Dear All,

I have been in email contact with a UK trainee who is embarking on pediatric surgery
training in the USA. This is what he has to say...

BW

Liam McCarthy

Liam,
Hello and thanks for the email. I have an extremely busy year ahead of me and because of
that I have been looking on the internet for global training, meetings, etc. Thus, I found
your group and will be happy to try and add a few words/perspective of both peds surgery
training in the US and also acquisition of a fellowship.
Firstly, I came to choose Cincinnati as a backup plan. It is the finest Peds Surgery hospital
in the country/some say world and their staff surgeons are many of the giants who write
the textbooks we all read. I say "back-up" plan for 2 reasons. Firstly, our Peds Surgery
match starts mid-way through our fourth year of a five year general surgery residency
program. We send all of our materials in to an unbiased national resident matching system
and then after going on interviews we submit a rank list as to where we would like to go.
The Peds Surgery programs so the same and at the start of May we learn if we matched
and where we may be going. The match which just occurred is for a position starting in
July 2007 so basically you learn about 14 months in advance if you received a position.
The statistics this year were awful as far as matching. Only 50% of the applicants matched
and only 5-10% of those were foreign medical grads. Thus..it is somewhat of a lottery and
most of the applicants have not only come from some of the best institutions in the US,
they also have 2-3 years of research under their belts. Because of this, I didnt want to get
left out in the cold and applied to come to Cincinnati and complete a 1-2 year fellowship
in Pediatric Colrectal Surgery under Dr. Alberto Pena and Marc Levitt. They are world
reknowned in their treatment of ano-rectal malformations so it was a couldnt miss
opportunity for me. Wish I had matched but I will go through the process again next year
and hopefully with this extra training under my belt I will have more than a few offers.
As I have illuded to, getting a spot in pediatric surgery in North America ( US and
Canada ) is extremely difficult. There are more than 2 times the applicants and we all have
impressive resumes. Most people are in the process of finishing general surgery residency,
have completed Steps 1-3 of the USMLE exam, have 2-3 years of clinical or bench
research, and have a "BIG NAME" Peds Surgeon backing their application. Its a long process
and not for everyone. Then their is the luck factor and you may want to go to a certain
program but the doctors at that program didnt want you as highly as someone else.
Once you get accepted to a Peds Surgery fellowship ( an accredited one) you will undergo
2 years of training as the fellow and then be allowed to sit for certification exams. Thats
pretty much it. The job market is phenomenal for Peds Surgeons right now and it will only
get better. Because there is a shortage and only one or 2 new positions being added, the
market will always be good.
Pay as a fellow isnt fantastic..its in the neighborhood or $50,000-60,000 US depening on
where you are located but thats basically what we all learn to live by as residents so it isnt
anything surprising.
Hope that answers most of your questions.
Please keep in close contact and let me know what is happening across the pond. I will do
the same.
Regards..
Max Olesevich MD