heme fellowships

[keystrokes]

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Good morning,
I'm an MS4 relatively confident I'll be doing fellowship in heme/onc with an interest in heme. I am putting together my residency rank list and would like to hear some opinions regarding some of the associated fellowship programs from those in-the-know. I know there is a chance I will be doing fellowship at a different place, but I would like to spend 6yrs somewhere rather than move again. So, below are the places I am seriously considering. I hope y'all can comment on the fellowship training at those programs and, in particular, whether there is a heme emphasis:
1. UW - Seattle: Fred Hutch is clearly a big name in heme/BMT. Besides the fact that it's tough to get a position there post-fellowship, what's the buzz regarding the place?
2. Hopkins - apprehensive due to the huge cards emphasis, but clearly it will open many doors
3. Duke - great medicine training, but any idea how well-rounded the fellowship training is?
4. Wash U - have heard the heme/onc fellows are beaten to a pulp...true?
Again, just looking to hear what y'all think about these places as fellowship programs.
Thanks in advance!

 

[gutonc]

Good morning,
I'm an MS4 relatively confident I'll be doing fellowship in heme/onc with an interest in heme. I am putting together my residency rank list and would like to hear some opinions regarding some of the associated fellowship programs from those in-the-know. I know there is a chance I will be doing fellowship at a different place, but I would like to spend 6yrs somewhere rather than move again. So, below are the places I am seriously considering. I hope y'all can comment on the fellowship training at those programs and, in particular, whether there is a heme emphasis:
1. UW - Seattle: Fred Hutch is clearly a big name in heme/BMT. Besides the fact that it's tough to get a position there post-fellowship, what's the buzz regarding the place?
2. Hopkins - apprehensive due to the huge cards emphasis, but clearly it will open many doors
3. Duke - great medicine training, but any idea how well-rounded the fellowship training is?
4. Wash U - have heard the heme/onc fellows are beaten to a pulp...true?
Again, just looking to hear what y'all think about these places as fellowship programs.
Thanks in advance!

UW-Hutch: Very hem/BMT heavy as you stated. Great training but you will find yourself taking care of a lot of very sick people who shouldn't have been transplanted in the first place (my opinion) and people who get transplants for non-malignant reasons. Their solid tumor service is still growing but much better than it was just a few years ago. Tons of research and a connection to Leroy Hood's Institute for Systems Biology if that kind of thing floats your boat.

Hopkins: Is Hopkins. The Kimmel is amazing. If you like Hopkins and the culture there (I personally did not) it's hard to argue against it.

Duke: I know a few current/former Duke fellows. Very solid tumor heavy. In a bit of a funk right now due to the whole Anil Potti thing (another friend who is faculty at UNC says they're getting much busier since people are a little freaked by Duke right now) but they are still the bigger/stronger program in the area.

WashU: That's what I've heard as well but I didn't apply to the program and don't actually know any current/former fellows.

 

[keystrokes]

thanks so much for the info. i've observed in med school how strongly the place you train influences your interests/career path, so it's nice to hear perspectives from people in the know before i make the decision.
perhaps you can comment on this, as well: i plan to stay in academics. likely clinical research and teaching. i want to keep all doors open, and while i did not interview at a couple of the top IM programs, i hope to check them out for fellowship (farber, MSK). is there as strong of a regional bias during fellow selection as i have observed in resident selection? or are these predominantly east-coast powerhouses familiar with top IM programs throughout the country?
for instance, if i'm ranking UW #1 and don't end up there for fellowship, the west coast is a bit more limited program-wise.
thanks in advance!

 

[gutonc]

thanks so much for the info. i've observed in med school how strongly the place you train influences your interests/career path, so it's nice to hear perspectives from people in the know before i make the decision.
perhaps you can comment on this, as well: i plan to stay in academics. likely clinical research and teaching. i want to keep all doors open, and while i did not interview at a couple of the top IM programs, i hope to check them out for fellowship (farber, MSK). is there as strong of a regional bias during fellow selection as i have observed in resident selection? or are these predominantly east-coast powerhouses familiar with top IM programs throughout the country?
for instance, if i'm ranking UW #1 and don't end up there for fellowship, the west coast is a bit more limited program-wise.
thanks in advance!

I actually didn't notice any regional bias in residency or fellowship interview selection. California is a different beast altogether so don't count that. I came from a state program in NY and got interviews all over the country. I was a resident at a mid-tier West Coast program and got fellowship interviews all over the country (9 of 10 I applied to).

Finally, the place you train only biases your career path if you let it. It would have been very easy for me to just slide into a heme malignancy research/clinical path in the program I'm in, but that's not my interest, so I'm working a little harder to merge my clinical and research interests and mentorship but it's worth it because I'm doing what I want.

 

[keystrokes]

thanks for the comments. since we're on the subject, what do you know about the following programs? listed are my comments
-uchicago - seems like a great IM and heme/onc program; people keep telling me about perceived instability and so maybe on the downtrend
-michigan - great program but limited patient popl and in ann arbor
-vandy - didn't really seem to take their own
-yale - new cancer center; in new haven 🙁
they comprise my 5-9 in...some...order...
thanks in advance!!