{"id":14323,"date":"2011-12-02T13:16:48","date_gmt":"2011-12-02T18:16:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/?post_type=fellowship-training&p=14323"},"modified":"2011-12-02T13:17:20","modified_gmt":"2011-12-02T18:17:20","slug":"follow-the-fellows-which-program-is-right-for-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/2011\/12\/02\/follow-the-fellows-which-program-is-right-for-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Follow the Fellows: Which Program Is Right for Me?"},"content":{"rendered":"

For our new series at CardioExchange<\/strong>, \u201cFollow the Fellows,\u201d we have invited physicians from various cardiology fellowship programs to document their course through their training. In this post, the fellows describe how they chose their fellowship programs. You can read their earlier posts here<\/a> <\/em>and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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A Long and Winding Road <\/strong><\/h2>\n

by Erica Spatz, MD, MHS<\/p>\n

For a long time I struggled with the decision of whether to pursue a cardiology fellowship. I did not have reservations about the science or clinical demands — these I welcomed. Rather, I was uncertain how I would integrate my interests in public health, disease prevention, and health-system reform to reduce health disparities. Many of my mentors were internists, and while they were supportive of my pursuit of a cardiology fellowship, they also emphasized the importance of finding a cardiology program that was supportive of my goals, and vested in developing my skills as a clinician and as a health services researcher.<\/p>\n

As a third-year resident, I applied to several cardiology fellowship programs in the Northeast. However, by the end of interview season, my concerns became more pronounced. I had not found the perfect “fit,” and I decided to drop out of the match. This decision did not come easily, but ultimately it forced me to reevaluate my priorities and the kind of impact I wanted to make as a physician and to reconsider how best to pursue my interests.<\/p>\n

In my following year, now a chief-resident, I applied and was accepted to the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program<\/a>, where I received training in clinical research, gained new mentors, and was exposed to incredible opportunities to learn from and collaborate with leaders in health care research and delivery. Additionally, I connected with a cadre of cardiologists who shared similar values and who emulated the kind of work I had always hoped to do. They introduced me to a world of outcomes research and, perhaps more importantly, made me feel welcomed and supported.<\/p>\n

And so once again I found myself interviewing for a cardiology fellowship. It was different this time, however, purposeful. I had a clearer focus of how clinical training in cardiology could help advance my research and career and my overall satisfaction as a physician taking care of patients. I was also supported by a committed husband who was willing to relocate and to change a few more diapers than he had previously.\u00a0 I am fortunate for this opportunity and consider it a gift to be back in clinical training.<\/p>\n

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<\/h1>\n

Marrying the Professional and the Personal<\/strong><\/h2>\n

by Kathryn Lindley, MD<\/p>\n

In deciding on the \u201cright\u201d cardiology fellowship program for me, I had to take into account both what my future career goals were \u2014 I hope to become a clinician-educator \u2014 and what my life had already become \u2014 I am the mother of a two-year-old. I considered three aspects of possible fellowship programs in determining the one that best\u00a0fit both my present and future.<\/p>\n

Aspect #1: The Program<\/strong>. To become an excellent clinician-educator, I needed to see patients. Lots of patients. Lots of sick patients. So, I needed a program that would have high volume and excellent teaching. I also needed a program with a schedule that would allow me to work very hard, but still allow adequate time to spend with my family. At Barnes-Jewish Hospital, my calls are busy and my days full. Yet the call schedule is manageable, and on most days I get home in time to eat dinner with my family and put the little one to bed.<\/p>\n

Aspect #2: The People.<\/strong>\u00a0Most programs have busy patient loads, interesting conferences, and multiple research opportunities. But I also wanted to be happy. I figured that if I was going to be spending 80 hours a week with a group of people, I might as well spend it with people I enjoy. So I really tried to see whether I \u201cclicked\u201d with the fellows and attendings at the various institutions I visited. Were people collegial? Did they seem happy? Would they choose the same place again?<\/p>\n

Aspect #3: The Location.<\/strong> I have a toddler\u2026and a husband who travels to California and Germany for work. My parents live in the middle of nowhere. How could I reconcile my demanding career with these factors? I chose a city where we could afford a house with a yard and that has great daycare. My parents are several hours away, but this is significantly closer than many other programs I was considering. And still it is clutch<\/em> when my husband is away on a business trip, and I need to take call!<\/p>\n

