Residency and Fellowships

[BrainWorks]

Do you think it would be hard to get a fellowship at a very competitive program if one does a residency at a relatively not known place (but probably up and coming)? Are letters of rec from PD and others more important for a fellowship or is reputation?

Thanks!

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[Strokeguy]

Certainly not necessary. If you are a resident at UCLA then certainly you will have and edge at getting any fellowship at UCLA. But if you consider the total
number of fellowship positions at major programs, it exceeds the number of residents graduating.
Most fellowship programs look for the 'candidate' - LOR from program director (and how well connected he/she is) is most important. Do as many publications as you can. This will make you competitive for most prestigious fellowships.
I know of this guy from Univ of Nebraska who went to Mayo Clinic for Neuromuscular, a resident from Univ of Mississipi went to MGH for stroke/NICU, from Ohio State Univ went to CCF for epilepsy, UKansas went to Hopkins for NICU and many others.
So, most importantly, stay focussed and work hard during residency and do research and try to publish actively.

 

[BrainWorks]

Thanks for your input!

 

[neurodoctor]

Certainly not necessary. If you are a resident at UCLA then certainly you will have and edge at getting any fellowship at UCLA. But if you consider the total
number of fellowship positions at major programs, it exceeds the number of residents graduating.
Most fellowship programs look for the 'candidate' - LOR from program director (and how well connected he/she is) is most important. Do as many publications as you can. This will make you competitive for most prestigious fellowships.
I know of this guy from Univ of Nebraska who went to Mayo Clinic for Neuromuscular, a resident from Univ of Mississipi went to MGH for stroke/NICU, from Ohio State Univ went to CCF for epilepsy, UKansas went to Hopkins for NICU and many others.
So, most importantly, stay focussed and work hard during residency and do research and try to publish actively.

Thanks for your suggestion. How can we publish actively? I went to an interview in a so-called research oriented program. But the faculty told me that there is no way that I can publish during my residency because the call scedule is busy....

 

[Strokeguy]

Agreed that it is tough during residency to publish and also do research because of the call schedule. But start with a case report. It will be very difficult to do a clinical study and publish it, but some people have done it. The best is to work with an attending at your program who publishes actively and get a publication as a second or third author (by contributing to the article in some way). I think as long as you can show a few publications on your CV, it would reflect that you are a hard working resident with a strong academic aptitude (the fact that you have a few publications despite the work load). The more competitive academic fellowship programs value this a lot more.

 

[neurodoctor]

Agreed that it is tough during residency to publish and also do research because of the call schedule. But start with a case report. It will be very difficult to do a clinical study and publish it, but some people have done it. The best is to work with an attending at your program who publishes actively and get a publication as a second or third author (by contributing to the article in some way). I think as long as you can show a few publications on your CV, it would reflect that you are a hard working resident with a strong academic aptitude (the fact that you have a few publications despite the work load). The more competitive academic fellowship programs value this a lot more.

Thanks!

If I am interested in movement disorder or multiple sclerosis and wish to practice in california later. Do I have to finish my fellowship in the big name school eg. UCSF?

 

[manning18]

You don't HAVE to train at any specific place, regardless of your ambitions. For Academics, a 'big name' place (ie UCSF) would be quite useful. For private practice, it wouldn't matter much (some say hardly at all).

 

[BrainWorks]

You don't HAVE to train at any specific place, regardless of your ambitions. For Academics, a 'big name' place (ie UCSF) would be quite useful. For private practice, it wouldn't matter much (some say hardly at all).

So if you go to a community based (not well known) program in the idea of doing private practice its not so bad. But what if you want to do a fellowship such as Pain Med, Sleep Med, etc. do you think it'll be hard to get a fellowship without doing publications? Thanks!

 

[neurodoctor]

You don't HAVE to train at any specific place, regardless of your ambitions. For Academics, a 'big name' place (ie UCSF) would be quite useful. For private practice, it wouldn't matter much (some say hardly at all).

some people say in california, it does matter where you get trained. Is it true?

 

[BrainWorks]

some people say in california, it does matter where you get trained. Is it true?

I had the same question, and others have told me that if you are even doing private practice in California then no it does not matter. But if you want to go into academics or more research oriented then yes it does.