Official 2016-2017 Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Application Cycle

[gutonc]

I want to get the opinion of attendings on the forum regarding continuity clinics during fellowship training. What is your take on which type of continuity clinic training is more helpful for someone who wants to be a general oncologist? Specialty focussed continuity clinics where for 3-6 months at a stretch you see patients with attendings in specialty clinics (like breast clinic, GU clinic etc.) or following your own panel of patients longitudinally as a part of weekly general oncology clinics with supervision from attendings. And how should this factor in while ranking programs? Thanks.

It factored hugely for me when I ranked. IMHO, a "fellows clinic" where the patients are yours from day 1 until either your fellowship or their life is over, is far and away the best way to go. This is, obviously, supplemented by the sub-sub-specialty clinics where you follow an attending around all day.

Ultimately, you'll survive it and go on to do whatever you want in the future with either approach. But I think having your own panel of patients is critical.

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[HOIV]

It factored hugely for me when I ranked. IMHO, a "fellows clinic" where the patients are yours from day 1 until either your fellowship or their life is over, is far and away the best way to go. This is, obviously, supplemented by the sub-sub-specialty clinics where you follow an attending around all day.

Ultimately, you'll survive it and go on to do whatever you want in the future with either approach. But I think having your own panel of patients is critical.

As someone who is currently running my own fellow's clinic supplemented by 4 other three month clinics in subspecialties with an attending, I think having the responsibility for your own set of patients is critical for learning and confidence building.

 

[visari]

I want to get the opinion of attendings on the forum regarding continuity clinics during fellowship training. What is your take on which type of continuity clinic training is more helpful for someone who wants to be a general oncologist? Specialty focussed continuity clinics where for 3-6 months at a stretch you see patients with attendings in specialty clinics (like breast clinic, GU clinic etc.) or following your own panel of patients longitudinally as a part of weekly general oncology clinics with supervision from attendings. And how should this factor in while ranking programs? Thanks.

I agree with above. having a good continuity clinic is kind of a big deal. oncology after all is an outpatient specialty. Shadowing is not bad but your level of involvement and commitment and sense of responsibility is on a whole different level when you have a panel of patients that you are primarily responsible for. This's the closest you can get to real life.

 

[PD1/PDL1]

thank you @gutonc, @visari and @HOIV

 

[gutonc]

I agree with above. having a good continuity clinic is kind of a big deal. oncology after all is an outpatient specialty. Shadowing is not bad but your level of involvement and commitment and sense of responsibility is on a whole different level when you have a panel of patients that you are primarily responsible for. This's the closest you can get to real life.

And it's just as terrifying.

 

[sid4med]

Interested in clinical training with clinical research. No interest, past experience or time for basic science research. On a J1 visa, so will have to waiver job for 3 years, which usually is clinical heavy bread and butter hemonc. Have been undecided about focus in future, either mal heme or onc......... maybe amyloid/myeloma. Would be later doing a hybrid job.
Plan to decide area of focus by 1st year fellowship, so looking for a diverse clinical training.
No geographical focus, but move to CA from northeast (where I am now) would be too much.

My ROL
1> Fox Chase (perfect to my tastes, goals and location)
2> MUSC (good vibes from the place and diverse training)
3> RPCI (weak on benign heme but pretty busy 1st year)
4> U Kentucky (some ties there and felt it to be a busy but clinically strong program)
5> USC (no dedicated time for research).
6> Allegheny West Penn (well rounded clinically but no active research, though have some research time)
7> Cincinnati ( Not much Txp, solid onc seems good, good schedule)
8> U Conn
9> Vermont
10> WVU

Any opinions from people out there, veterans and 'been there done that' people.

USC seems crazy low but would be too much of move to west coast. prefer at east coast.

 

[gutonc]

Interested in clinical training with clinical research. No interest, past experience or time for basic science research. On a J1 visa, so will have to waiver job for 3 years, which usually is clinical heavy bread and butter hemonc. Have been undecided about focus in future, either mal heme or onc......... maybe amyloid/myeloma. Would be later doing a hybrid job.
Plan to decide area of focus by 1st year fellowship, so looking for a diverse clinical training.
No geographical focus, but move to CA from northeast (where I am now) would be too much.

