Hematology/Oncology 2020-2021 Fellowship Application Cycle

[Publicius]

Thank you to everyone who's given their advise. Probably true that the clinical context is essential to mastering the specialty and not merely dry reading.
I'll probably just revise my hematology, staging of tumors, general approach to cancer patients and perhaps the general pharmacology of cancer drugs(which is a daunting task) and leave it at that.

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[gutonc]

I prepared by doing an ICU month, a CCU month, an ER month and a wards month.

Not sure who "thumbsdowned" me here, but I wasn't trying to be a douche. My last 4 months of residency were the 4 listed above. This was back in the days when you matched on a similar schedule to the residency match, not in December.

It was a total s***show. My last day of residency was CCU nightfloat. I was supposed to start onc consults the next morning (same institution, obviously). I had to specifically ask for that day off and had to pay back a call weekend to the rising 2nd year fellow that covered me for that one day.

I didn't have 6 months to prep for fellowship, I basically had 24 hours, 12 or so of which I spent asleep.

You'll survive. For real.

 

[HemeOncHopeful19]

Not sure who "thumbsdowned" me here, but I wasn't trying to be a douche. My last 4 months of residency were the 4 listed above. This was back in the days when you matched on a similar schedule to the residency match, not in December.

It was a total s***show. My last day of residency was CCU nightfloat. I was supposed to start onc consults the next morning (same institution, obviously). I had to specifically ask for that day off and had to pay back a call weekend to the rising 2nd year fellow that covered me for that one day.

I didn't have 6 months to prep for fellowship, I basically had 24 hours, 12 or so of which I spent asleep.

You'll survive. For real.

I thumbs-downed your post because that schedule sounded like a sh*tshow and I felt compelled to show disapproval for its very existence. Liking it just felt like the wrong response. No offense intended.

 

[SFarber]

Not sure who "thumbsdowned" me here, but I wasn't trying to be a douche. My last 4 months of residency were the 4 listed above. This was back in the days when you matched on a similar schedule to the residency match, not in December.

It was a total s***show. My last day of residency was CCU nightfloat. I was supposed to start onc consults the next morning (same institution, obviously). I had to specifically ask for that day off and had to pay back a call weekend to the rising 2nd year fellow that covered me for that one day.

I didn't have 6 months to prep for fellowship, I basically had 24 hours, 12 or so of which I spent asleep.

You'll survive. For real.

I totally understand that having the time to do anything before transitioning from residency to fellowship is a tremendous privilege and that even in s***shows like in your case, people survive. Because surviving is what we have been doing for years. The question is what one may do to help the anxiety if you are one of those with the privilege. Some people have matched while working as hospitalists or research fellows or from admin positions. Those have 6 months that theoretically can be used to do something.

Again we all understand whatever you do is probably not going to make any drastic changes to your initial performance and that whatever you learn is not going to be as efficient as later in clinical setting but its really hard to sit and do nothing for 6 months knowing you are starting something that is so different from what you have been doing in internal medicine.

 

[ShuperNewbie]

Wow no one's posting their matches here huh? Geez. Well I'll actually start by posting out the NYU match list to heme/onc this year. I think everyone got to where they wanted to go. 100% match and I'm fairly sure most people matched within their top 3. I'd post myself but it'd completely de-anonymize me so i'll hold off for now til I'm ready

NYU Heme/onc 2020 Match List (In no particular Order):

NIH/NCI
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center x2
NYU
NYU Long Island*
UPMC
DFCI/Brigham
Mt Sinai
Temple/Fox Chase Cancer Center
U Penn
U Colorado*

*Brooklyn/Community Track since the most common PM I get is "can I do felllowship after graduating from the community track" to which the answer is "obviously yes"

 

[whoknows2012]

Wow no one's posting their matches here huh? Geez. Well I'll actually start by posting out the NYU match list to heme/onc this year. I think everyone got to where they wanted to go. 100% match and I'm fairly sure most people matched within their top 3. I'd post myself but it'd completely de-anonymize me so i'll hold off for now til I'm ready

NYU Heme/onc 2020 Match List (In no particular Order):

