fellowship potential

[Walletectomy]

Hello everyone.

I recently received an invitation to interview in Texas off the waitlist and I am having trouble deciding whether it is worth it to attend (I live in the north east and it would be very expensive/time consuming to travel there last minute). I am very interested in learning about the program BUT the most important thing to me, beyond all else, is a program that provides me with the best chance for matching into an increasingly competitive field for fellowship. I don't have a problem moving to Texas for residency but their fellowship match list from the past few years was almost exclusively programs in Texas. I'm not 100% against living there for fellowship but I want to have the option to go elsewhere if that is what I decide. I know it's impossible to know but I was hoping someone would have insight on whether that just reflects the fact that most people who train in Texas are from there/have ties and want to stay or the lack of competitiveness of the program for matching outside the area. If this does reflect the latter, there wouldn't be much of a point for me to spend the time and money attending the interview however if it's the former, this place has the potential to be in my top 3. No pressure.

Any guidance/advice on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

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[gutonc]

This is a maddeningly vague and confusing post.

Do you want to interview there or not? How many interviews do you have already? Are you a strong candidate for your specialty? What freakin' program and what bloody specialty are you talking about?

Keep in mind that TX is about the same size as New England, NY State, PA, DE, MD, VA, NJ and NC combined. Also, a lot of people from TX never leave TX. When looked at from that perspective, the fact that a lot of this programs fellowship applicants probably just want to stay in TX, not that they can't leave, just that they don't want to.

 

[Walletectomy]

This is a maddeningly vague and confusing post.

Do you want to interview there or not? How many interviews do you have already? Are you a strong candidate for your specialty? What freakin' program and what bloody specialty are you talking about?

Haha, fair point and thanks for the help. I'm just outrageously and I'm sure unnecessarily paranoid about being identified. The program I am referring to is uthscsa. I'm, unfortunately, from the caribbean but have extremely strong scores and research. I have had 14 interviews thus far, 2 of which I am especially excited about but the caribbean thing scares me about not matching at a as-good-as-is-realistic-for-me university program (I'm applying for IM). I have a strong desire to pursue a career in academic medicine and to continue to do research, so the university thing is important. I'm very interested in the program but because of my goals, my wanting to interview there is really dependent on the fellowship situation of which I am trying to get a better understanding.

 

[gutonc]

1. You're being ridiculous about anonymity. Completely ridiculous. You're not alone in being this ridiculous, but that doesn't make it any less ridiculous.
2. Charting Outcomes in the Match for IMGs, 2016 (warning, PDF link). Pg. 112. US IMG w/ 14 contiguous IM ranks has a >95% chance of matching. The additional 1 program increases that by <1%.
3. If their grads match in the sub-specialty you're interested in, you'll be fine.
4. There's a whole IM forum for questions like this. Moving it there where it belongs.

 

[rokshana]

and what fellowship? GI? or Nephrology...the 1st is a bit of a pipe dream, the 2nd not a problem at all...the rest are in between.

 

[Daodejing]

If you're not sold on living in TX or the south for the next 3-6 yrs AND the other programs you've already interviewed at are similar or better in caliber than San Antonio, then decline the offer. You'll be fine without it.

If however you sincerely are interested in the program, then go. People match GI/cards/HOnc routinely from uthscsa, even if you went to a Caribbean med school. Just like everyone else, you'll have to work harder than the next schmuck and keep up with the research/networking.

 

[ShuperNewbie]

I'd shoot them an interview. Most people who are from Texas definitely want to stay in Texas for sure and UTHSCSA is an under-rated program. Plus, the whole being from the Carribbean thing might merit the effort (esp as academic medical programs are getting increasingly competitive). SA is honestly not a bad place to live.

 

[Walletectomy]

Thanks everyone for the advice!