Heme/Onc application thread '08-09 version

[MDgoing4MPH]

Thanks Vabz.... best of luck

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[doconc]

I think though ERAS is down, their forwarding system still works. my IVs and rejs came from ERAS to my email account. Hope this helps.

Dear MDgoing4MPH thanks for your input and congratulations on your IVs.

 

[S1Q3T3]

Hey all, sorry to hijack the thread a tad, but I was just curious what a single-boarded oncology attending can expect to make working at an academic institution with a primary focus on research. for some reason, I haven't been able to find this out.

and congrats to all on the interviews!!!

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

rej UMASS,
I think I'm done with getting IVs.
Wish all of you the best.
I will keep u posted about IVs and how they go.

 

[metroMD]

Is there anyone out there in the same boat as me???

Applied to 56 programs and have heard back from ONLY 12:

Interviews: St. Vincent's CCC and UMass

Rejections: DFCI, BIDMC, Fox Chase, UMaryland, Montefiore, UNC, North Shore, UMDNJ-Camden, MSKCC, SUNY-Upstate

12/56 = ONLY 21% have responded

Is there anyone else that is still waiting on a significant number of responses from programs???

Thanks in advance for any response.

 

[erythrocyte1]

For a future academician, how is NIH hematology program? How does it compare to other big academic university programs?
thanks in advance for answering

It is a very good program! I think there are more chances in NIH to train you as a great independent researcher.

 

[bossenton]

It is a very good program! I think there are more chances in NIH to train you as a great independent researcher.

Thanks a ton erythrocyte for the info. Congratulations on your NIH IV. I guess its Hematology that you are going to.good luck! I am thinking of trying it next year

 

[futuremd1978]

Is there anyone out there in the same boat as me???

Applied to 56 programs and have heard back from ONLY 12:

Interviews: St. Vincent's CCC and UMass

Rejections: DFCI, BIDMC, Fox Chase, UMaryland, Montefiore, UNC, North Shore, UMDNJ-Camden, MSKCC, SUNY-Upstate

12/56 = ONLY 21% have responded

Is there anyone else that is still waiting on a significant number of responses from programs???

Thanks in advance for any response.

me too...I applied to about 23 programs. I have 2 interviews and 2 rejections. There are a lot of programs that I am waiting on that haven't even been discussed in this forum. I don't know whether to panic and call it quits or keep my fingers crossed. Some people in previous years said interviews trickled in through March and one program I called told me they haven't even reviewed applications yet.

 

[vabz]

Is there anyone out there in the same boat as me???

Applied to 56 programs and have heard back from ONLY 12:

Interviews: St. Vincent's CCC and UMass

Rejections: DFCI, BIDMC, Fox Chase, UMaryland, Montefiore, UNC, North Shore, UMDNJ-Camden, MSKCC, SUNY-Upstate

12/56 = ONLY 21% have responded

Is there anyone else that is still waiting on a significant number of responses from programs???

Thanks in advance for any response.

I have the same problem....52 applied. 4 IVs and 6 Rejs

 

[betrhalf]

I have the same problem....52 applied. 4 IVs and 6 Rejs

Am kind of in the same boat, too. I applied to about 56 programs and heard back from 16 - more rejections than invites. Then I started calling up programs- those I know have sent out invites/ rejections. Could reach about 7 program coordinators. 3 outright told me that since I have not heard back, I am rejected; the rest said that application is still under review and I am losing hope regarding them - especially since they have given out interviews already. I have not called the rest since I am not sure if they have sent out invites or rejects. Let's see what happens.

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

I called Mount Sinai, Stanford and University of Rochester, THE OSU, DFCI
all of them told me that they are still reviewing applications!

I don't know, if we are using ERAS which means uniform application system, programs should have a uniform platform too. For example giving out interviews from Dec to Feb... interviewing from Feb to April and then 2-3 dates in May in case some programs want to interview more applicants.

ps) rej sloan kettering, NYU, University of Florida

 

[ghettomd]

I think the reason why programs vary in the timing is because the whole process takes way too damn long... think about it, application started back in September, uploaded by programs by 12/1, then interviews from Dec-May... they have so much time they can choose to do it any way they want.. some PDs starts the process in december, and I even know of a program where the PD does not review applicants until mid-May (yes, it is ridiculous)...

