How much does life suck more if you're gunning for fellowship during residency?

[scoopdaboop]

^ . Specifically Cardio, heme onc

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[whoknows2012]

^ . Specifically Cardio, heme onc

Not at all? I did electives and research I was interested in for heme/onc and found residency to be tough especially intern year and easier each year. Also did a 4th year chief where I continued a lot of research (1st half of year in particular)

 

[scoopdaboop]

Not at all? I did electives and research I was interested in for heme/onc and found residency to be tough especially intern year and easier each year. Also did a 4th year chief where I continued a lot of research (1st half of year in particular)

oh okay, i was just not familiar with how much more demanding it is time wise.

 

[NewYorkDoctors]

Not at all? I did electives and research I was interested in for heme/onc and found residency to be tough especially intern year and easier each year. Also did a 4th year chief where I continued a lot of research (1st half of year in particular)

Not to sound like I’m impugning your accomplishments (I’m not ), but aren’t fourth year IM chief residents usually guaranteed in house fellowship of their choice ? Hence doesn’t that remove much of the stress and anxiety of applying for a competitive subspecialty while maintaining acceptable geographic limits ?

 

[whoknows2012]

Not to sound like I’m impugning your accomplishments (I’m not ), but aren’t fourth year IM chief residents usually guaranteed in house fellowship of their choice ? Hence doesn’t that remove much of the stress and anxiety of applying for a competitive subspecialty while maintaining acceptable geographic limits ?

Touché. But I was gunning for mskcc so….

(moral of the story I got my interview but (happily) matched at my #2)

I ranked my home program 6 despite the fact that yes I was a near guaranteed match if I wanted to stay.

More to your point, while I did know I was going to be a chief early on 2nd year, I was still planning research etc as if I was applying beginning of 3rd year so I can at least speak to that aspect.

 

[HemeOncHopeful19]

Even if it did make it suck terribly (which it doesn’t... I mean residency sucks but it’s not like trying to be a good resident is going to make or break it) the magical phrase

“hrm I dunno, I think you should mention that to your primary doctor”

is SO WORTH IT

 

[ilovecorgis]

Many of my best friends in residency are in cards/GI/heme-onc. I ended up applying into a less traditionally competitive field. Sounded like the primary differences in our experience (esp. if aiming for top tier academics in those fields) were 1) needing to make more time for research and 2) being more proactive about getting well-known attendings in your field to like you and write letters.

As to whether this makes your residency experience suck more, depends on how much those two things affect you. I find research abjectly miserable, so the first part would have been a much bigger issue for me. Most of my co-residents find the process a bit annoying but get through it fine, since the payoff is worth it for them.

 

[shouldigomd]

Completely depends on your individual situation and obviously there are exceptions to everything but generally (at least for cardio as that is my specialty)....

If you are an AMG at a mid / upper tier IM program without red flags / avg step scores you can match into cards with little if any research. Obviously more research / etc improves your odds at better programs.

If you are an IMG at a low / mid tier program you will need more research / better step scores / etc to ensure a spot

Outside of that residency is relatively similar for everyone (obviously depending on each programs unique qualities / pathways). During residency there is basically no objective measure of your actual quality as a physician outside of the eyes of your colleagues.

 

[Nespresso]

Sucks a lot if it’s a competitive fellowship compared to just “cruising” by in residency (your day is literally over once you leave).

 

[AlteredScale]

So many factors to answer this. If you are an IMG or DO you will grind it out and life may not be as great in residency. If you are an AMG with good clinical and research mentors and grades, then getting into a program may not require as much effort, but it will require effort.

From my experience and observation at my own program, the ones really working their tail off (doing stuff on days off) seem to be those interested in going into cardiology and GI fellowship. GI fellowship is so hyper competitive its unreal right now the quality of applicant they are getting.

 

[aafisahar]

Even if it did make it suck terribly (which it doesn’t... I mean residency sucks but it’s not like trying to be a good resident is going to make or break it) the magical phrase

“hrm I dunno, I think you should mention that to your primary doctor”

is SO WORTH IT

I'm just a simple heart doctor, you should talk to your pcp about your neck pain

 

[Nespresso]

I'm just a simple heart doctor, you should talk to your pcp about your neck pain

GI clinic today: Abdominal pain. EGD colon negative. Follow up with PCP. RTC PRN.

Not to mention even though we see twice as many patients in the GI clinic the stress level is so much less than general medicine. It’s nice to only have to focus on one organ system and redirect the patient back to that specific organ system. Leg tingling? Hmm you have a PCP apt set up? No We don’t prescribe pain meds in this clinic.

 

[WhiteCoatWonder]

Not at all? I did electives and research I was interested in for heme/onc and found residency to be tough especially intern year and easier each year. Also did a 4th year chief where I continued a lot of research (1st half of year in particular)

yeah, same here on all points! i didnt even know i wanted to do heme onc until the light shined on my soul halfway through second year. by then, i knew i would also be a 4th year chief, so i had a few projects/activities/connects percolating...i just kicked them into overdrive and kept loading up my plate as soon as i knew what i wanted to do. the mentorship relationships kinda hang in the background, staying connected with them was second nature, especially since the relationships were good. the projects are just...something you're always working on, also in the background. idk, setting myself up for fship didnt seem to make my residency experience harder. i was actually chuffed bc i was finally pursuing My Thing. maybe some sort of PGY2-3 fugue state, lol.

 

[NewYorkDoctors]

even if you are an amg with good scores , you will still need to put some good effort into research and networking if you have geographical considerations . For instance , you are an AMG and a pretty good academic institution (but not the top research heavy places ) and you want cards or GI in a desirable (relatively speaking ) big city . Be prepared to move somewhere else or compete for those spots.