Hematology/Oncology 2022-2023 Fellowship Application Cycle

[gutonc]

I can't seem to assign the LoRs to ERAS if they have not been processed by EFDO. This means that the programs will not have access to those letters when they download the application. What do I do? Just apply with two letters and assign the remainder once they are processed by EFDO? Some programs mention on their websites that they do not review incomplete applications.

Yes, just apply. "Incomplete application" is kind of a meaningless phrase since everyone has different definitions of complete.

And there's no more downloading, so don't worry about that.

If a program is setting filters to only look at apps w/ X LORs, and you have X-1, your app won't even exist to them so it doesn't matter if you submitted or not. BUT...that's a really stupid thing to filter on for an initial run-through of apps, so I doubt (m)any programs are using that. When I used to review apps for fellowship, I would be interviewing people who didn't have all X of their LORs in so clearly, it's not really that important.

Control what you can and hit the submit button as soon as possible.

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[fightthatebola]

July 18th will be 5 business day but given that the past letters took more than 5, I am worried I may not have them processed before July 20th

I understand the frustration. It may be due to Omicron BA.5 work shortages? Either way, you're not the only one with this issue. I'm still waiting on our PD letter to process which won't be done before July 20th. All my friends are still waiting for at least one letter to process as well. I think some fellowship PDs are aware. Just go ahead and submit.

 

[Coffee92]

Hi everyone.

I would appreciate any advice on which LoRs to combine.

My PD told me their letter was comprehensive, strong and included lots of comments on my clinical skills.

My other 3 letters are all from heme/onc faculty. 2 of them are from my old mentors (from a well known academic center) whom I worked with during a research fellowship for 2+ years right before residency, both their letters are very strong and commented both on my clinical and research skills. I worked with both of them in the clinical setting however my clinical work with them was before I started residency. My third letter is from a heme/onc chairman in my current institution whom I also worked with but mostly in the research setting. This chairman offered to write me a letter (I did not ask him to) and told me that his name will weigh more than other people even though he will not mention my clinical skills, then he assured me that his letter will be strong. I have one more letter also from a heme/onc faculty in my current institution whom I worked with in the clinical setting only and he also told me that his letter is personalized and strong.

I'm torn between choosing the chairman letter or the other letter from my current institution. Any advice? I'm open to suggestions even regarding my other letter. Thanks a ton and sorry for the long post.

 

[HemeOncHopeful19]

Hi everyone.

I would appreciate any advice on which LoRs to combine.

My PD told me their letter was comprehensive, strong and included lots of comments on my clinical skills.

My other 3 letters are all from heme/onc faculty. 2 of them are from my old mentors (from a well known academic center) whom I worked with during a research fellowship for 2+ years right before residency, both their letters are very strong and commented both on my clinical and research skills. I worked with both of them in the clinical setting however my clinical work with them was before I started residency. My third letter is from a heme/onc chairman in my current institution whom I also worked with but mostly in the research setting. This chairman offered to write me a letter (I did not ask him to) and told me that his name will weigh more than other people even though he will not mention my clinical skills, then he assured me that his letter will be strong. I have one more letter also from a heme/onc faculty in my current institution whom I worked with in the clinical setting only and he also told me that his letter is personalized and strong.

I'm torn between choosing the chairman letter or the other letter from my current institution. Any advice? I'm open to suggestions even regarding my other letter. Thanks a ton and sorry for the long post.

I would actually send both from your residency and just pick one from your pre-residency research year.

 

[IdahoUdaho]

Trying to figure out how many programs to apply to:
DO applicant
Step 1 210s, Step 2 220s
Levels 1-3 530-550s
Residency: average university program
Have at least 7 Pubmed indexed publications(first auth on 3), at least 8 poster presentations (4 first author)
Good letters of rec (2 heme/onc)

I know scores aren't great plus the DO degree might make it harder but tried doing some research to improve it. Hoping odds are good if I apply broadly?