NIH/NCI
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center x2
NYU
NYU Long Island*
UPMC
DFCI/Brigham
Mt Sinai
Temple/Fox Chase Cancer Center
U Penn
U Colorado*

*Brooklyn/Community Track since the most common PM I get is "can I do felllowship after graduating from the community track" to which the answer is "obviously yes"

I have Monte;

Monte x 5
Cornell
Columbia
Sinai
UT-Houston
City of Hope

and Cornell;

Columbia x 2
Cornell x 3
NYU x 2
Sinai
Stanford
MSK x 2
MD Anderson

this seems to have been at least anecdotally a more competitive year (at least for us). We didn’t have as many spots to fill given previously matched applicants that were on the research track (~60% of spots remained in match) but we didn’t go very far down our rank list after going decently far down last year.

 

[ShuperNewbie]

this seems to have been at least anecdotally a more competitive year (at least for us). We didn’t have as many spots to fill given previously matched applicants that were on the research track (~60% of spots remained in match) but we didn’t go very far down our rank list after going decently far down last year.

Yeah totally! Same with us it seems like everyone had basically the same rank order list this year

 

[kiki2020]

Hello, first congrats! We did it!
I was invited from 20 programs interviewed at 14, matched #5 , here are the program list, not based on rank order list. I went back and forth with my rank order list top 7 place, I had to consider my significant others preference and job opportunities- dislikes NYC and California is too far, I thought I was gonna be happy in any placed except 2-3 programs that I ranked. I ended up regretting ranking 2 programs bc I was scared when I imagined matching there (Boo). My advice to people to avoid anxiety and stress, only rank placed that you absolutely want to go, do not rank programs that you dont like, or your gut tells you there is something fishy and do not interview to places you know you would not want to go, bc think of other applicants they are dreaming for that spot which is meaningless to you.
It was very difficult this year - unable to visit places and get the feel of the program/city.


-Mayo - Rochester - great place to train, lots of funding, but too much snow and too cold, no VA
-Yale - great program, many SPORE grants, PD seemed nice until the point when he started sending emails to applicants that he would love them to go there, seemed he send way too many (based on excel document). One of my friend who wanted to match there received that email but turned out he/she was not ranked high enough bc he/she did not end up matching there, was misleading overall - has VA
-UCSD - very strong program, fellows seemed happy. has VA
-BIDMC - 1 year outpatient clinic, followed by inpatient and research, opportunities to do research at MGH/DF - no VA
-UW - research power house, 3.5 y program mandatory T32, only academic career orientation, say not to go there if you want private practice - has VA
-Fox Chase - clinically heavy, Temple tried to sell FOXChase early 2020 to Jefferson but deal fall through bc of COVID19 not sure what this means for the future. no VA
-Jefferson - seemed laid back, low stress fellowship, fellows were happy, supportive PD no VA
-UPMC - very supportive PD, strong research program, fellows seemed very happy - has VA
-Cornell - first year inpatient/clinic, 2nd year research and then back to clinic. People seemed very nice -no VA
-Monte - clinically heavy program, many opportunities for research but very inpatient heavy - no VA
-CWRU - a bit tough call schedule, one fellow covers multiple hospitals - has VA
-UC - great PD, fellows seemed happy, obviously great place to live - has VA
-OSU - my least favorite interview experience, seemed fellows get only weekday off bc PA/NP gets weekend off. PD did not show during interview which was very odd
-UR- very supportive PD, people seemed happy there

Good luck everyone who is reading this post in 2021, hope your interview season is in person and COVID19 pandemic is over!

 

[HemeOncHopeful19]

-OSU - seemed fellows get only weekday off bc PA/NP gets weekend off

Flush it down the toilet if true.

I also like your VA vs no-VA qualifier, I am curious which you prefer? I am not a fan of that EMR

 

[gutonc]

Flush it down the toilet if true.

I also like your VA vs no-VA qualifier, I am curious which you prefer? I am not a fan of that EMR

The EMR sucks, no doubt. The independent clinical experience however is almost unparalleled. It was one of the things I used in evaluating both residency and fellowship programs.