My ROL
1> Fox Chase (perfect to my tastes, goals and location)
2> MUSC (good vibes from the place and diverse training)
3> RPCI (weak on benign heme but pretty busy 1st year)
4> U Kentucky (some ties there and felt it to be a busy but clinically strong program)
5> USC (no dedicated time for research).
6> Allegheny West Penn (well rounded clinically but no active research, though have some research time)
7> Cincinnati ( Not much Txp, solid onc seems good, good schedule)
8> U Conn
9> Vermont
10> WVU

Any opinions from people out there, veterans and 'been there done that' people.

USC seems crazy low but would be too much of move to west coast. prefer at east coast.

Seems like a reasonable list to me.

 

[HemOncSct]

Hello,

I am finalizing my ROL and I appreciate your opinion (especially from experienced users like gutonc and visari).

I am interested in hem malignancy and academic career with no geographical preferences. My wife (IMG with GC) is applying for IM residency next year and this is another factor to be considered.

My ROL:
1- University of Minnesota
2- Mayo Clinic Arizona
3- Montefiore
4- Baylor (Houston)
5- Medical College of Wisconsin
6- University of Southern California
7- Jackson Memorial, Miami
8- University of Arizona

Thank you

 

[gutonc]

Hello,

I am finalizing my ROL and I appreciate your opinion (especially from experienced users like gutonc and visari).

I am interested in hem malignancy and academic carrier with no geographical preferences. My wife (IMG with GC) is applying for IM residency next year and this is another factor to be considered.

My ROL:
1- University of Minnesota
2- Mayo Clinic Arizona
3- Montefiore
4- Baylor (Houston)
5- Medical College of Wisconsin
6- University of Southern California
7- Jackson Memorial, Miami
8- University of Arizona

Thank you

Based on your wishes only, this list is reasonable (but Miracle Whip needs to be much lower). Taking into account that you need your IMG wife to find a place nearby next year, Monte, Baylor and USC should be the top 3.

You decide how much that should weigh on your decision making, nobody else can do that for you.

 

[HemOncSct]

Based on your wishes only, this list is reasonable (but Miracle Whip needs to be much lower). Taking into account that you need your IMG wife to find a place nearby next year, Monte, Baylor and USC should be the top 3.

You decide how much that should weigh on your decision making, nobody else can do that for you.

Thank you very much for your comment.

I also was thinking of bringing those 3 higher. Between Monte, Baylor, and USC, how do you suggest ranking them?
And where do you suggest I put mayo AZ in that list? I ranked it high because I had a good feeling there at my interview.

 

[811554]

Hi All,

The deadline is just around the corner. Please advise about my list. Like solid tumor. Have a hard time deciding these few programs. This is my order for now:

tOSU
Indiana University
University of Minnesota
University of Maryland

Thanks!

 

[CD15]

Hey guys, I'm feeling jittery between NIH v/s Mayo, Rochester.

I somewhat understand the pros and cons. My gut feeling says Mayo Clinic. However, I'm trying to convince myself to go to NIH
I want stay in academics and do malignant heme and clinical trials in the future. I suspect the academic reputation of NIH >> Mayo.
I feel I have to push myself and to things that I may not like doing in order to have a successful academic career.

Here's my thought process

NIH
- weak clinical training
- opportunity to understand the disease biology by working in the lab, which I think is essential for becoming a clinical investigator. However I did not like lab research experience in med school (2 months). As of now I am not planning to have my own lab in the future. However I am open to the idea if I end up liking it
- better location

Mayo
- excellent clinical training
- I liked the feel of the place
- opportunity to do clinical research
- terrible location

 

[HOIV]

Hey guys, I'm feeling jittery between NIH v/s Mayo, Rochester.

I somewhat understand the pros and cons. My gut feeling says Mayo Clinic. However, I'm trying to convince myself to go to NIH
I want stay in academics and do malignant heme and clinical trials in the future. I suspect the academic reputation of NIH >> Mayo.
I feel I have to push myself and to things that I may not like doing in order to have a successful academic career.

