The leap from residency to fellowship: How to apply and interview
| March 25, 2022
An increasing number of residents are applying for fellowships. According to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Specialties Matching Service (SMS), the 2022 cohort was the largest in history, with 11,078 positions filled across all specialties included. In total, 4,407 programs (81.1%) filled all of their available slots, with 11,078 of 13,586 active applicants matching.
For those thinking about making the leap from residency to fellowship, we’ve gleaned some tips from various sources to help you on your journey.
Applying to fellowship is a process that begins the year before you apply, according to NEJM Resident 360. Important steps include deciding on a subspecialty and doing at least one rotation in your desired subspecialty.
Good resources to consult are advisors and mentors in your residency program. You can also do a few rotations in fields of interest, with a possible balance between ambulatory and inpatient settings, to see what best suits you.
Research projects can be key when applying to research-oriented fellowship programs.
You can also author case reports or case series to boost your prospects, especially if you are leaning toward a career in nonclinical areas such as health policy or hospital administration.
Consider taking a year off from training
It’s possible that taking a year off from your training path can enhance your prospects of garnering a residency position. Good choices for this year off include becoming a chief resident, doing a year of research, or becoming a hospitalist. Beware, however, of taking too much time off, which can be viewed as possibly diminishing your clinical skills. If you do decide to take time off, be prepared to discuss this decision in your personal statement and during the interview.
Most fellowship programs utilize the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). It’s a good idea to review the ERAS site in detail, along with fellowship program websites, to familiarize yourself with the components of the application (eg, CV, personal statement, LORs). Plan to gather and work on these materials in the months before application.
Choosing which programs to apply to depends on various factors, including your competitiveness, type of training (academic vs community), and your career goals. If you experienced certain academic struggles in medical school or residency, it may be a good idea to apply broadly.
With regard to application materials, you’ll want to start requesting LORs early on, because attendings are busy people and need time to craft a good letter. When requesting an LOR writer, think of who can meaningfully present your abilities and positive qualities. Avoid LORs that merely rehash your CV.
In addition to an LOR from your residency program director, try to secure at least three additional LORs. At least one letter should be from a subspecialist in your field of choice, with others coming from research project supervisors, primary care physicians, and other specialists.
Although the CV and LORs may be the most important when applying, the personal statement is important, too. It can infuse your application with your own personal voice and pull all of your experience and personal characteristics together.
Faculty at your program are highly skilled at editing personal statements.
When writing a personal statement, try to highlight why you are a strong candidate for the program and why you are prepared to have a successful career based on your experiences and achievements. explanations of gaps or struggles that could be negatively construed unless they are satisfactorily explained.
As the maxim goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Infectious disease faculty at the University of Nebraska Medical Center offer some good advice on acing the fellowship interview:
Relax and be yourself.
Be truthful and don’t provide pat or contrived answers to please your interviewer.
Understand the program, and ask relevant questions about its educational practices.
Research the faculty who are interviewing you.
Prepare yourself to discuss your strengths/weaknesses, interests, and career plans.
Be prepared to explain academic struggles.
Treat everyone you encounter during the interview with kindness and respect.
Ask yourself whether this program will prepare you for your career goals and whether you will be happy there.
In addition to preparing your answers and ideas for the interview itself, expertsrecommend dressing neatly in a clean, pressed dark suit, even if you know that the residents in that program dress casually. It is often better to be overdressed than to be underdressed.
The interview is essentially a business meeting, and should be treated as such. The idea is that you should be memorable, not your clothes.