EM residency reviews/rank order thread (2019-2020) sorted by program
- Thread starter snapjack
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- Sep 22, 2018
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4) GA- Emory
Pros: 3 years at a super county hospital. Great clinical training and reputation. Really liked the culture and think I would fit in well with these people.
Cons: wellness is questionable, have heard many stories about unhappy residents at this program due to workload.
1) GA- Emory
Pros-so many. County. The Grady Hospital. Super nice PD. Large class size. DIVERSE.
2) GA- Emory
+county, mission-oriented, diverse, strong reputation but still humble about it, loved the residents and the pre-interview social. 3 years and still well-rounded curriculum with 2 elective months. For a big class size, people still seemed close-knit during the social. If Atlanta had more mountains and outdoor nature things to do, this would've been 1. Would be absolutely thrilled to match here. Kind of wish I had pulled the trigger and made this 1, but I enjoyed Oakland and sf more during my interview days.
-liked but didn't love Atlanta. This was towards the end of interview season so I didn't explore all that much/was burned out/napped and watched tv on my extra day, but wish I had explored more to really see if Atlanta was for me. It was also kind of cold, which I wasn't expecting.
8) GA- Emory
Grady is insane. You could feel the volume this place sees on the tour and with the amount of trauma and acuity they see you must be well trained. The PD is a gem and seems you would really feel supported by her. I like the trauma setup and shifts are sprinkled in rather then blocks and trauma pod was HUGE. Critical care exposure here is great. Residents also expressed that the program isn’t really a county/academic hybrid because you don’t spend much time at Emory and bulk time is really at Grady, which is still a great looking modern ED. I do think this program is incredibly top notch for a 3 year program and worth all the rep it gets. I wish liked ATL more cause can't imagine better training in less time.
Cons – high shift burden (22-23 8hr i think they said) and didn’t vibe with the residents, surgery runs the show on trauma. ATL has so much traffic. Problem here is they tell you they drop you in the deep end and residents said you don’t get the best on shift learning and you more learn by doing, which is fine but I didn’t love that mentality.
) GA- Emory
Rotated here. Love the gritty county environment at Grady and the academics and $$$ of the university. Grady is one of a kind, and I love it. Great patient population to work with. Dr. White is incredible - I would love to have her as my PD. Lots of grads go into academics out of a 3 year. Many stay for fellowship at Emory. Atlanta is a really fun, young city. I have family and college friends in the area. I can live with the traffic. S/O's job is based here.
) GA- Emory
Pros: Busy and county af but also strong academically– large underserved population. Grady is well-known in the southeast and is in the top 10 busiest EDs. Strong social mission. Dr. White is amazing – super nice woman that means business plus female leadership is refreshing. Favorite group of residents on the trail - they work very hard but play just as hard and they all seem like a big family. Do all 8’s. You can chase your interests with a wide array of faculty expertise. Atlanta is a great city that’s inexpensive and has something for everyone. Legend has it, across the nation, they have the best resident salary relative to cost of living. Can moonlight. Felt completely at home in this program. Intend to make a life in Atlanta for various personal reasons.
Cons: large resident class (20). See a ton of trauma but surgery owns; not a great PICU experience and apparently peds kinda micromanages. Also don’t get a chance to do many of your own ortho reductions.
2) GA- Emory
Grady is insane. Really high acuity in a true county environment. Really smart residents and attendings, seemed like a great fit. Truly work insanely hard on shift, but get phenomenal training. Has to be among the best 3 year programs when you take into account quality of training, location, and reputation.
4) GA- Emory
Pros: 3 years!! Well balanced curriculum and training sites. Grady the prototypical gritty county ED also one of the few trauma centers in the state. Emory is the prototypical ivory tower referral center. Dr. White is a super engaging motherly like PD. Event medicine here is cool get to work at falcons games, marathons, events in the city. Would be able to transition into fellowship easily. Diverse and cool residents. Very good salary, COL, and moonlighting starting 2nd year.
Cons: Atlanta is OK, but not really my vibe. Workload is high here.
3) GA- Emory
Another storied EM Program, county to the max, but with resources of Emory. Spend 10/12 months/year at Grady, 1 month each at Emory main (academic) and Emory midtown (community), which seems like a great balance. Excellent research, lots of opportunities to enter academics, and teaching through the med school. Close to 50% of their residents enter academics direct from a 3 year program, which is awesome. Emory name carries alot of weight outside of EM. Loved their social mission and the symbol that Grady is in the community. Lived in Atlanta for 5 years before college, would love to go back and experience it as an adult.
Cons: They seem to work a TON, and no dragon
. Traffic and Pollen in Atlanta are APOCALYPTIC.
1) GA- Emory
pros: 3 things biggest to me: diversity in patients AND staff/residents/faculty; extensive alumni network with unlimited opportunities, medical complexity/trauma out the @$$
-ATL is affordable af for a big city
-awesome weather
-great culture in city
cons far from family and fiance...not a dealbreaker because they committed to traveling often but still a huge consideration
-seems to be #1 for so many people i Have met on the interview pathway
4) GA- Emory
Great training, heavy CC, committed faculty in every niche of EM you can imagine, but seems like you work your A** off! Honestly, I got great vibes the entire day, the PD was incredible, but can't decide if I am ready for intense 3 years -- maybe I'll stop being lazy and move this one up some. Atlanta is a cool city big opportunities all around. Autonomy to the max starting day 1 without pressure to see certain # until 1/2 way into pgy1 -- running entire huge pods by pgy2. best trauma split I saw anywhere that sounded like it ran smooth. Definitely would come out a cowboy
1) GA- Emory
Really loved this place, which came out of nowhere for me. The PD was wonderful, and I got along very well with the residents. Didnt know Atlanta was such a cool place! Grady looks like a beast, but one I feel I couldn't leave being anything but a great EM physician. Diversity is championed here, which I appreciate as URM - they dont just talk about it either, they live it and rank candidates accordingly. Gave me the warm and fuzzies - so much so that I messaged my SO during the tour to let her know I was ranking them #1.
1) GA- Emory
Pros: Sunny/warm location, underserved patient population, best vibe with residents and faculty out of any program. Went into the interview with high hopes and came out even happier. Atlanta is diverse, lots to do/see/experience, plenty of things to see/do/explore for 3 years. High acuity and volume, felt like I could hit the ground running and not be held back from seeing critical patients on day 1 which is important to me. Salary is high enough to offset the area cost of living. Loved the PD, genuine and warm, felt like she would be an amazing mentor and leader for me. Went out with the residents and faculty and loved seeing that they all went out together (nurses, residents, pharmacists, attendings). Vibed well with one attending specifically that night. Dinner was chill, laid back, excellent food. Felt that “these are my people” feeling. Got along great with my interview group (best out of any group) as well which is important to me because it gives me some insight into the type of people they are looking for and who could potentially end up there. Strong social missions with programs in the ED, for example, to help victims of human trafficking. Strong focus on diversity and I felt their resident class/faculty/patient population actually reflected this. Plentiful opportunities to focus on my niche area of EM. Good sign out culture, Epic EMR, free parking. Moonlighting available. Good chance of going into academics if I want to post graduation. Strong support team + like minded people + renowned teaching + county patient population + exposure to community and academic hospitals as well = HAPPY.
