Transplant surgery

[urg2beSURG]

Hello,
I'm really interested in becoming a transplant surgeon in the future (I'm probably applying for GS residency in July - I'll know this by Wednesday, IMG here), so, I wonder if you could help me with any of these questions:

1) I know that Transplant Surgery is not the most competitive fellowship but, which are the most competitive institutions in the field (not that I wouldn't apply for those, just to have a feeling of what to expect)?

2) Which are the institutions with the largest volumes of liver cases?

3) Do you know about any Surgery Residency PD that is a transplant surgeon?

Thank you!

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[Buzz Me]

For the most part, if you're looking for high-volume hepatobiliary or liver transplant programs, you're looking at high-powered academic programs. And though you have decent Step scores, your 2009 graduation date and IMG status (and the lack of strong surgeon LORs or USCE) makes matching into a categorical position very difficult. Not impossible, but very difficult.

So I wouldn't worry that much about picking out the particular high-volume transplant centers and instead would focus on applying widely, to places that have a history of matching categorical IMGs or taking IMG prelims into categorical spots.

 

[urg2beSURG]

Thank you, Buzz Me!

The answers to my questions are not meant to be by any chance something I will take in consideration while applying for residency! I will apply broadly (100-120 programs), I've seen what my colleagues have been going through, that's not the point... It's more a "know the field you want" kind of thing, since I'm even considering applying for a fellowship after a GS program in Brazil, if I don't match here. So, it's basically a question to know the field and the programs! If anyone knows any specifics about the program in Toronto, I'm willing to know too!

BTW, I do have good surgeon LORs, unfortunately, from a research perspective (which I would understand if you considered not "strong").

Thank you!

 

[Buzz Me]

The answers to my questions are not meant to be by any chance something I will take in consideration while applying for residency! I will apply broadly (100-120 programs), I've seen what my colleagues have been going through, that's not the point... It's more a "know the field you want" kind of thing, since I'm even considering applying for a fellowship after a GS program in Brazil, if I don't match here. So, it's basically a question to know the field and the programs! If anyone knows any specifics about the program in Toronto, I'm willing to know too!

BTW, I do have good surgeon LORs, unfortunately, from a research perspective (which I would understand if you considered not "strong").
!

Thought you only had a hepatologist and non-clinical surgeon's LOR? Or did you get some LORs from US clinical surgeons?

Remember if you want to do a fellowship in the US, for the most part, you need to do your residency here too.

If you go to UNOS' public website, you can find statistics for every single transplant center in the country...that way you can compare case volumes (and outcomes).

 

[urg2beSURG]

Thank you for the UNOS reference. i didn't know they had all those stats!

And yes, I'm doing clinical research here, not in the lab, so, the surgeons with whom I've been working are definitely clinical! I still have the hepatologist letter, which I will probably submit to that specific institution, but otherwise, I will have 2 or 3 LORs from clinically active surgeons. The problem is that they don't know how I work clinically, but I'm pretty sure these LORs will help me a lot, since they are renowned in their field.

Other than that, I'm already looking for a position as a research fellow in transplant surgery in my current institution, in case I do get a passing score from my step 2 CS...

BTW, according to the ASTS, 53/80 applicants to ASTS accredited fellowships Match 2011 were FMG (unfortunately, they don't state where they had completed their residencies). Only 24 of those 53 matched in 2011 for the 2012 positions, though (which I assume may have something to do with the place they were trained as general surgeons, but, while I'm not out of the game, I'm still allowed to dream, LOL)

Thanks for the info!

 

[thedrjojo]

BTW, according to the ASTS, 53/80 applicants to ASTS accredited fellowships Match 2011 were FMG (unfortunately, they don't state where they had completed their residencies). Only 24 of those 53 matched in 2011 for the 2012 positions, though (which I assume may have something to do with the place they were trained as general surgeons, but, while I'm not out of the game, I'm still allowed to dream, LOL)

Thanks for the info!

It has to do with VISA issues, and the continued bias against FMG's in all fellowships. They are still looked down upon compared to AMG's (or why would there even be the stats separating the 2?).

Big names in Liver are debatable, but from one of my 4's currently applying, the top 5 programs in no particular order may be UCLA, UCSF, Baylor, Pitt, and Columbia.

 

[SLUser11]

It has to do with VISA issues, and the continued bias against FMG's in all fellowships. They are still looked down upon compared to AMG's (or why would there even be the stats separating the 2?).

Big names in Liver are debatable, but from one of my 4's currently applying, the top 5 programs in no particular order may be UCLA, UCSF, Baylor, Pitt, and Columbia.

I have no experience with this, but word of mouth is that Minnesota is also a good place to train, as well as Emory.

Looking at the NRMP stats, the program fill rate is only 69%, and the match rate for US Allopathic grads is 100%...so I'm not sure there's a less competitive fellowship out there.

OP, that means that you may not be able to train at your dream institution, but you have a strong chance of matching and getting to do the surgery you want to do.

 

[urg2beSURG]

It has to do with VISA issues, and the continued bias against FMG's in all fellowships. They are still looked down upon compared to AMG's (or why would there even be the stats separating the 2?).

Big names in Liver are debatable, but from one of my 4's currently applying, the top 5 programs in no particular order may be UCLA, UCSF, Baylor, Pitt, and Columbia.

Thank you. My initial idea of the programs kind of pointed in that direction.. Especially about the California programs and of course Pitt. But I'm fresh to the subject here in the US. And yes, I second you on the FMGs issues... Painful, at least, although I somehow understand!

Looking at the NRMP stats, the program fill rate is only 69%, and the match rate for US Allopathic grads is 100%...so I'm not sure there's a less competitive fellowship out there.

OP, that means that you may not be able to train at your dream institution, but you have a strong chance of matching and getting to do the surgery you want to do.

Yes, that's the plan - match somewhere! Anyway, so many things change in one year, what can we say about 5..?

Thank you, guys, you've been really helpful! I'll keep you posted on my ERAS application later this year!

 

[droliver]

As mentioned upstream, the University of Minnesota, is one of traditional big 3-4 for transplant (along with Pitt and UCSF)

 

[DrNick Riviera]

Also, in terms of sheer volume, Cleveland Cinic and Indiana U are big centers. Cleveland clinic also tends to be very friendly to foreign grads, FYI...

 

[Buzz Me]

Cleveland clinic also tends to be very friendly to foreign grads, FYI...

For matching into categorical Gen Surg spots?

 

[Winged Scapula]

For matching into categorical Gen Surg spots?

No, I assume he meant for their Transplant Fellowship.

 

[Buzz Me]

Yeah...the hardest part for the IMG is getting a categorical Gen Surg spot. The fellowship part (barring visa issues) might not be so hard, especially for a field like Transplant.

 

[DrNick Riviera]

No, I assume he meant for their Transplant Fellowship.

Yes, sorry for the confusion.