Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Residency Reviews

19181716 said:

So about the Dartmouth EM program and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC). I am a dartmouth student and did an EM rotation here:

- PD is Dr. Kevin Curtis, one of the smartest EM physicians I have worked with. He is very dedicated to making this a great EM program and I have no doubt he will succeed.
- The rest of the faculty are also amazing. There is a nice mix of young and experienced. They come from all over the country, are teaching-oriented and just great people to be around.
- From looking at other residency programs at DHMC, there is usually a good sense of community amongst residents and I am sure it will be the same for the EM program.
- You see a lot of pathologies at DHMC, partly because it is a tertiary care center. Trauma is run the by surgery department, but as you are aware the EM program will be sending its residents to baltimore for shock trauma.
- The ED gets pretty busy on a daily basis and there usually isn't a shortage of patients to see. We also do get a number of kids in the ED and there is a Peds EM doctor on staff who is also excellent.
- ED has about 25 or so beds including hallways and a trauma bay which holds up to 3 patients at a time. There are 2 fast track beds, which during the day is run by a PA.
- The Dartmouth Sim Center is quite new and very nice.
- Ultrasound: ED is getting a second ultrasound machine. From talking to attendings, it sounds like they are committed to providing a good US experience during residency.
- DHMC is in Lebanon, NH which is next to the town of Hanover where Dartmouth College and the Medical School are located. Both are small towns with a population of about 12K, but quite vibrant with the college there. Overall, the location is great and hospital facility is excellent. The Upper Valley is great for skiing etc during winter. Maine is close by. Boston is only 2 hours away. Vermont is next door. The fall is beautiful. It's a very safe area. There are a lot of new housing options close to the hospital, which is also great.

That's a general intro. I am sure you will get the finer points specific to the residency during interviews.

Good luck with interviews

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Any body else have any input on this program? I'm really interested in knowing if someone matched here with concerns of not seeing enough pathology and getting enough procedures and and if those concerns have persisted or resolved since starting.

Since match day is over now...anyone have any personal experience with this place? The rotation schedule looks awesome from what I can tell...but the website is kind of sparse as far as other info.

Rotated here, almost put it #1. Hemmed and hawed for a long time about it. I'll share my thoughts about the place and try to be as honest as possible.

The faculty are out-flipping-standing. Across the board they are down to earth, approachable, smart. Likewise I can't say enough nice things about Kevin Curtis, the PD. Working in that ED as an attending would seem to me a dream job and so I can understand why they have attracted such quality people to lead the program.

Depending on what you go for, the location can be a negative, or one of the program's greatest positives. Coming from the desert southwest, I found New Hampshire to be stunningly beautiful. Hanover and Lebanon are very safe, clean, and more cultural than most towns of that size (thanks to the proximity of the college). However.. it is rural, make no mistake about this. It can feel very isolating, especially if you have no ties to the area. Some may find the remoteness attractive (I certainly wouldn't mind retiring in this part of the country).

The residents seemed strong while I was there, very well versed, confident, etc. However, I really didn't get much of a chance to see them in action when TSHTF, which leads me to my biggest gripe regarding the program... it was slow. The volume (~30k) to resident (6/year) ratio was fine, but what struck me during my rotation was the acuity of the patients (or lack thereof). Simply put the patients just weren't that sick. I really questioned whether this was a residency that would provide enough of a challenge. I've heard time and time again both on these boards and in person that you want a residency that is going to grind you up, at least to a certain extent, the idea being that you come out the other end as great as possible and ready to tackle anything that can be thrown at you. If (like me) you are looking for such a program, I am not entirely convinced you would find it at Dartmouth.

The first graduating class did very well. One has a fellowship at Hennepin, one has a fellowship at Dartmouth, a few got jobs back home, and a few were undecided when I last visited.

Hospital is beautiful. ED is functional, nothing fancy, nothing notable aesthetically. Support staff strong.

I think this is a good option, particularly if you are from the area, in which case I imagine this would be a very desirable place to be. The best piece of advice I can give is that the beautiful location, excellent faculty, and Dartmouth name should probably be tempered by what I found to be a lack of acuity and potentially inadequate opportunity to flex your resident muscles (so to speak) as you progress through training.