A neonatology fellowship is earned after years of study and training. The fellowship program is the final stage of a neonatologist’s training, during which the doctor provides care to patients while being supervised an experienced neonatologist. A person must attend school for several years before applying for a neonatology fellowship. A doctor can apply for a neonatology fellowship after graduating from medical school and completing a pediatrics residency.
It takes an average of eleven years for a student to qualify for a neonatology fellowship in the United States and Canada. Before applying for a fellowship, the doctor must have completed four years of undergraduate or pre-medical study, four years of medical school, and three years of pediatric residency. Doctors from other countries who want to apply for a fellowship in the US or Canada must first demonstrate that they have the required education.
A doctor must have a strong academic record and have passed several medical board examinations to be considered for a neonatology fellowship. The first set of exams, which are taken at the end of medical school or at the start of a doctor’s residency, grants the doctor a license to practice medicine. A doctor must pass a series of exams demonstrating his or her competence in pediatric medicine before applying for a neonatology fellowship.
It is possible to begin the application process for a neonatology fellowship once a doctor is certified in pediatric medicine, or if the doctor is on track to become certified before the start of the fellowship program. Admission to these programs is extremely competitive, and there will be more doctors who apply for a neonatology fellowship than there will be spots available. Many doctors apply to several programs in order to increase their chances of being accepted into one of them.
Because the application requirements differ from one program to the next, it is critical for the doctor to carefully review each program’s requirements in order to provide all of the requested materials. Most programs require a copy of the doctor’s transcripts, results of the medical board exam, a resumé, and several letters of recommendation. Equivalency exams or reports may be required if the doctor received some of his education outside of the United States. The prospective fellow will then be contacted an interested university or hospital to schedule an interview.