Here's my thought process

NIH
- weak clinical training
- opportunity to understand the disease biology by working in the lab, which I think is essential for becoming a clinical investigator. However I did not like lab research experience in med school (2 months). As of now I am not planning to have my own lab in the future. However I am open to the idea if I end up liking it
- better location

Mayo
- excellent clinical training
- I liked the feel of the place
- opportunity to do clinical research
- terrible location

If you don't want your own lab and didn't enjoy bench research and think that the NIH reputation is so much better than Mayo's that you will get a job more easily in academics, I think you're being somewhat delusional. Of the people I respect in fellowship training, I respect the clinicians that can treat patients first and foremost. The lab rats are brilliant but that's not going to make you a great clinical investigator. If location is your primary concern and those two are options on your list, there is probably another happy median somewhere that you haven't mentioned.

I'd be uneasy about the NIH for all the reasons you mentioned and only uneasy about Mayo's location.

 

[811554]

Hi All,

The deadline is just around the corner. Please advise about my list. Like solid tumor. Have a hard time deciding these few programs. This is my order for now:

tOSU
Indiana University
University of Minnesota
University of Maryland

Thanks!

Anybody can help?

 

[2unhigenyx]

Hey guys, I'm feeling jittery between NIH v/s Mayo, Rochester.

I somewhat understand the pros and cons. My gut feeling says Mayo Clinic. However, I'm trying to convince myself to go to NIH
I want stay in academics and do malignant heme and clinical trials in the future. I suspect the academic reputation of NIH >> Mayo.
I feel I have to push myself and to things that I may not like doing in order to have a successful academic career.

Here's my thought process

NIH
- weak clinical training
- opportunity to understand the disease biology by working in the lab, which I think is essential for becoming a clinical investigator. However I did not like lab research experience in med school (2 months). As of now I am not planning to have my own lab in the future. However I am open to the idea if I end up liking it
- better location

Mayo
- excellent clinical training
- I liked the feel of the place
- opportunity to do clinical research
- terrible location

Interesting that you are torn between two places that couldn't be further apart. NIH is a research powerhouse (basic>clinical) with allegedly weak clinical training. You will have unprecedented research opportunities. You can focus on Hem vs. Onc and subspecialize rather earlier in your fellowship. It will not prepare you well to work in a real life outside academia.

OTOH, Mayo is essentially a private practice place with good amount of clinical (and essentially no basic) research. You will have tons of clinical experience and will essentially be independent in patient care. You will double board whether you like it. or not anecdotally, not many end up transitioning as independent researcher.

 

[hemehopeful]

Hi guys!

Rank day is here! I'm having a hard time ranking my list. I applied only to NY/NJ for family reasons and want to eventually end up in private practice most likely. Can anyone give me any input on Lenox Hill or Winthrop?

Rank list:
Winthrop
Lenox
Stonybrook
Rutgers
Maimonides

 

[sid4med]

The choices are made, fates will be sealed in 3 weeks.
Hope we all match at our best fit and choices.

What is everyone doing in the meantime?

Im taking vacation with Thanksgiving and then night float during the match week.

T - 21 days or 492 hours.

 

[Rlakhotia102]

The choices are made, fates will be sealed in 3 weeks.
Hope we all match at our best fit and choices.

What is everyone doing in the meantime?

Im taking vacation with Thanksgiving and then night float during the match week.

T - 21 days or 492 hours.

Black Friday shopping with whatever money I have left ...

 

[da scientist]

The choices are made, fates will be sealed in 3 weeks.
Hope we all match at our best fit and choices.

What is everyone doing in the meantime?

Im taking vacation with Thanksgiving and then night float during the match week.

T - 21 days or 492 hours.

Trying to get my mind off this.... Enjoy the Thanksgiving and pray for the best outcome

 

[sid4med]

So 39.2% (of all applicants who ranked) match at their first choice, 13.3% at second choice, 9.7 % at third, 11.8 at rest rank numbers......

Approx 40% of all ranking applicants or in other words 50 % of matching applicants match at their first choice. Food for thought!

#toomuchtime
#waitingformatchday

 

[lilPhysician]

I noticed UTSW seems to have a solid reputation on this forum, but when I talk to people they say "it's a really busy place, you won't have time to build an academic career, don't go there". My interest is in an academic career. What is the best advice regarding UTSW?

