CT Surgery Dual Applying options

[bacwards13]

Current US MD at a mid-tier school interested in CT surgery. I know the most common dual-apply option with CT surgery is general surgery. However, given how competitive the traditional CT surgery fellowship has become, I haven't found solace in that as a back-up option. So what other specialties are good to dual-apply to that could get me to a similar career point besides general surgery? Before others ask "do you want to be a surgeon or a hospitalist" in determining whether to apply to IM or GS, I honestly wouldn't be more satisfied with one vs. the other. However, I know I want my career to involve cardiac care in some way, shape, or form, and I fell in love with CT surgery because I do enjoy the surgical aspect of it (but was never interested in the anatomy of GS). Some current options I've thought of for dual-applying that I'd love to hear people's opinions on are:

IM --> cardiology/--> interventional cards (from what I've read US MDs have a 80%+ match rate for cardiology. Not sure how competitive IC is)

Integrated vascular surgery --> thoracic surgery fellowship (I realize how insane this sounds, but I've heard mixed things about integrated vascular surgery competitiveness. I heard it's easier than CT surgery to match into, and some of the research would overlap. Vascular care also overlaps with heart care a lot, which would be nice if I don't match CT after. If someone could speak on the competitiveness of thoracic surgery fellowship for graduating vascular surgery residents that would be great.)

Radiology --> IR (I read that IR doesn't do as many cardiac procedures anymore, if someone could speak on this too it would be great. The ones I shadowed didn't do cardiac procedures. Also, I'm not too keen on 4-5 years of radiology residency.)

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[Kierkegaard's Bud]

Current US MD at a mid-tier school interested in CT surgery. I know the most common dual-apply option with CT surgery is general surgery. However, given how competitive the traditional CT surgery fellowship has become, I haven't found solace in that as a back-up option. So what other specialties are good to dual-apply to that could get me to a similar career point besides general surgery? Before others ask "do you want to be a surgeon or a hospitalist" in determining whether to apply to IM or GS, I honestly wouldn't be more satisfied with one vs. the other. However, I know I want my career to involve cardiac care in some way, shape, or form, and I fell in love with CT surgery because I do enjoy the surgical aspect of it (but was never interested in the anatomy of GS). Some current options I've thought of for dual-applying that I'd love to hear people's opinions on are:

IM --> cardiology/--> interventional cards (from what I've read US MDs have a 80%+ match rate for cardiology. Not sure how competitive IC is)

Integrated vascular surgery --> thoracic surgery fellowship (I realize how insane this sounds, but I've heard mixed things about integrated vascular surgery competitiveness. I heard it's easier than CT surgery to match into, and some of the research would overlap. Vascular care also overlaps with heart care a lot, which would be nice if I don't match CT after. If someone could speak on the competitiveness of thoracic surgery fellowship for graduating vascular surgery residents that would be great.)

Radiology --> IR (I read that IR doesn't do as many cardiac procedures anymore, if someone could speak on this too it would be great. The ones I shadowed didn't do cardiac procedures. Also, I'm not too keen on 4-5 years of radiology residency.)

Google is your friend: Redirecting

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

There are other good general surgery fellowships. Could you not see yourself being happy as one of those?

 

[bacwards13]

Google is your friend: Redirecting

Yeah, this article kind of just re-affirmed what I was saying. CT surgery has been getting more competitive as a fellowship.

 

[bacwards13]

There are other good general surgery fellowships. Could you not see yourself being happy as one of those?

Plastics and bariatric surgery maybe, but those are also very competitive.

 

[account]

IR is not a good choice if you want cardiac care. You don't go in the coronaries anymore. You will get to do PEs and some aorta work at some places.