 

[gutonc]

Trying to figure out how many programs to apply to:
DO applicant
Step 1 210s, Step 2 220s
Levels 1-3 530-550s
Residency: average university program
Have at least 7 Pubmed indexed publications(first auth on 3), at least 8 poster presentations (4 first author)
Good letters of rec (2 heme/onc)

I know scores aren't great plus the DO degree might make it harder but tried doing some research to improve it. Hoping odds are good if I apply broadly?

Look at where people in your program have matched in the past and target that “tier”, with some reaches and some safeties on each end. Then take geography into account.

Nobody can give you a safe number. 30 programs won’t be enough if you’re only looking at the MSKCC/MDACC/DFCI level programs. 10 will be too many if you only apply to IMG heavy programs in the NYC area.

 

[NK9]

This is a bad idea, please don't do this. Submit and let your LORs roll in when they do.

Your previous chief is an idiot. This is terrible advice and patently false. Noon conference/morning report presentations like listing all the onc patients you presented on rounds.

I'll only have 2 LORs that I could assign by the time the deadline approaches. Will programs even review applications with only 2 LORs?

 

[gutonc]

I'll only have 2 LORs that I could assign by the time the deadline approaches. Will programs even review applications with only 2 LORs?

I'm going to refer you right back up here rather than re-type this question that I've already answered.

 

[Coffee92]

I would actually send both from your residency and just pick one from your pre-residency research year.

I see. I'm just not 100% sure how strong the ones from my residency are. I worked only briefly with the clinical faculty (2 weeks) so even if they wrote me good letters they know me briefly and they can only write so much even with good intentions, whereas both ones from my old institution I worked with them for 2+ years, I know how strong their letters are.

 

[Pa22]

I see. I'm just not 100% sure how strong the ones from my residency are. I worked only briefly with the clinical faculty (2 weeks) so even if they wrote me good letters they know me briefly and they can only write so much even with good intentions, whereas both ones from my old institution I worked with them for 2+ years, I know how strong their letters are.

In your previous post, you mentioned that the heme onc chief and a prof at your current institution assured you the letter would be strong. If that's really the case, I don't see any reason to believe that it wouldn't be. Usually faculty is very honest about their assessment of letter strength. For example, one of the faculty i approached for a letter said that he would be happy to write me one but he didn't think it would be strong enough. In your case they told you no such thing. I would attach the recent letters if I were you.
PS: All 3 out of my 4 letter writers assured that the letter will be strong. The 4th one is a nationally renowned oncologist and chief of oncology at my program. Although he did not comment on the strength but I am told he wouldn't agree to write one if it wasn't strong and he is the CHIEF!

 

[wolfofparkstreet]

I have 4 letters uploaded (including PD’s) and I’m tempted to assign all of them. That being said, one letter is probably my strongest from a rockstar in the field. The other 2 letters are from attendings at my program. If I assign all, do I run the risk of a program randomly choosing 3 out of the 4 while overlooking the rockstar’s letter?

 

[gutonc]

I have 4 letters uploaded (including PD’s) and I’m tempted to assign all of them. That being said, one letter is probably my strongest from a rockstar in the field. The other 2 letters are from attendings at my program. If I assign all, do I run the risk of a program randomly choosing 3 out of the 4 while overlooking the rockstar’s letter?

No

 

[Pa22]

How many programs do I apply to? I understand its a hard question to answer but I have 49 programs on my list, selected according to location. I am a family person and would want to stay with my spouse and kid, so do not see myself moving to states/cities other than mentioned below.
These are my stats -

