Applying for fellowship question

[NontradICUdoc]

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I am a PGY-2 in a dually accredited program and performing well. I have only taken COMLEX and need to stay in the South Jersey/Philly/Delaware area. My plan is to work as a hospitalist for a couple of years and then apply for a Pulm/Crit fellowship.

Question, should I make plans to take USMLE to increase the number of places I would be looked at? As of now, there is only 1 program in the area.

Thanks for your help.

 

[jdh71]

Yes. Take the Usmle's

 

[jdh71]

On second thought. Don't.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

So my letters of recommendations and my performance should be good enough? If I do decide to take the USMLE is it just step 3?

 

[sargerius]

You can't just take USMLE Step 3 alone...in order to take Step 3, you'd have to take Step 1, Step 2 CK and CS, and then step 3. This probably wouldn't make too much sense if you haven't done at least step 1 and and step 2 and you are already a pgy-2

 

[DrWBD]

Very few D.O.s actually take USMLE Step 3.

Pulmonary/CC is not super competitive unless you are applying to top programs. Although your geographical constraints and your being a D.O. make getting an ACGME fellowship a bit more challenging, my opinion is that having great letters of recommendation and a decent curriculum vitae will carry a lot more weight than taking USMLE Step 3.

Does your current institution have a Pulmonary/CC fellowship program? My observation is that D.O.s tend to have the best chance of matching ACGME fellowships in the place they did their primary residency training. If you have to apply outside your institution, find out if your program director has any 'pull' and could call a fellowship program director on your behalf.

Also I'd recommend just getting fellowship over with if it's at all possible, rather than delaying. Of course, that's a personal decision for you that depends on your life situation.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

Thanks for your input. My institution does not have any fellowships, at the moment. But our program has sent people to competitive locations for fellowships. I need to work for a couple of years due to family/financial obligations that will not be able to be put off much longer.

Rumor is that the Osteopathic GME director is looking into starting a pulm/crit fellowship and I will certainly be watching if he does.

 

[jdh71]

So my letters of recommendations and my performance should be good enough? If I do decide to take the USMLE is it just step 3?

Should be.

I think trying to take all of the USMLE's would be a BIG time and money sink and when you trying to apply to a specialty that isn't very competitive in general, I don't think it is necessary. There should be enough ACGME programs in your area to give it a solid shot.