And as someone who hires oncologists for community practice now, it's one of the things I look for in applicants. If you can get s*** done at the VA, you can get it done anywhere.

 

[kiki2020]

Flush it down the toilet if true.

I also like your VA vs no-VA qualifier, I am curious which you prefer? I am not a fan of that EMR

Agree, VA is a plus, lots of hands on experience and all fellows said -"they are true oncologist for the patients" and you have lot more ownership for patients. so def positive thing when you evaluate programs

 

[ShuperNewbie]

Totally agree, VA is a plus. We used to say that our VA ICU is where folks "grow up" as doctors. The entire boon is that VAs tend to offer the autonomy to build your own practice style while still being "bread and butter" enough so that you don't feel pressured to call a million consultants on board to run the show. It also forces you to develop problem solving/political skills outside of medicine (e.g. ever have a critical blood transfusion denied because someone was "on break"? Or ever get your critically important CTPE cancelled because someone's Cr was 1.3 and giving contrast was "against protocol"?)

That said, keep in mind (future generations) that having a VA is a plus but not a necessity. Many of the strongest specialized cancer centers out there don't really rotate through VAs (e.g. MDA, MSK, FCCC... I didn't interview at DFCI but I'm not sure they rotate through a VA either... and I don't recall how extensively Moffitt goes through the Haley VA) along with a lot of very strong university programs.

The point is that if institutions don't have a VA, they should make up for it by having some sort of practice that allows you the autonomy to develop your own style and not just act like a "glorified scribe" for two years. The exception to this is if you know for sure that you want to focus primarily on research. In that case all this practice stuff is less important than mentorship.

 

[CatFactorial]

I just found out out that the VA clinic I requested cancelelation for next week for vacation purposes (request made 2 months ago) was denied. Because I didn't mark the cancellation time as 0800-1200 and instead did 0000-2359.

Instead of the 0 patients I was looking forward to I have 9.

The VA is not a plus.

 

[ShuperNewbie]

I just found out out that the VA clinic I requested cancelelation for next week for vacation purposes (request made 2 months ago) was denied. Because I didn't mark the cancellation time as 0800-1200 and instead did 0000-2359.

Instead of the 0 patients I was looking forward to I have 9.

The VA is not a plus.

Also a very, very valid point of view (oh my gosh I can totally relate to this lol)

 

[lulu09]

Hello, first congrats! We did it!
I was invited from 20 programs interviewed at 14, matched #5 , here are the program list, not based on rank order list. I went back and forth with my rank order list top 7 place, I had to consider my significant others preference and job opportunities- dislikes NYC and California is too far, I thought I was gonna be happy in any placed except 2-3 programs that I ranked. I ended up regretting ranking 2 programs bc I was scared when I imagined matching there (Boo). My advice to people to avoid anxiety and stress, only rank placed that you absolutely want to go, do not rank programs that you dont like, or your gut tells you there is something fishy and do not interview to places you know you would not want to go, bc think of other applicants they are dreaming for that spot which is meaningless to you.
It was very difficult this year - unable to visit places and get the feel of the program/city.


-Mayo - Rochester - great place to train, lots of funding, but too much snow and too cold, no VA
-Yale - great program, many SPORE grants, PD seemed nice until the point when he started sending emails to applicants that he would love them to go there, seemed he send way too many (based on excel document). One of my friend who wanted to match there received that email but turned out he/she was not ranked high enough bc he/she did not end up matching there, was misleading overall - has VA
-UCSD - very strong program, fellows seemed happy. has VA
-BIDMC - 1 year outpatient clinic, followed by inpatient and research, opportunities to do research at MGH/DF - no VA
-UW - research power house, 3.5 y program mandatory T32, only academic career orientation, say not to go there if you want private practice - has VA
-Fox Chase - clinically heavy, Temple tried to sell FOXChase early 2020 to Jefferson but deal fall through bc of COVID19 not sure what this means for the future. no VA
-Jefferson - seemed laid back, low stress fellowship, fellows were happy, supportive PD no VA
-UPMC - very supportive PD, strong research program, fellows seemed very happy - has VA
-Cornell - first year inpatient/clinic, 2nd year research and then back to clinic. People seemed very nice -no VA
-Monte - clinically heavy program, many opportunities for research but very inpatient heavy - no VA
-CWRU - a bit tough call schedule, one fellow covers multiple hospitals - has VA
-UC - great PD, fellows seemed happy, obviously great place to live - has VA
-OSU - my least favorite interview experience, seemed fellows get only weekday off bc PA/NP gets weekend off. PD did not show during interview which was very odd
-UR- very supportive PD, people seemed happy there

