IM Residency and Fellowship Match- 3 Year MD

[coffeelover347]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello. I am looking at possibly applying into my medical school's three year MD program to match into IM directly. I am wondering if doing this puts me at any disadvantage for matching into a fellowship? How much does what you do in medical school (like research) apply for matching say into heme/onc or cardiology? Also, is it concerning if only 2-3/15 IM residents from a program match into a fellowship year after year? I am wanting to do IM residency as I am specifically interested in a few of the fellowship options following, but am concerned about matching into an IM program that maybe doesn't set me up for as much success as another program? Or is it if you get into an IM residency and perform well you can match into a competitive fellowship no matter where you did your IM residency? Thank you

 

[gutonc]

As long as your med school's IM program has a strong history of matching into competitive fellowships, you'll be fine. But residency programs tend to select applicants that fit with their "mission". So if this program tends to have most people go into general IM jobs and only a couple of endo/renal fellowship matches every year, this may not be the best option for you.

 

[cards67]

Is this a 3yr MD program that guarantees you a spot in their IM program? Or can you go to any IM program? Residency reputation does matter for competitive fellowships. Doing research in med school does help. Go to the most reputable IM program to give yourself the best chance at success. But first things first, you have to get into med school, figure out what specialty you actually want to do, take your boards, etc.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

As long as your med school's IM program has a strong history of matching into competitive fellowships, you'll be fine. But residency programs tend to select applicants that fit with their "mission". So if this program tends to have most people go into general IM jobs and only a couple of endo/renal fellowship matches every year, this may not be the best option for you.

Exactly. And the stated mission of most of these types of programs is primary care. So (and I say this as a DO who went to a very primary care oriented DO school, albeit not a 3 year program), expect a lot of pressure to steer you towards primary care and minimal infrastructure available if that’s not what you want to do. Personally, I think the 3 year programs are a bit silly because they usually carry this prohibition on going into anything other than IM or FM (not sure how they regulate this if you don’t want to do that, though? Maybe they make you pay back scholarship money?)

OP, do you have to go to their IM program, or can you go elsewhere?