 

[sickler]

Hello, everyone: Anyone would like to share the thought of scramble? Good luck!

 

[WonderBoy]

Hello, everyone: Anyone would like to share the thought of scramble? Good luck!

I wasn't aware there is a SOAP for fellowship. Hope I don't have to go thru that lol. Good luck to everyone for wednesday. Guess we are expecting emails around noon?

Just curious do programs know already or they find out at same time? During residency match I thought they find out a little earlier, been so long its a blur now!

 

[sid4med]

T - 24 hrs.........

best of luck everyone and thanks to all for their guidance and help with application, interviewing and ranking.

 

[Rlakhotia102]

Wish everyone the very best! 3 hours more to see what awaits us!

 

[BlakeGriffinFan]

View attachment 211029
View attachment 211030

So 39.2% (of all applicants who ranked) match at their first choice, 13.3% at second choice, 9.7 % at third, 11.8 at rest rank numbers......

Approx 40% of all ranking applicants or in other words 50 % of matching applicants match at their first choice. Food for thought!

#toomuchtime
#waitingformatchday

Thanks for the share. May I ask, where did you find this?

Could you clarify is this for the current cycle of applicants or people who matched in 2013 and will graduate in 2016.

 

[sid4med]

Thanks for the share. May I ask, where did you find this?

Could you clarify is this for the current cycle of applicants or people who matched in 2013 and will graduate in 2016.

This is at NRMP match statistics for people who started fellowship in 2016. Its in NRMP website where match results data page is.

It will be released for our year ie 2017 Match too today. On NRMP R3 login homepage on top there is a tab my reports, there i think our year results data will be released at noon too.


BEST of luck everyone.

 

[sid4med]

So UCLA has 2 unmatched spots, Duke has 2 unmatched and ofcourse ECU Vidant Medical Greenville, NC has 1. total 5 unmatched.

I am happy where I matched.

 

[gutonc]

I am happy where I matched.

Which was?

 

[visari]

Which was?

it's a secret. if you tell people where you matched they will immediately unmatch you or best case scenario assign you to 6 months of BMT

 

[PD1/PDL1]

Matched at U of MN, was my#1, thank you all for your advice, big shout out to @visari, @gutonc, @ETA


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[whoknows2012]

Matched at Cornell. Was my #2

 

[Gastrin]

Thank you guys for all your help

 

[hopefuloncologist]

Matched at my #1. woooohoooooo. yesyesyesyesyes. I refuse to go to BMT for 6 months so I'm not telling

 

[MD46]

Congratulations to everyone who matched, but again this year looks the same. No ones willing to share where they matched, hope the childishness matures during the fellowship process

 

[Aminopterin]

Matched at Henry Ford, Detroit. Thankful to all the souls who guided me in this forum. Any of my future co-fellows in this forum?

 

[dumbnamenumbers]

I matched at the NCI/NIH... my first choice. Thank you for the advice throughout the interview season. Time to spend some of that $4.8B Biden money.

 

[oncobronco87]

Why do you think Duke had two unfilled spots this year? I would really like to know what this means about the program, thanks

 

[da scientist]

Boston University!

 

[OverOnChestnut]

Hi Everyone,

I'm early in the process, as I'm currently an OMS-II, but I'm looking to get some feedback on heme-onc fellowships in terms of boards for Step-1, Step-2, etc. I've recently been told that fellowship programs rely more on IM board scores (and research) during residency rather than Step-1 scores. If this is true then I don't feel as the pressure of both boards is necessary for the end of my 2nd year. For this and other reasons, I'm planning on only taking the COMLEX (DO) board exam (i.e. Level-1).

If anyone has some insight as to whether or not the reliance of IM board scores rather than early med-school boards are more determinate for fellowship applications, or even just general thoughts/opinions about taking both boards as an osteopathic student, that would be greatly appreciated.

Best.

 

[sid4med]

Which was?

Ok ok!

