There are a couple of options for people who want to fast track through residency and fellowship and do research-they are designed for people in your situation (PhD, definately wanting to do a fellowship). You can get more info at
www.abp.org. In general, you do residency in 2 and fellowship in 2. You don't have to apply before you start residency, but you'd want to make sure any program you apply to is supportive. I do clinical research, so my situation is a little different, but there was a great variety in program's willingness to support my ongoing research interests. At one program I was told repeatedly that residents in that program were not able to do research (scratched them off quickly!). Where I am now, there's a push for residents doing research (especially basic science, because there's overall a dearth in pediatric physician-scientists), and they were extremely supportive of my doing some research (mostly after internship, when I'll have one afternoon per week of "protected" research time instead of a second clinic). If you like actually working with patients I'd recommed PICU over anethesiology-you do some of the same procedures (Conscious sedation, intubation), but you are far more involved in the care of the children, and of course you get paid much less for it
. I'd think there would be more research possibilities as well. Plus, anesthesia is it's own residency, where in peds you could change your mind and do something else if you don't like PICU (there are many specialties in peds that use basic science research heavily: ID, genetics, nephro, endo, etc. I can PM you if you'd like more info on my program specifically.
