12
U of Chicago: levallor, Rheumor
UCSD: Sjogrens
UCSF: Rheumor, Sjogrens
U of Connecticut: jerold
U of Indiana: Hydrocortisone
U of Kentucky: london12
U of Maryland: london12
U of Michigan: Rheumor
U of Penn: Rheumor
U of Rochester: levallor
U of Tennesse: Hydrocortisone
U of Washington: Rheumor
UTHSC-Houston: drfunktacular
Virginia Commonwealth U: london12
Wash U: Rheumor, Sjogrens

Rejections
HSS: Rheumor, Hydrocortisone
Loyola: Hydrocortisone
UCSD: Hydrocortisone
U of Chicago: hotjoints, Hydrocortisone
U of Wisconsin: rheumatology
U of Rochester : rheumatology
U of Arizona: Hydrocortisone, rhematology



Sorry guys for not posting earlier, I was busy with night float and staff. I am glad that the ball is rolling, with more interview invitations and rejections.

My first interview was cancelled because of the weather. Drfunktacular and Rheumor, thank you for posting your experience with interviews and helping others with what to expect.

Does anyone have an idea how Suny Downstate Medical Center in NY is??

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[london12]

Invites
Boston University: Sjogrens
Brigham and Women's: Rheumor, Sjogrens
Cedars-Sinai: Rheumor
Cleveland Clinic: Rheumor, jerold, hotjoints, Sjogrens
Columbia University: london12
HSS: Sjogrens
Johns Hopkins: Rheumor, Sjogrens
Louisiana State U: jerold
Mayo Clinic (Rochester): Rheumor
MUSC: levallor, Hydrocortisone
NYU: Rheumor
Northwestern U: Rheumor
Rush: jerold
Suny Downstate: Hydrocortisone
Temple U: london12
U of Chicago: levallor, Rheumor
UCSD: Sjogrens
UCSF: Rheumor, Sjogrens
U of Connecticut: jerold
U of Indiana: Hydrocortisone
U of Kentucky: london12
U of Maryland: london12
U of Michigan: Rheumor
U of Penn: Rheumor
U of Rochester: levallor
U of Tennesse: Hydrocortisone
U of Washington: Rheumor
UTHSC-Houston: drfunktacular
Virginia Commonwealth U: london12
Wash U: Rheumor, Sjogrens

Rejections
HSS: Rheumor, Hydrocortisone
NIH: london12
Loyola: Hydrocortisone
UCSD: Hydrocortisone
U of Chicago: hotjoints, Hydrocortisone
U of Wisconsin: rheumatology
U of Rochester : rheumatology
U of Arizona: Hydrocortisone, rhematology

congrats hydrocortisone! thank u guys for contributing to this thread!

 

[vmih]

Hi, I'm not in the Fellowship race yet, but will be. I've been trying to learn more about the application cycles for rheumatology, but haven't found anything on the web. I know that one of them has this timeline:

http://www.nrmp.org/fellow/match_name/msmp/dates.html

I'd appreciate some input on(and/or links to) the other application cycle. Does it exist at all for rheumatology. Around what proportion of programs use this? Is this a suitable application cycle for residents applying late or those who didn't make it in the regular cycle? How is the timeline in the alternative cycle, particularly when are the interviews conducted?

Thanks in advance for any ideas, small or large.

 

[Rheumor]

Rheumor, where do we check quotas of programs?
No more interviews from now?

Looking back, I totally gave you the wrong info! It's actually via the NRMP website, and you will have to log in with you AAMC #, then look under directory and it's pretty self-explanatory from there. Good luck!

 

[Rheumor]

Invites
Boston University: Sjogrens
Brigham and Women's: Rheumor, Sjogrens
Cedars-Sinai: Rheumor
Cleveland Clinic: Rheumor, jerold, hotjoints, Sjogrens
Columbia University: london12
HSS: Sjogrens
Johns Hopkins: Rheumor, Sjogrens
Louisiana State U: jerold
Mayo Clinic (Rochester): Rheumor
MUSC: levallor, Hydrocortisone
NYU: Rheumor
Northwestern U: Rheumor
Rush: jerold
Stanford University: Rheumor
Suny Downstate: Hydrocortisone
Temple U: london12
U of Chicago: levallor, Rheumor
UCSD: Sjogrens
UCSF: Rheumor, Sjogrens
U of Connecticut: jerold
U of Indiana: Hydrocortisone
U of Kentucky: london12
U of Maryland: london12
U of Michigan: Rheumor
U of Penn: Rheumor
U of Rochester: levallor
U of Tennesse: Hydrocortisone
U of Washington: Rheumor
UTHSC-Houston: drfunktacular
Virginia Commonwealth U: london12
Wash U: Rheumor, Sjogrens