Step 1,2 - 220s, Step 3 - 210
FMG from a top tier medical school (harvard equivalent in my country)
IM Residency at a university affiliated program in north east
Currently in a 2 year preventive medicine residency and a combined MPH program at a top 20 university program in north east
3 poster presentations in IM residency (non heme-onc), 1 publication (case series, non heme onc) in IM residency, 1 published BMJ case report (non-heme onc) in medical school, 2 onc-related poster presentations in prev med res (preparing manuscript), 1 original research abstract submitted to ASCO Quality care 2022 (pending decision of acceptance/rejection, preparing manuscript)
Bunch of extracurriculars in oncology (advocacy, volunteer, presentations, etc.)
Gap between med school and IM residency of 5 years (I trained and worked in primary care in my home country for 2.5 years, 1 year research in USA, 1.5 years can't be explained)
Letters - 2 from each residency PD (one of them will be outstanding, other will be excellent), 1 from research mentor who is an IM professor (outstanding), 1 from a nationally renowned breast oncologist (who is also the chief of heme-onc at my current institution) (strong, but probably not outstanding)
Visa status: Green card
I am considering applying to about 49 programs (almost all in tri state, and mid-tier and top-tier in Boston, Rhode Island, Washington DC, SF, Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia)

 

[Art Nostrand]

Hello

If I did non accredited ACGME training , how can I add it to the ERAS application? lets say I did BMT fellowship can I just add hematology in training and in comment list that it is non acgme accredited or list it only under working experience?

 

[gutonc]

Hello

If I did non accredited ACGME training , how can I add it to the ERAS application? lets say I did BMT fellowship can I just add hematology in training and in comment list that it is non acgme accredited or list it only under working experience?

Pick one. I would probably put it in training. But it doesn't really matter. You were doing it for the LOR anyway.

 

[gutonc]

How many programs do I apply to? I understand its a hard question to answer but I have 49 programs on my list, selected according to location. I am a family person and would want to stay with my spouse and kid, so do not see myself moving to states/cities other than mentioned below.
These are my stats -

Step 1,2 - 220s, Step 3 - 210
FMG from a top tier medical school (harvard equivalent in my country)
IM Residency at a university affiliated program in north east
Currently in a 2 year preventive medicine residency and a combined MPH program at a top 20 university program in north east
3 poster presentations in IM residency (non heme-onc), 1 publication (case series, non heme onc) in IM residency, 1 published BMJ case report (non-heme onc) in medical school, 2 onc-related poster presentations in prev med res (preparing manuscript), 1 original research abstract submitted to ASCO Quality care 2022 (pending decision of acceptance/rejection, preparing manuscript)
Bunch of extracurriculars in oncology (advocacy, volunteer, presentations, etc.)
Gap between med school and IM residency of 5 years (I trained and worked in primary care in my home country for 2.5 years, 1 year research in USA, 1.5 years can't be explained)

Were you in prison? Because if you can't explain your time away from medicine, the assumption will be that you were in prison, or worse.

Letters - 2 from each residency PD (one of them will be outstanding, other will be excellent), 1 from research mentor who is an IM professor (outstanding), 1 from a nationally renowned breast oncologist (who is also the chief of heme-onc at my current institution) (strong, but probably not outstanding)
Visa status: Green card

As in you have a GC? If so, forget visa status completely, you're golden.

I am considering applying to about 49 programs (almost all in tri state, and mid-tier and top-tier in Boston, Rhode Island, Washington DC, SF, Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia)

I'm going to make some assumptions here so correct me if I'm wrong. DFCI, MGH, UCSF, Stanford, UofC, NW, UW/Hutch (or whatever they're calling it this year, I understand another rebranding is in the works) and Penn are going to be donations to ERAS. It's only a couple of Benjamins, so do it you want, but don't expect much.

30-40 is a pretty good number though.

 

[Pa22]

Were you in prison? Because if you can't explain your time away from medicine, the assumption will be that you were in prison, or worse.

As in you have a GC? If so, forget visa status completely, you're golden.

I'm going to make some assumptions here so correct me if I'm wrong. DFCI, MGH, UCSF, Stanford, UofC, NW, UW/Hutch (or whatever they're calling it this year, I understand another rebranding is in the works) and Penn are going to be donations to ERAS. It's only a couple of Benjamins, so do it you want, but don't expect much.

30-40 is a pretty good number though.

I had moved from my home country to the USA. Didn’t have a work visa and took steps in those 1.5 years. Is that a good enough explanation?

