the BIG Questions
FELLOWSHIP : TO DO OR NOT TO DO? - Dr MANOJ KHATRI
WHAT IS A FELLOWSHIP ? Fellowship for doctors is an additional period of training after completion of a specialty-training program, which is now called “residency” in various parts of the world. A typical fellowship is 1 to 2 years during which one undergoes focused training in a particular area within a specialty and develops expertise in the management of a certain patient population.
WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF PURSUING A FELLOWSHIP ? After 4 to 5 years of medical school, 1 year of housemanship, 1 or more years of non-trainee MOship (medical officer), and at least 3 to 6 years of residency, more years to remain as a trainee may sound daunting and unattractive. A fellow’s life is definitely not easy. One is expected to be the first point of contact for referrals to the sub-specialty. This will translate into dealing with complex or urgent cases and most likely the need to be on duty after office hours. In addition to clinical work, research output and scholarly activities are also standard requirements for most programs that a fellow needs to excel on. Salary during fellowship is usually very basic if there is any. Most people will need support from his/her home institution, which comes with waiting time and period of service obligation. Most if not all fellowships are only available in distant places/ states, which may be difficult for those with family and young children.
On the other side, there are certainly benefits in pursuing fellowship. After fellowship training, one should be able to offer expert level of care to a certain patient population and to perform certain specialized procedures independently. A sub-specialist is allowed to focus his/her time in one specific area of interest in clinical work and research so there is a potential to be a knowledge expert or even an opinion leader. The compensation for sub-specialist is generally
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