A medical fellowship is a period of post-graduate training during which doctors learn about a specific specialty, such as oncology or cardiology. As a result, a pediatric fellowship is a training opportunity for newly graduated pediatricians to complete additional study in a specific field of medicine related to children. A pediatrician, for example, may choose to apply for a fellowship in pediatric oncology to specialize in the treatment or research of childhood cancer. Although a fellowship is not required for a physician to specialize, the medical community and patients expect it. The additional education provides the physician with in-depth knowledge of a sub-specialty beyond what is required by law, as well as increased experience with complex cases, surgeries, and treatment outcomes.
A pediatric fellowship is usually started right after completing a residency program with a similar scope and specialty focus. A candidate seeking a fellowship in pediatric urology, for example, will typically need urology residency experience. While most pediatricians apply for fellowships after completing their residency, it is not uncommon for a practicing physician to apply for one. In these cases, the fellow candidate is usually thinking about switching careers from clinical practice to research or vice versa. Various organizations offer matching services to help match candidates with suitable fellowship programs, regardless of their current career stage.
In terms of fellowship programs and sub-specialty options, candidates for a pediatric fellowship have a lot of options. The majority of fellowship programs fall into one of two categories: clinical or research, though both include some research components. Candidates interested in actively researching childhood diseases and new treatments may apply for fellowships in research programs. A candidate interested in treating childhood diseases, on the other hand, might opt for a clinical pediatric infectious disease fellowship. A pediatric fellowship’s main goal is to provide specialized training in a specific sub-specialty of pediatrics, such as oncology, gastroenterology, cardiology, urology, infectious disease, allergy and immunology, adolescent medicine, and so on.
Depending on the specialty, clinical pediatric fellowship programs last two to three years and include clinical work and independent research projects. The length of a research fellowship program varies depending on the type of research conducted. Fellowship grants are offered by some organizations and institutions, allowing pediatric specialists to study specific areas of pediatric medicine while receiving institutional funding for their research projects. In these cases, the fellowship may be extended for as long as the research project or grant permits.