Fellowships Made Simple: From Application to Acceptance

I think it is a great time to go ahead and get started. First of all, welcome to todays webinar. The topic is Fellowships Made Simple, From Application to Acceptance. Let me prepare to share my screen. We will take all the questions at the end, but feel free to write them down and put them in the chat. I would love to help address them. I will also share my email at the end, as well as a special treat and opportunity from Osmosis, so stick around until the end. Let me get all the parts of my screen organized. My name is Dr. Julia Hiner, for those who joined after the initial hello. I am an associate professor, but more relevantly for today, I am a fellowship program director of geriatric medicine. That is my primary focus. I do a lot of work taking care of individuals experiencing elder mistreatment and those who have trouble making decisions for themselves, people who are neglecting themselves. I also do some palliative medicine on weekends. I am really excited to talk to you about my favorite part of graduate education. There are many good parts of medical, nursing, dental, and other forms of graduate education, but I am especially passionate about the point at which people make the choice to continue their training through fellowship. Fellowship is a choice. Everyone has to do a residency, pretty much, but fellowship is a choice to specialize. I think it is a really unique area. I do have to make an obligatory disclaimer on behalf of UT Health. Because I am an employee and a faculty member, what I am saying reflects my own opinions, viewpoints, and experience as a program director for the last three and a half years and as faculty for the last seven and a half years. You are here either because you are generally curious, or you thought, Julia is not a bad name, maybe I will join this presentation and see what she is about. My background is as a physician, and if you are here, you may be interested in focusing on a specific field. On the physician side, it can be an extremely long journey. Not just physicians, but many of the specialties people mentioned in the chat involve long journeys to get where we want to be. Anyone listening to this is already showing dedication. Another way we show dedication to our chosen fields is by the amount of time we spend training. On the physician side, most of us spend at least four years in college, four years in medical school working well beyond a standard forty hour work week, and residency is a minimum of three years for almost everyone. For many specialties, especially surgical ones, it can be much longer, five to seven years for neurosurgery. If you add a fellowship on top of that, the training becomes even more extensive. Many people work sixty to eighty hours per week, sometimes more, even though we are not supposed to. What we do at home and how we study also counts. Even though you are spending a minimum of twelve years, it can feel like much more because of how much we work. The process of becoming a specialist physician is extensive. You are here because you may be thinking about choosing a fellowship, specializing, or learning more about how the process works in the United States versus another country, or simply out of curiosity about what colleagues in related fields are doing. One thing I learned along the way is what I call my sparkly shoe test. I like pizzazz, fun, and color, and during residency I wore sparkly, glittery shoes when I was not in scrubs. Eventually, even the custodial staff jokingly called me Dr. Glitter Shoes. I remember interviewing at an Ivy League program. I will not name it, but it was prestigious. I was sitting in a room with people in black suits, black ties, black shoes, all very serious, seated at a board table. I thought, it does not matter how good this program is, I am never going to fit in here. I am never going to feel comfortable wearing my sparkly shoes here. I knew it was not a good fit for me, even though it was an excellent program. One of the most important things when picking a fellowship program is identifying what matters to you personally. It is funny for me to say that as a geriatrician, because we focus on what matters most. That is literally our mantra. We ask our patients what matters most, and I encourage you to think the same way. Identify your priorities. For me, it was finding a place where I could be myself, where my personality fit the environment. Fitting in mattered, but so did beauty. I remember walking into the main hospital of my residency in Delaware. It had big, beautiful windows. I interviewed around Christmas, and there was a big Christmas tree and lots of natural light. I knew I was going to work crazy hours, and I needed natural light. That mattered to me. I also wanted seasons. I am from Houston, where the seasons are hot and less hot. I wanted snow, but not too much. When I interviewed somewhere that had snow all winter with no break, I realized it was not for me. Knowing your priorities matters. Finding your people matters. Do you fit with the people in your specialty. Does your personality align with the fellows, faculty, and staff. Can you be yourself. It is very hard to pretend to be someone else for years. Do they offer activities that make you want to learn more. My program has narrative medicine, which I am passionate about, and a course on the business side of medicine. Location matters. Are you near people who support you. Are there activities you enjoy. There is nothing wrong with wanting a big name program. This could be where you launch your career and build mentorship relationships. But sometimes it is also about finding people doing the work you are interested in, regardless of prestige. Once you know what motivates you, that is when you start looking into programs. One of the best resources is the FREIDA website through the American Medical Association. You do not need an account to search programs. You can sort by specialty, geography, visa acceptance, tracks, perks, workload, compensation, and more. Programs that do not keep this information updated can be a red flag. It may mean they are busy, but it may also mean they do not prioritize fellows. The way a program presents itself matters. Checking fellowship websites and social media can also be helpful. Social media gives insight into program culture and values. Sometimes serendipity plays a role. I did not plan to be a geriatrician or train where I did, but I could not be happier with where I landed. Once you decide to apply, applications usually open in the summer. Fellowship timelines are slightly offset from residency. Interviews often begin in August or September, with rank lists certified in October. Most fellowships require a personal statement, CV, medical school transcript, MSPE, letters of recommendation, headshot, board scores, and ECFMG certification if applicable. Personal statements should tell a cohesive but human story. Do not restate your CV. Do not use AI to write it. Be authentic. Acknowledge challenges, show growth, and move forward. Letters of recommendation should come from people who truly know you and support you. Strong, personal letters matter far more than generic ones. During interviews, be polite and thoughtful to everyone. Programs notice how applicants communicate. Enthusiasm matters. Trust your gut if something feels off. Talk to current fellows alone. If you do not get that opportunity, that is a major red flag. When ranking programs, register early in the match system. Trust your instincts. Your happiness and ability to be yourself matter. Mental health matters. Programs should support trainees as people, not just workers. I personally needed support during intern year, and my programs response changed my entire trajectory. The path to success is not straight. It is full of setbacks, growth, and resilience. That is okay. Once you match, celebrate. Then be responsive as onboarding begins. Professionalism matters from the start. My email is [email protected]. I am happy to take questions. Thank you all for being here. Please feel free to email me with any additional questions.