fellowship in peds

[juliaka1]

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I am IMG, now resident in pediatrics in my country.

would like to get to fellowship in pediatric endocrinology.
have good marks on USMLE steps.
but have no publications and have no LORS from endocrinologists. Have LORs from rheumatologist/ allergy...
Do i have chance?

thanks for help

 

[J-Rad]

The IMGs that I have known who completed a fellowship in the US completed a residency in the US as well, even if they completed a residency in their home country. The good news is that neither pediatrics, nor pediatric endocrinology is competitive and with good recommendations and USMLE scores, I imagine your chances of obtaining a US pediatrics residency will be good.

 

[oldbearprofessor]

I am IMG, now resident in pediatrics in my country.

would like to get to fellowship in pediatric endocrinology.
have good marks on USMLE steps.
but have no publications and have no LORS from endocrinologists. Have LORs from rheumatologist/ allergy...
Do i have chance?

thanks for help

The key question is whether your long term plan is to practice in the United States or return to "my country." If it is to return, then it should be reasonalby possible if you do well as a resident in your country to obtain a fellowship in endo in the US. They are not competitive and if you've done some research it would be helpful, even without publications. Pedi endo is a match and you should give it a try.

If your goal is to move to the US and practice permanently, you are best off trying to get an H not a J Visa and you would need almost certainly to complete a US pedi residency. Although in the past it was common to skip this part as the US boards allowed a one (then two, now three) year residency to be board eligible if you had completed fellowship. Currently, it is my understanding that waivers of full residency are nearly impossible (I am open to correction by those who have done this in the last 2-3 years) and the pediatric boards do not accept one or two year long US pedi residency. So, you need to be fairly committed to take this step. I personally don't advise doing a fellowship and then planning on going back to do a full residency to become US board eligible, although some do this.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

Currently, it is my understanding that waivers of full residency are nearly impossible (I am open to correction by those who have done this in the last 2-3 years) and the pediatric boards do not accept one or two year long US pedi residency.

As of a year ago, I knew IMGs with 2 year residencies that could sit for the boards. I also know a current IMG that completed fellowship but went back to complete a 2 year residency, so I think that option still exists.

 

[kappa1]

I also know a current IMG that completed fellowship but went back to complete a 2 year residency, so I think that option still exists.

I also know one who is doing the above. Basically did an intern year and 1 senior year in peds, after a fellowship in US.

 

[Triza]

Hi everyone
im a pediatric resident and interviewing for pediatrc endocrine fellowship
I have had 3 interviews yet, and some are coming up. My issue is i feel that "why endocrinology? question which almost everybody asks 6-8 times /interview is messing up some things for me. I try to be myself and be honest by telling my interest and good grasp in physio, path and clinical application of the subject + my endocrine electives which were a good learning experience and helped me make final decision about this field------BUT i guess this is proving to be no enough to CONVINCE /IMPRESS them.....[i have a kind of feeling from their response].
I do not have any research experience....KINDLY suggest me some good impressive tips..thanks
TRIZA

 

[BigRedBeta]

Hi everyone
im a pediatric resident and interviewing for pediatrc endocrine fellowship
I have had 3 interviews yet, and some are coming up. My issue is i feel that "why endocrinology? question which almost everybody asks 6-8 times /interview is messing up some things for me. I try to be myself and be honest by telling my interest and good grasp in physio, path and clinical application of the subject + my endocrine electives which were a good learning experience and helped me make final decision about this field------BUT i guess this is proving to be no enough to CONVINCE /IMPRESS them.....[i have a kind of feeling from their response].
I do not have any research experience....KINDLY suggest me some good impressive tips..thanks
TRIZA

In the end, people want to see that you're excited about your future. The baseline expectations are that you interested and capable, so telling people those things is not going to impress them. It's not enough to just "like" endocrine - if that's where you're at, there are a lot of large private pediatric practices where patients with certain conditions get funneled towards certain partners based on them "liking" a particular set of clinical issues - like diabetes. But if you're going to make endocrine your entire career, you need to show that you're well beyond just "liking" the field.

So go beyond telling them that your electives were "good learning experience" and show them how you've become passionate about endocrine. Give them examples in which you've gone above and beyond to gain more exposure to the field. Did you go to diabetes camp? Have you shown up for endocrine department educational meetings on your accord? Do you have case reports you're working on? Was there one patient that really clinched it for you that endocrine was for you - can you tell that story?

Passion is always palpable - even the most reserved individual cannot hide it. Voices rise, facial expressions become more animated, and gestures get larger. People notice and they'll respond - particularly when you're explaining a passion you both share.

If you need to, practice your "why endocrine" answer and delivery with a friend, someone who will give it to you straight. Use their feedback to tweak your approach.

 

[oldbearprofessor]

A couple of things here:

First, pedi endocrine is not a competitive match, even for IMGs. As long as you are a reasonable applicant and can speak English understandably, there shouldn't be much of a problem in finding a spot.

Second, fellowship interviews are generally low key. They don't really care much about why you want to be an endocrinologist, as that is a moot point by then. Rather, they want to learn about you and about your plans for the future. so, if asked "Why do you want to be an endocrinologist?", the answer might be something like "I am fascinated by the complexities needed to provide comprehensive care to children with Type 1 diabetes. I am excited potentially to do research into new therapies (such as....) and look forward to doing clinical (or basic science) studies on .......... as a fellow."

In other words, they are asking this question to learn how you might best fit into their program, not to have you prove to them your love of pediatric endocrinology. They also want to see how you communicate and learn about your training and interests a bit.

Finally, your "feeling" about how the interview(s) went may not be accurate. Answer questions truthfully and express knowledge and interest in the program, and you'll be fine.