Rejections
HSS: Rheumor, Hydrocortisone
NIH: london12
Loyola: Hydrocortisone
UCSD: Hydrocortisone
U of Chicago: hotjoints, Hydrocortisone
U of Wisconsin: rheumatology
U of Rochester : rheumatology
U of Arizona: Hydrocortisone, rhematology

Waiting on two more!

 

[levallor]

Invites
Boston University: Sjogrens
Brigham and Women's: Rheumor, Sjogrens
Cedars-Sinai: Rheumor
Cleveland Clinic: Rheumor, jerold, hotjoints, Sjogrens
Columbia University: london12
HSS: Sjogrens
Johns Hopkins: Rheumor, Sjogrens
Louisiana State U: jerold
Mayo Clinic (Rochester): Rheumor
MUSC: levallor, Hydrocortisone
NYU: Rheumor
Northwestern U: Rheumor
Rush: jerold
Stanford University: Rheumor
Suny Downstate: Hydrocortisone
Temple U: london12
U of Chicago: levallor, Rheumor
UCSD: Sjogrens
UCSF: Rheumor, Sjogrens
U of Connecticut: jerold
U of Indiana: Hydrocortisone
U of Kentucky: london12
U of Maryland: london12
U of Michigan: Rheumor
U of North Carolina: Levallor
U of Penn: Rheumor
U of Rochester: levallor
U of Tennesse: Hydrocortisone
U of Washington: Rheumor
UTHSC-Houston: drfunktacular
Virginia Commonwealth U: london12
Wash U: Rheumor, Sjogrens

Rejections
HSS: Rheumor, Hydrocortisone
NIH: london12, levallor
Loyola: Hydrocortisone
UCSD: Hydrocortisone
U of Chicago: hotjoints, Hydrocortisone
U of Wisconsin: rheumatology
U of Rochester : rheumatology
U of Arizona: Hydrocortisone, rhematology

 

[london12]

Invites
Baylor College of Medicine: london12Boston University: Sjogrens
Brigham and Women's: Rheumor, Sjogrens
Cedars-Sinai: Rheumor
Cleveland Clinic: Rheumor, jerold, hotjoints, Sjogrens
Columbia University: london12
HSS: Sjogrens
Johns Hopkins: Rheumor, Sjogrens
Louisiana State U: jerold
Mayo Clinic (Rochester): Rheumor
MUSC: levallor, Hydrocortisone
NYU: Rheumor
Northwestern U: Rheumor
Rush: jerold
Stanford University: Rheumor
Suny Downstate: Hydrocortisone
Temple U: london12
U of Chicago: levallor, Rheumor
UCSD: Sjogrens
UCSF: Rheumor, Sjogrens
U of Connecticut: jerold
U of Indiana: Hydrocortisone
U of Kentucky: london12
U of Maryland: london12
U of Michigan: Rheumor
U of North Carolina: Levallor
U of Penn: Rheumor
U of Rochester: levallor
U of Tennesse: Hydrocortisone
U of Washington: Rheumor
UTHSC-Houston: drfunktacular
Virginia Commonwealth U: london12
Wash U: Rheumor, Sjogrens

Rejections
Cooper University Hospital (Camden, NJ): london12
HSS: Rheumor, Hydrocortisone
NIH: london12, levallor
Loyola: Hydrocortisone
UCSD: Hydrocortisone
U of Chicago: hotjoints, Hydrocortisone
U of Wisconsin: rheumatology
U of Rochester : rheumatology
U of Arizona: Hydrocortisone, rhematology

 

[Rheumor]

