I am a 2nd-year resident at MCG. I thought I would pass on some info on what I like about my program. Obviously, I'm biased in favor of the program.
1. Augusta: The CSRA (Central Savannah River Area) has a population of about 400,000-500,000 people. However, the catchment area for MCG is larger. We routinely get transfers from Columbus, Athens, Macon, and all of southern Georgia and parts of South Carolina. Patients routinely bypass Atlanta, Macon, and Columbia for MCG.
2. Lifestyle: The cost of living here is quite low. I have 3 kids and my wife doesn't work. I own a great home out in the nice suburb of Augusta; all on a resident salary. Traffic is minimal. I have a 20 min commute to work. Other residents own homes only 10 minutes away next to Augusta National or across the river in North Augusta, SC. Homes in these areas are cheaper but schools aren't as strong. I live where I do because I have school-age children and Columbia County has some of the best schools in the state.
Some people complain that there is nothing to do in Augusta. There is a huge reservoir "Clark's Hill/Strom Thurmond" not 30 minutes away. There are miles of great mountain biking and running trails along the Savannah River parkway. The city has several museums, AAA baseball, semi-pro hockey, arena football, ballet, opera, symphony, a few good restaurants, and plenty of bars and nightclubs. Augusta is not Atlanta, but the city sponsors monthly city party called First Friday which features live music and food.
MCG sponsors the resident-spouse auxiliary club. The club plans monthly activities as well as other events like supper club, book club, bible study, etc. MCG has a mix of married and single residents. You can usually expect several marriages and babies born to residents and attendings during your residency. My youngest was born last year during my OB rotation. The program was very supportive. All I can say more is that my wife is very happy here.
3. Patient Population: Augusta itself is a middle-sized city but has plenty of population that doesnt take care of themselves. Consequently, we see plenty of decompensated CHF, COPD, DM. Also, it's the south. So, we also get plenty of uncontrolled HTN, MI's, and Strokes. And in case you were worried, we have a modest amount of crime and distracted drivers. So, we see plenty of blunt and penetrating traumas. Our ER has just the right amount of acuity, ICU admissions, and procedures opportunities.
4. Work: 1st-years spend 6 months of their first year in the ED. We do 23 9-hr shifts per month. Off service rotations include: Anesthesia, OB, Cards, IM, Ortho, Trauma ICU. 2nd-years spend 6 months in the ED. We do 22 shifts per month. Off service rotations include: peds anesthesia, PICU, Trauma ICU, MICU, elective, ultrasound. Third-years do 20 shifts and spend 7-8 months in the ED with several elective and EMS months mixed in. MCG is 80-hr workweek compliant. This applies to off-service rotations as well. IM, trauma, and OB use the night-float system. Other services are q4 call. ED schedules are arranged either in blocks or waterfall (your choice). We have 3 weeks of vacation per year. ED rotators do 3-4 peds. shifts/month.
5. Didactics: We have 5 hours of lecture every Thursday including a comprehensive pediatric curriculum and monthly US review. We hold a daily 1-hr morning report in the ED and have a monthly journal club. We are excused from all off-service duties to attend lectures and journal club. We have scheduled reading assignments from Rosens and every-other-week quizzes. There is a month long set of lectures for incoming 1st-years. We also participate in patient simulation labs, cadaver procedure labs, and pig procedure labs (held monthly at Ft. Gordon). We have yearly in-service exams and practice oral boards.
6. Administration: We have bi-annual interviews with the residency director to review our progress. We keep brief, monthly patient follow-up logs, procedure log, and do quarterly chart reviews. We hold a residency meeting every month. I feel like the faculty hear our suggestions and implement good ideas. Every resident selects a faculty mentor. We are required to do an administrative and scholarly project before graduation.
