Hematology/Oncology 2024-2025 Application Cycle

[Shipofthedamned]

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No harm in bluntness at all. The PD letter is the big question and I'm trying to figure out how to answer it. Regarding # times applied, is that something that programs keep track of?

 

[randomhemoncpd]

No harm in bluntness at all. The PD letter is the big question and I'm trying to figure out how to answer it. Regarding # times applied, is that something that programs keep track of?

If you want you can DM me. I am a PD (you'll have to take my word on it -- not willing to break my anonymity). If you applied to my program I can look through your application on ERAS.

 

[gutonc]

Ok, cons as I see them:
-I expanded my intern year by 6 months because I got retaliated against for reporting an attending (appropriately)
-Hospitalist for 5 years (too long?) but with teaching responsibilities
-I submitted my application 7 days after eras opened because I had to wait on my med school documents.
-This is my third time applying. Every cycle I get a handful of interviews, no match. I've been at this for 5 years. Community hospitalist so no research ops.
-Only one first author pub (fellow I was working with swooped in twice for 1st/ submission on projects I led)

That's...all I got. The interviews went smoothly, I sent everyone thank you emails. I just...like the only thing I can think of is that it's one of my letters is actually a black ball? Maybe my PD letter? How do you figure that out let alone fix it?

What I need is someone on the PD side to look through my app and figure out where the lesions is. Otherwise I'm doomed to repeat this cycle. And to be honest this is my dream and at this point time/money aren't really limiting factors.

I'm not saying this to dunk on you, but, extended training, extended time after training, 3rd cycle are all red flags. And TBH, none of those are fixable at this point. The research thing is an issue, but it barely reaches the top 5.

The way I see it, you have 3 options:
1. Find a way to enjoy being a hospitalist.
2. Try to get an "onc hospitalist" job somewhere with a fellowship program and either pretend you're an oncologist, or parley that into an internal position after a few more years (and probably spending some time doing research on your off weeks).
3. Backdoor using a non-ACGME fellowship such as transfusion med, Phase 1, etc

Continuing to bang your head against the application process is going to result in continued financial and emotional pain without any gain at this point.

 

[Shipofthedamned]

I mean, dunk away I'm clearly a glutton for punishment. Re: Transfusion medicine, how exactly would that work? Do a year, publish a little and apply afterward? MDA and another program have these 1-year onc hospitalist fellowship programs. Are these worthwhile?

 

[gutonc]

I mean, dunk away I'm clearly a glutton for punishment. Re: Transfusion medicine, how exactly would that work? Do a year, publish a little and apply afterward? MDA and another program have these 1-year onc hospitalist fellowship programs. Are these worthwhile?

The point of these BS "fellowships" is for them to get some nearly free work out of you and for you to get face time with a fellowship program and their leadership and prove to them that you are better in person than you are on paper. You need your foot in the door somewhere.

You don't need another year of spamming applications across the country. You need to convince someone who has some pull to give you a chance and to advocate for you.

 

[hiveshogunate]

IMG, 240s steps, community program, 5 papers, 5 abstracts, letters from PD, committee letter from away rotations. I applied to 40 community 10 academic programs and got 5 interviews. Ranked all. No match. I'm considering reapplying after:

a. Nephro/Infectious Dz/Palliative/Geri fellowship from large academic center, more publications
b. One year BMT or transfusion fellowship, more publications
c. Hospitalist, green card, more publications
d. Hospitalist, PhD in cancer bio (friend used clinical trial for PhD), green card, more publications
e. Be content with non Hem-Onc career

Which option would make me most competitive?
Does visa status actually matter to programs?

 

[MifflinDunder]

IMG, 240s steps, community program, 5 papers, 5 abstracts, letters from PD, committee letter from away rotations. I applied to 40 community 10 academic programs and got 5 interviews. Ranked all. No match. I'm considering reapplying after:

a. Nephro/Infectious Dz/Palliative/Geri fellowship from large academic center, more publications
b. One year BMT or transfusion fellowship, more publications
c. Hospitalist, green card, more publications
d. Hospitalist, PhD in cancer bio (friend used clinical trial for PhD), green card, more publications
e. Be content with non Hem-Onc career

Which option would make me most competitive?
Does visa status actually matter to programs?

The bolded likely won't happen soon enough, since you'll apply for heme/onc 1-2 months into the 1 year fellowships. Realistically, you're looking at a 2-year gap, which is almost the same time as the hospitalist/green card pathway (I'm guessing you're talking about J1-waiver and a 3 year commitment). I would target onc hospitalist jobs at institutions where they might take you after. Visa status always matters no matter what they say.

 

[gutonc]

The bolded likely won't happen soon enough, since you'll apply for heme/onc 1-2 months into the 1 year fellowships. Realistically, you're looking at a 2-year gap, which is almost the same time as the hospitalist/green card pathway (I'm guessing you're talking about J1-waiver and a 3 year commitment). I would target onc hospitalist jobs at institutions where they might take you after. Visa status always matters no matter what they say.

Agree that visa status matters. And that you're realistically looking at a 2+ year gap at this point so choosing what you do next with that in mind is critical.

I don't think that more research is going to move the needle in the way you need it to. It won't hurt, but that's not the problem.

One issue is that you're unlikely to find a J1 waiver position that is also an onc hospitalist at an institution with a fellowship program. Those tend to be mutually exclusive. So either focus on the visa, with the understanding that it's only a small part of the issue (but opens doors down the road) or focus on building connections/relationships with a fellowship program that can help you find a way into a fellowship. Either path is going to take longer than 1 year. Neither is guaranteed.

 

[randomhemoncpd]

Agree that visa status matters. And that you're realistically looking at a 2+ year gap at this point so choosing what you do next with that in mind is critical.

I don't think that more research is going to move the needle in the way you need it to. It won't hurt, but that's not the problem.

One issue is that you're unlikely to find a J1 waiver position that is also an onc hospitalist at an institution with a fellowship program. Those tend to be mutually exclusive. So either focus on the visa, with the understanding that it's only a small part of the issue (but opens doors down the road) or focus on building connections/relationships with a fellowship program that can help you find a way into a fellowship. Either path is going to take longer than 1 year. Neither is guaranteed.

Agree with all of this. Also depends what the publications are - publications in Cureus, non-heme / non-onc journals / obvious predatory Dove / MDPI (Frontiers Oncology will occasionally have some reasonable papers but still...) do not count for much.

 

[hiveshogunate]

Appreciate the advice. Will attempt hospitalist, j-1 waiver, publications route for 3 years.

 

[hiveshogunate]

Got bone marrow transplant/experimental cell therapy fellowship interviews from Cleveland/Stanford/Memorial Sloan Kettering. How to prepare?

 

[CatFactorial]

Got bone marrow transplant/experimental cell therapy fellowship interviews from Cleveland/Stanford/Memorial Sloan Kettering. How to prepare?

Be very enthusiastic about a career as a HCT/IECT physician

 

[hiveshogunate]

I tried. Apparently, the magic words they wanted to hear were, 'I want to use cell and gene therapy to treat hematologic malignancies'. Alas. Waiting for the rejection. Everyone was really nice, though, would recommend.