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The pediatric endocrinology fellowship program accepts one or two fellows into their program each year.

Application Information

Open Letter to Applicants

Dear Fellowship Applicants,

Congratulations on reaching this exciting step of your career! My name is Lauren Ray, and I recently completed my Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship at Indiana University School of Medicine. I’ve been invited to share my experience with you in hopes that you find it helpful in your fellowship journey. In short, you have made an excellent choice to apply to the IU School of Medicine Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship program, a decision I would certainly make again if I were in your shoes!

My priorities in choosing a fellowship program were three-fold: to become experienced in clinical practice with both the “bread and butter” of pediatric endocrinology and the “zebras,” to conduct research in my areas of interest and to tailor my training to meet my personal career goals. The program at IU School of Medicine fulfilled each of these beyond measure, and I feel well-prepared to enter the faculty stage of my career.

As the largest children’s hospital in Indiana, Riley Hospital for Children serves as the primary referral center for the children and adolescents in the state. This standing brings in a volume of patients with a variety of pathologies to exceed a trainee’s needs. Our busy inpatient service consults on patients in every pediatric specialty, providing exposure to endocrinopathies across the spectrum of acuity. You will be able to follow patients you saw in the hospital in your outpatient clinics, maintaining continuity that optimizes patient care and your own training. You will also build your own panel of patients in your individual endocrine and diabetes clinics, where you will see new referrals and established patients for follow up. This breadth of clinical experience has made me well-versed in caring for common endocrine diagnoses including diabetes, hypo- and hyperthyroidism, hypopituitarism, pubertal dysfunction and primary adrenal insufficiency. Our patient volume has also provided great exposure to rare pathologies including pediatric thyroid cancer, ovarian tumors, MEN 1 and 2, osteogenesis imperfecta and Cushing disease — just to name a few!

The size of our institution at IU School of Medicine allows for an abundance of research opportunities. As a large division, our pediatric endocrinology faculty have expertise in all areas of the field. Whether you’re interested in basic, clinical or translational research (or if you haven’t decided!), you will have opportunities to work with faculty mentors who will be able to support your research goals. For those interested in a career as a physician scientist, the Morris Green Physician Scientist Development Program is an excellent opportunity to develop your research skills, with a project stipend and mentor. Previous fellows have also obtained a Master of Science in Clinical Research through IU. Both programs can be completed within your three years of fellowship. Our pediatric endocrinology fellows have historically been quite academically productive with their research, typically graduating with several publications and presentations at national or international conferences. This reflects the great support we have from our program directors and faculty mentors to pursue our individual interests and take advantage of the many opportunities during our training.

One of the many benefits of the IU School of Medicine Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship is the flexibility to personalize your experience. While our institution is large enough to provide abundant clinical and research support, the small fellowship size of three to five fellows allows you to tailor your training to meet your career goals. For example, I recognized early that I was interested in medical education, so I participated in the Clinician Educator Training Pathway through the GME office. Not only have I been able to give lectures to all levels of trainees, but it has also opened doors for medical education roles as an attending. Other training pathways offered here include the Global Health Pathway, Health Equity Training Pathway, and Leadership Training Pathway — all can be completed during your fellowship time. I desired more clinical time in my latter half of training, so our program directors built additional general endocrine clinic time into my schedule. As another example, a co-fellow added additional bone clinics to her schedule and started her own diabetes transition clinic. These are only a few examples of how our faculty and program directors are invested in our training, and how our program size is the best of both worlds!

Outside of your time at Riley Hospital, you’ll find a wide variety of things to do in Indianapolis. It is an affordable city with many different restaurants for the foodies and breweries that are dog friendly. There are local and professional sporting teams as well as theaters and concerts throughout the year. Indianapolis also has parks for hiking and several bike trails that run through the city. I recommend the children’s museum and zoo, for adults and kids alike!

Choosing a fellowship program can be an overwhelming decision. I can say without a doubt that if I had to do it over again, I would absolutely choose IU School of Medicine again and again. I am so grateful to have been a part of the Riley Hospital family and know that the relationships I’ve made with my mentors and program directors will continue throughout my career. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. I wish you the best of luck on your fellowship journey and future career as a pediatric endocrinologist!

Good luck!

Lauren Ray, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Endocrinology
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
UK Healthcare and Kentucky Children’s Hospital

Application and Interview Process

The pediatric endocrinology fellowship only accepts applications through the ERAS system. The program participates in the National Resident Matching Program's fall pediatric subspecialty match. ERAS opens for applicant data in early June and Match Day is in mid-December. The program usually sends invitations to interview after it accesses applications in mid-July. Interviews occur between August and November.

 

ERAS 2025 Timeline

June 5, 2024 2025 ERAS season begins at 9 a.m. ET
June 6, 2024 EFDO will distribute tokens to fellowship applicants
July 3, 2024 July cycle fellowship applicants may begin submitting applications at 9 a.m. ET
July 17, 2024 July cycle fellowship programs may begin reviewing applications at 9 a.m. ET

 

NRMP 2025 Timeline

August 21, 2024 Match opens at 12 p.m. ET
September 25, 2024 Ranking opens at 12 p.m. ET
November 6, 2024 Programs: Quota change deadline at 11:59 p.m. ET
November 20, 2024 Rank order list certification deadline at 9 p.m. ET
December 4, 2024 Match Day at 12 p.m. ET 

 

Requirements

  • Pass USMLE or COMLEX Steps 1, 2, and 3 on the first attempt
  • Apply using ERAS
  • Priority given to applicants with strong research/academic potential
  • IU School of Medicine only sponsors J1 visas

 

Required Application Materials

  • Common Application Form (CAF)
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Medical school transcripts
  • USMLE and/or COMLEX scores
  • Personal statement
  • Photo

 

Typical Interview Day

8:00–9:00 a.m. Review program materials online at the applicant-only website

9:00–9:25 a.m. Interview with Erica Eugster, MD, associate program director

9:30–9:55 a.m. Interview with John Fuqua, MD, program director

10:00–10:25 a.m. Interview with Anisha Gohil, DO, associate program director

10:30–10:55 a.m. Interview with pediatric endocrinology faculty member

11:00–11:25 a.m. Interview with pediatric endocrinology faculty member

11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Informal meet and greet with pediatric endocrinology fellows