Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42711511›Full record

ArticleJournal of general internal medicine2026

Characteristics and Success of Internal Medicine Applicants to Subspecialty Fellowships.

Neil S Zhang, Kyaw Min Tun, Kavita Batra, Jennifer M Babik, Laura Huppert, Aditi Singh, Sandhya Wahi-Gururaj, Atif Qasim

Abstract read
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Article in Journal of general internal medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Neil S ZhangDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. Neil.Zhang@ucsf.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-3948-4053
Kyaw Min TunDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA.
Kavita BatraDepartment of Medical Education and Office of Research, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
Jennifer M BabikDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Laura HuppertDivision of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Aditi SinghDepartment of Internal Medicine, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
Sandhya Wahi-GururajDepartment of Internal Medicine, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
Atif QasimDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Funding

Training in Advanced Heart Disease ResearchT32HL116273 · NHLBI · CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER · PI Joshua I Goldhaber, EDUARDO MARBAN · 2013 to 2026
$5.6M
NHLBI NIH HHS T32 HL116273
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe fellowship application process represents a critical step in the pathway to a subspecialty career for internal medicine residents. Understanding applicant factors associated with successful entry into fellowship can inform application strategies and fellowship selection processes.

objectiveTo investigate internal medicine resident applicant factors associated with successful entry into fellowship.

designRepeated cross-sectional study of all single-time applicants to the eight largest internal medicine subspecialties from 2008 to 2020 utilizing nationwide data.

participantsApplicants to cardiovascular disease, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology/oncology, infectious disease, pulmonary/critical care medicine (PCCM), nephrology, and rheumatology. Applicant characteristics included demographics (age, sex, and underrepresented in medicine [URiM] status), publication count, chief resident status, graduate degree, medical school setting (Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathy [DO], and International Medical Graduate [IMG]), and residency program setting/size. MAIN MEASURES: Applicants were defined as successful if they applied to fellowship and were subsequently documented as fellows in that subspecialty the next year. KEY

resultsOut of 38,179 applicants, 32,091 (84.1%) were successful. In multivariable analysis, the highest publication count (≥ 11) compared to the lowest count (0) was associated with higher likelihood of success (aOR 4.18, 95% CI 3.57-4.90). Groups with lower likelihood of success included older (0.88, 0.88-0.89), female (0.89, 0.83-0.94), URiM (0.84, 0.77-0.93), DO (0.53, 0.47-0.59), and IMG (0.44, 0.41-0.47) applicants, as well as those who attended community-based (0.53, 0.47-0.61) or community-based, university-affiliated residencies (0.65, 0.60-0.71). Female applicants to cardiovascular disease and gastroenterology and URiM applicants to PCCM had lower likelihood of success.

conclusionsApplicants with higher publication count had a higher likelihood of success, whereas older, female, URiM, DO, and IMG applicants had a lower likelihood. Fellowship programs and their governing bodies should consider the adoption of mission-aligned selection processes to provide more balanced consideration of applicant characteristics.

Indexed as

ApplicationsFellowshipGraduate medical educationInternal medicineResidency

Identifiers

PMID42711511

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