Baylor College of Medicine: london12
Boston University: Sjogrens
Brigham and Women's: Rheumor, Sjogrens
Cedars-Sinai: Rheumor
Cleveland Clinic: Rheumor, jerold, hotjoints, Sjogrens
Columbia University: london12
HSS: Sjogrens
Johns Hopkins: Rheumor, Sjogrens
Louisiana State U: jerold
Mayo Clinic (Rochester): Rheumor
MUSC: levallor, Hydrocortisone
NYU: Rheumor
Northwestern U: Rheumor
Rush: jerold
Stanford University: Rheumor
Suny Downstate: Hydrocortisone
Temple U: london12
U of Chicago: levallor, Rheumor
UCLA: Rheumor
UCSD: Sjogrens
UCSF: Rheumor, Sjogrens
U of Connecticut: jerold
U of Indiana: Hydrocortisone
U of Kentucky: london12
U of Maryland: london12
U of Michigan: Rheumor
U of North Carolina: Levallor
U of Penn: Rheumor
U of Rochester: levallor
U of Tennesse: Hydrocortisone
U of Washington: Rheumor
UTHSC-Houston: drfunktacular
Virginia Commonwealth U: london12
Wash U: Rheumor, Sjogrens

Rejections
Cooper University Hospital (Camden, NJ): london12
HSS: Rheumor, Hydrocortisone
NIH: london12, levallor
Loyola: Hydrocortisone
UCSD: Hydrocortisone
U of Chicago: hotjoints, Hydrocortisone
U of Wisconsin: rheumatology
U of Rochester : rheumatology
U of Arizona: Hydrocortisone, rhematology

This was fun guys. I will go on 8 interviews total. 4th one next week. Cancelled some, waiting for MGH but won't go anyways (too expensive to fly there for two spots). Luck to all. Don't forget to post interview experiences and on Match Day!

 

[jerold]

hi guys! It's been a long time since somebody has posted anything. Any updates? I'm on my last couple of interviews. Hopefully we all match to our top programs. Does anyone have any tips on ranking programs?

 

[Rheumor]

hi guys! It's been a long time since somebody has posted anything. Any updates? I'm on my last couple of interviews. Hopefully we all match to our top programs. Does anyone have any tips on ranking programs?

Hi jerold. I too am at the tailend of my interviews (thank God). Two more to finish 8 total. Will rank 7. Any favs yet for anyone? So far really liked Hopkins and UCSF Rank lists open soon. Tips for ranking - rank from your gut!

 

[Rheumor]

Hi anyone want to list their favorites so far? Pros and cons of programs? Let's participate!!

 

[Vitamin_Ng]

Rheumor, thanks for all of your enthusiasm! I wish this thread had more activity! Although I'm not applying this year, I've been following this thread in the hopes that I'll gain some insight into which programs people like the most, so I can be more informed when I go through the app/interview process next year.

 

[jerold]

Guys, I have a question. How do you send your thank yous to the faculty who interviewed you the day prior? Do you send thank you emails, cards, notes, flowers, etc?

 

[Rheumor]

Guys, I have a question. How do you send your thank yous to the faculty who interviewed you the day prior? Do you send thank you emails, cards, notes, flowers, etc?

I just sent them e-mails. Hasn't backfired on me yet!

Ok guys, I'm officially DONE with interviews!! Now the hard part is going to be deciding my list! Anyone want to discuss programs? I am willing but don't wanna be the only one!

 

[Rheumor]

Anyone want to discuss programs? I am willing but don't wanna be the only one!

You guys are no fun! I will start this for future generations of rheumatologists!

