Peds in California

[ShuperNewbie]

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Hey Guys, 4th year US med student here. I'm pretty new to this whole thing but I came into med school wanting to do IM and I am just now trying to decide whether or not I want to do Pediatrics with an eventual goal to do Pedi- Heme/Onc. I have no idea how to gauge the competitiveness or the quality of any pediatrics programs so I wanted to get your guys' opinions on whether or not I would be competitive for a program in CA. I'm terribly sorry to be a bother, but I feel with the whole letter situation and whatnot coming up, I have to decide whether or not to apply to Pediatrics or IM and I would really prefer to land in CA (I'm a Cali resident fwiw)

School: Mid Tier US MD
Step I: 234
Step II: Scheduled
3rd Year Grades: All HP Including Peds with a P in OB/Gyn
AOA: No
Research: 2 potential first authors. Manuscripts drafted. Visit to the FDA to present results.
No red flags. All evals have been stellar. May not be able to get a Peds letter in time.

I know for medicine this puts me in the lower tier of California applicants, but I'm a little confused about the nature of Peds. Thank you all in advance!

 

[Perrotfish]

south, north, or don't care?

 

[ShuperNewbie]

south, north, or don't care?

Thank you for the reply. I'd prefer to stay in the south if possible 🙂 I don't even know which programs exist in the south/ which ones are best when seeking fellowships?

 

[Siverhideo1985]

Have you considered combined IM/Ped? It's an extra year but coming from the peds side I can say that my IM/Peds colleagues always bring a unique perspective to the table that serves them well, especially in the hematology world.

I think with your stats, solid step 1 and research you'd do just fine in California if you aren't set on a single top program. Apply broadly, pick the best fit for your needs. Peds fellowships aren't the most competitive to begin with.

 

[Obnoxious Dad]

If you go to this link I think you will see the peds programs in California.
https://www.acgme.org/ads/Public/Programs/Search?stateId=5&specialtyId=65&orgCode=&city=
My question to you is why do you need to be in Southern California. You won't get paid well. You will be taxed to death. You won't be able to buy a house unless you come from money or your spouse is loaded. You will live in a congested, crime ridden, polluted dump. Going there is just plain dumb unless there's someone there you love.

 

[GoSpursGo]

This process is somewhat competitive, but sure, you should be able to get a few looks, though nothing is guaranteed. I would not say you are "lower tier" for California applicants, but rather that there are a lot of people who are applying for California, so whether your application will happen to pique the interest of whoever reviews your app may be semi-random. But give it a go, I certainly think you have a shot 🙂

 

[Jeffrety]

OP you will definitely get into a peds program in CA if you apply widely and dont have a location preference. Someone here erroneously said peds fellowships arent competitive; they just as competitive (if not more) than IM fellowships. So the trick is to find a place where they have peds fellowships in heme/onc since it's known fellowship programs favor their own residents.

 

[ShuperNewbie]

Thank you guys for being so helpful and supportive. This is exactly why I'm considering Peds, because I want to be surrounded by helpful and supportive people! 😀