THE RESIDENT'S GUIDE TO THE FELLOWSHIP MATCH by Samir Desai, M.D. is Available Now

After completing medical school, students enter residency training. For some, this is the last step in the arduous process of becoming a physician. For others, residency may be the bridge to more specialized training. To become subspecialists, residents pursue fellowship training following residency. Securing a position in a fellowship program is a competitive process.

"As the years have passed, subspecialty training has increased in popularity," says Dr. Samir Desai, author of the new book Resident's Guide to the Fellowship Match: Rule for Success and a faculty member at the Baylor College of Medicine. "In some specialties, over 90% of residency graduates pursue fellowship training. Competition is intense, and some applicants are unsuccessful. In 2013, nearly 25% of applicants failed to match into one of approximately 40 subspecialties participating in the NRMP Specialties Matching Service. The data also indicates that it can be very difficult for applicants to match with their first-choice fellowship program."

Although residents seeking fellowship positions have successfully gained admission to medical school and residency, Desai indicates that the fellowship selection process brings its own set of challenges. "Being well informed about the fellowship application and selection process is crucial for success as is the development of a strategy tailored to the resident's subspecialty of interest and credentials. Implementing a plan to maximize the chances of success can be difficult given the time constraints and demands of residency training."

In writing the book, Desai scoured the research on fellowship admissions and included numerous recommendations from program directors and subspecialty faculty. The Resident's Guide to the Fellowship Match: Rules for Success provides in-depth recommendations for applicants. The 29 chapters review every part of the application process, including letters of recommendation, research, personal statement, and interview. Fellowships in each specialty from anesthesiology to urology are covered regardless of whether the subspecialty participates in the Match.

About the Book

The Resident's Guide to the Fellowship Match: Rules for Success
310 pages, softcover, b/w, 5 ½ by 8 ½ in.
ISBN # 9781937978020
Publication date: December 10, 2013
List price: $ 29.95
Publisher: MD2B (http://www.thesuccessfulmatch.com)
Address: MD2B, PO Box 300988, Houston, TX 77230

For more information on The Resident's Guide to the Fellowship Match: Rules for Success or to purchase the book, visit Amazon.

About the Author

Samir Desai, M.D. is a faculty member at the Baylor College of Medicine. He is the author of 14 books that have sold over 150,000 copies worldwide. He has educated and mentored medical students, residents, and international medical graduates, work for which he has received numerous teaching awards. He provides consulting services to premedical students, medical students, and residents seeking medical school admission, residency admission, and fellowship admission at TheSuccessfulMatch.com.