How to Apply

The Application Process

Applications for fellowships sponsored by divisions of the Department of Internal Medicine are processed through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

Subspecialty divisions can also participate in endorsed match programs as a way to provide applicants an opportunity to interview with as many programs as they wish without experiencing undue pressure to make early decisions. For example, the Division of Endocrinology participates in the Endocrinology and Metabolism Match run by the National Resident Matching Program (NMRP), which has been endorsed by the Association of Program Directors in Endocrinology and Metabolism.

The deadline for applications is December 31 for enrollment the following July. Interviews may be offered to preferred applicants as early as March. In addition to an application submitted via ERAS, most divisions also require at least two letters of recommendation (one from a program director), a curriculum vitae, and a personal statement.

Selection Criteria

Criteria for the awarding of fellowship positions can vary slightly from division to division, but are generally based on the following:

• A consistent record of academic achievement and/or future academic potential
• A commitment to understanding of the process for career development in academic medicine
• Personal integrity and a commitment to humanistic values expected of compassionate physicians

Specific fellowships might adhere to additional selection criteria based on other necessary technical or clinical experience. These criteria, where required, are outlined on the individual program fellowship pages.

Fellowship Highlights

A fellow’s experience includes comprehensive and rigorous clinical training leading to American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) subspecialty certification.

Clinical training is pursued intensely in the first year, when the process of selecting research mentors also begins in ernest as fellows gain exposure to areas of active inquiry and refine their own particular interests.

A fellow's research experience is intended to provide solid preparation for a career in academic medicine, including attendance at and presentation of their work at national meetings, and publication in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals.

Fellows can expect open access to all faculty members in a training environment where everyone is a learner. Fellows should also come to expect honest and constructive evaluations of work and solid career guidance.

Fellows should expect to work hard — and to have fun!

Core Competencies and '360' Review

UT Southwestern is an early adaptor of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competency-based evaluation. One of the central tenets of this evaluation philosophy is the "360-degree" evaluation, incorporating input from not only the faculty, but also non-faculty personnel who interact with the fellows, as well as patients for whom they care.

At the end of their fellowship, trainees are expected to have achieved the six ACGME core competencies:

• Patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health programs and the promotion of health.
• Medical knowledge about established and evolving biomedical, clinical, and cognate sciences, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care.
• Practice-based learning and improvement that involves the investigation and evaluation of care for their patients, the appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence, and improvements in patient care.
• Interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and other health professionals.
• Professionalism, as manifested through a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to patients of diverse backgrounds.
• Systems-based practice, as manifested by actions that demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care, as well as the ability to call effectively on other resources in the system to provide optimal health care.