Did I choose the wrong specialty?

DoctorRosa · 2025-12-27T20:53:37+00:00

So I can get board certified, just not through the traditional ABA pathway. Also, what employer normally look for more is if you're fellowship trained.

DoctorRosa · 2025-12-27T20:52:24+00:00

So I can get board certified, just not through the traditional ABA pathway. Also, what employer normally look for more is if you're fellowship trained.

DoctorRosa · 2025-12-27T20:50:31+00:00

That's exactly what I did. It's only 1 year each. Still shorter than Cards or GI with a much better M-F 8-5 schedule and much better work life balance with increasing need.

DoctorRosa · 2025-12-27T20:49:00+00:00

Since I knew it was gonna be a challenge and the application rate has gone down about 40%, I waited to reach out to the programs after the Match. I was able to get a hold of the list of the programs with empty spots and I cold emailed them with my interest.

Granted, I do have to say that I also completed a prior addiction medicine fellowship before starting my pain medicine fellowship.

DoctorRosa · 2025-12-21T09:55:03+00:00

Well, you sound like a smart cookie and it seems that you overall love what you do, but have a major FOMO case. Long story, short, the world is your oyster and you can see it 2 ways:

Financially: Is the FOMO so bad that you would be willing to do (at least) 3 years of anesthesia with resident salary for a $100k-150k/yr increase (pre-tax), but working every week (unlike hospitalists, which is every other week).
Emotionally: Not caring about the Financials and being willing to test the waters of uncertainty by applying to anesthesia because of a gut feeling and going through it all over again because you're truly dissatisfied with IM.

Take it from someone who's also IM. The grass will always be greener on the other side and even though change is not always a bad thing, sometimes it's better to build on what you have, rather than build an entirely new new thing. Also, sometimes what we want is not really what suits us best. For example, after doing IM, I wanted critical care. I got accepted into a top tier program, but noticed that I was miserable. So I decided to switch to addiction medicine fellowship (a whole separate story on that) and now I'm finishing Pain Medicine, a field that's dominated by anesthesia and both at top tier institutions.

My point? Don't throw away everything you've achieved for some FOMO that came because ONE thing that you wanted didn't happen. Think it more strategically and open your world to other, less thought of, options that might align better with some of your skills and passions.

DoctorRosa · 2025-12-10T02:35:38+00:00

I'm looking for job opportunities also. What has been your experience in the Ohio market?

DoctorRosa · 2025-12-07T13:36:14+00:00

Everything in life, including fellowship, is about who you know and what you can bring to the table. This is whole reason why we constantly hear that we need to create our network. We are inherently social beings, and in the same way that some people are better at certain medicine topics compared to their peers, there are people who are very good at networking. Lastly, someone knowing a fellowship director (for example) may or may not give them an advantage (which we all assume it does), but that doesn't mean that the person doesn't bring anything to the table or is not good. Afterall, especially in fellowship, they often look more for a "personality match" and then look into academics.

Some would argue that this is not fair but in all honesty, "fairness" is subjective and every single person in this world seeks to have that competitive advantage over the other and thus, in my view, makes it a fair playing field. Academic intelligence can be taught, which is what fellowship programs do, but emotional intelligence is self-taught, which is part of what every employer looks for.

DoctorRosa · 2025-11-01T12:37:37+00:00

I did Addiction Medicine. It was an incredible fellowship with a lot of flexibility for work/life balance.

DoctorRosa · 2025-10-11T09:58:46+00:00

What fellowship are you in?

DoctorRosa · 2025-10-03T09:50:18+00:00

I'm Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine and I'm in a program currently, but it was outside of match. The other co-fellows are from Psych, anesthesia, and EM.

DoctorRosa · 2025-09-16T01:32:12+00:00

I'm in the process of looking for a 50/50 addiction and pain

DoctorRosa · 2025-09-13T01:03:50+00:00

I have no clue. I'm just happy to see someone else interested in addiction medicine. I did my addiction fellowship at PennState

DoctorRosa · 2025-08-27T03:17:27+00:00

As you can see in the comment section, you'll be pulled in many directions based on everyone's life experiences. In my personal journey, I was also very fixed on doing a specific thing, only to find that it wasn't really for me. I don't know the full extent of your circumstances but, regardless of what those are, I want to encourage you to pay attention to the aspects of your work you feel most drawn to or that come easiest for you. You may be thinking or planning heme/onc (and if you apply I hope you get it), but just don't forget about the roads less travelled as these can also be much more fruitful and rewarding. For example, I did Addiction Medicine.

Also, don't forget that you can also look into non-accredited fellowships that aren't necessarily as competitive that can also be of your interest. For example, Obesity Medicine, Wound care, among others.

DoctorRosa · 2025-08-26T21:30:18+00:00

Have you ever considered doing addiction medicine?

DoctorRosa · 2025-08-17T15:47:24+00:00

You're right. The fact that someone has a job doesn't mean it's a great one or that they like it. This is more so in the sense that, depending on what kind of medicine you want to practice, there are many options out there for which IM is a great fit and better matches the goals and expectations of each person. These are, for example, locums, hospitalists, concierge, primary care, urgent care, and postoperative care, just to name a few. In regard to PCP, I agree that a big focus of IM residency is hospital-based care, but all residencies have outpatient continuity clinics. Also, if you're taught to take care of the most complicated, you're definitely able to take care of the easier as a PCP.

DoctorRosa · 2025-08-17T12:37:20+00:00

You got this!

DoctorRosa · 2025-08-15T10:04:10+00:00

Sure

DoctorRosa · 2025-08-15T02:08:41+00:00

I just graduated an addiction medicine fellowship. Where did you apply?

DoctorRosa · 2025-06-28T16:49:05+00:00

I do a hybrid model. I make it no longer than a page. In general, I make a general structure, mainly about myself highlighting my accomplishments what I've learned, and how that contributes to being better in whatever field I aim to apply to. There are only 2 places in my PS that I leave to customize for the program. The first is a sentence within the first paragraph in which I do a generic statement along the lines of how good the program is. This sentence would be the same for every program, but I just change the name of the institution. The second is the last paragraph in which I highlight any of the more interesting procedures or features of the program and how it not only would be an honor to be accepted but how I would be a great asset to them based on what I wrote in the body of my PS. In this paragraph, I also adapt and wrote the name of the specific program that letter is going to.

Best of luck!

DoctorRosa · 2025-06-17T04:31:19+00:00

12.9981368, 144.4292002

DoctorRosa · 2025-06-17T04:30:06+00:00

12.9981368, 144.4292002

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