Cons: No dragon at Emory main which is a bummer but maybe I can buy my own/bring my own in. No matching for 401k, nights are scattered rather than in strings or blocks. No free food at Grady, no money for boards. Non-longitudinal peds. Moderate to high cost of living. Trauma is middle of the road compared to other locations where I interviewed. Owned by trauma overall but split of procedures and lead depending on day. I would trade that up given the other major things this program brings to the table. Consult heavy.
9) GA- Emory
Amazing PD! Program with great reputation and clinical training. Lots of support from faculty and Atlanta is an amazing city. Residents are happy. Cons: too county for me, not much on shift teaching, too many residents for one program
1) GA- Emory
Grady is amazing. High volume, great pathology, county with academic backing of Emory. Strong reputation, high quality training. Large class size (20), I'm not sure what effects this has. They work VERY hard here. Lots of autonomy and great relationship with their attendings from what I saw on my rotation. The PD is awesome and I love the female representation in their leadership.
5) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Pros: Felt like the Reading program of the south (two years of residents, really busy ED, great benefits), PD seems great though he can rub people the wrong way, got along with residents, building new ED That looks beautiful and has a ton of beds plus social worker in the ED
Cons: OB is the biggest problem with unsure OB rotation, not too strong of a peds rotation, I don’t think I’m cut out for the South with that humidity (Lived in arizona for much of my life and still don’t understand how to function with high humidity outside)
3) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Pros: 1:1 with attendings, 5k food stipend per year, covered parking, brand new 3 story ED coming this spring, concierge service, 2 week elective intern year (flight or hazmat are options), EPIC, ~18 shifts a month, 12 blocks a year, residents seemed happy with workload, procedure month Intern year seems legit, longitudinal peds 3rd year, EPIC, no ortho anesthesia or surgery residencies so procedures are completely unopposed, residents were genuine and helpful on interview day, beautiful hospital, 7th busiest ED in nation, I believe this will be a top program once they are established
Cons: no OBGYN rotation secured yet, new program, PICU rotation 2nd year is in augusta, traffic
) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Pros: Very busy, great perks, close to home. I rotated here, and got to do a lot during my month, but I could have done more. I enjoyed the PD and faculty and they seem like they have a great vision for the place if they could just work it out with the rest of the hospital. Close to Atlanta as well. Southern cooking.
Cons: If it wasn't so close to home for me and my wife, this may be further down the list. I didn't love my interactions with some faculty during my rotation month, the OB thing has to get figured out, and the program is just really new. Oh, and friggin' traffic.
) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Very busy ED with good exposure to sick patients. The residents all seemed cool. Great benefits. Still working things out since it's a fairly new program. Got weird vibes with some faculty.
6) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Pros- I was honestly expecting to hate this program and was very pleasantly surprised. The PD is kinda quirky but I'm all about it and I had some really great interviews with faculty here. The residents seemed very happy and kind. They really talked up the acuity of their hospital & opportunities for tons of procedures (I do have some reservations about this, I would hope that they are being thoughtful about who they tube and put lines in and are not just doing it for sport, which some of the conversations edged on at times.) There will be a brand new ED in the spring and they have a concierge service to run errands for you which is wild. There was also good diversity with people of color and LGBT residents, which is a plus for me. Also the hospital is not in downtown ALT but many of the residents live in the Atlanta suburbs and commute to Marietta and they seemed happy with that arrangement.
Cons-I think this seems like a great place to train for someone who is committed to being an awesome community doctor who has no interest in academics. I still feel like I would get solid training here but they are not as plugged in to research or MedEd and I think I would have to work harder to prove myself and be involved in those things. Also as a private hospital and a newer program I think they are facing significant turf battles. Their ultrasound director mentioned the residents are having trouble getting in US guided nerve blocks bc anesthesia wants to come down and bill for those, which is a huge negative for me. The turf war has also resulted in their current lack of OB rotation (which I'm pretty sure they still haven't resolved because their have been no updates, and that worries me.)
13) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
I think this will be a strong program someday, but its just early for me to be confident in the outcomes when it comes to boards, fellowship placement etc. Super high volume with great faculty which I do think leads to good training. Still so many questions. Atlanta would be great to live in.
5) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Crazy volume, residents do everything, tons of procedures. About to have a beautiful giant new ED. PD was a little off putting with all his "I left Emory for this".
5) GA- Wellstar Kennestone Regional(Marietta)
Large volume community site. No ortho or surgery residency, so residents get tons of procedures. Amazing new ED opening spring 2020. Still working a few things out as a new program. Perks like concierge service and meal stipend. Have to go to Augusta for PICU month which is a negative for me
3) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Good diverse group of residents, building new facility that will be a 2 story ED that stands alone, good service to the community
Cons: New program, still don't have OB experience figured out after 2 years of being a program
6) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Pros: Seems like they get a ton of procedures. New ED that is opening this spring seems like it's going to be amazing. Their volume is nuts. Resident benefits are pretty off the charts too (concierge service, $5000/yr on food).
Cons: Very new, not affiliated with academic center. No opportunities for fellowship so far. Apparently they are having trouble getting their OB numbers.
5) GA- Medical College of Georgia (Augusta)
Pros: They did an amazing job of selling this program. Their faculty and residents are extremely impressive on what they accomplish from their board scores to their national ultrasound competition accolades. Acuity seems good.
Cons: Augusta is not great. One resident literally said "Augusta sucks, and I'm leaving as soon as I'm an attending". Great COL.
7) GA- Medical College of Georgia (Augusta)
I really like this program and the curriculum. They have every fellowship you can think of. Academic program, but patients have a county feel to it. Augusta isn't a great city, which is why it's lower on my list.
1) KY- University of Kentucky
Rotated here and loved the people, town, vibe, etc. Very hands on, good exposure to trauma and critically ill patients. Low cost of living in Lexington. Good moonlighting opportunities.
7) KY- University of Louisville
Pros- I really liked the residents, and Louisville was a way bigger/cooler city than I thought and I could totally get behind living there. Acuity and volume seem good and they are open to moonlighting.
