PICU fellowship 2019...the beginnning

[BBMD_PICU]

Hi, I am currently a 3rd year pediatric resident applying for PICU fellowship this summer during my Chief year. I have a strange? question... A good number of attendings I have asked for letters from said they want examples of things I did in the PICU during my rotations... do you have any advice? I guess we all show initiative to take the sicker patients or pursue the most procedures...but I don't know if any of that is "amazing" enough for them to write specifically about... any advice? Thank you!!

and YAY to starting the 2019 fellowship application season...soon...

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[Stitch]

So I'm a PICU attending and I find that request a little odd. I'm not sure what they are after. If it were me writing your letter, I'd want to know what about your PICU experience attracts you to the specialty. What grabs you and makes you feel like you want to do this your whole life? Was it understanding the physiology? Relationships with families in stressful situations? Cardiac repairs and interacting with surgeons? Things like that. I don't necessarily want to hear a long story about how little Bobby was so sick and got better, but I do want to know how the things about that situation affect you.

Just one person's thoughts though. YMMV.

 

[bjackrian]

It is helpful for me when I'm writing letters (especially months after a resident's rotation with me) to have them jog my memory of who they are. One of the ways they can do that is by mentioning specific patients ("Oh yeah, she was the resident who did the research and made that great diagnosis"). I don't typically ask for this, but that may be what they are looking for?