Heme/Onc Fellowship Application Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Members don't see this ad.
rejection from Columbia too. I think all specialties are becoming harder to get into given the bleak picture as a PCP. I have decided to attend all interviews after reading above posts. Was thinking about cancelling a couple before. Especially the prospect of securing a position in NYC is not that bright.
 
cyberdoc2 said:
rejection from Columbia too. I think all specialties are becoming harder to get into given the bleak picture as a PCP. I have decided to attend all interviews after reading above posts. Was thinking about cancelling a couple before. Especially the prospect of securing a position in NYC is not that bright.
Click to expand...
If u don't mind, where are majority of your interviews?

NY seems to be difficult to get to if u are not from there
 
To Shygirl,

The bulk of my interviews are in NY and PA. I am not from NY and I guess my chance is not that great. As you put it, before going thru this process, I never expected Hem/Onc is so popular now- just like your experience, when I spoke to my friends two years ago, they told me "you could get in any program, it is not GI or Cards". I wish they were right.
 
Guess everyone got their columbia rejections, two ppl from my program got their columbia invites... heard columbia has a great reputation and workload is not so bad... they have a faculty practice.... i think 8-10 interviews is needed to be safe these days... i guess now we are into mid-late invite season... hopefully get a couple of more invites in NY
 
Uh-oh....seasonal affective disorder/interview season has made this thread take a decided turn for the worse, mood-wise....

Heads-up, people - interview offers are arbitrary and NOT a reflection of your strengths as a doc. I know everyone always says it, but it's so true - it's not personal, they don't know you and they're just randomly tossing out apps based on some half-cocked algorithm that makes no sense. I know it sucks, you just have to shake it off immediately and not give it a second thought...MidwestMD - perfect example. MSKCC wants to interview you, but not Columbia???? What? Nothing against Columbia, but please...

Guys everyone gets rejected from stuff all the damn time - I've been rejected from the finest institutions in the country many times over. If you've never gotten smacked down, then you've probably never tried to do anything difficult or worthwhile. We're all gonna end up where we want to be, eventually....it just may take a while longer than you might've wanted.

Oh, just for the record, so far my "Kenny Blankenship's Most Painful Elimination" (i.e. rejection that hurt the most thus far 'cuz I really wanted to go there) has been UCSF...But I feel a new #1 coming right about Monday. *cough-Fred Hutch-cough*
 
Just had a tough day in ICU!
An even worse after 2 rejections: Columbia and Yale.
Not cool.
You guys are absolutely right: Hem-Onc is so popular nowadays that is even comparable to Cards/GI. I was talking to the Onc program director of my institution and he said he has received so far 380 app for only 3 spots. Unbelievable!
It is going to be competitive. Let's keep the strong work and will hopefully succeed.
Good luck to all of us.:luck:
 
onc-guy said:
Just had a tough day in ICU!
An even worse after 2 rejections: Columbia and Yale.
Not cool.
You guys are absolutely right: Hem-Onc is so popular nowadays that is even comparable to Cards/GI. I was talking to the Onc program director of my institution and he said he has received so far 380 app for only 3 spots. Unbelievable!
It is going to be competitive. Let's keep the strong work and will hopefully succeed.
Good luck to all of us.:luck:
Click to expand...

Yeah, agree..maybe it's the match effect--those applicants with strong background hold interviews from every where.
 
Received yet another rejection from University of Chicago.

The picture so far looks bleak esp for someone like me who graduated from Residency in 04 and have minimal research experience.

Seems like I dont stand a chance even to get a interview.

any suggestion how to improve my chances next year.
 
Heads up people! I think the more interviews the better but we all need only one actually! 🙂 I think the whole process ir really random. And it depends a lot on research, original medical school, IM program and a lot on the letters. Maybe even more than letters, having important people who would be willing to make a phone call in your behalf.
Also rejected from Columbia and Yale.
 
Just heard a yes from UW FHCC. They are interviewing from March thru the first two weeks of May.
 
also just got the interview invite email from uw fhcc. surprised to see an email on a saturday, wasn't expecting anything till monday.
 
Congrats Torre and Happy....looks like I didn't make the final 30 @ the Hutch. Bummer, but it happens. Painful.
 
NEMC said:
Thomas Jefferson sent out invites, dates not settlled.
Click to expand...
Anything about Drexel?

