How to Become a Competitive Applicant for Gastroenterology Fellowship: Tips and Tricks for Success Part I

Practical guidance to advisors of residents on the fellowship selection process

“…Performing well on the in-house rotation is not in and of itself enough to demonstrate engagement. Residents should be advised to attend their institution's specialty conferences, if they are held in the desired specialty, to facilitate building relationships with faculty that will translate into stronger letters of recommendation and promoters within the program [12]. This is especially important as these letters of recommendation consistently rate as important factors for fellowship interview selection across many disciplines [13][14][15][16][17].…”

“…While the utility of away rotations has been questioned, it is of value for residents to market their skills and foster relationships in other health systems. During early training, residents should connecting with a mentor from another institution through the subspecialty society's mentorship program [12]. Residents should attend (ideally to present their scholarly work) national meetings to network with fellows and attendings at programs in which they may be interested.…”

The New Virtual Reality: How COVID-19 Will Affect the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship Match

“…Current internal medicine residents who are prospective GI fellowship applicants are also severely impacted. GI fellowship is one of the most competitive subspecialty fellowships [4,5], as evidenced in 2019 when a total of 906 applicants applied for 577 positions [6]. In response to COVID-19, the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) has shifted the timeline for fellowship programs in order to gain access to applications from mid-July to August 12, 2020 [7].…”

Connecting During the Virtual Interview Process: Lessons from Experience

“…Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) fellowship match [1] has transitioned to virtual interviews for the current recruitment season [2,3]. An excellent article by Dr. Mallepally and colleagues outlines recommendations for thoughtful implementation of this major change, describing challenges faced by both applicants and fellowship programs [4].…”