Cons-I'm not sure I can get behind their educational philosophy. One of the residents described it as "the Montessori school of residencies" and while I want the space to have my own ideas and make independent decisions as a resident, I think I'm going to need a little more mentorship than that. Also most of my interviewers were unprepared for my interview and didn't read my file beforehand, and we didn't interview with the PD so I feel like I don't know her quite as well.
7) LA- Ochsner
Pros: they seemed really happy about me interviewing there, got along with leadership, that food... ya boy’s gonna get fat if he goes to NOLA, hospital looks really rich and nice
Cons: Brand new program; someone mentioned that because of the really sick patients, the first few hours of each shift is really busy but then it’s a waiting game until they get transferred upstairs and a new room opens up, It was ridiculously warm/humid when running outside in December so I don’t think I can handle the summers there
7) LA- Ochsner
Pros: Cool city to live in for a few years, but probably would not be permanent for me. Probably good acuity in New Orleans. Interview lunch was absolutely amazing. PD was former LSU New Orleans PD, so he knows what he's doing.
Cons: Brand new program with no residents thus far which could be a pro or con, but definitely makes interview day a bit different than the others. Only interview I had where they had questions that they "had to go through" in each station, which made things feel stiff and more like a med-school interview than a residency interview. They weren't terrible questions or anything, pretty standard. They should stop doing that in the future though - just talk to us.
6) LA- Ochsner Health
really enjoyed the interview day here; faculty were awesome; a good plan is laid out that I think will allow this to become a solid program; a concern was the area that is near Holly Grove and would likely make my partner and I live a ways away with long commute; also no trauma designation and have to go to Shock Trauma in Maryland for two months which is not ideal when marrie
8) MD- University of Maryland
Pros: Level 1 Shock Trauma! I am honestly shocked as to why this program is this low. It’s truly amazing and one of the best around. I was honored to receive an interview invitation here. Training by some of the strongest EM/shock/trauma leaders in the world and lots of exposure to the crazy stuff. Very academic and will get you any fellowship or opportunity you want coming out of it.
Cons: Baltimore ... but honestly no bad things to say about the program itself but I just had this feeling I didn’t belong there. Didn’t mesh with as many residents and they seemed pretty burnt out and overworked (but also proud). Certainly has a mentality of being the best and maybe that’s what turns me off about it but I truly don’t know.
1) MD- University of Maryland
Residents: Got along with everyone that I met, everyone was very amicable, Involved, not overworked. They get 8, 10, 12 hour shiftsFelt the most at home here.
Faculty: World-reknown, Mattu, Winters, these are THE people you listen to on podcasts. Dr. Hu was super chill/young, Winters was the old PD and he’s still there. Bond was hilarious. Bond was a GMO in his past life, did the same thing I did. He’s probably doing the thing with his life that I’d want to do. Great interactions with the faculty.
Leadership: Tons of leadership expectation, leadership experience, leading teams as a PGY2 and onward. Oozing with leadership opportunities. They mentioned residents in EMRA.
Education: I don’t even have enough bandwidth to describe everything that is right about this. Academic program development, they make their own curriculum to keep it up to date, Shock Trauma, trauma anesthesia, professors with teaching awards. Hugely diverse population, all of the critical care experience, most of the sites are in the same area as the hospital. They have tons of people w/advanced training in academics. Cadaver labs quarterly. Exposure to EM in rural areas. They have higher expectations for you in terms of research and presentations. Routine sim. Huge EMS experience.
Perks: Affordable, see above. Get hat 1600 course for free w/Butler. *They go to Hopkins instead of DC for Peds trauma. Tons of ultrasounds. Split interns/residents into houses, like harry potter. Moonlighting in EM/IM. Dogtors. For PGH they put you in a hotel! Has all the seasons. Moonlight in EM and IM.
Cons: weak clinic but who gaf. Continuity clinic kind of blows. I have no idea what would be a con about this place. Either 3 years as an EM at a bomb ass place or 5 years as EM/IM at a bomb ass place.
1) MD- University of Maryland
PROs: Close to home, world class educators and alumni network, emphasis on critical care and fairly diverse rotation locations with both urban, rural and suburban options, they switched their peds EM to Hopkins this year which I thought was cool, opportunity for rural EM on eastern shore of maryland, listened to resident feedback and switched from 12s to 8s on weekdays. I know people on this board have mixed feelings on the PD but I liked his no nonsense approach and blunt sense of humor, YMMV.
CONs: although I can imagine Shock Trauma will be wild I do think there is valid concern about too many cooks in the kitchen...lots of other residents from all sorts of specialties (EM, surgery, anesthesia, trauma fellows) are in the TRU.....Baltimore may not be for everyone, although many people who say they would never live in bmore have likely never spent more than a few hours to days there, something to consider for future applicants reading this.
3) MD- University of Maryland
Pros: Shock trauma. Baltimore has a lot to offer, but COL is higher than some other places. Like the PD and the residents. Great opportunities for research, mentorship. Maryland is always on the brink of what is coming in EM and there are some really cool projects I'd like to be involved with here.
Cons: It isn't a secret you will work hard here. Less vacation than some others with no protected holidays. Not sure I got to know the residents as well as some other places.
2) MD- University of Maryland
pros: Top notch faculty with matching excellentdidactics. Everyone knows Mattu is here but so many other world renowned EM faculty in the EM department: Mike Winters, Tewelde, Brown, Butler (airway master), WIllis, Eurele (US master)...honestly felt like watching the new england patriots (without AB rotfl) when I did my second look here
-progressive leadership: ADPs (2 women-1 black 1 asian and 1 black male APD)
-8 hours with 12 hour weekends allowing guaranteed golden weekend (clutch to experience both sides of the spectrum)
-arguably 1 of the best 3 year programs in the country
cons: limited diversity in res classes: several hispanic residents, 0 black residents (in the blackest city in America-cmon.....), Baltimore is not as affordable of a city when considering how un-livable it seems
1) MD- University of Maryland
Residents seemed super close, good turnout at dinner, and were super intelligent. Felt like I fit in with the residents and liked their work ethic. They work a lot, but have shorter shifts. Trauma at shock trauma would be amazing.
10) MD- University of Maryland
residents seemed overworked and met barely any of them on interview day or dinner... academically very strong program but just didn't feel the vibe.
12) NC- University of North Carolina
I liked the PD. Residents were really nice. Nice curriculum with great community training.
The whole NP/PA situation is weird. Chapel Hill isn't super diverse, but seems like a nice place to live with Durham & Raleigh nearby
3) NC- Duke University Hospital
Pros: Really enjoyed this program. The PD gives the most inspiring and hyped talk about why Duke and why he loves EM. Durham is a cool city to live in sometimes (see below). Collegial residents. Great research opportunities. Hyperbaric center (I really don't care about this but that doesn't mean it's not cool).
