r/fellowship

Hi

Incoming IMG pgy-1 at a mid/low-mid tier academic center.

I want to do cards but I don't really like the idea of interventional or EP or gen cards for my long term career. I want to pick a niche early on in my residency and focus my research on that and preferably try to build connections within that field. I don't really care about money. I want to excel in the field and do something that has lasting impact.

Wondering what everyone else thinks about potentially pigeon-holing yourself early on versus trying the more conventional 'all-things-cards' route. I like advanced HF (broadly crit care cardiology) or maybe Pulmonary Embolism. In general, high acuity MICU/CCU stuff.

I’m a USMD at a mid-to-lower tier residency program applying to Hematology/Oncology fellowship this cycle and hoping for some honest feedback on which programs in northeast I might realistically have a decent shot at.

I have strong letters of recommendation. In terms of research, I have about 3 poster presentations(where I am first author), including presentations at major oncology conferences. I’ve also contributed to 2 additional manuscripts as a co-author (not first author on any publications yet). I contributed to 3 other abstracts. Working on a manuscript, but in conjunction with a fellow. Currently working on an ongoing project, still in chart review stage. Everything is in oncology.

More recently, I’ve been focusing on medical education work, will present it at a conference, as I’m trying to shape a clearer academic narrative.

Anyway worried about upcoming cycle, where I fit in and have a decent shot. looking to be in northeast! thanks

Hey all, applying to GI fellowship this cycle and would appreciate honest feedback on competitiveness, especially for university programs. Trying to figure out how aggressively to apply and whether I'm reaching for the right tier.

Background:

• IMG(on J 1 visa), at a community-based university-affiliated IM program without in house fellowship
• USMLE: 260s, Step 3 passed 260s
• No red flags, no gaps, strong evals

Research:

• 9 peer-reviewed manuscript publications(5 as first author), one in gastroenterology
• 6 additional first-author manuscripts under review
• 40+ GI-related abstracts

Other:

• won a few awards during my residency, both inside and outside my program
• LORs: PD, APD, and two GI faculty (one hepatology, one general GI)

Application strategy questions:

1. Realistic to target mid-tier university programs, or should I focus on community-based?
2. Any specific programs known to be IMG-friendly with strong hepatology exposure?

I'm a USDO medical graduate that is about to start residency in a month at a community hospital. I took STEP exams (P/245) but my COMLEX scores were abysmal (P/473).

I know that my residency is going to be a red flag but any advice other than being a good resident, get good letters of recommendation, getting a good mentor with research in ATS/CHEST?

Dm for Summer Internship anyone can reach out

Hi Everyone,

I want to see if I can get some advice on this sub. My spouse is PGY-2, and applying for the upcoming GI fellowship cycle.

Below are some relevant details:
H1B IMG at a good community program (very competitive for fellowships)
Step 1: Pass
Step 2: 260+
Step 3: 270+
5 publications
15 posters (5 DDW, 5 ACG)
Annual Training scores: both above 90 percentiles
Chief resident for PGY-3

Below are some of my questions:

1. What are the chances of getting some interview calls?
2. I have some spare time that I would love to help with my spouse's application cycle. I would like to get some context that should be followed for these applications (resume and LORs)
3. Any personal anecdotes that someone can share to harmonize the application cycle?

I understand good professional relationships help and go a long way during the application process, and my spouse is trying to do as much networking physically possible already. I also understand that the home program is always the best bet.

I just wanted to see if I can get some reality check and then decide how can I help them navigate the stress they are in all the time.

Thank you very much for your time!

Incoming interns, residents, fellows, and medical students — the big move for your next chapter is coming up quickly.

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Whether you’re headed to Northwestern, UChicago, Rush, UIC, Loyola, Advocate, Cook County, or another program in the Chicago area, I’d be happy to help make your housing search smoother and less stressful.

Feel free to DM me with questions about neighborhoods, rentals, commuting, or the Chicago market in general. Happy to help.

What are my chances for a GI FELLOWSHIP!

STATS

step 1 - 249

Step 2 - 232

Step 3 -226

Visa H1B

Total research - 15 manuscripts published, 7 first author

Abstracts - 25

Manuscripts under review - 5

Uni affiliated program with inhouse fellowship.

What chances to match?

I absolutely love nephrology, both the science of it, the bread and butter, the zebras, the patient population. I want to do academia and have clinical/epi research be a big component of my career. I just find myself hedging because of all the fear mongering about poor lifestyle and compensation. I know in academia I wouldn’t get paid as much as in private practice anyway, but I just don’t want to feel clinically overworked and undercompensated.

Any advice for how to get over this fear? Should I simply pursue another IM specialty with better work-life balance?

• Step 1: 25x
• Step 2: 26x
• Step 3: 24x
• Highly ranked academic program
• J1 visa
• 5 manuscripts (middle author for all)
• 20 posters at ACG (presidential poster award x1)
• 5-6 non GI posters at various conferences
• 1 letter from PD, 1 from hospitalist APD, 1 chief of GI. 4th letter might end up being another APD hospitalist or maybe a GI faculty.

What’s the updates for empirical or strategy and governance streams??????? Any responses or emails from Astra since the submission deadline - May 3rd 2026

img from a community program, step 1 pass, step 2 250s, step 3 240s. No red flags. 15-20 first author abstracts at CHEST/ATS.
Confused about signaling. Realistically, where do I stand a chance?

