For fellowships that aren't as competitive as Cardio or GI, do you have to go to an academic program for residency?
Academic vs. community program for endo/rheum
- Thread starter 4444
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NO you do not have to come from a large academic residency. However, it certainly helps and you are at a MAJOR DISADVANTAGE if you come from a small community program.
Tips to overcome your disadvantage
1. Do research with the faculty where you want to do fellowship at - this involves doing an outside rotation or away rotation
2. Hopefully prior to your residency, you had a strong research background and a great medical school career to back you up
3. Tell the programs why you really want to make endo your life's goal and career choice - make it a good reason that makes them believe you really want it cuz you like it, and not cuz it's easier to get into
3. If you are chief resident from your residency program, it really really helps.
4. try to do research as much as you can in the area you want to do fellowship
Cons of applying when you come from a community program
1. Most academic places fill endo/rheum with their own residents - so called "interal preference" - so if you are applying to a popular area, like Southern California - you have very few openings left to be applying for since programs that do this don't even interview
2. They never heard of your hospital - or your hospital doesn't have a strong reputation - so you need to sell the fact you have been well trained in internal medicine
So the moral of all this, you don't have to - but it makes things a lot easier if you really want to do fellowship.
Good Luck - remember it is really who you know that gets the fellowship program's attention
Tips to overcome your disadvantage
1. Do research with the faculty where you want to do fellowship at - this involves doing an outside rotation or away rotation
2. Hopefully prior to your residency, you had a strong research background and a great medical school career to back you up
3. Tell the programs why you really want to make endo your life's goal and career choice - make it a good reason that makes them believe you really want it cuz you like it, and not cuz it's easier to get into
3. If you are chief resident from your residency program, it really really helps.
4. try to do research as much as you can in the area you want to do fellowship
Cons of applying when you come from a community program
1. Most academic places fill endo/rheum with their own residents - so called "interal preference" - so if you are applying to a popular area, like Southern California - you have very few openings left to be applying for since programs that do this don't even interview
2. They never heard of your hospital - or your hospital doesn't have a strong reputation - so you need to sell the fact you have been well trained in internal medicine
So the moral of all this, you don't have to - but it makes things a lot easier if you really want to do fellowship.
Good Luck - remember it is really who you know that gets the fellowship program's attention
