Hi
This may be a re-post but I am going to be an IM PGY1 this summer, and am considering going into Cardiology. What can I do during residency to help my app and what kinds of stats/scores do you need to get in to a decent program? I am an allopathic US grad going to a University program for IM residency. I have 3 publications (all Vasc Surg) one Psych and one Derm publication pending so far.
Thanks!
Sure, I'll help. I'm by no means an authority, but I am applying this year and have done pretty well with getting interest/interviews, so I'll tell you what worked for me...
1. Be a model citizen in your residency program; i.e. try (and go out of your way) not to piss anyone off --- deal with confrontation in an accepting and non-aggressive manner. If you're well-liked by everyone with whom you work (especially the Cards faculty), that does a great deal to generate ubiquitous goodwill that will get you a stellar Program Director letter and great letters of rec from Cards faculty.
2. Remember that your best chance of matching is into your own program, assuming that your institution has a Cardiology fellowship...so get to know the powers that control the fellowship and befriend them; even better, do research with them.
3. It's great that you have publications already, but I would focus on Cardiology from here on out. At the very least, get a poster presentation your intern year. This could be something easy and simple, like presenting a case and review of the literature at the American College of Physicians. But make sure it's a Cardiology case and make sure that you have a Cardiology faculty member on your list of authors (again, garner more good will).
4. Try to develop an easy retrospective chart review with another member of the Cardiology faculty (different from #3 above). Take an existing database at your program and look at a different outcome of a Cardiology intervention (non-invasive or invasive). Your faculty can help you with the IRB approval, but it's important for you to take the initiative and not let the project fall by the wayside. Try to get a poster out of this (or better, an abstract and a manuscript) before you apply. If you have a chance to jump on a clinical trial or a prospective study, by all means do so -- but make sure you have results (i.e. something tangible) by the time you apply.
5. Build up letters of recommendation as soon as possible. Use the faculty from #3 and #4 above and enlist at least one other Cardiology faculty to write in strong support of your clinical prowess. Work your tail off in the cardiac ICU and on any Cardiology consult rotations. Build a reputation (see #1 above).
6. I don't think USMLE scores really matter; unless you did horrible (i.e. scored below 210 or so). That's not something I know for a fact, but I get the sense that programs really don't look at them unless they're horribly bad or ridiculously good.
7. Consider trying to get a spot as Chief. It is a total CV booster and gives any program the idea that you are the best in your residency class. That's my impression from the interview trail. While I am not going to be a Chief resident, I am in a "top 10" residency program. It seems that most of those from non-"top 10" programs at the interviews I've been going to have been elected Chiefs for next year.
8.
Do not piss anyone off. I've said that already, but from what I know of unsuccessful applicants in my program, this cannot be emphasized enough.
Hope that helps.
