I have heard about some combined IM/cardiology programs that one applies for during 4th year. I was wondering if anybody had a list or something with the names of the places with combined IM/cardio programs.
I have heard about some combined IM/cardiology programs that one applies for during 4th year. I was wondering if anybody had a list or something with the names of the places with combined IM/cardio programs.
I am interested in these programs as well. The ones I know about are mainly for people who are interested in doing research. You basically follow the ABIM Research Pathway, which is also known as a "short track."
For IM/Cards, this means 2yrs IM, 2yrs Cards, 2-3yrs Research (clinical or basic). Very few programs guarantee you a fellowship slot upfront; the programs I know about that do offer it upfront are WashU, UMich, and Vandy. There may be others. Also, this pathway can be applied to fellowships other than Cards (Onc, Rheum, ID, etc.). Hope this helps!
However, if you think about it, research short-tracking merely reduces the clinical length of training while the protected research time is increased. What you wind up with is a program that is at least as long as the traditional path if not more so.
The program is meant to give you a strong foundation for a research career in exchange for a slightly weaker clinical training.