Program name: NYU
Number of positions: 4 fellows/yr
Rotation breakdown: 4 hospital system (Tisch, Bellevue, VA, HJD); first year fellows rotate through each site for two months of the year. The rest of time on electives. Second year clinical duties reduced to a couple of months total per fellow. Clinics total about 5/week first year and this decreases to two the second year
Call schedule: Fellows arrange a one-week on/one-week off deal while on consult. Weekends I believe are the same (one on and one off). This is nice because it gives the fellow off time to prepare presentations, research, etc.
Program strengths: TEACHING is great here! Abundant conferences (summer crash course for incoming fellows), bedside rounds, journal clubs. Fellows very involved in conferences. Bellevue hospital (oldest public hospital in the U.S.) treats the zebras of the zebras.
Program weaknesses: Mentorship is not really facilitated for fellows, and they have to be pretty active about finding research mentors. NYC and its traffic; commute can be long depending on where one lives and area is expensive for such small space.
PD/program leadership: PD is great! Very enthusiastic about the program and supportive of fellows.
Research: Division chief is a big basic scientist; just recruited a basic scientist from UCSD. Clinical/translational research is also big and many opportunities are there for fellows. Paid opportunities for MPH/masters in clinical investigation
Facilities/Location: Although Manhattan is crazy congested, 3/4 hospitals are literally in a row next to one another. One can walk to Tisch, Bellevue and VA. HJD is a bit farther away but still walkable
Interview day experience: Probably one of the best I have been on. Day started off with ppt slide of program (crucial to learn nuances of program), then interviews were paired up (two interviewers per interviewee for time efficiency), then hospital tour (which I personally enjoyed), lunch and plenty of time to take in the great NY atmosphere!
Fellows: Lunch with them was great. Some had interviewed at other top programs and chose NYU for it's strong research opportunities and broad clinical exposure
Overall feel: Personally loved the program mostly because the program did such a nice job of highlighting the program's strengths in a very organized manner. Emphasis on teaching was evident and that was a huge plus for me. Research opportunities are there and abundant. Fellows were happy and not overworked, and felt able to handle complex rheum patients. I would rate this program 4/5 and this is just because NY is a bit too congested and expensive for me (thought of having to commute an hour+ on a subway is not my cup of tea).

Alright dudes, I broke the ice. Hope this helps. Let's post. I will post about other programs later. Good luck all!

 

[Rheumor]

Program name: Johns Hopkins
Number of positions: 4 fellows/yr
Rotation breakdown: 3 hospital system (JHH, JHH-Bayview, Good Samaritan); first year fellows rotate through each site for 3 months of the year. Other three months are at Bayview doing "electives" but you are also consulting at times. Second year clinical duties reduced to solely outpatient (no weekend calls!) should you want it vs research time (one clinic a week). Clinics total about 3 or 4/week first year
Call schedule: Fellows on call the whole month at respective site. 2 weekends on and two off (covered by attg).
Program strengths: Top notch clinical exposure in form of various sub-specialized clinics (myositis, vasculitis). Internationally recognized researchers who seem personable for the most part. Fellows are very well clinically trained and there is enough flexibility for them to do research vs go private should their career goals change. JHH gets the referrals from outside rheumatologists who don't know what the f is going on with their patients. Benefits are awesome for fellows and housing is affordable.
Program weaknesses: Mentorship may not be as readily facilitated for fellows, and they have to be kind of active about finding research mentors. JHH environment can be somewhat hardcore, and this is intimidating at times. Baltimore is kinda ghetto and somewhat boring, but DC and NY nearby. No free parking.
PD/program leadership: PD is very nice as was the chief of the division, although he was somewhat intimidating at first. Everyone in general is very personable and upbeat!
Research: You ask for it, they have it. HUGE basic and great clinical scientists. They definitely have the resources to make one an academician.
Facilities/Location: JHH and Bayview somewhat far away. Dunno where Good Sam is in relation to these two. Again Baltimore has a nice downtown by the harbor, but otherwise is on the ghetto side. There are nice suburbs within 15 minutes driving to JHH.
Interview day experience: Tour of the infamous JHH Billings dome. Interviews were laid back and interviewers were nice to talk to. Fellows interviewed as well and they were cool. Not too long of a day. PD drives you over to Bayview to the main Rheum offices for interview and depending on time of the year, can be pretty cold walking outside.
Fellows: Very down to earth. Lunch with them was great and informative. Most were not from super prestigious universities but had clearly distinguished themselves by being chief or doing research. They seemed happy but did not sugar coat the fact that they work HARD! At JHH, working 12+ hour days admitting patient to rheum service (inpatient). Other hospital months they work at least 8-10 hours/day. First year essentially is like being an intern again....second year, fellows have no inpatient duties except for like 2 weeks and you mold your schedule according to career goals (academics vs practice).
Overall feel: Great experience and a personal top choice! JHH is clinically SUPERB, and academically top notch as well, giving one the chance to train with the most brilliant clinicians/researchers in the field. On the other hand, one may ask if it is worth going through "internship" again and how relevant is that training for future academic/private folks? This is the only program in the country (NYU aside) with a busy dedicated inpatient unit and fellows may have to come in at night if called about a serious case that can't be handled by resident. Anyway, if you don't mind working your a** off and would like to work with the best of the best, then this program is a 4.5/5 (Baltimore is rough!). If you are wanting to go into Rheum purely for lifestyle, then this place is not for you (although second year seems really flexible).

