This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

packattack54

Full Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2018
Messages
12
Reaction score
6
As an incoming PGY-1 anesthesiology resident, I'm interested to know what are the main factors in getting into a fellowship? Program connections? Letters? Research? Residency program prestige? I'm interested in pediatric or CT anesthesia at this point. It's early in the game, I know, but I'm interested. Thanks for the input.

Members don't see this ad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
As an incoming PGY-1 anesthesiology resident, I'm interested to know what are the main factors in getting into a fellowship? Program connections? Letters? Research? Residency program prestige? I'm interested in pediatric or CT anesthesia at this point. It's early in the game, I know, but I'm interested. Thanks for the input.

All of the above, in addition to ITEs. CT is pretty competitive, peds not as much. That does not mean peds anesthesiologists as not some the smartest and slick attendings out there.
 
I think all things kinda balance out, but the ratio of power varies with the two primary factors being scores and LORs.

Med school:
grades and scores > LORs

Residency:
Grades and scores ~= LORs (Incredibly strong LORs can trump sub optimal scores but probably not the other way around.)

Fellowship:
Grades and scores < LORs and your reputation at your program

I had multiple fellowship directors tell me point blank that they called their friends that work at my training institution to ask about me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Members don't see this ad :)
Can anyone who trained at a program that wasn't really known (because it's pretty new, for instance) describe their experience in getting into a competitive fellowship? Thinking about cardiac or a well regarded cc fellowship.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Can anyone who trained at a program that wasn't really known (because it's pretty new, for instance) describe their experience in getting into a competitive fellowship? Thinking about cardiac or a well regarded cc fellowship.

You may as well start applying for a fellowship in pathology or primary care perioperative medicine fellowship ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
I was in this situation and will be starting fellowship in July. Doing well on the ITE as well as rotating at a big name institution (whose specialty I applied for) and getting strong letters were key. I was told that without a doubt prospective programs called both faculty at my small program and those at the better-known hospital where I spent a few months.

Can anyone who trained at a program that wasn't really known (because it's pretty new, for instance) describe their experience in getting into a competitive fellowship? Thinking about cardiac or a well regarded cc fellowship.
 
Can anyone who trained at a program that wasn't really known (because it's pretty new, for instance) describe their experience in getting into a competitive fellowship? Thinking about cardiac or a well regarded cc fellowship.

Anesthesia fellowships are generally not very competitive. Especially CC and Cardiac. They are work-horse fellowships. Peds is a little more competitive and pain is the most competitive (I would argue) but any candidate from a top 50ish program can get into any fellowship.

Now that being said, getting into a PARTICULAR program can be competitive. Meaning, "I want to stay in Boston for pain" or "I want to do Cardiac in LA" that might be hard, there might be 200 people competing for 20 spots, many spots go to internal candidates, people with personal connections, etc..

Any candidate from a Top 50ish program can get into any fellowship. Do well in residency, apply broadly. After you have gotten into medical school and residency, the anesthesia fellowship process is a complete joke. It may be a very random and disorganized process, but the doors to ANY fellowship are always open to all candidates (who have no major red flags)

How could this be? Well you are giving up 300k of income to do this year that honestly will probably NOT be required for your future job. It may enrich your experience and satisfy your academic curiosity and add to your overall expertise, not saying fellowships are useless, but definitely not REQUIRED for the vast majority of good and exciting and high intensity jobs out there

In the end, if you decide to do a fellowship apply to lots of programs (40-50+). Go on about 10-15 interviews. And if possible try to stay at your home institution for simplicity reasons
 
Anesthesia fellowships are generally not very competitive. Especially CC and Cardiac. They are work-horse fellowships. Peds is a little more competitive and pain is the most competitive (I would argue) but any candidate from a top 50ish program can get into any fellowship.

Now that being said, getting into a PARTICULAR program can be competitive. Meaning, "I want to stay in Boston for pain" or "I want to do Cardiac in LA" that might be hard, there might be 200 people competing for 20 spots, many spots go to internal candidates, people with personal connections, etc..