I called to follow up on applications and only answering machine was the one communicating with me. I didn't leave a message
 
hey guys, it looks like our morale has fallen 🙁 but it's like JASMAN said, we really only need one! 🙂 I also got my Columbia rejection, and am still waiting on a few more rejections. I think at this point those that have given out invites and not rejections I am counting as a rejection.
But anyway, I think we all have a decent amount of interviews and everything will fall into place.
About the NY programs I am not from NY and I only got one interview there, I think it's probably the hardest place to get, maybe, and also it seems like it's a regional thing (unless you are cherry ghost or MidwestMD), you will get more interviews closer to your IM program.
anyway, have a great weekend!
 
I wonder if invitation fron NY programs are still coming?
Thanks!
 
Also rejected by Columbia and Yale. And no news from UW yesterday. No news is bad news here...🙁

Just feel grateful that such a discussion forum exists. At least I know I'm still normal, not the only one who is suffering from this seasonal depression, interview season. Thanks everyone for sharing.
 
No news from University of Washington... 🙂 Probably will receive another rejection tomorrow! 🙂
 
Got the thumbs up from The Hutch yesterday as well which softened the blow from Columbia a little bit. It was very wierd getting the email on a Saturday but it was a nice change from what I'd spent the last hour doing (coding and then withdrawing care on a guy with metastatic pancreatic cancer).

I've heard from 7/10 places I applied to w/ 5 interviews, still waiting on the 3 Cali programs which at this point will mostly be ego boosting (or destroying) material. Good luck to everyone else.
 
For those of you who are interviewing this year - I wonder did anyone consider the NCI/NIH program? So as not to hijack the thread with such niche concerns please reply here.

Best of luck to you all this year,

W4G.
 
Congrats, brooklyn...Besides, the Pacific Northwest is so gorgeous, it'll make you forget all about NYC! Hey, I'll trade you my Columbia interview for your UW-Fred Hutchinson! Can we do that?

Enjoy the Superbowl tonight, everyone.
 
in an attempt to make everyone feel a little bit better about the selection process, i thought i'd add my two cents to try to convince you that the selection process is mostly out of your control so you shouldn't take it personally or a blow to your ego. i'm obviously not on any selection committees, but i think the following observations are mostly correct and are based on the observations of my fellow classmates applying to hem/onc as well as discussions on the interview trail.

1. Passion for Research
this is probably the most important factor in a successful application and is the only factor an applicant can control by the time an applicant has actually applied. obtaining a ph.d or taking a year off during medical school or residency to do research will open many doors. my guess is at the top academic centers, the selection committee has many researchers or physician scientists and they obviously are trying to attract other people that share their same passion for research. passion sells, no matter what field you're in.

2. Perceived Quality of Residency
as harsh as this sounds, i believe admission committees use the selection bias of the quality of the residency as a screen for potential applicants. applicants from community programs will probably need something exceptional to have them stick out versus the average applicant at a top flight IM residency. i've noticed that most applicants from the same residency end up getting the same type quality of interviews if their research background is the same, there is one exception to that rule (see #4...)

3. Letters
this kind of goes along with research. ideally, attendings who can vouch for your passion for research or at least your passion for bettering the field of oncology. the pd letter is probably important but more than likely says the same thing about every applicant.

4. Medical School
if all of the factors from above are exactly equal, i think someone coming from a top ten medical school is going to get more interviews than the same applicant coming from a lesser school.

5. Intangibles
lastly things like geographic proximity and number of open spots also play a role in the selection committee.


so, for those who are taking these rejections personally, i think they should realize that the application is mostly out of their control and therefore shouldn't worry too much (easier said than done, i know). anyways, keep your heads up and continued good luck.
 
I think cherry ghost gave a great breakdown... in addition, I do think board scores does matter too especially for interviews... for example, A colleague of mine in the medicine program went to similar type of med school, similar research background, i actually have superior letters ( from PD and big names) but he has 95 percentile on both steps, while i have only decent scores... he has gotten more interviews while applying for similar programs thus far (8 vs 5)... but we do have some interviews that differ...problem with research is that when you take a yr off, you are really looking at two yrs because you will have to apply when something materializes in terms of getting published... i think if you show that you are a strong candidate inhouse and a lot of enthusiasm, the best place is still in-house

PS. Should have studied harder for the boards, lol
 
cherry ghost said:
in an attempt to make everyone feel a little bit better about the selection process, i thought i'd add my two cents to try to convince you that the selection process is mostly out of your control so you shouldn't take it personally or a blow to your ego. i'm obviously not on any selection committees, but i think the following observations are mostly correct and are based on the observations of my fellow classmates applying to hem/onc as well as discussions on the interview trail.