Good luck everyone who is reading this post in 2021, hope your interview season is in person and COVID19 pandemic is over!

Thanks for posting your interview impressions! IMO, these are the most helpful. I never thought it's important or useful for people to reveal where they matched. However, if people can post a 1-liner about how their interview experience was at each program (people can feel free to omit their home programs or where they matched if they are paranoid), especially since now where you interviewed literally doesn't matter anymore, it will help out future applicants for sure. I'm a fellow now and still enjoy reading these.

 

[Robotneurologist]

I'll also post my quick thoughts on interviews this year.
Overall definitely thought these interviews were strange in comparison to residency interviews as zoom interviews really don't allow you to form as solid of a gut feeling. I also had a very wide spread of the kinds of programs I interviewed at so different perspective than all the MDA/DF/MSK people.
For reference: IMG, Steps 250s x3, some solid research during residency that I could easily talk about but overall hasn't produced much yet. Basically stuck with only applying to the coasts.
Random order as follows:
Tufts - Good clinic structure. Program spent a lot of time during the interview day speaking about research. Located right in the center of the city. Spend some time outside of the city in community clinic for more PP experience. Didn't meet the PD during the interview so can't comment.

UCLA Olive View/Cedars/Kaiser - Very nice faculty during interviews. Spend almost a year or so at Cedars. Starting some clinical trials at olive view site. PD was nice. Probably better to know spanish as one of the fellows stated that some days they just don't speak english in clinic anymore.

UCLA Harbor - Very laid back interview day and fellows seemed extremely happy. Asked about the recent split from City of Hope and seems to be well organized w/o a large shock to the program. 3rd year is mostly w/i the kaiser system.

GW - Small program. The local VA is split w/ GW fellows doing all heme there and georgetown doing the onc. BMT at NIH. Nice location PD is very nice and straightforward stating his focus is on clinical training and strong clinical fellows and seems very open to allowing fellows to direct their training path.

VCU - Mid sized program. Inhouse BMT. Twice weekly fellow run continuity clinics (VA and main hospital). Interesting system of staffing clinic patients prior to appts that fellows said is useful early on. Fun PD who was very honest and was raved about by fellows.

Moffitt - Very large program. Very research focused w/ strict research requirements during . I feel like it was a difficult call schedule but don't remember specifics. Continuity clinic first year is split between different subspecialties and 2-3 year clinic is fellow run. Focused tracts.

Montefiore - Strong benign heme (fellows spend months straight focused on it). Interview day was super short. Research focused. They made it known that fellows work hard w/ high volumes and phrased it as "People who come here and didn't train in NYC are always surprised by the NYC volume".

As you can see programs that were both clinical and academia focused and all around the country. Actually partially glad it was all zoom so I didn't have to do all that traveling. I am aiming for private practice so chose one of the more clinically focused programs.

 

[Jinxapotato]

Hello friends,
Congratulations on those who matched, I am wondering if I can get any insights as to if I can get a hematology & oncology spot in the coming year.

I'm a current PGY-2 resident in a state-university program, and I am really unsure if I will be competitive enough to apply in the coming year. Here are my info:
I am CANADIAN on a J1 visa currently
I am a DO
Step 1 and 2: high 240s, COMLEX 1 & 2: 580s n 600s (honestly dont remember), COMLEX 3 - to be taken soon
Program: Low-Mid tier university program, with several inhouse fellowship but NO HEME ONC T.T
Research: 2 first auth pub (1 from med school 1 from residency) with 2 more submitted pending review, like 5 poster/presentations, currently doing a retrospective study in heme onc with assistance of OSH oncologists, definitely will result in an abstract, maybe manuscript by the time of application.
Application: I will literally apply to every single program in the country (except Ivy league...I know I won't get there..)

