Fellow

A fellowship is the period of medical training in the United States and Canada that a physician, surgeon, or dentist may undertake after completing a specialty training program (residency). During this time (usually more than one year), the doctor is known as a fellow. Fellows are capable of acting as attendings or consultants in the generalist field in which they were trained, such as internal medicine, pediatrics, or general surgery. After completing a fellowship in the relevant sub-specialty, the doctor is permitted to practice without direct supervision by other doctors in that sub-specialty, such as cardiothoracic surgery or pediatric surgery.

Surgical Fellowships

 * Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship is a 3-year program after completing an OB/GYN residency. Once completed, a doctor is fully trained and holds attending status in perinatology.
 * Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship is a 3-year program after completing an OB/GYN residency. Once completed, a doctor is fully trained and holds attending status in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.
 * Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship is a 2 to 3-year program after completing a surgical residency. Once completed, a doctor is fully trained and holds attending status in cardiothoracic surgery.
 * Pediatric Surgery Fellowship is a 2-year program after completing a surgical residency. Once completed, a doctor is fully trained and holds attending status in pediatric surgery.
 * Plastic Surgery Fellowship is a 2-year program after completing a surgical residency or an ENT residency. Once completed, a doctor is fully trained and holds attending status in plastic surgery.
 * Surgical Oncology Fellowship is a 2-year program after completing a surgical residency. Once completed, a doctor is fully trained and holds attending status in surgical oncology.
 * Neurosurgery Fellowship is a program after completing a surgical residency. Once completed, a doctor is fully trained and holds attending status in neurosurgery.

Medical Fellowships

 * Infectious Disease Fellowship is a 3-year program after completing a medical residency. Once completed, a doctor is fully trained and holds attending status in infectious disease.
 * Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship is a 3-year program after completing a pediatrics residency. Once completed, a doctor is fully trained and holds attending status in neonatology.
 * Critical Care Medicine is a 2-year program after completing a medical or emergency medicine residency. Once completed, a doctor is fully trained and holds attending status in critical care medicine.

Other Fellowships

 * Medical Genetics Fellowship is a 2-year program after completing a residency in OB/GYN, pediatrics, or internal medicine. Once completed, a doctor is fully trained and holds attending status in medical genetics.
 * Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship is a 1-year program after completing a residency in otolaryngology or a fellowship in plastic surgery. Once completed, a doctor is fully trained and holds attending status in craniofacial surgery.

Fellows on Grey's Anatomy

 * Dr. Cristina Yang (Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellow at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital)
 * Dr. Alex Karev (Pediatric Surgery Fellow at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital)
 * Dr. Jackson Avery (Plastic Surgery Fellow at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital)
 * Dr. Lucy Fields (Former Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellow at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital)
 * Dr. McQueen (Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellow at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital)

Notes and Trivia

 * Although in the real world a trauma surgery/surgical critical care fellowship of 2 years is required to be an attending trauma surgeon, Grey's Anatomy does not portray this as April Kepner holds attending-status in trauma surgery, as confirmed by the character's Twitter account.
 * In the real world, a neurosurgery fellowship does not exist. It is it's own residency program and its completion is required to be an attending neurosurgeon; however, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice contradicts this, especially with Amelia Shepherd as she herself stated she completed a surgical residency and then a neuro fellowship to be a neurosurgeon.
 * There are only 38 pediatric surgery fellowship spots in the country, compared to the 120 spots of cardiothoracic surgery.