I got an interview from my top choice last year later in Feb and ended up matching there, so i'm sure a lot of programs are still reviewing applications. However, some programs does not send out most of their rejections until they finished reviewing the whole applicant pool... I applied to 40 programs last year, interviewed at 20, but only 5 or 6 actual rejections by march, only to get tons in april...

I called Mount Sinai, Stanford and University of Rochester, THE OSU, DFCI
all of them told me that they are still reviewing applications!

I don't know, if we are using ERAS which means uniform application system, programs should have a uniform platform too. For example giving out interviews from Dec to Feb... interviewing from Feb to April and then 2-3 dates in May in case some programs want to interview more applicants.

ps) rej sloan kettering, NYU, University of Florida

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

I think the reason why programs vary in the timing is because the whole process takes way too damn long... think about it, application started back in September, uploaded by programs by 12/1, then interviews from Dec-May... they have so much time they can choose to do it any way they want.. some PDs starts the process in december, and I even know of a program where the PD does not review applicants until mid-May (yes, it is ridiculous)...

I got an interview from my top choice last year later in Feb and ended up matching there, so i'm sure a lot of programs are still reviewing applications. However, some programs does not send out most of their rejections until they finished reviewing the whole applicant pool... I applied to 40 programs last year, interviewed at 20, but only 5 or 6 actual rejections by march, only to get tons in april...

Thanks for the info.
Do you have any idea (sounds very cliche though) about safe number of interviews? You went to 20 interviews?? Do you recommend it?

 

[ghettomd]

I'm not sure if there is a safe number... I think it really depends on the quality of your application vs quality of applied programs... I don't think UCSF graduates or MD/PhD candidates have much to worry about if they apply and rank enough programs

I do not recommend going to 20, since its both tiring and expensive... I recommend using the number and quality of invitations as a barometer of your application... if you received interviews from Sloan/Fred Hutch/DFCI/MDA/Hopkins, I think its pretty safe to say you will be okay if you also rank a couple of 'safe programs'... on the other hand if you only had 4 interviews out of 100 applications, I would be a bit concerned but hey it only takes one, and I have heard plenty of people matching when they only had a handful of interviews...

Also, having positive feedback from PD after they finished screening candidates is also important(programs usually have a preliminary rank order, then have slight flexibility depending on calls/feedbacks/interests)... time after time I hear similar experiences being shared by my colleagues

Thanks for the info.
Do you have any idea (sounds very cliche though) about safe number of interviews? You went to 20 interviews?? Do you recommend it?

 

[Kookaburra]

Could someone please tell me if a 1 year research post doc fellowship in hematology, from a top tier university program, help getting into a fellowship?
Thanks

 

[Helops]

Hello everybody,

Could someone comment about the hem-onc fellowship programs at
1) University of Arizona,
2) University of Alabama,
3) Northwestern
4) UCLA

How would you compare those programs against NCI? I want to be in academia, no desire to go to private practice.
Thanks and good luck to everybody!
Helops

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

Johns hopkins to send letters by the end of this month.

 

[betrhalf]

Johns hopkins to send letters by the end of this month.

Thanks so much for the updates. I am kind of cynical when I hear that file is still under review - and that's what I have been hearing too. Does it mean that these are for round 2 interviews - in case they need to send out more invitations? Do they ever really translate to actual invites? Guess there are all rhetorical questions. But at this point definitely frustration is setting in.

 

[betrhalf]

I'm not sure if there is a safe number... I think it really depends on the quality of your application vs quality of applied programs... I don't think UCSF graduates or MD/PhD candidates have much to worry about if they apply and rank enough programs

I do not recommend going to 20, since its both tiring and expensive... I recommend using the number and quality of invitations as a barometer of your application... if you received interviews from Sloan/Fred Hutch/DFCI/MDA/Hopkins, I think its pretty safe to say you will be okay if you also rank a couple of 'safe programs'... on the other hand if you only had 4 interviews out of 100 applications, I would be a bit concerned but hey it only takes one, and I have heard plenty of people matching when they only had a handful of interviews...

