Does anyone know which are the 4 year programs (integrated with internship)? What are the major pros and cons of the 3 vs. 4 year? Thanks!
4 vs. 3 year programs
- Thread starter RedPeony
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Use the AMA Freida search tool to look up programs. It will say whether they offer PGY-1 through PGY-4 or only PGY-2 onward (i.e. requiring a separate intern year). Most programs are moving towards the categorical (4 year) model, but many offer a mix of categorical and advanced spots.
I'd say the 3 vs. 4 year debate mostly depends on what you want to do with your intern year.
In my opinion, categorical (4 year) programs are more desirable. The schedule of the intern year is most likely designed by the program director to include what he or she thinks is important to anesthesia training. It may include a month of anesthesia, also. You will likely meet and work with your anesthesia classmates and develop friendships early on. This is nice because anesthesia is more of an individual specialty: after you become a CA-1, you'll mostly work with only your attending and less so with your classmates. The transition from intern to CA-1 year is probably more smooth.
The advanced (3 year) programs don't have these advantages. The only advantage I see to an advanced program is the flexibility of picking your internship. For example, want to do that cushy transitional year in San Diego? You have that option.
When you rank your programs for the rank list, you will rank advanced spots and categorical spots separately. For example, my main rank list could look like:
1. Categorical at Program A
2. Categorical at Program B
3. Advanced at Program A
4. Advanced at Program B
Similarly, programs who offer both categorical and advanced spots submit a rank list for each of their categorical and advanced programs. Back when I was interviewing for residency, I was told that they usually don't prefer one over the other, meaning they won't rank you higher if you want to do their categorical program over their advanced. They usually submit the same rank list for both programs.
I think a 4 year program is better: you get to know the system you're going to be working in, you meet fellow residents you'll see in the mess hall and locker rooms. You get to know the surgeons and surgery residents on the other side of the drape which makes work easier. The downsides are usually a tougher schedule, the prelim programs I interviewed at were usually flexible (you have a few months of electives), you may get more educational-wise out of them but only if you choose to e.g. you could decide to do an extra month of cardiology/nephro or something you don't feel you learned enough of in med school. These were usually at small programs with few residents so it was basically 1-2 residents on a service
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Here's a Google Map of all anesthesiology programs (click on programs for more data, it's cool!). It's 5-year-old data though(2009). Someone here posted a more updated map a year or so ago but unfortunately I didn't save the link and can't find it now.
