Different Fellowship than Residency?

[ogleea]

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So I've got what might be a silly question. Is it possible for someone to finish a residency, then get a fellowship in a different field? Or would someone have to complete a new residency?

For example, if someone did a general surgery residency then wanted to switch to, I don't know, say hematology, would they be able to apply for a fellowship or would they need to do a residency in internal medicine?

Also, does it make a difference if the specialties are more similar? I'll sorta go back to the previous example, but if you wanted to be a trauma surgeon and completed a thoracic surgery residency instead of a general surgery residency, would trauma still be a viable fellowship?

 

[gyngyn]

Each fellowship has requisite training. Sometimes a fellowship will be open to those with different residency training ( e.g. Sports Medicine, Breast, Genetics...). Others will require specific board eligibility or certification to be considered (Maternal Fetal Medicine, Pediatric Surgery...).

 

[LucidSplash]

So I've got what might be a silly question. Is it possible for someone to finish a residency, then get a fellowship in a different field? Or would someone have to complete a new residency?

For example, if someone did a general surgery residency then wanted to switch to, I don't know, say hematology, would they be able to apply for a fellowship or would they need to do a residency in internal medicine?

Also, does it make a difference if the specialties are more similar? I'll sorta go back to the previous example, but if you wanted to be a trauma surgeon and completed a thoracic surgery residency instead of a general surgery residency, would trauma still be a viable fellowship?

As above, the general answer is no. In the specific examples you cited, no. General surgery teaches you to be a surgeon, and while we manage our basic medical issues, it doesn't go in depth enough to be prepared for a fellowship in hemeonc; likewise an I6 CT residency wouldn't teach you anything about the abdomen, which you need for trauma. It should be noted there really aren't accredited "trauma" fellowships, only critical care fellowships. Some of the big trauma centers will advertise themselves as "trauma/cc fellowships" but only the cc portion is accredited. Technically you can take trauma after just doing a gen surg residency, you only need the fellowship if you're going to be at a place that wants you to do major critical care work.