Any candidate from a Top 50ish program can get into any fellowship. Do well in residency, apply broadly. After you have gotten into medical school and residency, the anesthesia fellowship process is a complete joke. It may be a very random and disorganized process, but the doors to ANY fellowship are always open to all candidates (who have no major red flags)

How could this be? Well you are giving up 300k of income to do this year that honestly will probably NOT be required for your future job. It may enrich your experience and satisfy your academic curiosity and add to your overall expertise, not saying fellowships are useless, but definitely not REQUIRED for the vast majority of good and exciting and high intensity jobs out there

In the end, if you decide to do a fellowship apply to lots of programs (40-50+). Go on about 10-15 interviews. And if possible try to stay at your home institution for simplicity reasons

Obvious caveat to that : you need a fellowship to practice CCM, sick peds (especially neonates), chronic pain and cardiac (at most places).
 
Anesthesia fellowships are generally not very competitive. Especially CC and Cardiac. They are work-horse fellowships. Peds is a little more competitive and pain is the most competitive (I would argue) but any candidate from a top 50ish program can get into any fellowship.

This just isn’t very accurate. When I applied for cardiac 2 years ago it was a 75% Match rate, I believe Peds is near the same level. And this doesn’t capture the people who Apply, get no interviews and then withdraw from the system to my knowledge (at least for NRMP this is the case). CCM is near 100% and there’s a large abundance of open positions every year even at top brand name places.

Don’t agree that just anyone can land a fellowship just from being at a “top” place. To get a competitive, solid program with excellent exposure you’ll need to put at least some work in (LORs in the field, posters at meetings, good ITE scores, etc...).

Also, it is absolutely true that the fellowship program matters in terms of landing some good jobs out there in cardiac and Peds. Not all programs offer the same experiences, or breadth of training.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
This just isn’t very accurate. When I applied for cardiac 2 years ago it was a 75% Match rate, I believe Peds is near the same level. And this doesn’t capture the people who Apply, get no interviews and then withdraw from the system to my knowledge (at least for NRMP this is the case). CCM is near 100% and there’s a large abundance of open positions every year even at top brand name places.

Don’t agree that just anyone can land a fellowship just from being at a “top” place. To get a competitive, solid program with excellent exposure you’ll need to put at least some work in (LORs in the field, posters at meetings, good ITE scores, etc...).

Also, it is absolutely true that the fellowship program matters in terms of landing some good jobs out there in cardiac and Peds. Not all programs offer the same experiences, or breadth of training.
75% doesn't sound toooo horrible, compared to some of the IM and surgery fellowships though, or maybe I'm wrong?
 
Can anyone who trained at a program that wasn't really known (because it's pretty new, for instance) describe their experience in getting into a competitive fellowship? Thinking about cardiac or a well regarded cc fellowship.
I come from a smaller program that lacks the big name or research appeal of the ivory tower and ivory tower-light places and I matched a very well known, competitive program with combined CCM and cardiac. I had good scores and I suppose good letters, but I don't know I didn't see them. And they are from my PD (required by most programs, but I would have asked them anyway because they are a doc I respect, enjoy working with, and I think knows me pretty well) and two older docs in cardiac and CCM and I got the impression they didn't know as many people in the fellow selection process.YMMV.
 
Any tips on how to network? I mean, how much can going to conferences really help?? I have a few specific programs in mind for fellowship but my program doesn't have close ties to them.
 
It's great unless you're one of the 25%. :)
Lol but that could be said about any fellowship, right? In fellowship match data for 2018, GI had about a 64% overall match rate, cards 70%, pulm & cc 72%, so I guess these are great match rates as long as you are not one of the 36%, 30%, or 28%.
 
I was in this situation and will be starting fellowship in July. Doing well on the ITE as well as rotating at a big name institution (whose specialty I applied for) and getting strong letters were key. I was told that without a doubt prospective programs called both faculty at my small program and those at the better-known hospital where I spent a few months.

Residents can do rotations at other institutions?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Top