How many fellowship programs to apply to?

[RussianJoo]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So I am getting everything ready to apply for Cardiothoracic fellowships. Most people in my residency program have only applied to 3 or 4 programs because they had a specific location where they needed to be. I on the other hand don't have a specific location and just want to go to the best program I can match into.


How many programs do you guys think is a safe number to apply to? I am an average resident at an average residency program, ITE scores aren't stellar but I am a very hard worker and thus have very strong faculty evaluations and I am sure my Letters of Recommendation will thus be very strong as well.

I am thinking 20 to 25 programs will be a safe number. My other concern is the places I am applying to are mostly top notch institutions and because I am not a superstar in terms of grades and ITE scores I am afraid that I am wasting my time applying to these places and should apply to more "realistic" programs.

My faculty are of little help and just tell me about the top notch places.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[proman]

So I am getting everything ready to apply for Cardiothoracic fellowships. Most people in my residency program have only applied to 3 or 4 programs because they had a specific location where they needed to be. I on the other hand don't have a specific location and just want to go to the best program I can match into.


How many programs do you guys think is a safe number to apply to? I am an average resident at an average residency program, ITE scores aren't stellar but I am a very hard worker and thus have very strong faculty evaluations and I am sure my Letters of Recommendation will thus be very strong as well.

I am thinking 20 to 25 programs will be a safe number. My other concern is the places I am applying to are mostly top notch institutions and because I am not a superstar in terms of grades and ITE scores I am afraid that I am wasting my time applying to these places and should apply to more "realistic" programs.

My faculty are of little help and just tell me about the top notch places.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

20 is probably reasonable. There's no money involved just pain filling out each application. There continues to be a surge in applicants and programs that previously didn't fill can now be picky. Sorry I don't have more cheerful news but apply broadly.

 

[nycitygas]

Hey man I would really recommend applying broadly (>20). I'm pretty sure cardiac is now that most competitive anesthesia fellowship. The match process also favors those that interview at the most places.

That being said, I'm sure theres a good spot out there for you. WIll you be applying for CCM as well or just CT?

So I am getting everything ready to apply for Cardiothoracic fellowships. Most people in my residency program have only applied to 3 or 4 programs because they had a specific location where they needed to be. I on the other hand don't have a specific location and just want to go to the best program I can match into.


How many programs do you guys think is a safe number to apply to? I am an average resident at an average residency program, ITE scores aren't stellar but I am a very hard worker and thus have very strong faculty evaluations and I am sure my Letters of Recommendation will thus be very strong as well.

I am thinking 20 to 25 programs will be a safe number. My other concern is the places I am applying to are mostly top notch institutions and because I am not a superstar in terms of grades and ITE scores I am afraid that I am wasting my time applying to these places and should apply to more "realistic" programs.

My faculty are of little help and just tell me about the top notch places.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[RussianJoo]

I'll be applying mostly to CT, I think 3 or 4 Combined two year CT/CC programs, and probably around 4 or 5 ICU programs.

So I think combined CT/CC programs are still outside the match, and so are CCM. I am still working on my list of places to apply to but I guess it looks like I'll have close to 30 places that I'll be applying to when all said and done, the problem might be that I'll be applying to mostly top notch places and thus might be rejected for interviews. At the same time Johns Hopkins CCM fellowship still has an open spot according to the CCM website and yes I know they're probably the hardest CCM fellowship in the country but they do have a great name recognition and I am sure excellet training.

 

[nycitygas]

I'll be applying mostly to CT, I think 3 or 4 Combined two year CT/CC programs, and probably around 4 or 5 ICU programs.

So I think combined CT/CC programs are still outside the match, and so are CCM. I am still working on my list of places to apply to but I guess it looks like I'll have close to 30 places that I'll be applying to when all said and done, the problem might be that I'll be applying to mostly top notch places and thus might be rejected for interviews. At the same time Johns Hopkins CCM fellowship still has an open spot according to the CCM website and yes I know they're probably the hardest CCM fellowship in the country but they do have a great name recognition and I am sure excellet training.

Are you applying for June 2014? JHU only has one spot left this early?? Great program though you should definitely go if you get a spot.

It might be a waste applying to CCM before you hear about the cardiac match as you will likely get your acceptance/rejection well before the match results are available and most programs give at most a month to decide.

 

[fakin' the funk]

I'll be applying mostly to CT, I think 3 or 4 Combined two year CT/CC programs, and probably around 4 or 5 ICU programs.

So I think combined CT/CC programs are still outside the match, and so are CCM. I am still working on my list of places to apply to but I guess it looks like I'll have close to 30 places that I'll be applying to when all said and done, the problem might be that I'll be applying to mostly top notch places and thus might be rejected for interviews.

For an unentangled guy...you sure are making this complicated.

 

[Deanmonster]

Hey man I would really recommend applying broadly (>20). I'm pretty sure cardiac is now that most competitive anesthesia fellowship. The match process also favors those that interview at the most places.

That being said, I'm sure theres a good spot out there for you. WIll you be applying for CCM as well or just CT?

Any idea why this is? CT surg spots can't fill and we are getting more competitive. It doesn't reimburse any better really and generally seems to involve more call.

 

[RussianJoo]

Are you applying for June 2014? JHU only has one spot left this early?? Great program though you should definitely go if you get a spot.

It might be a waste applying to CCM before you hear about the cardiac match as you will likely get your acceptance/rejection well before the match results are available and most programs give at most a month to decide.

I am applying for July 2014. No I think this JHU spot is an unfilled spot like for July 2013. At least that's what I hope, because if they filled most of their spots for 2014 already then I'm kind of screwed. I am only going to apply to a hand full of CCM spots mostly because I am going to try to make a "combined CT/CCM" or it will be at some really big name place. Then if I don't match into CT I'll just apply to an filled CCM spots, my residency program developed some very good relationships with CCM programs so I am sure I'll be able to get something if all I want is just a fellowship.

 

[RussianJoo]

For an unentangled guy...you sure are making this complicated.

it doesn't sound too bad to me, I mean I applied to around 70 Anesthesia residency programs and 50 internships.

 

[EdPierce]

i think 20 is way too many unless they are all top notch, and if that is the case that is still enough. most people i know applied to 2-5

 

[bcat85]

it doesn't sound too bad to me, I mean I applied to around 70 Anesthesia residency programs and 50 internships.

 

[RussianJoo]

I am a Caribbean grad.