4) NC- Duke University Hospital
Pros:
-As many have mentioned, PD is awesome. Very supportive and clearly passionate about the program.
-Opportunities to get involved in just about anything within (or probably outside of) EM.
-Many solid residency programs have potential for valuable off-service rotations.
-Community experience seemed pretty solid which I thought was important since Duke is obviously an academic megacenter.
-I liked Durham. I'm not a huge city person so size seems good for my wants.
-Definitely got along with all of the residents I met. Seemed like a good group that I would fit in with just fine.
Cons:
-Probably a little referral/transfer heavy as expected. I wonder whether that is balanced enough with the community hospital(s) but I suspect that it is. Also seems like that gives opportunities for a higher percentage of uncommon procedures, etc.
-I could see off service rotations being very strong or very malignant.
-I didn't get the sense of "you need to use the Duke resources if you match here" impression that others have.
7) NC- Duke University Hospital
Good pathology. Good work life balance. Only place I saw that gave 15 minute breaks on shift. PD seems receptive to resident needs. Lots of resources. Ultrasound is a major strength and they are doing cutting edge work on 3D ultrasound. Durham seems like a nice place to live with good weather and lots of outdoors activities to do.
Cons: One of the interviewers straight up said if you are not going to use Duke for its engineering and research resources then don't match here, which rubbed me the wrong way. Too academic for me. Duke has reputation of having lots of malignant programs which would make off-service less valuable and consults a nightmare. too many off-service rotations.
Cons: Just didn't have all the warm and fuzzy vibes I was hoping to walk away with. I also felt like I was in undergrad again the entire time I was moving around the city.
11) NC- Duke University Hospital
PD is amazing, you can do space medicine research with NASA!!! campus is beautiful. Residents were cool and down to earth.
12) NC- Duke University Hospital
Dr. Broder is one of the nicest PD's I've met. One of the biggest surprises of the interview season for me. Got along well with the residents. Concerns about the newness of the program and the heavy emphasis on research and dev of medical technologies. Was told that if I wasn't doing R&D I wasn't using Duke's resources to their fullest potential. My younger brother just started undergrad at Duke. Durham's not the most fun town. Lots of the attractions the residents talked about were a decent drive away (Raleigh, etc)
4) NC- Duke University Hospital
Biggest surprise for me on the interview trail. Favorite PD I met on the trail (beloved by the residents as well). Tons of resources. Would be super happy to train here. Only negative - I'm unsure of how transitioning to life in Durham would go after living in/near major city for majority of life. Liked the model of "big duke" (academic) and "little duke" (community).
5) NC- Duke University Hospital
I left the interview high on this place and came down slowly in the months since. Largely academic, which for me isnt quite my speed. They also have some weird integration of PAs I learned about, enough to spook me. Residents were fantastic - it was my second best 'fit' culturally. The PD is nice but a little odd, in an endearing way. Interview day went well. Tough place geographically for my SO's work, but NC and the area are beautiful IMO.
6) NC- Wake Forest University School of Medicine Program
Pros: Liked it here way more than I thought I would. Genuinely happy people. Would absolutely love to be here. Established program, 3 years, academic, and opportunities to do nearly anything. WS seems like a cool town and could live super well here on a residents + SO salary. Great weather here too.
13) NC- Wake Forest University School of Medicine Program
Wake Forest is felt similar to UNC but with a more academic flair. Very little off-service time. Winston-Salem is small and if I'm going to move to NC, I'd rather go to UNC to live in the triangle of CH-Durham-Raleigh
9) NC- Wake Forest University School of Medicine Program
Another program that would have been higher but SO would have a hard time finding a job in or around Winston-Salem.
Well-established program with very solid leadership
Good acuity and volume
More resources than I expected.
I actually liked Winston-Salem as a location. The city tour was a little unusual but was actually ended up being a nice way to end the day.
Residents felt that they were well-respected throughout the hospital and on off-service rotations.
The ED itself could probably use an update (I think they were working on it?)
Cons: Old ED, NC is far from family.
3) NC- Wake Forest
huge rep, huge alumni base, huge research going on. supportive faculty on developing your interests - big into FOAMed, EMS, CC. Maximize your time in the ED and ICU, very little off service. nice schedule, everyone seemed happy. Only con is winston -salem; not a bad city, just not a big city -- as a single guy it may minimize my dating options.
5) NC- Wake Forest University School of Medicine Program
Awesome residents, fully academic hospital with extremely laid back but smart faculty, dirt cheap COL, and great opportunities to teach the med students. Housing is so cheap I could get a hot tub and have a garage for my tools! Very well established (1974!) with a large alumni base nationwide and a ton of in-house fellowships (7!) for whatever niche I may want. They have the guy that invented the HEART score. The people in Winston Salem and in the hospital are super nice. Would be nice to not get told to F-off by the nurse for a whole shift. WS is definitely small, but is growing quickly with lots of young restaurants/breweries and stuff...they recently got a Trader Joe’s! Close to mountains is a plus.
Cons: Kind of a PITA to get home from here, need to drive to Charlotte to get a reasonable direct flight. May get bored in WS.
9) NC- Vidant Health/East Carolina University Program
Diverse population
Pros: Level 1 trauma, ECU provides care for most of east NC so they see tons of pathology, university center in community setting, EPIC, moonlighting 3rd year
Cons: poor inservice exam score per PD, PD was a little off for my taste, none of the interviewers seemed to care, only 2 residents came for the preinterview dinner and they left early, residents did not seem to like it here, there is NOTHING to do in this small town, oral board prep is only once a year also per PD
12) NC- Vidant Health/East Carolina University Program
Just got a weird vibe overall here.
16) NC- Vidant Health/East Carolina University Program
I really wanted to like this program. Again, high volume high acuity. Seems to have a great setup to be a very strong program but my interview experience was really not great. Just a bizarre experience and none of my interviews felt like they were well put together. Mentioned some potentially serious logistical issues within the department.
This just didn't seem like a place I would thrive.
9) NC- Vidant Health/East Carolina University Program
Large volume, high acuity. Loved the energy of the PD. Strong EMS curriculum. Location dropped it low on my list. Greenville is in the middle of no where. Program coordinator had very bad communication, which did not leave a good impression. Only 3 residents showed up to pre-interview social. They provided a hotel and shuttle for the interview, which was super nice.
10) NC- Vidant Health/East Carolina University Program
Just did not fit in here. Most awkward interviews of my life.
Pros: 3 years at a super county hospital. Great clinical training and reputation. Really liked the culture and think I would fit in well with these people.
Cons: wellness is questionable, have heard many stories about unhappy residents at this program due to workload.
1) GA- Emory
Pros-so many. County. The Grady Hospital. Super nice PD. Large class size. DIVERSE.
