Admission

Application Process:

Interested candidates should submit their application via ERAS.

All of the following items are required:

Common Application Form (CAF)
Curriculum vitae (please provide complete, standard citations for any peer-reviewed publications - see Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals
Personal statement, including career goal
Valid documentation of all relevant examination result
3 or more professional letters of recommendation from teachers or mentors in clinical medicine or research
Documentation of procedure privilege
Valid documentation of US immigration status (if applicable)

The deadline for submission is Auguast 15th of the calendar year prior to the year of anticipated enrollment. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all materials are received by the deadline noted above. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Eligibility criteria for admission to Fellowship Program:

The program considers applications from fully trained internists whose future career lies in the fields of pulmonary and critical care medicine. This is a combined 3-year program, with training years running from July 1 to June 30. Entering fellows normally complete the 2-year training in Pulmonary Disease (PD) followed by one year in Critical Care Medicine (CCM), although occasional exceptions are made to accommodate the program's staffing needs and the career goals of individual applicants. The general requirements for appointment to a residency position at SUNY-Downstate may be found in the Resident's Handbook on Graduate Medical Education (GME), published by the institution's GME Office. Additionally, to be considered for this subspecialty fellowship, applicants must provide documentation that they meet the following requirements:

Satisfactory completion of a 3-year residency in Internal Medicine (ACGME-accredited program)
ABIM board eligibility in Internal Medicine
Successful completion of USMLE Steps 1 and 2 (include Step 3 if taken)
For foreign (international) medical graduates, permanent US residency/citizenship or a current US visa that supports fellowship training
A record of good professional behavior and adherence to the ethical standards of the American College of Physicians [Professional references are usually satisfactory for this purpose (see below)]. However, the applicant should disclose and explain any adverse event or unfavorable history in a written statement, if applicable.

Selection Process:

The program director reviews all complete applications, and selected candidates are offered a personal interview, usually during March-April. Applicants are evaluated on the strength of their prior clinical training and experience, evidence of strong academic interest and performance (including research experience and publications), examination scores, letters of recommendation, and their specific commitment to the subspecialty. With regard to the interview, the program attempts to accommodate applicants' schedules to the extent possible. However, applicants must present themselves for an interview at one of the dates offered to be seriously considered in the final selection.

We do not particularly recommend that prospective applicants devote their elective months during internal medicine residency to pulmonary and/or critical care medicine, unless the main purpose is to solidify one's career choice. For applicants who are confident of their preference for this subspecialty, we encourage electives that will broaden their experience in related fields (infectious diseases, cardiology, neurology, occupational medicine, etc.), thereby strengthening their clinical base as pulmonologists and intensivists. Similarly, while a letter of recommendation reflecting the applicant's performance in pulmonary or critical care medicine is helpful, it is not essential to the application.

Currently the program admits 6-7 first-year fellows annually through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). Admission to the fellowship is competitive, with an acceptance rate in the range of 5-10% of applicants in recent years.

Address questions regarding fellowship application to:

Shelly Anthony, MA
Fellowship Program Administrator
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
450 Clarkson Avenue, MSC19
Brooklyn, NY, 11203
USA

Tel: (718) 270-1770
Fax: (718) 270-1733
E-mail: shelly.anthony@downstate.edu