Cardiology Fellowship

Description

Currently an Internal Medicine Resident Applying to Cardiology Fellowship. Personal Statement Tips: Main goals: · The main goals of the fellowship application personal statement are to convey: (a) why you are interested in the specialty, (b) what you have done to prepare yourself for practice in the specialty, and (c) what you are interested in doing in your career and what you want to get out of fellowship. · Structure: The structure of the PS should reflect the above goals. Most personal statements will follow the outline below. Limit your PS to one page if possible Paragraph 1 (Introduction): · Why are you interested in the specialty? The PS often starts with a case or personal anecdote but this should be brief (shorter than what is usually done for a residency application). Be sure to mention your interest in patients (not just pathophysiology or research). · Also include here any personal narrative that won’t be obvious in your application – distance traveled, contribution to diversity, etc. Paragraph 2 (Clinical Experiences): · What were the clinical experiences in residency that helped affirm this decision? · If you had any other relevant experiences (eg volunteer experiences, service, leadership, etc), this is a good place to include that. · Include experiences in med school (or other) if very relevant or significant Paragraph 3 (Research/Scholarly Activity): · What research or other scholarly activities did you do during residency that have prepared you for subspecialty practice and influenced your career path? · Include experiences in med school (or before) if very relevant or significant Paragraph 4 (Career Plans): · What do you see yourself doing in the future (research, clinical ,education, QI, etc)? It’s okay not to be totally sure but you should have some sense of where you are going (and remember, no one will hold you to this afterward). Choose your narrative and stick to it, even if things may change down the line. · What do you want to get out of fellowship (strong clinical training, research opportunities, mentorship)? Other personal statement advice? • What the personal statement can do for you: · Let programs know why you are interested in their specialty, what you want in a training program, and what you ultimately hope to accomplish in your career. · Highlight major items from your CV. · Highlight life experiences or skills that may not be adequately reflected in your CV. · Explain any lapses in training, unusual circumstances, etc. It is often best to address these issues outright, but you should discuss this with your mentor first. • What the personal statement can do for the program · Assist an interviewer in preparing targeted questions/”breaking the ice” for your interview o Allow them to see how you will fit in to their departments overall goals • What if I am interested in a career goal that is not research? Can I say this? · This is highly dependent on the subspecialty and program. Some fellowship programs have clinical or clinician-educator tracks so it is more clear that you can state these non-research goals explicitly. If you are unsure, talk to your mentors about the best way to frame your application to be a competitive candidate while staying true to your career goals. If you are concerned about the confidentiality of discussing this with a mentor, ask Jen or Rebecca.