Question about Specialization

[Jman121496]

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Hello all,

I am an incoming med student who is thinking about applying for the NHSC scholarship. If I completed a residency in a primary care specialty, could I conceivably complete a fellowship four years later (after my service requirement)?

I understand that some fellowships are more competitive than others. Are there certain fields that would be more open to accepting someone years out of residency?

Thank you for your time!

 

[mvenus929]

Hello all,

I am an incoming med student who is thinking about applying for the NHSC scholarship. If I completed a residency in a primary care specialty, could I conceivably complete a fellowship four years later (after my service requirement)?

I understand that some fellowships are more competitive than others. Are there certain fields that would be more open to accepting someone years out of residency?

Thank you for your time!

You can. But you may not want to after making an attending salary for 4 years.

A number of Peds specialties would love you 🙂

 

[Jman121496]

You can. But you may not want to after making an attending salary for 4 years.

A number of Peds specialties would love you 🙂

That is great to hear! Pediatrics is something I'm really interested in so this is very encouraging.

 

[Tenk]

It is not the norm. Yes it can happen, but it is the exception not the rule so I would not count on it as definite.

 

[Jman121496]

It is not the norm. Yes it can happen, but it is the exception not the rule so I would not count on it as definite.

Yeah other posts I looked at seemed to suggest this. Are there certain fellowships that would be more open to this than others?

 

[Tenk]

Yeah other posts I looked at seemed to suggest this. Are there certain fellowships that would be more open to this than others?

It’s more about certain programs than fields that would be open to this. Each program will be different and each program in each field will be different. I’m sure very well established programs at major universities would be more opposed to this than say community programs which would probably be more open to a non-traditional applicant but even this is a generalization.

Honestly, if you want to specialize, I recommend you do not do the NHSC scholarship, do your residency and fellowship instead and then just work a rural or underserved instead if you have a strong desire to do so. You will come out way ahead financially in 10 years over the NHSC. Like hundreds of thousands of dollars if not over a million ahead if you play your cards right.

 

[ndafife]

Yeah other posts I looked at seemed to suggest this. Are there certain fellowships that would be more open to this than others?

Here is the fellowship match data. Peds fellowships in general aren't really that competitive. Look at peds endocrine, only 50/99 positions filled with 42 programs going unfilled. As a US grad if you do the bare minimum you'll be able to match into that even with taking 4 years "off" to practice

https://mk0nrmpcikgb8jxyd19h.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Results-and-Data-SMS-2019.pdf

 

[Jman121496]

Here is the fellowship match data. Peds fellowships in general aren't really that competitive. Look at peds endocrine, only 50/99 positions filled with 42 programs going unfilled. As a US grad if you do the bare minimum you'll be able to match into that even with taking 4 years "off" to practice

https://mk0nrmpcikgb8jxyd19h.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Results-and-Data-SMS-2019.pdf

Thank you for this! I'll be sure to take a look at it.

 

[mvenus929]

Look at peds endocrine, only 50/99 positions filled with 42 programs going unfilled.

Rub it in... 🙁

Though my program filled for next year, so there's that.