HHMI fellowship during fourth year?

[fw5tape6kq]

I'd be interested in doing a HHMI fellowship, but I'm already partway through my fourth year. I was curious if anyone on this forum has any experience with this program, and in particular, the logistics of doing such a research year after their fourth year of medical school.

Is that even possible? You find out whether or not you've been accepted into the program in March, which is the time of Match day. I have no idea how anyone can manage both; either you apply to residency or apply to the fellowship. What happens if you apply to the fellowship, don't apply to residency, but don't get in?

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[AcademicNeurosurgery]

Start by looking at the HHMI website.

The document below says you defer graduation and have to make up time away from lab if you are interviewing for residencies during your research year. Looks like an uphill battle. I know some of the other research fellowships require you to not enter the match with no guarantee you will be accepted into the research year.

I strongly recommend against it unless you have some extraordinary reason or want to work on a very specific project. Instead, look for residencies that have built-in research time.

https://www.hhmi.org/sites/default/files/2017 Med Fellows Program Application Requirements_12.pdf

 

[fw5tape6kq]

Start by looking at the HHMI website.

The document below says you defer graduation and have to make up time away from lab if you are interviewing for residencies during your research year. Looks like an uphill battle. I know some of the other research fellowships require you to not enter the match with no guarantee you will be accepted into the research year.

I strongly recommend against it unless you have some extraordinary reason or want to work on a very specific project. Instead, look for residencies that have built-in research time.

https://www.hhmi.org/sites/default/files/2017 Med Fellows Program Application Requirements_12.pdf

Yeah, I saw that later after I read the page. What a bummer. There are 2-3 projects available on HHMI's website right now with some PI's that I would absolutely relish the opportunity to do research with. You're very right in referring to it as an uphill battle. What's more, I have absolutely no bench research experience, which I assume puts me at a significant disadvantage for procuring this. I can't imagine anything worse than deferring my match for a year to apply to this program, only to not get accepted and subsequently exist in limbo for a full year.

 

[AcademicNeurosurgery]

Yeah, I saw that later after I read the page. What a bummer. There are 2-3 projects available on HHMI's website right now with some PI's that I would absolutely relish the opportunity to do research with. You're very right in referring to it as an uphill battle. What's more, I have absolutely no bench research experience, which I assume puts me at a significant disadvantage for procuring this. I can't imagine anything worse than deferring my match for a year to apply to this program, only to not get accepted and subsequently exist in limbo for a full year.

While you don't need to be an accomplished researcher to get these fellowships, it is important to have at least some experience so you can convince the committee why you want to do an entire year of research. It may be a good idea to contact the programs directly to see if they have any advice. They probably don't get a lot of 4th year applicants and may be able to give you an idea of whether or not you would be a strong applicant.

What specialty are you interested in?

 

[fw5tape6kq]

While you don't need to be an accomplished researcher to get these fellowships, it is important to have at least some experience so you can convince the committee why you want to do an entire year of research. It may be a good idea to contact the programs directly to see if they have any advice. They probably don't get a lot of 4th year applicants and may be able to give you an idea of whether or not you would be a strong applicant.

What specialty are you interested in?

Heme/Onc via Internal Medicine, or Rad Onc. They have a few programs listed on the HHMI site with some great people in the field doing work in Immunotherapy and/or Molecular mechanisms of cancer. Brian Druker, for instance, is one of the PI's: it would essentially be the chance of a lifetime to work with him. That opportunity would be something I would gladly defer graduation for 1-2 years for, but again, the sheer logistics of having a 4th year medical student with no bench background apply and obtain that fellowship seems tenuous. I'm well qualified in nearly every other regard, but unfortunately, I'm not sure my lack of research experience is a surmountable handicap.