Hello Everyone, I need very important advice I am PGY2 about to start PGY3 in Central California, since fellowship applications are coming up. I’m honestly stuck in a dilemma to do fellowship or pcp and wanted insight from people who are further ahead in practice.

A little background: my long-term goal is to work for myself and ideally build a private practice. I don’t really see myself wanting to work under a hospital system forever if private practice is realistically worth the hassle and financial risk.

I’m considering a few paths:
• Going straight into outpatient primary care and URGENT care after residency
• Addiction medicine fellowship
• Sports medicine fellowship
• Taking a year/research route and trying for Rheumatology later, mainly because of the outpatient lifestyle and infusion center/private practice opportunities

My wife is also a physician — currently a first-year FM resident. Her interests are also mostly outpatient focused, Financially, I have some savings that could potentially be used toward opening or investing in private practice, but I don’t want to make a major decision without hearing from people who have actually gone through this process.

TIA

And that they would do the same or maybe even more if they would put in the same amount of work.

I’m currently working as a nocturnist/hospitalist on a J1 waiver in a non-academic setting, with my waiver ending in 2027. Life has honestly been very difficult personally and professionally over the past few years, and I initially took this job mainly for stability and visa reasons. Over time, though, I’ve started feeling very stuck and worried that I’m limiting my future.

Interestingly, during the past several months, I’ve developed a real interest in rheumatology after taking care of patients here. I genuinely enjoy the complexity and diagnostic side of the field, and for the first time in a while, I feel motivated toward something academically again.

The difficult part is that I’m in a non-academic environment, so I don’t have much mentorship or guidance around me. I’ve recently started reaching out to professors and programs at other universities and have gotten a few responses and possible starting points, which gave me some hope.

I’m now trying to figure out the best path forward. I’m considering applying this cycle just to see where I stand, although I still need to take/pass ABIM boards. During residency and noctunist work (very heavy 12 hour eith xc snd 10 pts daily) went through a lot personally and honestly could not prepare properly for boards, but I do think it’s very doable now if I structure my time well over the next year.

Part of me wonders if it would be smarter to focus on boards first and apply in 2027 instead, but regardless, I want to start building my profile now so that by next year I’ve actually accomplished meaningful things.

I would really appreciate advice from anyone who transitioned from a non-academic hospitalist position into rheumatology fellowship.

Specifically:

How do I realistically strengthen my application from a non-academic setting?

Are there research groups, societies, foundations, virtual collaborations, etc. that are helpful to join?

What kinds of projects are realistic to start with (case reports, reviews, retrospective studies)?

How important are connections/networking versus publications?

Is it still realistically possible to match coming from my situation?

Edit.

Please don’t comment telling me to only focus on boards first and think about rheumatology later — because with a fixed J1 waiver timeline, I realistically have to prepare for boards while also planning my future and building toward what I want to do next, since I cannot stay indefinitely in my current job.

First year general cardiology fellow here. I’m planning on interventional cardiology long‑term, but I can’t shake how much I genuinely love critical care and the CCU/CVICU. I loved it in residency and even now during fellowship I still feel drawn to hemodynamics, shock, vent, ECMO, all of it.

One thing that complicates this: I really don’t enjoy outpatient clinic. I’m happiest when I’m in the cath lab or in the ICU managing sick patients. That’s the environment where I feel most engaged and useful.

But everyone keeps telling me that combining IC + critical care is “not realistic,” “career‑limiting,” or only possible in a few academic places. I’ve heard that the job market is extremely narrow and most places won’t hire someone who wants to do both.

Any thoughts?

Does anyone have thoughts on whether you should pick an intended subspecialty when applying to general cardiology fellowship? Does it impact how programs look at your app in any way? I think it might be helpful to have a clear career plan in my personal statement and for interviews that fits with my background, but in reality am not sure what I want to do.

I am a DO at a community hospital with no in-house program

USMLE 246/254

COMLEX 712/668/913

4 publications (not all GI)

15 poster presentation (ACG and local conferences)

Last cycle I applied/signaled only community programs and ended up with 6 interviews and unfortunately didn’t match.

Due to family commitments I need to stay in a the same geographical area so I’m really re-applying to the same programs

I am now taking a chief year position at a program where I did interview with their GI program. But how do I write about it in my application since apps will go out basically the same time I start.

Hello everyone,

I am a PGY-2 IM resident in an ACGME-International program
We do have an excellent cardiology fellowship here which is ACGME accredited as well.
I’m planning to do cardiology and to be followed by either EP or Interventional in the USA!

I’m a bit lost now, since cardiology is almost impossible to match after finishing my IM abroad, I think it might be easier to finish cardiology at my program and then apply to EP or IC in the US, my question is how likely do IMGs match into those fellowships with IM and cardiology being done outside the US?

And if I get to do one of those fellowships in the US, is it difficult to get licensed and work there as well?

Some people advise me to apply for residency and do it all from the beginning, which I find not applicable personally in my situation.

I would appreciate any assistance
Thank you all

Hey guys, I’ve been kinda stressed out. I joined IM because of h/o. I matched rather poorly without in-house. I still have a lot of resentment with the match and hate my current program (however I’ve been faking it and they’re buying it) I’ve been looking for research but nothing. I am a USMD PGY1.
Program is not really supportive with fellowship… refused all aways. I’ve been kinda down and don’t really know what to do.
All steps around average.
I feel like my career for a competitive fellowship is pretty much over. Any advice would be appreciated. Should I reapply in the match?