GI pathology fellowship

[Pathshoppingaddict]

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Hi,
I recently matched to a pathology residency position. I am interested in GI pathology fellowship but realize that it is very competitive. I have done 2 weeks of GI path elective and also participated in basic science research in Pancreatic cancer, but have no publications. I would appreciate advice from seniors on
1. How to prepare my application and what would be the best strategy for GI path fellowship from day one( I am an IMG)
2. Does having publications in other areas( before the match) help in GI Pathology Fellowship application

 

[Unty]

Best strategy: Go to a program with a GI Path fellowship, work hard and shine. Tell the fellowship director of your interests and work hard and do whatever it takes from Day 1.

Yes publications help (first author, better than nothing) but not as much as GI Path related publications.

You don't need a GI Path fellowship to learn GI. A bunch of people signout GI with no fellowship. You can learn it well in a surgpath fellowship or even in a busy practice with a lot of GI (+ years of experience). A GI fellowship is in demand for marketing purposes in private practice, hence the posted jobs for GI fellowship trained pathologists in both private and academia.

 

[pianoguy05]

Agree with above. GI fellowships aren't competitive. Waste of time, imo, unless you're aiming to become a liver pathology expert at a tertiary care center. Even then, only a handful of fellowships that are worth that experience.

 

[Unty]

I wouldn't say it's a complete waste of time. The plus of having a fellowship is that it's your ticket into a group which might not be the case if you didn't have the fellowship under your belt. Especially with the job market, that's a GOOD thing.

 

[Pathshoppingaddict]

Best strategy: Go to a program with a GI Path fellowship, work hard and shine. Tell the fellowship director of your interests and work hard and do whatever it takes from Day 1.

Yes publications help (first author, better than nothing) but not as much as GI Path related publications.

You don't need a GI Path fellowship to learn GI. A bunch of people signout GI with no fellowship. You can learn it well in a surgpath fellowship or even in a busy practice with a lot of GI (+ years of experience). A GI fellowship is in demand for marketing purposes in private practice, hence the posted jobs for GI fellowship trained pathologists in both private and academia.

Thanks.

 

[Pathshoppingaddict]

Agree with above. GI fellowships aren't competitive. Waste of time, imo, unless you're aiming to become a liver pathology expert at a tertiary care center. Even then, only a handful of fellowships that are worth that experience.

Thanks.

 

[Pathshoppingaddict]

During my interview trail, I heard from many that GI pathology is very competitive and was under the same impression.

 

[Unty]

During my interview trail, I heard from many that GI pathology is very competitive and was under the same impression.

I wouldn't say very competitive but most GI Path programs fill. There are a bunch of programs and it's not an ACGME accredited fellowship, so any program can start a GI pathology fellowship. Some corporate labs have a GI Path fellowship for crying out loud. I know of a private group that had a GI pathology fellowship.

Just like a breast pathology fellowship. Any program can open up a fellowship and call it a breast fellowship. You don't need a breast fellowship to sign out breast but it will definitely help if you train at a good institution with experts (Schnitt for example) in a high volume setting with complex specimens.

Dermpath is def more competitive. It's ACGME accredited and not every program can open one.

If you do GI, go to a big name program with high volume and complex specimens so you see a lot and see a lot of consults that other pathologists have difficulty with.

Again, a GI Path fellowship is for marketing purposes. You can market your service to gastroenterologists saying we have a GI trained fellow, send your specimens to us!!!!

Looking at tubular adenomas and hyperplastic polyps, chronic gastritis for a year is mind numbing. I don't think you will learn anything new from what you will learn in residency. You will just see more of it.

You will definitely learn more in a high volume surgpath fellowship (Mayo, Wash U).

There are pathologists who sign out a crapload of GI in private practice without a fellowship. If you don't do GI, you can become good at GI on your own in a busy practice, going to GI pathology conferences, etc.

Doing a GI Pathology fellowship definitely makes you more marketable jobwise. You can join a practice doing GI and general surgpath or go into corporate and do GI biopsies all day long.

 

[Pathshoppingaddict]

I wouldn't say very competitive but most GI Path programs fill. There are a bunch of programs and it's not an ACGME accredited fellowship, so any program can start a GI pathology fellowship. Some corporate labs have a GI Path fellowship for crying out loud. I know of a private group that had a GI pathology fellowship.

Just like a breast pathology fellowship. Any program can open up a fellowship and call it a breast fellowship. You don't need a breast fellowship to sign out breast but it will definitely help if you train at a good institution with experts (Schnitt for example) in a high volume setting with complex specimens.

Dermpath is def more competitive. It's ACGME accredited and not every program can open one.

If you do GI, go to a big name program with high volume and complex specimens so you see a lot and see a lot of consults that other pathologists have difficulty with.

Again, a GI Path fellowship is for marketing purposes. You can market your service to gastroenterologists saying we have a GI trained fellow, send your specimens to us!!!!

Looking at tubular adenomas and hyperplastic polyps, chronic gastritis for a year is mind numbing. I don't think you will learn anything new from what you will learn in residency. You will just see more of it.

You will definitely learn more in a high volume surgpath fellowship (Mayo, Wash U).

There are pathologists who sign out a crapload of GI in private practice without a fellowship. If you don't do GI, you can become good at GI on your own in a busy practice, going to GI pathology conferences, etc.

Thanks.

 

[Pathshoppingaddict]

What are good programs for GI pathology fellowship, if one is interested in learning all types of gi, pancreas and liver pathology and not just oncology?

 

[Unty]

Lol oncology? You don’t learn oncology in pathology. These are the types of applicants we are matching into pathology who have no clue what Pathology is. Oncology really?

 

[D1b()4]

Lol oncology? You don’t learn oncology in pathology. These are the types of applicants we are matching into pathology who have no clue what Pathology is. Oncology really?

He is propably referring to neoplastic vs non-neoplastic GI.

 

[Pathshoppingaddict]

He is propably referring to neoplastic vs non-neoplastic GI.

Yes.