Blog Post Focus
This blog post will explore ways to build up a CV for fellowship applications during residency. I will start with some of my experience and then share some thoughts on how you can prepare. Like in my experience the process changes! Do your research each year to look for any changes in applications and adjust your preparation accordingly.
Personal Story—Caught Between Two Fellowships and Changing Expectations
Between Two Fellowships
When I was building up my CV for fellowship applications I was caught between two potential fellowships. This required about twice the amount of work as it would have taken to prep my CV for one fellowship. I was reaching out to several people for possible research experiences, volunteer experiences, and to get more experience in the fields.
Not only was it a lot of work, but it contributed to feeling burned out and really made me consider foregoing fellowships to just take a break from it all. Doing all this atop my residency responsibilities was a lot!
While it was about twice the work of gaining experiences for one fellowship, I would have been able to use some experiences for either fellowship application.
Change, Atop It All
The kicker to it all was that for the year I applied, ERAS made big changes. Changes I had not been aware. So, as I started my applications for fellowship I was startled that the experience I had prepared for had changed. Had I known these changes beforehand, I would have been able to use my time more wisely for building my CV.
Note: image above is for entertainment and not a template for organizing or formatting a CV.
General Thoughts On Fellowship Preparation
Look Ahead and Look at ERAS And Individual Programs
First, wherever you are at in your pursuit of fellowship, look ahead for what you may need for fellowship applications to help determine how you can become a stronger applicant. Second, get exposure early, whether by setting up electives or using free time and carving out free time to follow physicians in your desired specialty in their clinics. Third, take a look at the ERAS website for fellowship applications and learn about how applications will look for your cycle. Things change without us hearing about them, so we need to be proactive.
It Is More Difficult to Be Undecided
Furthermore, if you are caught between two fellowships you will have a much more challenging experience. Residency will have large demands of your time, so volunteering and extra work can be emotionally and physically demanding on you. Trying to do twice the experiences to prepare for the two fellowships can be very tough. The best thing you can do is try to determine one fellowship best suited for you so that you can really tailor your resume-building experiences to that specialty.
Know ERAS
Look at ERAS Each Year to Be Atop Changes
Opportunities will differ for each specialty, but knowing the ERAS application layout will help you prepare.
With the 2024 changes, you can include some past achievements in one little portion of the Education Section and some Medical School awards. Otherwise, you have room for 10 Experiences and can mark 3 as the most meaningful (which means you get an additional 300 characters to say something more about them). You also have tons of space for research. So, clearly ERAS is pushing research.
Experiences
For the experiences section you can put up to 10, which can include volunteering, past work, and pretty much anything you want. Reach out to senior residents and ask what they did to prepare for fellowship applications and to build their CVs. Ask if they have any connections to physicians outside your program who may be interested in helping you. Networking is key to getting involved in opportunities. Experience within your desired field is of higher value than than extraneous experiences.
Volunteering
If you are already doing some volunteer work, continue it. Longitudinal experiences speak volumes louder than one experience or a few short-term experiences. If you have a hobby, find a way to volunteer in that. It can be one way to make you appear more human in your application. For instance, if you are a runner you can be a medical volunteer at marathons and races.
Focus on Your Desired Field
Atop this though, try to get something more focused toward your future field, such as volunteering in certain clinics. Or, see if a physician in your field puts on classes or courses and if you may help out or participate. See if you can do some workshops and build skills suitable for your future fellowship. Not only can this strengthen your application, but this relationship building can result in further opportunities or even a letter of recommendation.
Publications
For publications you can include anything research-related, but having something in your desired field will speak better about your interest and engagement in the field. Collaborate with your cohort and any physicians you know in your field to write up posters, submit to journals, or get published in some way. Whenever you are on a rotation ask if there are any interesting cases to write up. Present the cases at professional society meetings in your desired field.
Conclusion—Start Early and Look At ERAS Each Year to Focus Your CV-Building Efforts for Fellowship
Fellowship applications can be stressful and time-consuming. The process can change each year—check on ERAS yearly so you are not caught surprised with changes. For instance, the 2024 changes to the ERAS applications made a limit of 10 experiences and left unlimited spaces for publications.
With your limited time, find a way to determine one fellowship to devote your time to. Network and find good volunteering opportunities and research opportunities in your desired field to build up your CV. However, it may be a good idea to volunteer in some manner in an activity outside of medicine your are passionate too to have something make you particularly human in your application if you think this may strengthen your application.
Link to ERAS Information
Check out the following link for more information on ERAS applications https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-residencies-eras/myeras-application-and-program-signaling-2023-24.
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