2) GA- Emory
+county, mission-oriented, diverse, strong reputation but still humble about it, loved the residents and the pre-interview social. 3 years and still well-rounded curriculum with 2 elective months. For a big class size, people still seemed close-knit during the social. If Atlanta had more mountains and outdoor nature things to do, this would've been 1. Would be absolutely thrilled to match here. Kind of wish I had pulled the trigger and made this 1, but I enjoyed Oakland and sf more during my interview days.
-liked but didn't love Atlanta. This was towards the end of interview season so I didn't explore all that much/was burned out/napped and watched tv on my extra day, but wish I had explored more to really see if Atlanta was for me. It was also kind of cold, which I wasn't expecting.
8) GA- Emory
Grady is insane. You could feel the volume this place sees on the tour and with the amount of trauma and acuity they see you must be well trained. The PD is a gem and seems you would really feel supported by her. I like the trauma setup and shifts are sprinkled in rather then blocks and trauma pod was HUGE. Critical care exposure here is great. Residents also expressed that the program isn’t really a county/academic hybrid because you don’t spend much time at Emory and bulk time is really at Grady, which is still a great looking modern ED. I do think this program is incredibly top notch for a 3 year program and worth all the rep it gets. I wish liked ATL more cause can't imagine better training in less time.
Cons – high shift burden (22-23 8hr i think they said) and didn’t vibe with the residents, surgery runs the show on trauma. ATL has so much traffic. Problem here is they tell you they drop you in the deep end and residents said you don’t get the best on shift learning and you more learn by doing, which is fine but I didn’t love that mentality.
) GA- Emory
Rotated here. Love the gritty county environment at Grady and the academics and $$$ of the university. Grady is one of a kind, and I love it. Great patient population to work with. Dr. White is incredible - I would love to have her as my PD. Lots of grads go into academics out of a 3 year. Many stay for fellowship at Emory. Atlanta is a really fun, young city. I have family and college friends in the area. I can live with the traffic. S/O's job is based here.
) GA- Emory
Pros: Busy and county af but also strong academically– large underserved population. Grady is well-known in the southeast and is in the top 10 busiest EDs. Strong social mission. Dr. White is amazing – super nice woman that means business plus female leadership is refreshing. Favorite group of residents on the trail - they work very hard but play just as hard and they all seem like a big family. Do all 8’s. You can chase your interests with a wide array of faculty expertise. Atlanta is a great city that’s inexpensive and has something for everyone. Legend has it, across the nation, they have the best resident salary relative to cost of living. Can moonlight. Felt completely at home in this program. Intend to make a life in Atlanta for various personal reasons.
Cons: large resident class (20). See a ton of trauma but surgery owns; not a great PICU experience and apparently peds kinda micromanages. Also don’t get a chance to do many of your own ortho reductions.
2) GA- Emory
Grady is insane. Really high acuity in a true county environment. Really smart residents and attendings, seemed like a great fit. Truly work insanely hard on shift, but get phenomenal training. Has to be among the best 3 year programs when you take into account quality of training, location, and reputation.
4) GA- Emory
Pros: 3 years!! Well balanced curriculum and training sites. Grady the prototypical gritty county ED also one of the few trauma centers in the state. Emory is the prototypical ivory tower referral center. Dr. White is a super engaging motherly like PD. Event medicine here is cool get to work at falcons games, marathons, events in the city. Would be able to transition into fellowship easily. Diverse and cool residents. Very good salary, COL, and moonlighting starting 2nd year.
Cons: Atlanta is OK, but not really my vibe. Workload is high here.
3) GA- Emory
Another storied EM Program, county to the max, but with resources of Emory. Spend 10/12 months/year at Grady, 1 month each at Emory main (academic) and Emory midtown (community), which seems like a great balance. Excellent research, lots of opportunities to enter academics, and teaching through the med school. Close to 50% of their residents enter academics direct from a 3 year program, which is awesome. Emory name carries alot of weight outside of EM. Loved their social mission and the symbol that Grady is in the community. Lived in Atlanta for 5 years before college, would love to go back and experience it as an adult.
Cons: They seem to work a TON, and no dragon
1) GA- Emory
pros: 3 things biggest to me: diversity in patients AND staff/residents/faculty; extensive alumni network with unlimited opportunities, medical complexity/trauma out the @$$
-ATL is affordable af for a big city
-awesome weather
-great culture in city
cons far from family and fiance...not a dealbreaker because they committed to traveling often but still a huge consideration
-seems to be #1 for so many people i Have met on the interview pathway
4) GA- Emory
Great training, heavy CC, committed faculty in every niche of EM you can imagine, but seems like you work your A** off! Honestly, I got great vibes the entire day, the PD was incredible, but can't decide if I am ready for intense 3 years -- maybe I'll stop being lazy and move this one up some. Atlanta is a cool city big opportunities all around. Autonomy to the max starting day 1 without pressure to see certain # until 1/2 way into pgy1 -- running entire huge pods by pgy2. best trauma split I saw anywhere that sounded like it ran smooth. Definitely would come out a cowboy
1) GA- Emory
Really loved this place, which came out of nowhere for me. The PD was wonderful, and I got along very well with the residents. Didnt know Atlanta was such a cool place! Grady looks like a beast, but one I feel I couldn't leave being anything but a great EM physician. Diversity is championed here, which I appreciate as URM - they dont just talk about it either, they live it and rank candidates accordingly. Gave me the warm and fuzzies - so much so that I messaged my SO during the tour to let her know I was ranking them #1.
1) GA- Emory
Pros: Sunny/warm location, underserved patient population, best vibe with residents and faculty out of any program. Went into the interview with high hopes and came out even happier. Atlanta is diverse, lots to do/see/experience, plenty of things to see/do/explore for 3 years. High acuity and volume, felt like I could hit the ground running and not be held back from seeing critical patients on day 1 which is important to me. Salary is high enough to offset the area cost of living. Loved the PD, genuine and warm, felt like she would be an amazing mentor and leader for me. Went out with the residents and faculty and loved seeing that they all went out together (nurses, residents, pharmacists, attendings). Vibed well with one attending specifically that night. Dinner was chill, laid back, excellent food. Felt that “these are my people” feeling. Got along great with my interview group (best out of any group) as well which is important to me because it gives me some insight into the type of people they are looking for and who could potentially end up there. Strong social missions with programs in the ED, for example, to help victims of human trafficking. Strong focus on diversity and I felt their resident class/faculty/patient population actually reflected this. Plentiful opportunities to focus on my niche area of EM. Good sign out culture, Epic EMR, free parking. Moonlighting available. Good chance of going into academics if I want to post graduation. Strong support team + like minded people + renowned teaching + county patient population + exposure to community and academic hospitals as well = HAPPY.