1. Passion for Research
this is probably the most important factor in a successful application and is the only factor an applicant can control by the time an applicant has actually applied. obtaining a ph.d or taking a year off during medical school or residency to do research will open many doors. my guess is at the top academic centers, the selection committee has many researchers or physician scientists and they obviously are trying to attract other people that share their same passion for research. passion sells, no matter what field you're in. ]

Cherry Ghost,Thanks for the input. when you said research for one year, do you mean with publications. I have been in research for a few months shy of a year now. No publications until atleast 3-4 months. I dont see it help this year!🙁
Click to expand...
 
Maybe I can take 2 seconds and bitch about stuff.

During my med school career I did a month of research at one of the top labs in the country. At the end, I was suggested to do a phd or at least get Master's. On top of that, I was promised that if I were to apply to their program, my research mentor would do everything possible for me to get in. (Obviously, no guarantees but already a good start, right?) But here is the thing, I went to med school to provide PATIENT care; I didn't WANT to be a phD (and still have no desire to do this), don't want to be a lab rat; it's just not my thang. And it's frustrating that on the interview trail programs seek out those with skills for research, rather than those with emphesized actual patient care.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH:meanie:

Sorry,
 
i guess my comments about research were a little vague. to be more specific see below.

to docindi: when you applied had you already been working in the lab, had you made an impact enough that your PI took notice and wrote you a great letter, were you in not top notch lab that is getting good work out there? in summation are you having a good enough experience where you are now really passionate about the research, and if so are you making that clear in your application? if you are making it clear, are you being penalized for a less prestigious residency or medical school? if so, you probably have to compensate even more in the research arena.

to shygirl: i hear you and applaud your desire to make patient care your utmost priority. the thing is with the top academic programs, excellent patient care is just assumed, and from what i gather, a resident's doctoring skills rarely correlated with the type of fellowship they landed. also, if pt care is truly your top priority, i would not worry about training at the heavy hitting research universities. any community program will do and might even be better for pure clinical training. from what i gather the job market is still sizzling hot so it really won't matter where you train. it only matters where you train if you want to apply for grants to get money for, what is the recurring theme, more research. to be on faculty at any of these institutions, you have to be able to carry your own weight and bring in enough money through grants to often times pay your own salary. from what i hear, especially right now, getting grants is quite difficult which explains why the fellowship committee truly want people who will bring that passion and hopefully successful research oriented careers to the institution.

hope that helps.
 
cherry ghost said:
to shygirl: i hear you and applaud your desire to make patient care your utmost priority. the thing is with the top academic programs, excellent patient care is just assumed, and from what i gather, a resident's doctoring skills rarely correlated with the type of fellowship they landed. also, if pt care is truly your top priority, i would not worry about training at the heavy hitting research universities. any community program will do and might even be better for pure clinical training. from what i gather the job market is still sizzling hot so it really won't matter where you train. it only matters where you train if you want to apply for grants to get money for, what is the recurring theme, more research. to be on faculty at any of these institutions, you have to be able to carry your own weight and bring in enough money through grants to often times pay your own salary. from what i hear, especially right now, getting grants is quite difficult which explains why the fellowship committee truly want people who will bring that passion and hopefully successful research oriented careers to the institution.

hope that helps.
Click to expand...

It does. Thanks 👍
 
changing the subject, does anyone know anything about the univ of florida program? it's expensive to fly there so i am wondering if I should go or not?
 
Hi all,

Congrats to all for their interviews, and GL to everybody. Does anybody know anything about the Stanford program. I got an interview there, just wondering how it matches up with UCLA, UCSF and Fred Hutch w.r.t (looking at west coast) . Thanks for your input.
 
i'm also wondering about programs on the west coast, especially the ones in california since there seems to be a east coast bias here and haven't seen too many posts on the west coast programs. based on what i gather here, i would assume uw/fhcc is one of the top ones on the west coast, but what about the rest? based on reputation, i guess ucsf, stanford, and ucla would be among the top, but do they all have good heme-onc programs and nationally ranked cancer centers? what about the other places? oregon, usc, ucsd, uc davis, uc irvine, scripps, harbor ucla/city of hope, and olive-view/cedars?

are there any web sites with good reviews on heme-onc programs across the country? how are you guys preparing for your interviews? i feel like all i can do is to read through the program's web site, but a lot of them seem to have very basic ones without much info.
 
