I'm assuming you're applying this summer for fellowship. If so, I doubt you will be able to start a project, run the data analysis, write an abstract, and submit it to a conference for approval in the next few months. You would be better off writing up case reports and submitting to rheumatology journals. However, even acceptance to journals can take 1-2 months. QI projects are also good to have on your CV. You should work with your facility's rheumatologists to design a QI project that could be implemented in their clinic or your residents' clinic.