MS4 Applying IM, interested in Cardiology - Help me rank these IM residencies

[Riceater]

I'm a DO student. I have two or three Internal Medicine programs I've interviewed with that are going to be tough to choose between but wanted your opinions on which programs would set me up best for cardiology fellowship. I have been dead set on cardiology for a while. My favorite rotations have been cards, the cardiologists have always impressed me, and I have pursued mostly cardiology research.

- Cleveland Clinic Akron General (my favorite so far despite not having cardiology fellowship - strong academics from what I can tell, CC name I think helps their residents get into big name fellowships)

- Largo Medical Center (>455 beds, heart transplant program with good ECMO and LVAD exposure as resident. Cards and Interventional Cards fellows).

- Ohio Health/Doctors Hospital (smaller hospital but also rotate at Riverside which is >1000 bed hospital. They have Cardiology fellows, most of whom come from IM resident pool)

- Brandon Regional (Near Tampa, like Largo, they're 438 bed size but have 25,000 admissions per year, 5th busiest ER in state, and cardiology fellowship. Weak in academics. Research/case reports are on me to start and write given there's little mentorship from attendings, according to a 1st yr resident anyway)

- Ochsner/LSU Shreveport (seems like a decent IM/cards program but not my preferred location)

- Texas Tech El Paso (seems like it'd be good volume given the area but I dont know Spanish so maybe less desirable to me).


Any insight you may be able to provide would be much appreciated as I am really struggling with how to rank my top 3-4 programs.

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[thecalccobra]

I'm a DO student. I have two or three Internal Medicine programs I've interviewed with that are going to be tough to choose between but wanted your opinions on which programs would set me up best for cardiology fellowship. I have been dead set on cardiology for a while. My favorite rotations have been cards, the cardiologists have always impressed me, and I have pursued mostly cardiology research.

- Cleveland Clinic Akron General (my favorite so far despite not having cardiology fellowship - strong academics from what I can tell, CC name I think helps their residents get into big name fellowships)

- Largo Medical Center (>455 beds, heart transplant program with good ECMO and LVAD exposure as resident. Cards and Interventional Cards fellows).

- Ohio Health/Doctors Hospital (smaller hospital but also rotate at Riverside which is >1000 bed hospital. They have Cardiology fellows, most of whom come from IM resident pool)

- Brandon Regional (Near Tampa, like Largo, they're 438 bed size but have 25,000 admissions per year, 5th busiest ER in state, and cardiology fellowship. Weak in academics. Research/case reports are on me to start and write given there's little mentorship from attendings, according to a 1st yr resident anyway)

- Ochsner/LSU Shreveport (seems like a decent IM/cards program but not my preferred location)

- Texas Tech El Paso (seems like it'd be good volume given the area but I dont know Spanish so maybe less desirable to me).


Any insight you may be able to provide would be much appreciated as I am really struggling with how to rank my top 3-4 programs.

Your best bet is either Ochsner or LSU Shreveport. Will give you the best chance at matching.

 

[sunshinefl]

I'm a DO student. I have two or three Internal Medicine programs I've interviewed with that are going to be tough to choose between but wanted your opinions on which programs would set me up best for cardiology fellowship. I have been dead set on cardiology for a while. My favorite rotations have been cards, the cardiologists have always impressed me, and I have pursued mostly cardiology research.

- Cleveland Clinic Akron General (my favorite so far despite not having cardiology fellowship - strong academics from what I can tell, CC name I think helps their residents get into big name fellowships)

- Largo Medical Center (>455 beds, heart transplant program with good ECMO and LVAD exposure as resident. Cards and Interventional Cards fellows).

- Ohio Health/Doctors Hospital (smaller hospital but also rotate at Riverside which is >1000 bed hospital. They have Cardiology fellows, most of whom come from IM resident pool)

- Brandon Regional (Near Tampa, like Largo, they're 438 bed size but have 25,000 admissions per year, 5th busiest ER in state, and cardiology fellowship. Weak in academics. Research/case reports are on me to start and write given there's little mentorship from attendings, according to a 1st yr resident anyway)

- Ochsner/LSU Shreveport (seems like a decent IM/cards program but not my preferred location)

- Texas Tech El Paso (seems like it'd be good volume given the area but I dont know Spanish so maybe less desirable to me).