7. Facilities: The MCG adult ED has 8 fast-track beds, 15 acute beds, and 8 critical beds. The adjoining pediatric ED has 2 critical beds, and 10 acute beds. Occasional stable patients are put in hallway spots. Patient volume is 75,000/yr. The ED uses a simple template form for our medical record, which is then scanned into our electronic medical record-- Power Chart. The ED also uses an electronic patient-tracking program. All Xrays, CT, US, MRI are on a PACS system. The entire system can be accessed from your home computer. We have just gone through an ED upgrade including new Phillips patient monitors, stretchers, paint, and flooring. All adult acute and critical beds are monitored.
8. Trauma: We control the airway for all traumas. We trade off with the trauma chief resident as Trauma Team Leader. EM senior residents serve as trauma team leader every other day. I did an away rotation at Grady in Atlanta. MCG is no knife-and-gun club but you can expect a steady mix of blunt and penetrating trauma. Burns generally go to the regional burn center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta.
Moonlighting: Residents are permitted to moonlight after passing USMLE Step 3 and the EM In-service exam. Most residents start 2nd-half or 2nd-year. We have established moonlighting at several neighboring rural ERs. We can do no more than 2, 12-hour shifts each month. Attendings are very supportive. We can call any ED attending at any time while moonlighting and ask for advice. We can also arrange a transfer of any patient to MCG.
10. Niche stuff:
Ultrasound: Dr. Mike Blaivas is one of the leaders in ER-US research. At least a 3rd of the faculty are credentialed to perform and bill for ER-US. Credentialed faculty do all their own US-guided peripheral and central lines, FAST, pelvic/transvag, gallbladder, renal, cardiac, soft tissue, ocular, DVT, AAA, appendix, and code-resuscitation scans. If you can stick a probe on it, we scan it. MCG has a one-year ED-US fellowship position.
Operation and Disaster Medicine: Dr. Phillip Coule worked to develop the National Disaster Life Support Courses and travels the nation and world as a speaker and consultant in disaster medicine. See a picture and article on our last disaster exercise at
http://www.mcg.edu/news/beeper/Dec7/disaster_drill.htm. During this last exercise, I got to put on the Tyvex suit, respirator, and triage patients.
Wilderness Medicine: Dr. Hartmut Gross heads an excellent wilderness medicine lecture series each year. Residents and attendings present lectures together. Last year I spoke on High Altitude Medicine and Cold Injury/Hypothermia. This year I will be presenting on Heat Injury. Each spring MCG hosts a regional adventure and skills race at Ft. Gordon. For more information visit:
http://www.medwar.org/southeast/index.html
Event Medicine: Residents provide on-site medical care during the Masters Golf Tournament. Last year I was able to watch the Wednesday practice round and Par-3 competition and then the final championship round on Sunday. Teams are given jump bags, golf carts, and are assigned to strategic areas around the course. Additionally, residents earn CME money for their participation. Volunteer medical services are also provided at the annual Boshears SkyFest and Southern Nationals Boat Races.
Tactical Medicine: Several attending work with the FBI Academy in Quanitco, Va., are military consultants, and provide support for local SWAT operations. Also, several attendings have been or currently are in the military/reserves and have done medical tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Residents can spend a month in Quanitco, teach tactical medicine classes, and participate in exercises and operations.
EMS: MCG has its own flight program. Several attendings and residents are involved in EMS medical direction.
Pediatrics: MCG has an excellent Childrens Medical Hospital and ED. Peds ED staff teach a comprehensive curriculum during weekly lectures. Residents rotate on Peds anesthesia, PICU and do 3 Peds ED shifts/month. MCG has a 2-year Pediatric EM fellowship.
International Medicine: Dr. Walter Ted Kuhn organizes multiple medical mission trips through his affiliation with the Presbyterian Church of America. Dr. Kuhn spends more time out of the country than at home. Medical Students and EM Residents are welcome on any trip. Read more about it from a students perspective at:
http://www.mcg.edu/news/MCGToday/Spr05/MedMission.htm
Infectious Disease: Dr. Jim Wilde is a pediatric EM who has done extensive research in pediatric infectious disease, seasonal influenza, and antibiotics resistance. He is currently involved in a CDC associated program involving surveillance and education about inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. You can read more about it at
http://www.mcg.edu/guard/index.asp