Ok someone else's turn.....otherwise I will be forced to pick people!

 

[Rheumor]

Program Name: Stanford
Number of positions: 2 fellows/yr
Rotation breakdown: 3 hospital system (Stanford, VA Palo Alto, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center); first year fellows spend 6-8 mos at Stanford/VA or SCVMC on consult service. Remainder for electives. Second year inpatient ranges from 2-6 months. Clinics first year are 5-6 half days and second year 1-4 half days.
Call schedule: Fellows alternate and cover all 3 hospital consult services. Not sure what weekends are like, but I think 2 on/2 off
Program strengths: Good clinical exposure at Stanford (complicated cases) and at the clinics (good variety of patients it seems). Strong basic science influence and some clinical. Stanford U proximity allows unique opportunites to collaborate with one of the best universities in the world. Palo Alto small but great weather and close to SF.
Program weaknesses: Small faculty size can be a negative if the faculty is not doing what you are interested in. Some program changes from what I hear (PD relocating I think). Palo Alto is somewhat expensive.
PD/program leadership: PD is very nice as was the rest of the faculty, very laid back. Stanford area is super nice, especially the undergrad campus! Have a mall close to the hospital!
Research: Great basic science opportunities and one of the PI's is very approachable and flexible to fellows joining her lab. Some clinical work in process but its main forte is basic.
Facilities/Location: Santa Clara hospital is about 25 minutes away which can be a pain to drive to especially if clinic is at Stanford. Otherwise VA is reasonably close from what I was told. Stanford is nice inside in a nice area.
Interview day experience: Laid back, very nice people. Faculty members were the type of people you could hang with and have a decent time! Overall good experience.
Fellows: I briefly met one
Overall feel: Good experience with good faculty and strong basic science, with mentors readily available. I was told that a good number of fellows with into industry given location in Silicon valley. Good clinical volume and one sees a good variety despite being at seemingly affluent Stanford. Palo alto is a nice city close to SF so there is stuff to do and housing is expensive but traffic not as much of an issue as it would be in SF (with respect to commuting to other hospitals). I got a vague impression of this program, and given that I did not meet a fellow for that long, I didn't get the "nitty gritty" about the program. Fellow seemed happy though. Clinical accumen is good and it seems that fellows are well trained. Would give this program 3.5/5, in the three's because I didn't really get a good sense of what it was like to be a fellow there and .5 because it is in sunny Cali!

Ok llevalor and jerold, let's talk about your programs . I want to learn about your respective experiences please!

 

[Rheumor]

Program Name: UCSF
Number of positions: 3 fellows/yr
Rotation breakdown: 3 hospital system (Moffit, VA SF, SFGH); first year fellows spend 4 mos at each hospital on consult service. Remainder for electives. Second year inpatient ranges from 2-6 months. Clinics first year are 4 half days and second year cut down to 1 or os.
Call schedule: Fellows alternate and cover all 3 hospital consult services on weekends but their respective hospital throughout the week. Not sure what weekends are like, but I think 2 on/2 off (worked out between other fellows to help out with coverage)
Program strengths: Strong research opportunities in basic and clinical stuff and great overall clinical exposure, esp at SFGH. Great city with much diversity.
Program weaknesses: SF can be congested and driving from one hospital to another for consults/clinics/conferences can really be a hassle.
PD/program leadership: PD and other interviewers are SO nice and very laid back! I would say the nicest people I have met on the interview trail. They are all available for mentorship and overall supportive of fellows.
Research: Readily available and strong in both basic and clinical arenas. 2nd and 3rd years are dedicated for this purpose. One can attain advanced degrees during these years as well.
Facilities/Location: No EMR (but EPIC evolving I hear). Driving to different hospitals was a hassle per the fellows, but they all overall enjoyed the three hospital clinical experience. SF is beautiful but expensive.
Interview day experience: Awesome! A long day but all the faculty again were super friendly and had the best interest of the fellows at heart. One of the best if not the best interview day for me.
Fellows: Had lunch with one and spoke at length to another one. Both were happy but did note the annoyance of driving between hospitals. They noted great clinical exposure and the program was a top pick for them.
Overall feel: Great program in a beautiful city with ample clinical exposure and research opportunities. The faculty were all so down to earth and made it apparent that they had the best interest of the fellows at heart. Commute can be a problem but is do-able. I would give this program a solid 4/5, mainly because of I think the commute would get very annoying and costly and because I think there are other programs with the same (or better) clinical exposure.

