Receiving a neonatology fellowship requires years of study and training. The fellowship program is the final part of a neonatologist’s education, during which the doctor cares for patients while under the supervision of an experienced neonatologist. Before applying for a neonatology fellowship, it is necessary for a person to go to school for many years. After graduation from medical school and completion of a pediatrics residency, a doctor may apply for a neonatology fellowship.
In the United States and Canada, it typically takes eleven years for a student to qualify for a neonatology fellowship. The doctor must have completed four years of undergraduate or pre-med study, four years of medical school and three years of pediatric residency before applying for a fellowship. Doctors from other countries who wish to apply for a fellowship in the United States or Canada must show that they have the equivalent education before applying.
In order to qualify for a neonatology fellowship, a doctor must have a strong academic record and must have passed several medical board examinations. The first set of examinations is taken at the end of medical school or at the beginning of the doctor’s residency and grants the doctor a license to practice medicine. Before applying for a neonatology fellowship, the doctor will be required to pass a series of exams proving his or her competence in pediatric medicine.
Once a doctor is certified in pediatric medicine, or if the doctor is on track to be certified before the start of a fellowship program, it is possible to begin the application process for a neonatology fellowship. Admission to these programs is highly competitive, and more doctors will apply for a neonatology fellowship than will be offered one. Many doctors choose to apply to a number of programs in order to increase their chances of acceptance into one.
The application requirements are different from program to program, so it is important for the doctor to carefully review each program’s requirements so that all of the requested materials can be provided. Most programs ask for a copy of the doctor’s transcripts, medical board exam results, resumé, and several letters of recommendation. If the doctor completed some part of his education in a country other than the United States, equivalency exams or reports may be required. An interested university or hospital will then contact the prospective fellow to set up an interview.