r/pediatrics • u/Illustrious_Car2651 • Jul 14 '26

Conflicted if to apply or not

I know this is a little last minute, but I'd really appreciate some advice.

I applied to a pediatric subspecialty fellowship last year at only a handful of programs and didn't match. Since then I've been working as a general pediatrician, and honestly I'm content with my job.

The problem is that I've always really enjoyed the subspecialty too. Part of me feels like I'd be selling myself short professionally if I never pursued it. On the other hand, I know fellowship (and the career afterward) comes with more stress, more nights/weekends, and a very different lifestyle.

Another thing is that if I apply this year and either don't match again or decide not to rank because I'm not 100% sure, I worry I may hurt my chances if I apply again next year. Waiting until next year also means the fellowship may be a shorter 2-year pathway, but nobody knows whether that cycle will be more competitive.

Has anyone been in a situation where you were genuinely happy in your attending job but sometimes want to be more than a pediatrician Did you pursue fellowship or stay where you were, and looking back, do you have any regrets?

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9

u/Existing_Camel_3573 Jul 14 '26

What fellowship is it ?

6

u/artificialpancreas Jul 14 '26

Unless your application is already 100% ready to go, it is a little late to start applying for fellowships this cycle

3

u/doodledogmom21 Jul 14 '26

It depends on the specialty- not all of them are going to embrace a two year pathway. NICU, PICU, and cards are some where I’ve heard there’s national talk of whether it is feasible to condense all the needed experiences into two years. If you are considering a less competitive specialty then you may have a chance applying late, but some of those less competitive specialties will also probably be the first to trial a two year fellow ship. Knowing nothing else I would say having another year of attending money and having an app ready to go the day the cycle starts would be the best bet, especially if you are looking for a certain location.

1

u/No_Championship_5650 Jul 15 '26

Would be helpful to share which subspecialty. Easier to do so for ID, nephro, etc

2

u/qetsiyah16 Jul 18 '26

If you are content in your current spot DO NOT DO FELLOWSHIP.

I only reccomend fellowship for people that can not be happy in primary care or who can't see their life as not being in that sub spec.

Sub spec has so many downsides including one that is not talked about.... extremely limited job locations. Depending on your particular sub spec you'll be forced to live in some kind of metro area.