The reason of my concern is that literally every single heme onc doc I worked with are like MD PhD with 20 publications often in their 50s (I'm in my 20s). Also with COVID blowing everything up I had real struggle in finding a research project, and the time to commit to it (we got pulled to so many ICUs and our research electives are being cancelled).

 

[HaemOnculus]

Hello friends,
Congratulations on those who matched, I am wondering if I can get any insights as to if I can get a hematology & oncology spot in the coming year.

I'm a current PGY-2 resident in a state-university program, and I am really unsure if I will be competitive enough to apply in the coming year. Here are my info:
I am CANADIAN on a J1 visa currently
I am a DO
Step 1 and 2: high 240s, COMLEX 1 & 2: 580s n 600s (honestly dont remember), COMLEX 3 - to be taken soon
Program: Low-Mid tier university program, with several inhouse fellowship but NO HEME ONC T.T
Research: 2 first auth pub (1 from med school 1 from residency) with 2 more submitted pending review, like 5 poster/presentations, currently doing a retrospective study in heme onc with assistance of OSH oncologists, definitely will result in an abstract, maybe manuscript by the time of application.
Application: I will literally apply to every single program in the country (except Ivy league...I know I won't get there..)

The reason of my concern is that literally every single heme onc doc I worked with are like MD PhD with 20 publications often in their 50s (I'm in my 20s). Also with COVID blowing everything up I had real struggle in finding a research project, and the time to commit to it (we got pulled to so many ICUs and our research electives are being cancelled).

Just read a few of my posts from 2 years ago. If you are able to function on interview day, you will do just fine.

 

[sowanja]

Hi currently pgy3 from a community program with poor hem onc rotations. Low step1 at 198, step2 235, step 3 205. Asco publication and total 8 publications in medicine ( not precisely onc) plannng I’m doing onlineMPH. Any chances of me getting a fellowship with this profile or is it even hopeless to try.. please suggest

 

[ShuperNewbie]

Hi currently pgy3 from a community program with poor hem onc rotations. Low step1 at 198, step2 235, step 3 205. Asco publication and total 8 publications in medicine ( not precisely onc) plannng I’m doing onlineMPH. Any chances of me getting a fellowship with this profile or is it even hopeless to try.. please suggest

You do you boo. No harm in trying. Live your best life. Shoot for the stars. Go for the gold.

Honestly just apply. No harm if it's your dream. No one here can magically predict whether you'll match or not (especially with this limited amount of information); you just have to go for it and see what happens. Be prepared to talk about that step 1 score though.

 

[gutonc]

You do you boo. No harm in trying. Live your best life. Shoot for the stars. Go for the gold.

Honestly just apply. No harm if it's your dream. No one here can magically predict whether you'll match or not (especially with this limited amount of information); you just have to go for it and see what happens. Be prepared to talk about that step 1 score though.

And please don't waste time/money on an online MPH.

 

[sowanja]

Thank you so much for the encouragement. Can you please say if doing Geriatrics or palliative care fellowship in a university program with in-house hem onc would make me more desirable for hem onc? Please suggest. Thank you

 

[gutonc]

Thank you so much for the encouragement. Can you please say if doing Geriatrics or palliative care fellowship in a university program with in-house hem onc would make me more desirable for hem onc? Please suggest. Thank you

For that particular Onc program, maybe. In general? Not significantly.

 

[sowanja]

Thank you again. Could you suggest some better ways to strengthen my application please. I have very poor mentor ship for hem onc at my program..

 

[DrTips]

Hey guys any reviews abt hemonc at Westchester medical program

 

[Helppp]

Thank you so much for the encouragement. Can you please say if doing Geriatrics or palliative care fellowship in a university program with in-house hem onc would make me more desirable for hem onc? Please suggest. Thank you

Doing pall Med fellowship and tremendously helped me
Only had 4 interviews and matched at my no one
On the interview they sounded very interested in my pall Med fellowship

 

[Gerotuzumab]

Thank you so much for the encouragement. Can you please say if doing Geriatrics or palliative care fellowship in a university program with in-house hem onc would make me more desirable for hem onc? Please suggest. Thank you

Yes it will IF you truly are interested in using principles of both specialties to improve the field + have a story and publications that support this. They dont have to be interventional - even case series and observational studies based off chart review or on databases help just as long as your passionate about it.