You are right about the program selection above, in addition to some more mid tier programs in these states/cities

 

[Temerit]

I know we shouldn't expect interview invitations for a while, but does anyone know how most are scheduled? Are they more commonly scheduled through ERAS or outside scheduling mechanisms?

Also trying to think ahead about how many interviews to attend. I know there can't possibly be a set answer to this question. Coming from a top tier med school and residency, good test scores and LORs, mediocre research experience/CV, and I'm geographically targeting where I'm applying due to where my spouse and I want to live (primarily midwest but also some east coast and scattered elsewhere, 25 total) applying to a mix of mid tier and some top tier programs. I'm thinking 10 might be a good place to stop, if I'm fortunate to get that many interviews, but also wondering if I should just interview at more than that to be on the safe side (e.g. up to 15), seeing as Heme/Onc has gotten more competitive.

 

[gutonc]

I had moved from my home country to the USA. Didn’t have a work visa and took steps in those 1.5 years. Is that a good enough explanation?

Yes. Like I said, you just need to tell them what you were doing. An 18 month gap = prison +/- rehab unless you tell me otherwise.

"Moved to US, studied for and took USMLE Examinations" is all you need.

 

[ivafactor]

This is a bad idea, please don't do this. Submit and let your LORs roll in when they do.

Your previous chief is an idiot. This is terrible advice and patently false. Noon conference/morning report presentations like listing all the onc patients you presented on rounds.

How about Grand rounds? Do you think its worth listing if you did Onc Grand rounds ?

 

[whoknows2012]

How about Grand rounds? Do you think its worth listing if you did Onc Grand rounds ?

Personally as a fellowship recruitment committee member and a person who evaluates apps and interviews prospective fellows I would only include this if it was related to research you did. If you gave grand rounds on a topic or a case presentation I really don’t see the value

 

[NK9]

How badly are your chances of receiving interviews affected if your MSPE and med school transcript are still EFDO processing?

 

[gutonc]

How badly are your chances of receiving interviews affected if your MSPE and med school transcript are still EFDO processing?

This week? Not at all. Not ready by November? You might be in trouble.

Seriously, don't worry about the stuff you can't control. As long as it's just EFDO and not them waiting on you to do something, it will happen, and lots of other applicants are also hung up at that step.

 

[Pa22]

In the previous years’ threads people have mentioned reaching out to programs personally for interviews or having your mentors reach out. When is the time for that? Wait until a few weeks?

 

[Pa22]

Acknowledgement from UBuffalo today? Anyone with invites or rejections, do realize its too early for anything though

 

[BigBangFan]

Acknowledgement from UBuffalo today? Anyone with invites or rejections, do realize its too early for anything though

No invites, rejections, or acknowledgement emails for me yet. I think it's likely too early to expect much.

Does anyone know if there is a spreadsheet circulating yet to track invites, etc?

 

[aneurysmal]

No invites, rejections, or acknowledgement emails for me yet. I think it's likely too early to expect much.

Does anyone know if there is a spreadsheet circulating yet to track invites, etc?

2022-2023 Heme/Onc Google Sheets

 

[melsayed8]

Acknowledgement from UBuffalo today? Anyone with invites or rejections, do realize its too early for anything though

Do you require a visa? During residency match, they sent out acknowledgment/invitations emails in patches, starting with people who don't need a visa

 

[Pa22]

Can we keep the invites and rejections here?

I feel it’s easier to follow and for people to give advice here.

 

[Pa22]

Do you require a visa? During residency match, they sent out acknowledgment/invitations emails in patches, starting with people who don't need a visa

I don't need a visa. But I just checked my emails from residency match. At the time, I did have visa requirement. I started receiving acknowledgements 5 days after submission, rejection 2 weeks after submissions, and invites, 3 weeks after. Almost all the places that sent acknowledgement ended up sending rejections. So my sense is acknowledgements don't really mean anything.

