Card fellowship for a hospitalist

[kayjaypi]

Hi Guys,

I am interested in going into card fellowship. I am an IMG and had average to low USMLE scores. I went to a community IM program and completed my residency 3 years ago. I have been practicing as a hospitalist ever since. I am board certified. I am currently at a hospital that doesn't have a card fellowship. I have read that research improves one's chances, but exactly what type and kind of research? Also, should I try to become an academic hospitalist at a hospital which does have a card fellowship? May be it will improve my chances. Would my board certification give me any advantage? I am trying to see whether I even stand a chance or not. Any helpful advice will be greatly appreciated.

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[asmallchild]

Hi Guys,

I am interested in going into card fellowship. I am an IMG and had average to low USMLE scores. I went to a community IM program and completed my residency 3 years ago. I have been practicing as a hospitalist ever since. I am board certified. I am currently at a hospital that doesn't have a card fellowship. I have read that research improves one's chances, but exactly what type and kind of research? Also, should I try to become an academic hospitalist at a hospital which does have a card fellowship? May be it will improve my chances. Would my board certification give me any advantage? I am trying to see whether I even stand a chance or not. Any helpful advice will be greatly appreciated.

Cardiology research is probably the best bet. I've met many hospitalists coming to my community hospital program because it does offer both cardiology research opportunites (I know, pretty unique for a community hospital) and because it offers a cardiology fellowship that often looks in-house.

I'd recommend doing something like that if possible.

 

[dragonfly99]

I think that your chances are not great. Remember there are a lot of US grads and IMG's with high board scores and publications who are currently training at university IM programs who are vying for these spots every year.

The low USMLE scores will hurt you are certain programs, the ones that look at USMLE scores. Not all do.

Being board certified and having some work experience might help a little at some programs. My experience was that a lot of programs like people who are PGY2 and currently IM residents, and some feel that if you applying late there must be something "wrong" with you. However, not all programs feel this way.

Right now your application would not be strong. I recommend either doing a 1 year CHF fellowship, or a 1-2 year research fellowship in cardiology to improve your chances. That is what I would do if I was in your position and wanted to do this. You might fail, but at most you've only used up a year or two, and if you like cardiology you'd probably find the work interesting anyway. The down side would be that you'd be taking a big pay cut, but that's what a lot of us (US grads) have already done by taking extra years of med school, or post med school, to do research to make our residency and fellowship applications more competitive. If you are a foreign grad you also may not have the large student loans that most US grads have, so you should be able to afford to live on a research fellow's salary.