U KY.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[whoknows2012]

Hi Everyone,

I'm early in the process, as I'm currently an OMS-II, but I'm looking to get some feedback on heme-onc fellowships in terms of boards for Step-1, Step-2, etc. I've recently been told that fellowship programs rely more on IM board scores (and research) during residency rather than Step-1 scores. If this is true then I don't feel as the pressure of both boards is necessary for the end of my 2nd year. For this and other reasons, I'm planning on only taking the COMLEX (DO) board exam (i.e. Level-1).

If anyone has some insight as to whether or not the reliance of IM board scores rather than early med-school boards are more determinate for fellowship applications, or even just general thoughts/opinions about taking both boards as an osteopathic student, that would be greatly appreciated.

Best.

Why wouldn't you take step 1? You'd purposely be limiting yourself by not taking it. By that I mean your ability to match at an academic program or even high tier community program would depend on you taking and doing well on step 1. Did someone give you advice telling you not to take the usmle's?

 

[OverOnChestnut]

Why wouldn't you take step 1? You'd purposely be limiting yourself by not taking it. By that I mean your ability to match at an academic program or even high tier community program would depend on you taking and doing well on step 1. Did someone give you advice telling you not to take the usmle's?

Yes, with the merger approaching, my understanding is that all allopathic programs will now be required to accept the DO boards, and all osteopathic residency programs will now also be open to allopathic students. I'm only intending on applying to osteopathic based residencies regardless. The only concern was whether or not foregoing the step-1 would hurt me down the road for fellowship opportunities.

 

[gutonc]

Yes, with the merger approaching, my understanding is that all allopathic programs will now be required to accept the DO boards, and all osteopathic residency programs will now also be open to allopathic students. I'm only intending on applying to osteopathic based residencies regardless. The only concern was whether or not foregoing the step-1 would hurt me down the road for fellowship opportunities.

The answer remains yes. Skipping USMLE Step 1 will hurt you going forward. Ignore this advice at your peril.

And the fact (I'm going to trust you on this one since I don't care and can't be bothered to determine the veracity of your statement, but let's pretend it's a fact) that programs will have to accept COMLEX doesn't mean they have to weight it the same as USMLE. As an example, my fellowship program had a semi-quantitative scoring system for Step scores on a scale of 1-5. For USMLE scores it was <200 =1, 200-210 = 2, then 1 more point for each additional decile. For COMLEX it was: <500 =1; 500-600 =3; >600 =5. That was it.

Take Step 1.

 

[hopefuloncologist]

Hi Everyone,

I'm early in the process, as I'm currently an OMS-II, but I'm looking to get some feedback on heme-onc fellowships in terms of boards for Step-1, Step-2, etc. I've recently been told that fellowship programs rely more on IM board scores (and research) during residency rather than Step-1 scores. If this is true then I don't feel as the pressure of both boards is necessary for the end of my 2nd year. For this and other reasons, I'm planning on only taking the COMLEX (DO) board exam (i.e. Level-1).

If anyone has some insight as to whether or not the reliance of IM board scores rather than early med-school boards are more determinate for fellowship applications, or even just general thoughts/opinions about taking both boards as an osteopathic student, that would be greatly appreciated.

Best.

I can't speak to whether or not you should take USMLE (though I strongly suspect you should) but I definitely didn't take IM boards before applying to fellowship (and I got lots of interviews) so I find it hard to believe that IM boards have any weight in this process.

 

[gutonc]

I can't speak to whether or not you should take USMLE (though I strongly suspect you should) but I definitely didn't take IM boards before applying to fellowship (and I got lots of interviews) so I find it hard to believe that IM boards have any weight in this process.

I think he was conflating the ABIM and USMLE which are, of course, 2 different things.

 

[lilPhysician]

Does posting your match results on facebook or social media constitute a violation of the match process?

 

[visari]

Does posting your match results on facebook or social media constitute a violation of the match process?

I'm pretty sure there was a link from the ERAS or NRMP website itself to share your match results on social media

 

[gutonc]

Does posting your match results on facebook or social media constitute a violation of the match process?

Why would it?

 

[lilPhysician]

Why would it?

In hindsight, you're absolutely right. The NRMP website states "An applicant posts Match data on a website or listserv without authorization from the NRMP" constitutes a match violation. Wasn't sure how to interpret that.