A good story to geri and pal-onc is key to answering questions on interview day. Publications showing your dedication to marrying both fields help alot but dont think that a year long fellowship will guarantee you a spot nor will it afford you enough time to publish multiple first author publications when you are 3 months in to fellowship.

 

[sowanja]

Yes it will IF you truly are interested in using principles of both specialties to improve the field + have a story and publications that support this. They dont have to be interventional - even case series and observational studies based off chart review or on databases help just as long as your passionate about it.

A good story to geri and pal-onc is key to answering questions on interview day. Publications showing your dedication to marrying both fields help alot but dont think that a year long fellowship will guarantee you a spot nor will it afford you enough time to publish multiple first author publications when you are 3 months in to fellowship.

Thank you so much

 

[Gerotuzumab]

Thank you so much

no worries if you are interested in Geri-Onc, reach out.

 

[anonymouspremeduser001]

hey guys! I am actually a premed student and was super interested in heme/onc so I follow these threads closely. I was wondering if you guys think MD vs DO matters for getting into Hem/Onc?

 

[HemeOncHopeful19]

It is probably easier to get into any field, Heme/Onc or otherwise, as an MD. That being said, Heme/Onc is not one of the "impossible" fields for a DO in the same way that I understand things like Neurosurgery to be.

(Insert obligatory statement that you will change your mind about what you want to do by the time you get there)

Edit: please don't take that as a knock on DOs, I don't think personally they are any less of a doctor than an MD, but that is the reality currently

 

[bobow98]

It is probably easier to get into any field, Heme/Onc or otherwise, as an MD. That being said, Heme/Onc is not one of the "impossible" fields for a DO in the same way that I understand things like Neurosurgery to be.

(Insert obligatory statement that you will change your mind about what you want to do by the time you get there)

Edit: please don't take that as a knock on DOs, I don't think personally they are any less of a doctor than an MD, but that is the reality currently

Focus on accumulating research experiences. That's one of the main currencies for matching into a program. I think DO tends to send a lot of people into primary care fields and research is less of a typical experience for most DO resumes so that might be why you don't see many DOs? That's a guess on my part.
I imagine in the midwest where there are a lot more DO schools there are more oncologists who are DO as well.
Sorry if this doesn't fully answer your question, but as above, to give yourself the best chance go to a US allopathic school and get some research on your CV.

 

[Hemewisco]

hey guys! I am actually a premed student and was super interested in heme/onc so I follow these threads closely. I was wondering if you guys think MD vs DO matters for getting into Hem/Onc?

DO here and matched well this year. Would say there are multiple paths to get to this point, but this is what I did and what I tell other DO students that ask me. There are multiple steps to take here but in brief...

-You need to do well on medical school rotations. I did aways at large academic institutions and got letters from the physicians I worked with. This shows you are able to work in a busy environment with potentially sick patients and can keep up with MD colleagues
-Do well on step scores (take both USMLE and COMLEX)
-If you can start some research in medical school and get published in heme/onc, that is gold
-From this, you should be able to get into a solid academic residency

Once in residency...
-Again, do well on your rotations and develop relationships and find mentors interested in your growth but also your academic interests
-Continue your research efforts in residency
-There are varying opinions on this, but if you know your interests and are able to show a path/story, I think this holds a lot of value. For example, if you KNOW you are interested in hematology/oncology-related public health research and are able to do public health research, get involved with national associations within public health, and can show and speak to why, I think this carries a lot of more weight than just random GI research or leukemia research.
-Similarly, I was able to build my "story/path" which was brought up on all my interviews and I received positive feedback from it

Again, this was just my path. Not saying it is the only path, or even the right path, but it worked for me. DM me for more questions and happy to discuss my personal application if that's of benefit.