Fellowship years after residency?

[subtle1epiphany]

I am interested in internal medicine and know that I want to focus on primary care at first, but I have to admit that some of the fellowships very tempting and intriguing. Is it possible to get a residency in internal medicine and then practice for some time (a few years to a decade perhaps) and then to specialize in cardio or nephro for instance? Also I wonder if this would make the process far more difficult in the long run than just specializing from the start, as I imagine the great majority of medical graduates do.
Any info would be great! TIA

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[drtofu66]

Yes, it's very possible. Just make sure to stay in touch with your residency program as you'll still need to get LOR's out. I think that's one thing that holds people back from delving back into a fellowship after working in primary care for a few years. The bigger issue is probably the salary discrepancy; I imagine that it's tough to take a $60-80k paycut to work harder, especially when you're older and more likely to have a kid or two to support.

 

[lf777]

Many colleagues are taking 1-2 years after IM and then get a fellowship. When applying for a fellowship, I am sure they will be asked why they took a break from the academic environment.

lf