Any insight you may be able to provide would be much appreciated as I am really struggling with how to rank my top 3-4 programs.

Why did you combine Ochsner and LSU Shreveport?

 

[thecalccobra]

Why did you combine Ochsner and LSU Shreveport?

He doesn’t like the location of both.

 

[sunshinefl]

He doesn’t like the location of both.

ohhh I see

 

[Prehealth1011]

Should the number of fellowship spots play a role in our decision? El paso for example has cards but only 2 spots. Isn't that gonna be a bloodbath trying to get those?

 

[Riceater]

Why did you combine Ochsner and LSU Shreveport?

Ochsner and LSU Shreveport have a partnership now since about 2018 so they’re combined. I can see how putting both names really just made it confusing lol.

As far as number of fellowship spots, most places I’m interviewing seem to only have two cardiology spots per year.

Even though I have certain geographical preferences, I will go wherever I have to to get the best training I can and improve my odds of matching cardiology later.

 

[thecalccobra]

Ochsner and LSU Shreveport have a partnership now since about 2018 so they’re combined. I can see how putting both names really just made it confusing lol.

As far as number of fellowship spots, most places I’m interviewing seem to only have two cardiology spots per year.

Even though I have certain geographical preferences, I will go wherever I have to to get the best training I can and improve my odds of matching cardiology later.

In general university > community programs for fellowships but you prob already knew that.

 

[nlax30]

Oschner, followed by Cleveland Clinic, then Ohio Health, then Largo

 

[Sam1987]

LSU Shreveport followed by Texas Elpaso should be the top ..

 

[shouldigomd]

Should the number of fellowship spots play a role in our decision? El paso for example has cards but only 2 spots. Isn't that gonna be a bloodbath trying to get those?

In my opinion unless you go to a program that heavily takes in house or you have very few peers applying to cardio it doesn't really matter. Obviously the latter you can't predict.

Prestige / how your program matches is the most important thing.

 

[Doctor_Strange]

Sorry, gonna piggyback off this as well -- fellow DO (Steps 243/237 not sure if relevant). Of the 11 places I have secured an interview, the top ones appear to be: AGH, UF Jax, University of Buffalo, Virginia Tech, and Prisma Columbia.

Thanks for any insight!

Edit: If I could give my 2 cents -- I feel my ranking would be UF Jax > AGH > UB > VTech > Prisma.

 

[AussieAg]

Sorry, gonna piggyback off this as well -- fellow DO (Steps 243/237 not sure if relevant). Of the 11 places I have secured an interview, the top ones appear to be: AGH, UF Jax, University of Buffalo, Virginia Tech, and Prisma Columbia.

Thanks for any insight!

Edit: If I could give my 2 cents -- I feel my ranking would be UF Jax > AGH > UB > VTech > Prisma.

Search the cardiology subforum about UF Jax. AGH is a great hospital however you may benefit from the university nature of UB and VT.

 

[Doctor_Strange]

Search the cardiology subforum about UF Jax. AGH is a great hospital however you may benefit from the university nature of UB and VT.

Yeah I saw that ACGME violation posted from several years ago on here . I feel as a DO I honestly have to maximize "chances of matching" versus being picky since Anti-DO bias is still unfortunately pervasive...

Edit: Also thanks for your insight!

 

[sunshinefl]

Yeah I saw that ACGME violation posted from several years ago on here . I feel as a DO I honestly have to maximize "chances of matching" versus being picky since Anti-DO bias is still unfortunately pervasive...

Edit: Also thanks for your insight!

You will not match better by trying to guess that. Please rank in your true preference order.

 

[AussieAg]

Yeah I saw that ACGME violation posted from several years ago on here . I feel as a DO I honestly have to maximize "chances of matching" versus being picky since Anti-DO bias is still unfortunately pervasive...

Edit: Also thanks for your insight!

I'm a DO as well. I feel your pain. You'll get it if you want it enough.

You will not match better by trying to guess that. Please rank in your true preference order.

This.