Cons: No dragon at Emory main which is a bummer but maybe I can buy my own/bring my own in. No matching for 401k, nights are scattered rather than in strings or blocks. No free food at Grady, no money for boards. Non-longitudinal peds. Moderate to high cost of living. Trauma is middle of the road compared to other locations where I interviewed. Owned by trauma overall but split of procedures and lead depending on day. I would trade that up given the other major things this program brings to the table. Consult heavy.
9) GA- Emory
Amazing PD! Program with great reputation and clinical training. Lots of support from faculty and Atlanta is an amazing city. Residents are happy. Cons: too county for me, not much on shift teaching, too many residents for one program
1) GA- Emory
Grady is amazing. High volume, great pathology, county with academic backing of Emory. Strong reputation, high quality training. Large class size (20), I'm not sure what effects this has. They work VERY hard here. Lots of autonomy and great relationship with their attendings from what I saw on my rotation. The PD is awesome and I love the female representation in their leadership.
5) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Pros: Felt like the Reading program of the south (two years of residents, really busy ED, great benefits), PD seems great though he can rub people the wrong way, got along with residents, building new ED That looks beautiful and has a ton of beds plus social worker in the ED
Cons: OB is the biggest problem with unsure OB rotation, not too strong of a peds rotation, I don’t think I’m cut out for the South with that humidity (Lived in arizona for much of my life and still don’t understand how to function with high humidity outside)
3) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Pros: 1:1 with attendings, 5k food stipend per year, covered parking, brand new 3 story ED coming this spring, concierge service, 2 week elective intern year (flight or hazmat are options), EPIC, ~18 shifts a month, 12 blocks a year, residents seemed happy with workload, procedure month Intern year seems legit, longitudinal peds 3rd year, EPIC, no ortho anesthesia or surgery residencies so procedures are completely unopposed, residents were genuine and helpful on interview day, beautiful hospital, 7th busiest ED in nation, I believe this will be a top program once they are established
Cons: no OBGYN rotation secured yet, new program, PICU rotation 2nd year is in augusta, traffic
) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Pros: Very busy, great perks, close to home. I rotated here, and got to do a lot during my month, but I could have done more. I enjoyed the PD and faculty and they seem like they have a great vision for the place if they could just work it out with the rest of the hospital. Close to Atlanta as well. Southern cooking.
Cons: If it wasn't so close to home for me and my wife, this may be further down the list. I didn't love my interactions with some faculty during my rotation month, the OB thing has to get figured out, and the program is just really new. Oh, and friggin' traffic.
) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Very busy ED with good exposure to sick patients. The residents all seemed cool. Great benefits. Still working things out since it's a fairly new program. Got weird vibes with some faculty.
6) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Pros- I was honestly expecting to hate this program and was very pleasantly surprised. The PD is kinda quirky but I'm all about it and I had some really great interviews with faculty here. The residents seemed very happy and kind. They really talked up the acuity of their hospital & opportunities for tons of procedures (I do have some reservations about this, I would hope that they are being thoughtful about who they tube and put lines in and are not just doing it for sport, which some of the conversations edged on at times.) There will be a brand new ED in the spring and they have a concierge service to run errands for you which is wild. There was also good diversity with people of color and LGBT residents, which is a plus for me. Also the hospital is not in downtown ALT but many of the residents live in the Atlanta suburbs and commute to Marietta and they seemed happy with that arrangement.
Cons-I think this seems like a great place to train for someone who is committed to being an awesome community doctor who has no interest in academics. I still feel like I would get solid training here but they are not as plugged in to research or MedEd and I think I would have to work harder to prove myself and be involved in those things. Also as a private hospital and a newer program I think they are facing significant turf battles. Their ultrasound director mentioned the residents are having trouble getting in US guided nerve blocks bc anesthesia wants to come down and bill for those, which is a huge negative for me. The turf war has also resulted in their current lack of OB rotation (which I'm pretty sure they still haven't resolved because their have been no updates, and that worries me.)
13) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
I think this will be a strong program someday, but its just early for me to be confident in the outcomes when it comes to boards, fellowship placement etc. Super high volume with great faculty which I do think leads to good training. Still so many questions. Atlanta would be great to live in.
5) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Crazy volume, residents do everything, tons of procedures. About to have a beautiful giant new ED. PD was a little off putting with all his "I left Emory for this".
5) GA- Wellstar Kennestone Regional(Marietta)
Large volume community site. No ortho or surgery residency, so residents get tons of procedures. Amazing new ED opening spring 2020. Still working a few things out as a new program. Perks like concierge service and meal stipend. Have to go to Augusta for PICU month which is a negative for me
3) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Good diverse group of residents, building new facility that will be a 2 story ED that stands alone, good service to the community
Cons: New program, still don't have OB experience figured out after 2 years of being a program
6) GA- WellStar Kennestone Regional (Marietta)
Pros: Seems like they get a ton of procedures. New ED that is opening this spring seems like it's going to be amazing. Their volume is nuts. Resident benefits are pretty off the charts too (concierge service, $5000/yr on food).
Cons: Very new, not affiliated with academic center. No opportunities for fellowship so far. Apparently they are having trouble getting their OB numbers.
5) GA- Medical College of Georgia (Augusta)
Pros: They did an amazing job of selling this program. Their faculty and residents are extremely impressive on what they accomplish from their board scores to their national ultrasound competition accolades. Acuity seems good.
Cons: Augusta is not great. One resident literally said "Augusta sucks, and I'm leaving as soon as I'm an attending". Great COL.
7) GA- Medical College of Georgia (Augusta)
I really like this program and the curriculum. They have every fellowship you can think of. Academic program, but patients have a county feel to it. Augusta isn't a great city, which is why it's lower on my list.
1) KY- University of Kentucky
Rotated here and loved the people, town, vibe, etc. Very hands on, good exposure to trauma and critically ill patients. Low cost of living in Lexington. Good moonlighting opportunities.
7) KY- University of Louisville
Pros- I really liked the residents, and Louisville was a way bigger/cooler city than I thought and I could totally get behind living there. Acuity and volume seem good and they are open to moonlighting.
Cons-I'm not sure I can get behind their educational philosophy. One of the residents described it as "the Montessori school of residencies" and while I want the space to have my own ideas and make independent decisions as a resident, I think I'm going to need a little more mentorship than that. Also most of my interviewers were unprepared for my interview and didn't read my file beforehand, and we didn't interview with the PD so I feel like I don't know her quite as well.
7) LA- Ochsner
Pros: they seemed really happy about me interviewing there, got along with leadership, that food... ya boy’s gonna get fat if he goes to NOLA, hospital looks really rich and nice
Cons: Brand new program; someone mentioned that because of the really sick patients, the first few hours of each shift is really busy but then it’s a waiting game until they get transferred upstairs and a new room opens up, It was ridiculously warm/humid when running outside in December so I don’t think I can handle the summers there
7) LA- Ochsner
Pros: Cool city to live in for a few years, but probably would not be permanent for me. Probably good acuity in New Orleans. Interview lunch was absolutely amazing. PD was former LSU New Orleans PD, so he knows what he's doing.