In the end, I found a program with high patient volume, excellent teaching, and research opportunities, in an affordable city that is close to home \u2014 and filled with people that I really enjoy. I think I made a great decision!<\/p>\n

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<\/h2>\n

Moving Beyond One\u2019s Comfort Zone<\/strong><\/h2>\n

by Bill Cornwell, MD<\/p>\n

Developing a rank order list for fellowship programs was difficult.\u00a0 My ultimate goal was a program allowing me to fulfill all my career goals while satisfying personal and family interests.\u00a0 I spent a great deal of time communicating with faculty and fellows at various programs throughout the country, sought advice from mentors at my home program, and spent countless hours researching fellowship programs online.<\/p>\n

My personal statement in my fellowship applications clearly outlined my career goals: to become an academic cardiologist, with a focus on heart failure and pulmonary hypertension, and to be involved in outcomes research and medical education.\u00a0 So, I sought out programs that would prepare me for such a career.<\/p>\n

Along the interview trail, answers from the program leadership to my questions were vital in helping me rank my list. Have previous fellows gone on to pursue similar interests?\u00a0 Are there strong mentors to help me along the way?\u00a0 Is it possible to obtain an MPH or MSc? Other impressions from the interview days helped seal the fate of several programs \u2013 whether they were at the top or the bottom of my list.\u00a0 Would I enjoy working for the program director? Were the current fellows happy? Was the program vibrant and healthy?<\/p>\n

Also, my wife and two children would be accompanying me on this venture, and incorporating their interests was of the upmost importance.\u00a0 My wife and I deliberated on the negatives of moving far away from our home and our families.\u00a0 However, we also envisioned this as a great opportunity for us to become immersed in a new culture and meet new people, and at the same time, for me to practice medicine in a different region with a vastly different patient population.\u00a0 As the deadline for the rank list grew near, we welcomed the thought of moving beyond our comfort zone, recognizing the personal and professional opportunities that would result.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

My Personal Checklist for Choosing a Fellowship<\/strong><\/h2>\n

by Aaron Earles, DO, MS<\/p>\n

Looking for the cardiology fellowship to best fit your personal and professional needs can be exhausting.\u00a0 I developed my own system to help me evaluate the pros and cons of each fellowship to which I applied.<\/p>\n

Exposure to pathology<\/strong>. This was the most important determinant for me. I am a \u201chands on\u201d learner. The more I am exposed to something, the better the chance I will remember.\u00a0 An emphasis on academics was also paramount. In my program, we have a weekly journal club, catheterization and critical care conferences, and weekly board review sessions.<\/p>\n

How well the current fellows interacted with each other<\/strong>.\u00a0 While interviewing last year, I paid very close attention to camaraderie, which I think is crucial for the overall development of the individual and the program. I wanted to be sure that I could get along with these individuals on a daily basis for 3 to 4 years! Every now and then, everyone needs to trade a call or shift with another fellow and it makes it much easier if the other fellows are team players.<\/p>\n

Availability of an interventional cardiology fellowship<\/strong>.\u00a0 I want to pursue a fellowship in interventional cardiology after finishing my general cardiology fellowship. I was hoping to find one program for both fellowships, which would increase my exposure to that field as well as to the attending cardiologists who make the decisions. However, not all of the programs I reviewed had interventional fellowships associated with the general cardiology program. I also was looking for a program with strengths in electrophysiology.<\/p>\n

Location<\/strong>.\u00a0 This was the least important factor for me. I would have moved to the North Pole if necessary to get a cardiology fellowship. Still, most fellowships are located in or near cities, but I come from a small town in West Virginia and completed my Internal Medicine residency in a rural setting. My solution: a program outside Chicago. The price of living in Chicago is quite high, and I live in one of the suburbs.<\/p>\n

Family obligations.<\/strong>\u00a0 If you have a family, this is one of the most important factors in selecting a fellowship. Because I am not currently married, this was not really a factor.\u00a0 If you have an understanding spouse, then you should do fine.\u00a0 I will tell you, however, fellowship can be difficult for any relationship!<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For our new series at CardioExchange, \u201cFollow the Fellows,\u201d we have invited physicians from various cardiology fellowship programs to document their course through their training. In this post, the fellows describe how they chose their fellowship programs. You can read their earlier posts here and here.   A Long and Winding Road by Erica Spatz, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":292,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[195],"class_list":["post-14323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-fellowship-training-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/292"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14323\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nejm.org\/cardioexchange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}