 

[Rheumor]

Program Name: UCLA
Number of positions: 4 fellows/yr
Rotation breakdown: 4 hospital system (Ronald Reagan, VA West LA, UCLA-Santa Monica, UCLA-Harbor); first year fellows spend 8 mos on consult service. Remainder for electives. Second year consult duty months are less but I don't think by much (5-6 months). Clinics first year are at all hospitals and about 5 clinics/week. Reagan and Santa Monica are the busiest sites.
Call schedule: Fellows cover the hospital that they are on service for for the month. 2 weekend days on/two off (attending cover)
Program strengths: AWESOME clinical research especially in outcomes research. Has ACR masters that are active in fellow teaching. Also a clinician-educator track is available which is awesome! GREAT population to work with in LA!
Program weaknesses: LA can be congested and $$$. Program could be a bit more accomodating for research earlier on, as the fellows if they want to do research, have to apply under the T32 grant a 3rd year unless they "fast track" via the STAR program.
PD/program leadership: Great faculty and down to earth. Liked the PD who was very laid back and supportive of fellows. Obviously a very well respected program that the faculty work hard to preserve.
Research: Readily available and strong in both basic and clinical arenas. One can attain advanced degrees but this has to be done the 3rd year, commiting one to doing research and staying on for 3+ years. Again, research is done third year unless you do a STAR fast-track (can be done 2nd year)
Facilities/Location: No EMR (but EPIC evolving I hear). Reagan is a beautiful hospital as is UCLA-Santa Monica. VA is a VA. Traffic to and from UCLA-Harbor is a hassle per the fellows but not terrible. Westwood was beautiful! Definitely cool place to be in!
Interview day experience: Awesome! All the faculty again were super friendly and had the best interest of the fellows at heart. Really tried to sell the program and its role in
Fellows: Had lunch with two and they were both very chill and really liked the program. Stated 2 usually go clinical and 2 stay on for research. Faculty is very supportive with respect to helping fellows find jobs.
Overall feel: AWESOME program! Great faculty, ample research opportunities and fellows seem like nice laid back people. Clinical experience seems outstanding (probably only second to Hopkins) and UCLA-Harbor sees a lot of first presentations of rheumatic disease. Flexibility in career choices and faculty supportive. Downside is one kind of has to commit to doing research and stay on longer if necessary (versus other programs who have research time incorporated into the training). Driving to UCLA-Harbor may be somewhat of a hassle and LA may be overly $$$. However, Westwood and the surrounding areas are BEAUTIFUL and it would be worth it to train at a great program in such a cool city. Overall I would give UCLA 4.5/5 because I would have liked research to be a little more incorporated into the training, but this is minor.

 

[uncmdphd]

Program name: Johns Hopkins

Ok someone else's turn.....otherwise I will be forced to pick people!

Glad to see this much interest in Rheumatology. As an Immunologist and future Allergy/Immunology fellow at Hopkins, I hope to see and collaborate with some of you if Hopkins becomes your destination. I can say with confidence that the Hopkins Rheum fellows I met during my AI interviews (some were presenting data and patients to a combined Immunology conference) were of top quality, and I personally look forward to rotating through Rheum. Best of luck to everyone during the interview season and the match.

 

[Rheumor]

Glad to see this much interest in Rheumatology. As an Immunologist and future Allergy/Immunology fellow at Hopkins, I hope to see and collaborate with some of you if Hopkins becomes your destination. I can say with confidence that the Hopkins Rheum fellows I met during my AI interviews (some were presenting data and patients to a combined Immunology conference) were of top quality, and I personally look forward to rotating through Rheum. Best of luck to everyone during the interview season and the match.

Thank you for posting and congratulations! I was wondering what the Hopkins environment is like and if you got a sense of how happy the rheum fellows were that you met. Is Baltimore a liveable city? Where would you recommend looking for decent apartments in decent neighborhoods. Thanks for your insight and maybe we will have a chance to work together in the future!

