Concerned doctor; any advice would be appreciated

[mohaven]

Hello everyone. I am interested in getting into Internal Medicine and pursuing cardiology. I am a IMG and was in doubt about a issue of some concern to me. Applying for the match this year I would like to know if it is imperative that I get into a program with a cardiology subspecialty training program in order to have any chance of going into cardiology. For IMGs it is harder to get into programs of our choice and that being the case I will be applying to some community programs as a back up. Should I kiss my dreams good bye if I must go to one of these community programs or is there still hope?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[dongarrow]

If you end up at a community program, you can still get a Cardiology fellowship. You need to do some research, present your research in abstract form at a national Cardiology meeting and make the abstract into a paper in the Cardiology literature. If you get the right mentor at a community program (which is often easier than you think), you can definitely get Cardiology. There are three times as many Cardiology spots as GI spots, and I obtained GI as a USFMG at a community program by following the above blueprint.

 

[mohaven]

If you end up at a community program, you can still get a Cardiology fellowship. You need to do some research, present your research in abstract form at a national Cardiology meeting and make the abstract into a paper in the Cardiology literature. If you get the right mentor at a community program (which is often easier than you think), you can definitely get Cardiology. There are three times as many Cardiology spots as GI spots, and I obtained GI as a USFMG at a community program by following the above blueprint.

That sounds like sound advice dongarrow. Thanks for your words of encouragment man. How did you manage research with the tough schedules that most residents have in internal medicine? I'm sure it was a real challenge juggling with the little time you had. Congrats on your subspecialty and all the best to you as well.