Cons: Brand new program with no residents thus far which could be a pro or con, but definitely makes interview day a bit different than the others. Only interview I had where they had questions that they "had to go through" in each station, which made things feel stiff and more like a med-school interview than a residency interview. They weren't terrible questions or anything, pretty standard. They should stop doing that in the future though - just talk to us.
6) LA- Ochsner Health
really enjoyed the interview day here; faculty were awesome; a good plan is laid out that I think will allow this to become a solid program; a concern was the area that is near Holly Grove and would likely make my partner and I live a ways away with long commute; also no trauma designation and have to go to Shock Trauma in Maryland for two months which is not ideal when marrie
8) MD- University of Maryland
Pros: Level 1 Shock Trauma! I am honestly shocked as to why this program is this low. It’s truly amazing and one of the best around. I was honored to receive an interview invitation here. Training by some of the strongest EM/shock/trauma leaders in the world and lots of exposure to the crazy stuff. Very academic and will get you any fellowship or opportunity you want coming out of it.
Cons: Baltimore ... but honestly no bad things to say about the program itself but I just had this feeling I didn’t belong there. Didn’t mesh with as many residents and they seemed pretty burnt out and overworked (but also proud). Certainly has a mentality of being the best and maybe that’s what turns me off about it but I truly don’t know.
1) MD- University of Maryland
Residents: Got along with everyone that I met, everyone was very amicable, Involved, not overworked. They get 8, 10, 12 hour shiftsFelt the most at home here.
Faculty: World-reknown, Mattu, Winters, these are THE people you listen to on podcasts. Dr. Hu was super chill/young, Winters was the old PD and he’s still there. Bond was hilarious. Bond was a GMO in his past life, did the same thing I did. He’s probably doing the thing with his life that I’d want to do. Great interactions with the faculty.
Leadership: Tons of leadership expectation, leadership experience, leading teams as a PGY2 and onward. Oozing with leadership opportunities. They mentioned residents in EMRA.
Education: I don’t even have enough bandwidth to describe everything that is right about this. Academic program development, they make their own curriculum to keep it up to date, Shock Trauma, trauma anesthesia, professors with teaching awards. Hugely diverse population, all of the critical care experience, most of the sites are in the same area as the hospital. They have tons of people w/advanced training in academics. Cadaver labs quarterly. Exposure to EM in rural areas. They have higher expectations for you in terms of research and presentations. Routine sim. Huge EMS experience.
Perks: Affordable, see above. Get hat 1600 course for free w/Butler. *They go to Hopkins instead of DC for Peds trauma. Tons of ultrasounds. Split interns/residents into houses, like harry potter. Moonlighting in EM/IM. Dogtors. For PGH they put you in a hotel! Has all the seasons. Moonlight in EM and IM.
Cons: weak clinic but who gaf. Continuity clinic kind of blows. I have no idea what would be a con about this place. Either 3 years as an EM at a bomb ass place or 5 years as EM/IM at a bomb ass place.
1) MD- University of Maryland
PROs: Close to home, world class educators and alumni network, emphasis on critical care and fairly diverse rotation locations with both urban, rural and suburban options, they switched their peds EM to Hopkins this year which I thought was cool, opportunity for rural EM on eastern shore of maryland, listened to resident feedback and switched from 12s to 8s on weekdays. I know people on this board have mixed feelings on the PD but I liked his no nonsense approach and blunt sense of humor, YMMV.
CONs: although I can imagine Shock Trauma will be wild I do think there is valid concern about too many cooks in the kitchen...lots of other residents from all sorts of specialties (EM, surgery, anesthesia, trauma fellows) are in the TRU.....Baltimore may not be for everyone, although many people who say they would never live in bmore have likely never spent more than a few hours to days there, something to consider for future applicants reading this.
3) MD- University of Maryland
Pros: Shock trauma. Baltimore has a lot to offer, but COL is higher than some other places. Like the PD and the residents. Great opportunities for research, mentorship. Maryland is always on the brink of what is coming in EM and there are some really cool projects I'd like to be involved with here.
Cons: It isn't a secret you will work hard here. Less vacation than some others with no protected holidays. Not sure I got to know the residents as well as some other places.
2) MD- University of Maryland
pros: Top notch faculty with matching excellentdidactics. Everyone knows Mattu is here but so many other world renowned EM faculty in the EM department: Mike Winters, Tewelde, Brown, Butler (airway master), WIllis, Eurele (US master)...honestly felt like watching the new england patriots (without AB rotfl) when I did my second look here
-progressive leadership: ADPs (2 women-1 black 1 asian and 1 black male APD)
-8 hours with 12 hour weekends allowing guaranteed golden weekend (clutch to experience both sides of the spectrum)
-arguably 1 of the best 3 year programs in the country
cons: limited diversity in res classes: several hispanic residents, 0 black residents (in the blackest city in America-cmon.....), Baltimore is not as affordable of a city when considering how un-livable it seems
1) MD- University of Maryland
Residents seemed super close, good turnout at dinner, and were super intelligent. Felt like I fit in with the residents and liked their work ethic. They work a lot, but have shorter shifts. Trauma at shock trauma would be amazing.
10) MD- University of Maryland
residents seemed overworked and met barely any of them on interview day or dinner... academically very strong program but just didn't feel the vibe.
12) NC- University of North Carolina
I liked the PD. Residents were really nice. Nice curriculum with great community training.
The whole NP/PA situation is weird. Chapel Hill isn't super diverse, but seems like a nice place to live with Durham & Raleigh nearby
3) NC- Duke University Hospital
Pros: Really enjoyed this program. The PD gives the most inspiring and hyped talk about why Duke and why he loves EM. Durham is a cool city to live in sometimes (see below). Collegial residents. Great research opportunities. Hyperbaric center (I really don't care about this but that doesn't mean it's not cool).
4) NC- Duke University Hospital
Pros:
-As many have mentioned, PD is awesome. Very supportive and clearly passionate about the program.
-Opportunities to get involved in just about anything within (or probably outside of) EM.
-Many solid residency programs have potential for valuable off-service rotations.
-Community experience seemed pretty solid which I thought was important since Duke is obviously an academic megacenter.
-I liked Durham. I'm not a huge city person so size seems good for my wants.
-Definitely got along with all of the residents I met. Seemed like a good group that I would fit in with just fine.