 

[uncmdphd]

Thank you for posting and congratulations! I was wondering what the Hopkins environment is like and if you got a sense of how happy the rheum fellows were that you met. Is Baltimore a liveable city? Where would you recommend looking for decent apartments in decent neighborhoods. Thanks for your insight and maybe we will have a chance to work together in the future!

Thanks!

I found the environment amongst the panel of clinical immunologists (AI, Rheum, ID gathered during a shared conference) to be very collegial and open to collaboration (great for my research interests). These guys/gals were just bouncing some pretty cool ideas across from each other. By my judgment, the Rheum fellows seemed pretty happy, granted, my exposure to them was not as extensive as your exposure was. I can tell you that the Allergy fellows seemed pretty happy I personally chose Hopkins to train in case I wanted to bleed over into Rheumatology (it's also where one of my previous clinical mentors trained for Rheum).

The other plus is having the NIH nearby in Bethesda; after all, this is where autoinflammatory conditions (distinct from autoimmune conditions) were first identified/characterized such as TRAPS. FMF and other periodic syndromes also reign supreme here.

Baltimore itself is not so livable (you should watch HBO's The Wire), however, there are surrounding suburbs that are highly recommended by both faculty and fellow alike. If you have children, definitely look to live in Columbia/Ellicott (southwest of Baltimore and close to DC) or north of Baltimore in Towson, these are safe neighborhoods with some of the top school districts in the country.

Hope this helps!

 

[Rheumor]

Hey guys, anyone want to discuss RoL? Three weeks until final submission!

Although I posted above reviews, I am still very "up in the air" about the final order of my top three. Any input would be appreciated. Good luck to all!

 

[Rheumor]

24 hours until match results! I think I already know where I am going based on mutual love letters, so I'm not as excited as I was for the residency match...but I would like to share in the excitement for the rest of the post members! Anyone with last minute thoughts? I'm glad that we applied this year before the time change for fellowship applications. I hope someone posts...this thread died a while ago but I am trying to keep it alive for future applicants and to see where my future colleagues will be! Please let's post tomorrow where we matched, that is on our RoL. Some people may be hesitant to state the program. Maybe we can post the state? Anyway, I hope to see more than just my post tomorrow. Peace and good luck!

 

[jerold]

Rheumor, thanks for keeping this alive. I hope I can say that I'm sure where I'll be going. I'm trusting God that he'll put me in a program where ill fit right in. God bless to everyone! Post your results tom!

 

[Rheumor]

All of our hard work has paid off....I hope that everyone is happy with the match!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to my #1 in sunny Cali!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I look forward to meeting all of you at some point in the future. Thanks for helping keep this thread semi-alive. I hope 2013's applicants will find the information useful. Peace!!

 

[rheumatology]

Congratulations, Rheumor.
I'm matched at my first choice.
So now my name here is worth it.

Thanks God!!!

 

[NERDY]

Hi Everyone, I am a US student (2nd year) thinking of rheum. My school does have a rheum fellowship program . Any suggestions of things I can do to show interest in rheum and possibly secure a fellowship in the future?
Thanks a lot.

 

[Rheumor]

What happened to all the budding rheumatologists after match day? Everyone disappeared! Where did everyone match?

Anyone else kind of nervous about starting fellowship in a year?

I was wondering if anyone knows of good preparatory materials for first year fellows. Something we can peruse when we have a little bit of time now as third years (or maybe hospitalists for some of you).

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Rheumination]

What happened to all the budding rheumatologists after match day? Everyone disappeared! Where did everyone match?

Anyone else kind of nervous about starting fellowship in a year?

I was wondering if anyone knows of good preparatory materials for first year fellows. Something we can peruse when we have a little bit of time now as third years (or maybe hospitalists for some of you).

Thanks for any advice!

I'm gearing up for the next application cycle, anyone else?

Thanks, Rheumor, for posting so much and helping out those of us applying next year! Any advice now that you're post-match?

 

[Rheumor]

I'm gearing up for the next application cycle, anyone else?

Thanks, Rheumor, for posting so much and helping out those of us applying next year! Any advice now that you're post-match?

First of all, congrats on applying to Rheumatology!

