ABIM Research Pathway or Research during Fellowship?

[rhomboid]

Hi all,

I would like to seek your opinions regarding whether I should pursue an ABIM research track or not. I'm an IMG graduated 8 years ago, had completed residency and GI fellowship at my home country, and had invested some time in GI research. My focus is on clinical research, and I don't have a PhD. I want an additional transplant hepatology fellowship. In the future I would like 50/50 time in clinic/academia. If I can't get my grants, I want to be in academic center as a hepatologist and/or simply scope every person.

Currently I had interviewed with several great institutions with short-track options. Some programs match directly into short-tracks with guaranteed fellowship placement, while in other programs I have to apply for short-track toward the end of intern year and will have to apply for fellowship later.

My questions are:
1. As an IMG I’m not really familiar with American medical systems. Would the 2-year enough to prepare me as a competent clinician?

2. A guaranteed fellowship sounds very promising. On the other hand, can I do 2-year short-track at one institution, and apply for fellowship and do the IM and GI research years at another institution? Or somehow I would have to complete traditional 3-year categorical IM before I can change institutions? Should I discuss this question openly with programs?

3. I’m thinking of applying for a T32 funded fellowship program. Does the ABIM research pathway has anything to do with the T32 program or are they completely unrelated?

4. I know that the AASLD pilot program (GI+hepatology in a total of 3 years) is not compatible with T32 because the pilot program requires more clinical time. If I want to complete hepatology within the shortest time, will this ABIM short-track be a problem?

5. What is the pros and cons of research pathway during IM residency vs during fellowship? Most people went through research fellowship rather research residency.

Thanks! Any comments highly appreciated!

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[gutonc]

There are a lot of questions to answer here, but I'll go ahead and take up #3.

You can't get a T32 unless you're a US citizen/PR. So if that's an issue for you, take that off the table. A lot of the ABIM research pathway programs rely on T32s to pay for your extra year(s) in fellowship that you're not clinically useful to them.

 

[IM2GI]

You seem like a bad fit for the research track. If you can find a program that will take you in their 3 year hepatology program I would do that for sure. You must be sick of being a trainee. It can be hard to match in your own specialty that you are already trained in, as the program feels like you are already set in your ways.

 

[rhomboid]

Thanks both of you for your reply. T32 eligibility would not be a problem for me. However I'm wondering whether a standard 3+3 would be better (actually shorter and with more flexibility) or a short-track (can devoted to the same research team since PGY-1) would be better. Thanks and happy holiday!

 

[Duke1K]

Hi all,

I would like to seek your opinions regarding whether I should pursue an ABIM research track or not. I'm an IMG graduated 8 years ago, had completed residency and GI fellowship at my home country, and had invested some time in GI research. My focus is on clinical research, and I don't have a PhD. I want an additional transplant hepatology fellowship. In the future I would like 50/50 time in clinic/academia. If I can't get my grants, I want to be in academic center as a hepatologist and/or simply scope every person.

Currently I had interviewed with several great institutions with short-track options. Some programs match directly into short-tracks with guaranteed fellowship placement, while in other programs I have to apply for short-track toward the end of intern year and will have to apply for fellowship later.

My questions are:
1. As an IMG I’m not really familiar with American medical systems. Would the 2-year enough to prepare me as a competent clinician?

2. A guaranteed fellowship sounds very promising. On the other hand, can I do 2-year short-track at one institution, and apply for fellowship and do the IM and GI research years at another institution? Or somehow I would have to complete traditional 3-year categorical IM before I can change institutions? Should I discuss this question openly with programs?

3. I’m thinking of applying for a T32 funded fellowship program. Does the ABIM research pathway has anything to do with the T32 program or are they completely unrelated?

4. I know that the AASLD pilot program (GI+hepatology in a total of 3 years) is not compatible with T32 because the pilot program requires more clinical time. If I want to complete hepatology within the shortest time, will this ABIM short-track be a problem?

5. What is the pros and cons of research pathway during IM residency vs during fellowship? Most people went through research fellowship rather research residency.

Thanks! Any comments highly appreciated!

This is my personal ignorance, but if you finished residency and fellowship at your home country already, why do you want to start back at the beginning with an IM residency? Is that even possible? Why don't many more residencies take foreign grads with that much clinical experience as interns?

 

[gutonc]

Thanks both of you for your reply. T32 eligibility would not be a problem for me. However I'm wondering whether a standard 3+3 would be better (actually shorter and with more flexibility) or a short-track (can devoted to the same research team since PGY-1) would be better. Thanks and happy holiday!

The research pathway is really intended for basic science research. You can get plenty of clinical research opportunities in a typical fellowship.

 

[rhomboid]

The research pathway is really intended for basic science research. You can get plenty of clinical research opportunities in a typical fellowship.

Really appreciated for your advice!