Hi guys,
I am trying to make my rank list for IM residency and I am die hard heme/onc bound, I am really trying to get back to Cali and love Cal Pacifics program, but I'm wondering if I should go to a better "name" (Pitt, Baylor) for the sake of a fellowship. Cal pacific is a teritary care center which is top 15% NIH funded for research, but it is not a University and I do not want to go somewhere that will be a detriment to my getting a fellowship. any thoughts?
 
Not even a rejection from Fred Hutch today... 🙂
 
I know this has been asked and answered already... I'm just too anxious since my PD just told me that I would need more than 5 interviews as I've had on hand so far to match into a program. Most other programs that I applied have already sent out interview invitations, and I'm not on their interview lists. Should I send more applications now? Is it too late already?
 
JASMAN said:
Not even a rejection from Fred Hutch today... 🙂
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm disappointed in programs that don't even send out official rejections. I feel like it's sort of an insult - I mean, we invest a lot of time, energy, and emotion into the process, in spite of all our busy schedules, and if they don't want to interview us that's fine - but at least have the courtesy to let us know you aren't interested in interviewing us. I feel like it's the least they can do, given what we go through. It's not like everyone in this day and age doesn't know the instant offers go out - it's the frickin' 21st century. It doesn't even cost them anything - you don't have to mail me a love letter, but an email officially telling me to stop waiting around for an offer seems like the minimum they can do. It's just flat-out impolite not to.

Mood's turning a bit sour, along with the weather, I guess...
 
I definitely agree... for example, programs like yale and einstein had sent out both applications and rejections already... but i still didnt get a response either way.. its really frustrating, in addition they dont even answer emails... its really difficult trying to set up our difficult schedules for these interviews when these program just does not respond!
 
cherry ghost said:
i guess my comments about research were a little vague. to be more specific see below.

to docindi: when you applied had you already been working in the lab, had you made an impact enough that your PI took notice and wrote you a great letter, were you in not top notch lab that is getting good work out there? in summation are you having a good enough experience where you are now really passionate about the research, and if so are you making that clear in your application? if you are making it clear, are you being penalized for a less prestigious residency or medical school? if so, you probably have to compensate even more in the research arena.

to shygirl: i hear you and applaud your desire to make patient care your utmost priority. the thing is with the top academic programs, excellent patient care is just assumed, and from what i gather, a resident's doctoring skills rarely correlated with the type of fellowship they landed. also, if pt care is truly your top priority, i would not worry about training at the heavy hitting research universities. any community program will do and might even be better for pure clinical training. from what i gather the job market is still sizzling hot so it really won't matter where you train. it only matters where you train if you want to apply for grants to get money for, what is the recurring theme, more research. to be on faculty at any of these institutions, you have to be able to carry your own weight and bring in enough money through grants to often times pay your own salary. from what i hear, especially right now, getting grants is quite difficult which explains why the fellowship committee truly want people who will bring that passion and hopefully successful research oriented careers to the institution.

hope that helps.
Click to expand...


I see what you are saying. My community based residency program and the research lab might not be speaking for me.
Thanks for the advice cherry ghost.
 
clueless1 said:
Yeah, I'm disappointed in programs that don't even send out official rejections. I feel like it's sort of an insult - I mean, we invest a lot of time, energy, and emotion into the process, in spite of all our busy schedules, and if they don't want to interview us that's fine - but at least have the courtesy to let us know you aren't interested in interviewing us. I feel like it's the least they can do, given what we go through. It's not like everyone in this day and age doesn't know the instant offers go out - it's the frickin' 21st century. It doesn't even cost them anything - you don't have to mail me a love letter, but an email officially telling me to stop waiting around for an offer seems like the minimum they can do. It's just flat-out impolite not to.

Mood's turning a bit sour, along with the weather, I guess...
Click to expand...

I know. And on top of that they send us general emails thru ERAS saying not to call them or email them[emory].
Why do programs taking their own graduates participate in ERAS. It is a waste of time ,money etc.
 
i'm also still waiting on stanford and ucsf, no word from either program yet. since some of you have already received interviews from these programs, i'm expecting rejections. anyone received rejections from these programs already? or are they only sending out interviews so far?
 