 

[SID_MD]

Acknowledgement from UB today in my inbox. No invitations or rejections yet!

Non visa requiring IMG!

 

[Art Nostrand]

It is little bit early for invites.

I expect early August they will start sending invites

 

[carbotaxl]

Anyone have access to the 2021/2022 spreadsheet? Seems like they made it private. I think dates are a little off on the 2020/2021 spreadsheet because the deadline was in August. Last years spreadsheet would be useful.

 

[HemeOncHopeful19]

Anyone have access to the 2021/2022 spreadsheet? Seems like they made it private. I think dates are a little off on the 2020/2021 spreadsheet because the deadline was in August. Last years spreadsheet would be useful.

If only there was a different place where you could discuss things and have it archived for future years…

 

[melsayed8]

Is it true that yog>10 years discourage the fellowship applications? Did you guys hear that programs still use yog filter for fellowship?
I was listening to a video on youtube; a PD for a small program in St loius said they don't extend invitations to people with yog>10 years.

 

[medini]

First rejection of the year - UNC

(IMG no visa required)

 

[melsayed8]

First rejection of the year - UNC

(IMG no visa required)

I guess they applied filters; the question is, what kind of filters do programs apply for the fellowship match?

 

[NK9]

First rejection of the year - UNC

(IMG no visa required)

I'm only asking cause your profile lists your 3 months of USCE. Did you also list those 3 months on your fellowship CV?

 

[Warderino92]

Rejection from UNC as well, USMD

 

[DoctorJayy]

Rejection from UNC as well, USMD

Same, US MD. My scores and research average so thinking didn’t make the cut off

 

[Pa22]

Same, US MD. My scores and research average so thinking didn’t make the cut off

Hi. If you don't mind, what is your sense of the strength of your letters? Good vs strong? I did not apply to UNC but I am an IMG and I am wondering what kind of filters they use.

 

[gutonc]

Is it true that yog>10 years discourage the fellowship applications? Did you guys hear that programs still use yog filter for fellowship?
I was listening to a video on youtube; a PD for a small program in St loius said they don't extend invitations to people with yog>10 years.

It's clearly true for that program. Or at least it was when the video was made. How generalizable that is is something that is unknowable.

 

[DoctorJayy]

Hi. If you don't mind, what is your sense of the strength of your letters? Good vs strong? I did not apply to UNC but I am an IMG and I am wondering what kind of filters they use.

Very strong and well known in the field. I doubt they even looked at the letters

 

[BigBangFan]

Based on the requests above to note invites/rejections here, just sharing update, got interview invite from UC Davis. These were the interview dates they had in case this is helpful for anyone applying this year or in the future: 8/26, 8/29, 9/2, 9/9, 9/12, 9/19, 9/23, 9/26
I'll try to update both the spreadsheet and SDN as invites and rejections pour in (hoping the former more than the latter but we shall see lol!)

 

[Abdulhamid Bazarbachi]

Anyone getting invitations yet?

 

[Abdulhamid Bazarbachi]

Based on the requests above to note invites/rejections here, just sharing update, got interview invite from UC Davis. These were the interview dates they had in case this is helpful for anyone applying this year or in the future: 8/26, 8/29, 9/2, 9/9, 9/12, 9/19, 9/23, 9/26
I'll try to update both the spreadsheet and SDN as invites and rejections pour in (hoping the former more than the latter but we shall see lol!)

Do you mind sharing the spreadsheet link?

 

[gutonc]

Do you mind sharing the spreadsheet link?

Scroll up

 

[Temerit]

Anyone getting invitations yet?

I got my first today, but my understanding is the vast majority will likely come mid-August to early-September.

 

[melsayed8]

I got my first today, but my understanding is the vast majority will likely come mid-August to early-September.

Do you mind sharing from which program?

 

[Temerit]

UNC. Based on the spreadsheet, it looks like interview offers have only come from UNC, Iowa, UC Davis, Florida Jacksonville, and Pembroke Pines Memorial Healthcare so far. A very small minority of programs.