Hospitalist for years deciding to go back and do fellowship

[civilleader]

So I am a DO who graduated from residency (combined IM-Pediatrics program) at a reasonably reputable (at least regionally) program in the northeast. I never really seriously considered fellowship while in residency and honestly enjoyed practice inpatient pediatrics and IM. I have seen hit the 4 year mark working as a IM-peds hospitalist within two different University of California health systems and served as key faculty for a family medicine residency. I'm about to sit for the pediatric hospitalist boards. I didn't really consider any fellowship because there were a lot of different interest I had (pediatric cardiology specifically adult congenital cards, adult malignant heme, hepatology ) and I was afraid that with fellowship I would forget my general IM and pediatrics.

More recently I've been slowly gravitating towards H/O, specifically adult malignant heme which seems to interest me more. My favorite patients on the inpatient side have been oncology patients generally. In addition I feel like I slowly burning out from being a hospitalist and the lifestyle and being at the bottom of the totem pole makes me regret more I should have done a fellowship.
I do have one paper from medical school that I coauthored in oncology and an ok step 1 score of 233 (back in 2010 when the averages were lower).

Considering that I'm several year out of residency, and deciding of this way later than my peers is fellowship realistic? Besides obviously more research, what else would really help. Anyone else come into deciding of fellowship later?

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[boxin]

It's realistic and I have seen a few hospitalists go into fellowship later so you're not alone. The experience from being a hospitalist will help. The step 1 average was 217 last year I believe. Have you been able to get in touch with hem onc folks where you work? That could help with recs.

 

[Professor Khan]

It's realistic and I have seen a few hospitalists go into fellowship later so you're not alone. The experience from being a hospitalist will help. The step 1 average was 217 last year I believe. Have you been able to get in touch with hem onc folks where you work? That could help with recs.

Uhhh is this a joke?

 

[deleted480308]

It's realistic and I have seen a few hospitalists go into fellowship later so you're not alone. The experience from being a hospitalist will help. The step 1 average was 217 last year I believe. Have you been able to get in touch with hem onc folks where you work? That could help with recs.

239 in 2018 from the first result on google which had a screenshot of match statd

 

[collegestud2013]

So I am a DO who graduated from residency (combined IM-Pediatrics program) at a reasonably reputable (at least regionally) program in the northeast. I never really seriously considered fellowship while in residency and honestly enjoyed practice inpatient pediatrics and IM. I have seen hit the 4 year mark working as a IM-peds hospitalist within two different University of California health systems and served as key faculty for a family medicine residency. I'm about to sit for the pediatric hospitalist boards. I didn't really consider any fellowship because there were a lot of different interest I had (pediatric cardiology specifically adult congenital cards, adult malignant heme, hepatology ) and I was afraid that with fellowship I would forget my general IM and pediatrics.

More recently I've been slowly gravitating towards H/O, specifically adult malignant heme which seems to interest me more. My favorite patients on the inpatient side have been oncology patients generally. In addition I feel like I slowly burning out from being a hospitalist and the lifestyle and being at the bottom of the totem pole makes me regret more I should have done a fellowship.
I do have one paper from medical school that I coauthored in oncology and an ok step 1 score of 233 (back in 2010 when the averages were lower).

Considering that I'm several year out of residency, and deciding of this way later than my peers is fellowship realistic? Besides obviously more research, what else would really help. Anyone else come into deciding of fellowship later?

Sounds like a reach at this point. Per most PDs, 1 year between residency and fellowship is viewed as neutral, and 2 years can hurt your chances if you don't have a lot of academic productivity between that time. More than 2 years makes it difficult to match into competitive fellowships like cards, GI, or heme/onc. The fact that you're a D.O. and have a below average step 1 score (by current standards, the PDs don't pay attention to the average the year your took it) makes it even harder. If your main concern is being at the bottom of the totem pole and would like to specialize, you should go for something like ID, Nephrology, or Endocrine where the there usually around the same or less applicants than spots each year.