I think given the new change in application timing (now in the third year of training), programs will have some more expectations of their applicants and naturally all fields, Rheumatology included, will become more competitive. That being said, the applicant will have the necessary time to "beef up" his/her application during second year and gain some research experience prior to starting fellowship.

I guess my only advice would be to continue your hard work and strive for the type of program that best suits your goals. If you want to go academic, then put in effort towards research, but if you don't, and want to go solely private, then choose accordingly. I will say that most programs want to know that you will at least delve into research during fellowship training. So it is to your benefit to have done at least a case report or presentation during residency to show that your academic interest.

If you have any questions about specific programs that I did not review above, let me know. Good luck and have fun!

 

[drfunktacular]

What happened to all the budding rheumatologists after match day? Everyone disappeared! Where did everyone match?

Anyone else kind of nervous about starting fellowship in a year?

I was wondering if anyone knows of good preparatory materials for first year fellows. Something we can peruse when we have a little bit of time now as third years (or maybe hospitalists for some of you).

Thanks for any advice!

I'm also a bit nervous, but then I look at what our first-year pulm/CCM and cardio fellows go through and I can relax.

I've been reading & re-reading the rheum section of Harrison's and perusing some of the rheum textbooks when I can get my hands on them (can't bring myself to pony up $400 for one yet ).

 

[Rheumination]

Bump!! Anyone there? What do you like/dislike about your programs? Any more program reviews?

 

[unthoughtknown]

Program Name: Stanford
Number of positions: 2 fellows/yr
Rotation breakdown: 3 hospital system (Stanford, VA Palo Alto, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center); first year fellows spend 6-8 mos at Stanford/VA or SCVMC on consult service. Remainder for electives. Second year inpatient ranges from 2-6 months. Clinics first year are 5-6 half days and second year 1-4 half days.
Call schedule: Fellows alternate and cover all 3 hospital consult services. Not sure what weekends are like, but I think 2 on/2 off
Program strengths: Good clinical exposure at Stanford (complicated cases) and at the clinics (good variety of patients it seems). Strong basic science influence and some clinical. Stanford U proximity allows unique opportunites to collaborate with one of the best universities in the world. Palo Alto small but great weather and close to SF.
Program weaknesses: Small faculty size can be a negative if the faculty is not doing what you are interested in. Some program changes from what I hear (PD relocating I think). Palo Alto is somewhat expensive.
PD/program leadership: PD is very nice as was the rest of the faculty, very laid back. Stanford area is super nice, especially the undergrad campus! Have a mall close to the hospital!
Research: Great basic science opportunities and one of the PI's is very approachable and flexible to fellows joining her lab. Some clinical work in process but its main forte is basic.
Facilities/Location: Santa Clara hospital is about 25 minutes away which can be a pain to drive to especially if clinic is at Stanford. Otherwise VA is reasonably close from what I was told. Stanford is nice inside in a nice area.
Interview day experience: Laid back, very nice people. Faculty members were the type of people you could hang with and have a decent time! Overall good experience.
Fellows: I briefly met one
Overall feel: Good experience with good faculty and strong basic science, with mentors readily available. I was told that a good number of fellows with into industry given location in Silicon valley. Good clinical volume and one sees a good variety despite being at seemingly affluent Stanford. Palo alto is a nice city close to SF so there is stuff to do and housing is expensive but traffic not as much of an issue as it would be in SF (with respect to commuting to other hospitals). I got a vague impression of this program, and given that I did not meet a fellow for that long, I didn't get the "nitty gritty" about the program. Fellow seemed happy though. Clinical accumen is good and it seems that fellows are well trained. Would give this program 3.5/5, in the three's because I didn't really get a good sense of what it was like to be a fellow there and .5 because it is in sunny Cali!

Ok llevalor and jerold, let's talk about your programs . I want to learn about your respective experiences please!

Thanks for the elaborate info on the program. I was wondering if anyone could give a little bit more insight into the program. I imagine Stanford can be a quite competitive but I was trying to gauge my chances there. I graduated from IM in 2010 from a Uni based program currently working as a hospitalist. USMLE scores are 99/99/90 and IM board certified with top decile scores. Have only one non-rheum publication, couple of local posters with 2nd/3rd place in competition. Also writing a review on rheum topic with an associate professor. Do I need to have extensive basic/clinical research experience to match there? Would love to know typical profiles of fellows matching to this program, since their site does not have a list of their fellows/background.