Also, having positive feedback from PD after they finished screening candidates is also important(programs usually have a preliminary rank order, then have slight flexibility depending on calls/feedbacks/interests)... time after time I hear similar experiences being shared by my colleagues

Thanks ghettomd. I totally agree with you that there is no safe number and it really depends on the quality of the applicant. And that is my dilemma - I do not know where I stand. I am an MD/ PhD - and doing my residency in a community program. My scores are good and I think I have got good recommendations. I have got just a handful of calls but from programs like Mayo and Fox Chase. However, I have been rejected by programs like DFCI, maryland, Northshore, UMass and the list goes on. So my rejections are all across the board but my few interviews are mostly from really good programs and this makes me nervous. I have already attended an interview in the only not-so-highly-ranked university program that invited me and their faculty went on saying that I will have a lot of choices since my application is so strong - they expressed that I may have much better choices and may not rank them high. What??????? Where are these interviews that others feel that I should have got? My PD feels that it is my need for an H1B visa which is making things kind of difficult for me. I think he gets this idea from the fact that there are other IMGs in my program applying to Heme-Once who do not need visas: one has got 19 interviews and the other has got 13 and they do not have PhDs. Is the PhD ruining my chances to some extent? So I really do not know w. hat's not working for me but it has been a frustrating journey so far. Sorry about the long drawn out post.

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

Indiana University is going to send IVs late Feb/early March.
Do not send email til mid March!

 

[Agent0]

I don't know if the reassurance is making me feel better or worse..

Is it fair to say that if you haven't heard yes or no from places that have sent out both invites and rejects that you're on the "waiting list" for the next wave of interviews

I'm going to give it another couple of days before I start calling up those places which have already sent out invites/rejects..

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

half true half wrong.
I have got wide range of responses when I called/email ed programs which I have posted here too.
I wish you best of luck, let us know the result of your followup with programs.

 

[ghettomd]

I can really feel your pain, betrhalf. I think not your PhD, but the visa issue is dragging your application down. It's not a secret that a lot of programs do not want to deal with visa issues. A lot of the top programs are used to training researchers with visa issue, thus you are getting invites from academic centers but rejection from inferior programs. It's already tough being IMG but even tougher when it comes to visa issues. Look at the bright side, you are receiving excellent invitations, and hopefully things will turn out great for you... keep your head up!!

 

[betrhalf]

Indiana University is going to send IVs late Feb/early March.
Do not send email til mid March!

To add to the list: MD Anderson said application under review when inquired.

Considering that some other places have sent out invites/ rejections in recent days, it is strange that on one has mentioned them here. For one I know that one resident in my program has received a call from University of Arizona. Would really appreciate if people continued posting their invites, rejections.

Thanks

 

[marrow]

U Mass and OHSU
I think it's prettty much all rejections for me from now on

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

Sorry about it Marrow. Is that Ohio state?
I thought you already got rejection from them. Is it a duplicate???

 

[yunfat]

hey guys, for those of you who received an interview from City of Hope, did you guys apply to LAC-Harbor-UCLA Program 2? I emailed their office and was told to apply to Program 2, but as of now, I still haven't heard from them...
Thanks for any info!

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

I applied for both. The interesting thing is COH has 2 positions and UCLA/Harbor has only one position. They asked me to schedule the interview for UCLA/Harbor too but I'm not sure why I have to pay 50$ instead of 25 if these programs run together.

 

[matching]

I applied both as well. Did not know they have different number of position. They asked me to go both of them on the same day...

 

[Helops]

To add to my list:

I got an IV from Arizona, but by e-mail not by phone? Did you guys get by e-mail or call?
Today got an IV from Boston University (by e-mail as well).... any comments?
Thanks
Helops

 

[orientedtoself]

Hello everybody,

Could someone comment about the hem-onc fellowship programs at
1) University of Arizona,
2) University of Alabama,
3) Northwestern
4) UCLA

How would you compare those programs against NCI? I want to be in academia, no desire to go to private practice.
Thanks and good luck to everybody!
Helops

I don't know specifically about UAB's Heme/Onc program, but I interviewed there for residency and was very impressed with their hospital. 1000 beds. Seemed very modern. Also with a VA and a county hospital just across the street.

I would like more info on UCLA Heme/Onc as well. . . anybody know anything about that department?

 

[marrow]

Sorry about it Marrow. Is that Ohio state?
I thought you already got rejection from them. Is it a duplicate???

It's Oregon

 

[Agent0]

so are you guys just calling the program coordinators on pending applications?