Finally got DFCI rejection!
So annoying.
Good luck to all of us.
🙂
 
happybob said:
i'm also wondering about programs on the west coast, especially the ones in california since there seems to be a east coast bias here and haven't seen too many posts on the west coast programs. based on what i gather here, i would assume uw/fhcc is one of the top ones on the west coast, but what about the rest? based on reputation, i guess ucsf, stanford, and ucla would be among the top, but do they all have good heme-onc programs and nationally ranked cancer centers? what about the other places? oregon, usc, ucsd, uc davis, uc irvine, scripps, harbor ucla/city of hope, and olive-view/cedars?

are there any web sites with good reviews on heme-onc programs across the country? how are you guys preparing for your interviews? i feel like all i can do is to read through the program's web site, but a lot of them seem to have very basic ones without much info.
Click to expand...


Hey happy...I hear what you are saying, but I don't think it's an "east coast bias"...If anything, I think the lack of info/discussion about West coast programs is due to a "West coast bias" - as in, they seem to be very insular on the west coast, and do not offer many interviews to people outside their borders. Everyone in California just wants to stay in California, and so they consequently end up eating their own quite a bit. The people that are in California already know about all the programs there, and so there's no need for them to come on a forum like this and figure out what the story is elsewhere, because they have no intention of going elsewhere and don't even look outside the West Coast. Simultaneously, the people in the Midwest/East Coast don't frequently get invited out there to interview (because they're booked w/ California applicants), so no one has anything to post about experiences out there. That's why it seems like no one ever mentions the programs out there.

That's just my theory, obviously, based on current and past experiences dealing w/ West Coast programs.

Oh, and physicsMD - from what I can gather, as I alluded to above, if you want to be in Cally long term, you probably should get back there ASAP - the longer you are away, the harder it will be to "break back in" later. Just my opinion, but it isn't completely baseless...
 
Just got my UCSF rejection today, they said they had sent it through ERAS before? anyway, physicsMD definitely if you want to go to Cali you should go now.
 
HAM2 - did you call UCSF? Or did they send you an e-mail? Haven't heard of them yet...

UTMB rejection
 
So...in an attempt to throw a broad net in New York due to my significant other (who now may not want to go to New York anymore), I applied to 6 NY programs. I just received an offer from Northshore in Manhasset but honestly don't know a thing about them. Have you guys heard anything about this place? Not sure how it compares to Mt. Sinai, AE Montefiore, or Cornell. I'm thinking I might just let that one go so other people can share in the East Coast love. Any thoughts?

Also...thanks for the condolences on Columbia, Clueless1. Sounds like everyone is getting into a funk right about now. I'm still waiting to hear from 3Chicago programs and it's killing me 🙂 5 NY interviews and only 1 Chicago offer so far...RANDOM! 🙄
 
they emailed me, maybe u still have a chance 🙂
 
MidwestMD said:
So...in an attempt to throw a broad net in New York due to my significant other (who now may not want to go to New York anymore), I applied to 6 NY programs. I just received an offer from Northshore in Manhasset but honestly don't know a thing about them. Have you guys heard anything about this place? Not sure how it compares to Mt. Sinai, AE Montefiore, or Cornell. I'm thinking I might just let that one go so other people can share in the East Coast love. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

It's a decent community program w/ vague academic affiliations. They have a great IM chair but I don't know much about the onc program in particular. I have a few friends who did IM out there and liked it, a pretty benign program all things considered. It in no way compares to the NYC academic programs you mentioned.

It's not a bad place, just an pretty good community program where you'd probably get decent training and find a well-paying private practice gig after you finish. If you want any sort of an academic career it's probably not your best option.
 
Northshore is a good community program.. however last yr out of all three spots they gave all 3 in-house... they are interviewing 39 for 3 spots, and they have 2 applicants in house this yr... i am still going to the interview but 1 in 37 arent great odds... good luck to everyone
 
Thanks Brooklyneric and ghettomd! I will pass on this one 😛
 
also got the email of rejection from ucsf today, oh well...
 
No news from UCSF for me. What's going on? Anyone else that didn't hear anything from them?
 
By the way, has anyone heard anything from Stanford? Thanks.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

notfanning
  • Sticky
Official ID Thread 2025-2026
Replies
3
Views
603
goatmed
goatmed
J
Official 2024-2025 Nephrology Fellowship Application Thread
Replies
6
Views
4K
deleted1190329
D
N
Official Endocrinology 2024-2025 fellowship application thread
Replies
12
Views
7K
Paradiseforever
P
B
Official 2024-2025 Infectious Disease Application Thread
Replies
5
Views
5K
fieldterrain922
F
Deecee2DO
Official 2024-2025 Allergy & Immunology Application Thread
2 3
Replies
148
Views
33K
RDMD2020
R
Top