Application Process
Typically, residents in anesthesiology will apply to fellowship during their third post-graduate (CA-2) year. However, applicants are also welcome to apply any time after their CA-2 year.

Interested applicants must register and apply through the SF Match. The SF Match is sponsored by the Pediatric Anesthesiology Program Directors’ Association (PAPDA), which is a section of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia. Applications will be completed, submitted, and distributed through the SF Match Central Application Service (CAS). A complete list of Pediatric Anesthesiology fellowship programs can be found on the ACGME website.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO & ANSWERS TO APPLICANT QUESTIONS

Pre-requisites:

• Passing scores on the USMLE Step 1, 2, and 3 or COMLEX 1, 2 and 3 examinations
• Completion or anticipated successful completion of one of the following training programs:
  • ACGME-accredited anesthesiology residency
  • Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or College of Family Physicians Canada-accredited anesthesiology residency
• SF Match Application through CAS
  • Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from the current Program Director
  • Personal Statement (please see below for more information)
  • Medical School Transcripts
  • MSPE
  • CV
  • BASIC and ITE scores (optional)

Personal Statement: Each applicant must answer Question 1 (below) and any two questions from Question 2 (2a – 2d, below).

Question 1: What particular personal qualifications and characteristics will allow you to become an effective consultant in pediatric anesthesiology, and why is it important to you to become a pediatric anesthesiologist?

Question 2: Please choose two of the following questions and answer each one. Please be sure to copy and paste the question you have chosen to answer just above each response.

• 2a. How will the completion of a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship allow you to further your goals?
• 2b. Describe what you consider to be your most significant contribution or achievement, including the impact you made.
• 2c. Being a part of hospital leadership should be important to anesthesiologists. What role do you think you might take within the leadership structure of your future hospital?
• 2d. Describe a challenging situation in your life or career and what you learned from it.

Matching Process
Beginning in January of 2024, pediatric anesthesiology fellowship programs and applicants will use the SF Match services. The SF Match will support the application, rank list submission, and matching process. With over 40 years of experience, SF Match will provide a single centralized resource for both applicants and programs.

• Applicants and Programs must register with SF Match
• Applicants submit applications utilizing the SF Match Central Application Service (CAS). CAS application distribution fees are determined by the number of applications submitted.
• Applicants and Programs submit confidential rank lists, which are used to determine the match. Only programs where an applicant has applied and interviewed can be ranked in the match.
• All Programs and Applicants are expected to abide by the SF Match Rules. All match violations will be handled by PAPDA and the SF Match.
• The results of the SF match are a legally binding commitment between the applicant and the program.

Exceptions to the Match
Match Exceptions are binding, pre-match agreements between programs and applicants that they will rank each other to match in the SF Match. This is essentially the same as “out of match” offers in the NRMP system. The difference is that, although the program and applicant have a binding agreement, they must both submit a rank list for the match. This process keeps the match transparent and allows applicants, programs, and the Pediatric Anesthesiology Program Directors’ Association (PAPDA) to understand the interests and behaviors of both the applicants and programs.

There are four qualifying reasons that a program may offer a match exception:

• Military applicants, when separately approved and funded by the US Military
• Applicants who are also accepting an advanced fellowship position (24-months total)
• Internal program applicant (applicant from a core residency or affiliated program, defined by a Program Letter of Agreement)
• Couples match, where both applicants are applying to Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship

Match Exception Rules

• A program cannot have more Match Exceptions than the number of positions it has available.
• Match Exceptions are binding agreements between a fellowship program and an applicant.
• Match Exception Agreements cannot be used to coerce an applicant in any way.
  • Unless the applicant rejects the offer or accepts a Match Exception at a different institution, the exception offer cannot be withdrawn by the program.
  • Match Exception Agreements must be filed with PAPDA by May 28 at 5:00pm PT to be enforced in the match. A program cannot set any earlier deadline for the applicant to accept their offer, as that could coerce the applicant to accept a position early in the interview process and before they have explored other programs.
  • Once a Match Exception Agreement is offered, the program has essentially committed a spot to that applicant until the applicant decides otherwise. These offers should only be extended to applicants that the program is completely dedicated to recruiting.

Match Exception Procedure:

• If a program would like to commit one of their spots to an applicant for one of the approved reasons listed above, the fellowship PD will issue a standardized Match Exception Agreement to the applicant.
• The applicant has until May 28 at 5:00pm PT to independently decide to accept or decline the agreement.
• If the applicant accepts the Match Exception agreement, it will be sent to [email protected]. Once the agreement is submitted, it will be visible to all members of the PAPDA for transparency in the match.
• Programs and applicants with a completed Match Exception Agreement must still submit a rank list in the match. After the match is completed, results will be reviewed by the PADPA Executive Board to ensure compliance with Match Exception Agreements prior to publishing the match results.

Any match irregularities will be referred to and reviewed by PAPDA leadership.

2024 Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship Match Timeline:

From sfmatch.org/specialty/pediatric-anesthesiology—fellowship/Timetable