Working between residency and fellowship

[Jinxapotato]

Hello all,

I am a Canadian who according to current situations, is likely to go into IM on a J1 Visa.

While I want to do fellowship after my residency, from what I know the J1 Visa will force me to go back to Canada for 2 years OR doing a J1 waiver job for 3 years (practice IM as primary care). Meaning either way I will not be able to pursue a fellowship immediately after my residency (please correct me if I am wrong).

So my question is, will it make me harder to get into a fellowship program if I work as internist in Canada for 2 years or work in US undeserved area for 3 years, before applying to an IM fellowship (it is not like I have a choice ...)?

Thank you for your help!

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[crafted222]

The J1 visa allows you a maximum of 7yrs (extendable,but not usually done due to restrictions).
Within the 7 years, you can do a fellowship after 3yr IM residency, following which you can even do another 1yr subspecialty if you so wish.
It is after this 7yrs (or if you wish, after 3yrs of IM) that the 3yr waiver or 2yr home residency requirement sets in.
The other question is what will be the impact of going to work in canada on your employability if you decide to come back to the US?

 

[Jinxapotato]

The J1 visa allows you a maximum of 7yrs (extendable,but not usually done due to restrictions).
Within the 7 years, you can do a fellowship after 3yr IM residency, following which you can even do another 1yr subspecialty if you so wish.
It is after this 7yrs (or if you wish, after 3yrs of IM) that the 3yr waiver or 2yr home residency requirement sets in.
The other question is what will be the impact of going to work in canada on your employability if you decide to come back to the US?

Hello crafted, thanks for the response! Just to be clear, I can use a single J1 visa to cover my 3 yr IM residency, and a maximum of 4 year of fellowship if I go to fellowship directly after residency? After which, I will either do the 2 yr home or 3 yr waiver right?

 

[crafted222]

Yes, that is correct.
For further clarifications, refer to e (2) for the duration in the USCIS policy link below;

http://www.uscis.gov/iframe/ilink/docView/22CFR/HTML/22CFR/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-3590/0-0-0-4684.html

 

[Jinxapotato]

Yes, that is correct.
For further clarifications, refer to e (2) for the duration in the USCIS policy link below;

http://www.uscis.gov/iframe/ilink/docView/22CFR/HTML/22CFR/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-3590/0-0-0-4684.html

Thank you! That was a relief...
However just out of curiosity, do fellowship programs look down on you if you spend 2 years practicing primary med before applying to them?

 

[IM2GI]

Thank you! That was a relief...
However just out of curiosity, do fellowship programs look down on you if you spend 2 years practicing primary med before applying to them?

Trust me, after residency, I doubt you will want to do 2 years of primary care before starting fellowship.

It also defeats the purpose of continuity in primary care to only do it for 2 years. If you want a buffer/make money, do a year or two of hospitalist.