Community Peds Program --> Fellowship?

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p3678

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Hi all. Hoping to get some input on this... I am applying into pediatrics and creating my program list. I plan to do fellowship in Neonatology, Pulmonology, or Heme/Onc. Given this, I am wondering what the general advice is on community programs. My home institution has given split advice... my direct advisor has said they're a no, while the division chief of our NICU said there's no rule against it, as long as I could still pursue scholarly activity to support my fellowship app. As I am applying with a partner not in medicine, geography is really a top consideration, and some community programs are in very geographically appealing places for us and the programs seem really interesting. I am just wondering if there is more consensus about this and if it's wise to apply, particularly given the advice to apply to a very low number of peds programs this year (~20). Thanks all.
 
I'm a post-grad peds chief that is starting a PICU fellowship in July. I would say you will be much better at an academic center, particularly if you are looking at big-name fellowships. I went to medium sized academic program and I got a lot more inpatient, ICU, and heme onc experience than I think your typical community program resident would get. I don't think going to a community program will close many doors for you, but I don't think it will open many either. For example, programs with associated fellowships typically love internal applicants. Speaking from personal experience there. If you know you want to do a fellowship, you will be better off at an academic program, but not impossible from a community program either.
 
You’ll be fine matching peds fellowships from any residency program in the US. Of the 3 you listed NICU is most competitive and still match community residency applicants. My residency program very frequently matched NICU.

I can speak for pulmonology specifically. I went to a community peds program in order to couples match and interviewed with multiple of the big name peds pulm fellowships and it was never even brought up.
 
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GBCrzzyy said:
I'm a post-grad peds chief that is starting a PICU fellowship in July. I would say you will be much better at an academic center, particularly if you are looking at big-name fellowships. I went to medium sized academic program and I got a lot more inpatient, ICU, and heme onc experience than I think your typical community program resident would get. I don't think going to a community program will close many doors for you, but I don't think it will open many either. For example, programs with associated fellowships typically love internal applicants. Speaking from personal experience there. If you know you want to do a fellowship, you will be better off at an academic program, but not impossible from a community program either.
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I think the experience depends where you are. Especially with the acgme requirement changes. Mine was a community Childrens hospital that required residents to run. I definitely had more inpatient experience than my mid tier academic Children’s hospital that I’m completing fellowship residents have. We have similar icu experience. They have a more robust heme/onc rotation than I did.

Agree with your statement about academic for the competitive sub specialties like picu and you are targeting big name. Simple fact is most peds subspecialties don’t fill so the applicant is the chooser for fellowship
 
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