The fellowship match process for Cardiology, an increasingly saturated subspecialty with an ever-expanding applicant pool, is extremely competitive. However, the 2020 application cycle proved to be an entirely different beast, with the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability to interview in-person adding layers of complexity to an already confusing process.
Applicants and fellowship program directors alike wrung their hands over the impersonal nature of Zoom interviews (how could you really feel the “vibe” of a place from a Zoom?). Sure, costs decreased because programs were not “wining and dining” applicants and applicants did not have to travel while working full-time. But this democratization of the application process had the adverse effect of leading many applicants to apply to many more programs. Cardiology program directors were overwhelmed by record numbers of applications. Concurrently, applicants were distressed about not receiving interview invitations. It was tough.
As someone that just matched into Cardiology, I would like to offer some unsolicited advice for future fellowship applicants:
DO be judicious in how you build your Cardiology resume
Fellowship applicants are told that they need to join projects or produce manuscripts to “show interest” in Cardiology. While it is important that you explore Cardiology outside of your clinical rotations, it is also important to choose quality over quantity and not over-commit to projects for the sole purpose of buffing your resume. For each possible project or extracurricular activity, be a little bit selfish and ask yourself, what will I get out of this experience? Will you acquire new skills? Will you gain valuable new insight or knowledge? Will you build relationships with great mentors? How will that project fit into your personal narrative or your career interests within Cardiology? Your time is precious. Spend it developing meaningful, in-depth experiences that help you grow as a future cardiologist, not just checking off boxes.
DO give yourself time to make your personal statement about YOU
Writing is hard. I love writing, but I find it uniquely painful and time-consuming. My first drafts are awful; I go through countless edits before landing on a final product that I can tolerate. Writing personal statements is EXTRA hard because we are bad at writing about ourselves and framing our lives and career goals into a short, neat narrative. Instead, we resort to narratives about patients (nice, but says nothing about who YOU are) or generic maxims (ditto). Your personal statement needs to be PERSONAL. It should be about YOU, the journey you took to get to where you are today, and the journey you hope to embark on next. What MUST the reader absolutely know about you by the time they get to the end of the essay? Does a sentence or paragraph reveal anything about you or does it serve a purpose in telling your story? If the answer to either of these questions is “No,” cut that sentence/paragraph out. Be brutal. Lastly, find out who in your life is a good editor and ask them for lots of feedback.
DO be realistic / DON’T take away opportunities from other people
Some applicants are overly confident and do not apply to enough programs. Some apply to way too many, ultimately interviewing at programs in which they are not truly interested, thus shutting out other applicants who would have loved to interview at those programs. How do I know if I am a competitive applicant? How many applications is too many?, you might ask. The only way to know is to make a list of programs to which you’d like to apply and show it to trusted advisors (e.g. your program director). Solicit their honest feedback so that you can make an informed decision about what you need to do to be able to match.
DO research the institutions to which you apply and interview
There are many great Cardiology fellowship programs. There are no “best” programs. The best program for you is one that aligns with your career goals. Different programs have different flavors, strengths, and weaknesses. While interviewing, I realized that some programs were a great fit for me and my specific interests, while other, equally amazing programs were not. The only way to figure out whether a program might be well-tailored to your interests is to research programs before you apply (search online, talk to people that know the program), research them again before your interview, and ask lots of questions during your interview day. If you know before you even apply that a program would not be a good fit for you, why apply there?
DO pre-plan your Zoom interview space
Are you the kind of person that goes with the flow? Or do you get anxious and feel the need to exert control over your surroundings? If you are the former, then great! If you are more high-strung, however, plan your Zoom space out in advance so that there are no unpleasant surprises on Game Day. Where are you going to place the camera? Does your laptop need to be propped up so that the camera is in line with your eyesight? Do you need additional lighting so that others can see you well? Is there too much noise from your surrounding milieu? Does your location have a reliable internet connection? Do you wish to display anything behind you while you are on Zoom? Note that anything you display on screen [e.g. books, artwork] is an open invitation for the interviewer to ask you questions about said item.
DO talk to acquaintances at fellowship programs
Now that interviews are on Zoom, it is as important as ever to talk to current Cardiology fellows and solicit their honest opinions about programs. I found talking one-on-one with people I knew at various fellowship programs to be more helpful in giving me a sense of that program’s “vibe” than just about anything else I heard on interview day. Ask to talk one-on-one with a fellow at every program with which you interview (i.e. someone who attended your medical school or residency, who is from a similar area or who has something in common with you). After these conversations, I felt more confident that I knew what I needed to know in order to make informed decisions about where to place programs on my rank list.
DO think about your “5-10 year plan” and career goals
We all dread the interview question about our “5-10 year plan.” However, rest assured that you will be asked about it at virtually every interview. The fellowship is the final training ground before you launch into your career. Because many people often stay at their institution after fellowship, your fellowship interview in some ways doubles as a faculty interview. The program will view you as a long-term investment and they want to know what you would bring to the department. With that in mind, think about your narrative. How will you “package” yourself? Sure, everyone knows that things might change in the future, but as things stand right now, what niche will you carve out for yourself if you become faculty in the department after fellowship? You should be ready to answer these questions.
DON’T be afraid to preserve your spirit
Interviewing can be fun, but it can also be stressful when paired with an 80-hour-per-week job. Find ways to decompress before, after, or during your interview day. Exercise as needed, spend time with family, debrief with friends, take breaks. For self-care, on Zoom interview days, I would select a 30-60 minute window when I was not on camera and leave my apartment to grab a coffee (yes, I went to the coffee shop in a suit!). It broke up my day, reenergized me, and made me feel like I was at a real in-person interview.
DO be yourself
You should always be professional and courteous to others. However, that does not mean that you need to be a robot! Do not be afraid to let your personality shine. You will have more interesting interactions with others and you will come across as more relatable. More importantly, depending on how the people on the other side of the screen respond, it may help you decide if a program is the right fit for you. Never be anyone other than yourself. You deserve to be at a program that will welcome you for who you are.
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