I was going to maybe e-mail program directors to express my interest in 2-3 programs of my top programs that I'm waiting on

 

[Longway11]

Just called Robert Wood Johnson in New Brunswick. The PC said they just started reviewing the applications. They will send out IVs at the end of Feb and interviews start in March.

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

DFCI rejection....

Iv: western pensylvania

 

[Agent0]

ditto DF rejection

IV Upitt

 

[vabz]

UPitt (email)
UCSF (email)

 

[yunfat]

anyone have city of hope's phone number for the heme/onc program? thanks!

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

626-256-4673 ext 63110
Yolanda Tamayo.

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

What do u think about the financial crisis? For long long time - and still - I wanted to be academician. Though I knew I'm going to be paid less, work harder and... but that was the thing I liked... Today I heard that Johns Hopkins has been affected so badly by financial crisis that it is freezing hiring new faculties, cutting down salaries and many other policies.
Even if things get better after we are out as oncologists, there is going to be a long line of people asking to be hired by institutions.
Is financial crisis making you to think about your future? double thinking your decision, whatever it is?

ps) i think it's a good discussion for keeping the thread alive also

 

[gutonc]

What do u think about the financial crisis? For long long time - and still - I wanted to be academician. Though I knew I'm going to be paid less, work harder and... but that was the thing I liked... Today I heard that Johns Hopkins has been affected so badly by financial crisis that it is freezing hiring new faculties, cutting down salaries and many other policies.
Even if things get better after we are out as oncologists, there is going to be a long line of people asking to be hired by institutions.
Is financial crisis making you to think about your future? double thinking your decision, whatever it is?

ps) i think it's a good discussion for keeping the thread alive also

I do think it's an interesting discussion but should be a separate thread and not hijack the application thread. Does one of the mods want to move it (assuming the OP agrees)?

 

[Cetuximab]

Hello everybody,

Could someone comment about the hem-onc fellowship programs at
1) University of Arizona,
2) University of Alabama,
3) Northwestern
4) UCLA

How would you compare those programs against NCI? I want to be in academia, no desire to go to private practice.
Thanks and good luck to everybody!
Helops

UAB is a very strong program. It is a NCCN cancer center. If you are interested in BMT this is a very strong program. Birmingham is a decent and easy city to live in.

U Arizona-- I think it is a strong program. I do not know much though.

Northwestern- very strong program. Very academic program. Strong faculty and very fellow friendly program. Chicago is a great city to live in.

UCLA-- program is a bit disorganized i heard, not great mentorship and you are pretty much on your own. Great if you already are in the niche, and have clear goals.

NIH-- is TOOO research oriented. I do not have any insider information on the program. But from discussing with my mentor [who is the program director of the hem/onc fellowship at my residency prgm] this is a totally research driven program and would not get adequate training in the "bread n butter" oncology. However, if you plan on a heavily research weighted academic faculty position this might be for you. You will have opportunity to pursue a MS/PHD program too.

 

[Lithoman]

i'm sure someone has answered this already, but what is the difference between UCLA vs UCLA harbor/City of Hope #1 vs UCLA harbor/City of Hope #2

also, what is your opinion of 2nd round interviews? or rather, can you recall anyone ever matching to a 2nd round IV

 

[medonc09]

Interview at UPMC via email

 

[Cetuximab]

i'm sure someone has answered this already, but what is the difference between UCLA vs UCLA harbor/City of Hope #1 vs UCLA harbor/City of Hope #2

also, what is your opinion of 2nd round interviews? or rather, can you recall anyone ever matching to a 2nd round IV

...City of Hope is a very nice program [have friend who graduated from prgm]-- one of the NCCN center. Very strong academic program. Very nice location, far better than LA and also I think it is a stronger program than UCLA for many reasons..... strong faculty/friendly environ/location/reputation.

 

[marrow]

Wake Forest
Atleast people reply!!

 

[metroMD]

Wake Forest

me too...

 

[medonc09]

me too, rejection wake forest.

 

[Darkside]

Heard about an interview at William Beaumont this past Friday via email. Two interview dates (one in February, one in March).

Also, I heard about interviews to University of Rochester and U of Tennessee in the past week.

 

[Cetuximab]

Can any one tell me about this program. Is this a decent program? I have no information watsoever about this program. I would greatly appreciate any input, I am unsure whether or not to interview here....