Cons:
-Probably a little referral/transfer heavy as expected. I wonder whether that is balanced enough with the community hospital(s) but I suspect that it is. Also seems like that gives opportunities for a higher percentage of uncommon procedures, etc.
-I could see off service rotations being very strong or very malignant.
-I didn't get the sense of "you need to use the Duke resources if you match here" impression that others have.
7) NC- Duke University Hospital
Good pathology. Good work life balance. Only place I saw that gave 15 minute breaks on shift. PD seems receptive to resident needs. Lots of resources. Ultrasound is a major strength and they are doing cutting edge work on 3D ultrasound. Durham seems like a nice place to live with good weather and lots of outdoors activities to do.
Cons: One of the interviewers straight up said if you are not going to use Duke for its engineering and research resources then don't match here, which rubbed me the wrong way. Too academic for me. Duke has reputation of having lots of malignant programs which would make off-service less valuable and consults a nightmare. too many off-service rotations.
Cons: Just didn't have all the warm and fuzzy vibes I was hoping to walk away with. I also felt like I was in undergrad again the entire time I was moving around the city.
11) NC- Duke University Hospital
PD is amazing, you can do space medicine research with NASA!!! campus is beautiful. Residents were cool and down to earth.
12) NC- Duke University Hospital
Dr. Broder is one of the nicest PD's I've met. One of the biggest surprises of the interview season for me. Got along well with the residents. Concerns about the newness of the program and the heavy emphasis on research and dev of medical technologies. Was told that if I wasn't doing R&D I wasn't using Duke's resources to their fullest potential. My younger brother just started undergrad at Duke. Durham's not the most fun town. Lots of the attractions the residents talked about were a decent drive away (Raleigh, etc)
4) NC- Duke University Hospital
Biggest surprise for me on the interview trail. Favorite PD I met on the trail (beloved by the residents as well). Tons of resources. Would be super happy to train here. Only negative - I'm unsure of how transitioning to life in Durham would go after living in/near major city for majority of life. Liked the model of "big duke" (academic) and "little duke" (community).
5) NC- Duke University Hospital
I left the interview high on this place and came down slowly in the months since. Largely academic, which for me isnt quite my speed. They also have some weird integration of PAs I learned about, enough to spook me. Residents were fantastic - it was my second best 'fit' culturally. The PD is nice but a little odd, in an endearing way. Interview day went well. Tough place geographically for my SO's work, but NC and the area are beautiful IMO.
6) NC- Wake Forest University School of Medicine Program
Pros: Liked it here way more than I thought I would. Genuinely happy people. Would absolutely love to be here. Established program, 3 years, academic, and opportunities to do nearly anything. WS seems like a cool town and could live super well here on a residents + SO salary. Great weather here too.
13) NC- Wake Forest University School of Medicine Program
Wake Forest is felt similar to UNC but with a more academic flair. Very little off-service time. Winston-Salem is small and if I'm going to move to NC, I'd rather go to UNC to live in the triangle of CH-Durham-Raleigh
9) NC- Wake Forest University School of Medicine Program
Another program that would have been higher but SO would have a hard time finding a job in or around Winston-Salem.
Well-established program with very solid leadership
Good acuity and volume
More resources than I expected.
I actually liked Winston-Salem as a location. The city tour was a little unusual but was actually ended up being a nice way to end the day.
Residents felt that they were well-respected throughout the hospital and on off-service rotations.
The ED itself could probably use an update (I think they were working on it?)
Cons: Old ED, NC is far from family.
3) NC- Wake Forest
huge rep, huge alumni base, huge research going on. supportive faculty on developing your interests - big into FOAMed, EMS, CC. Maximize your time in the ED and ICU, very little off service. nice schedule, everyone seemed happy. Only con is winston -salem; not a bad city, just not a big city -- as a single guy it may minimize my dating options.
5) NC- Wake Forest University School of Medicine Program
Awesome residents, fully academic hospital with extremely laid back but smart faculty, dirt cheap COL, and great opportunities to teach the med students. Housing is so cheap I could get a hot tub and have a garage for my tools! Very well established (1974!) with a large alumni base nationwide and a ton of in-house fellowships (7!) for whatever niche I may want. They have the guy that invented the HEART score. The people in Winston Salem and in the hospital are super nice. Would be nice to not get told to F-off by the nurse for a whole shift. WS is definitely small, but is growing quickly with lots of young restaurants/breweries and stuff...they recently got a Trader Joe’s! Close to mountains is a plus.
Cons: Kind of a PITA to get home from here, need to drive to Charlotte to get a reasonable direct flight. May get bored in WS.
9) NC- Vidant Health/East Carolina University Program
Diverse population
Pros: Level 1 trauma, ECU provides care for most of east NC so they see tons of pathology, university center in community setting, EPIC, moonlighting 3rd year
Cons: poor inservice exam score per PD, PD was a little off for my taste, none of the interviewers seemed to care, only 2 residents came for the preinterview dinner and they left early, residents did not seem to like it here, there is NOTHING to do in this small town, oral board prep is only once a year also per PD
12) NC- Vidant Health/East Carolina University Program
Just got a weird vibe overall here.
16) NC- Vidant Health/East Carolina University Program
I really wanted to like this program. Again, high volume high acuity. Seems to have a great setup to be a very strong program but my interview experience was really not great. Just a bizarre experience and none of my interviews felt like they were well put together. Mentioned some potentially serious logistical issues within the department.
This just didn't seem like a place I would thrive.
9) NC- Vidant Health/East Carolina University Program
Large volume, high acuity. Loved the energy of the PD. Strong EMS curriculum. Location dropped it low on my list. Greenville is in the middle of no where. Program coordinator had very bad communication, which did not leave a good impression. Only 3 residents showed up to pre-interview social. They provided a hotel and shuttle for the interview, which was super nice.
10) NC- Vidant Health/East Carolina University Program
Just did not fit in here. Most awkward interviews of my life.
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9) OH- Mercy St. Ritas
Mercy St. Rita's in Ohio - large catchment area; will serve a lot of the sick farmer type; new program but they seem to have things figured out and the hospital is funneling a lot of money into GME; they are also starting their first surgery and IM programs which worries me about too many moving parts that will be tough to manage for the hospital; the location is kind of crappy with nothing around for about an hour; a ways away from family so might as well go to a nicer location
7) OH- University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program
Obviously a fantastic program, IMO the best training program in the country. HEMS experience is incredible and seems like a cool opportunity. Would have amazing resources and could do anything after training here. Not ranking this higher hurts but did not like Cincinnati and can't imagine living there.
9) OH- University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program
I'm so sad to have ranked Cinci this far down. This program is perfect, but the mandatory (I asked on my IV, they said it's mandatory) helicopter program was a deal breaker for me.
A historic program that truly lives up to its name, but with a laid back vibe. They have been churning out future PDs, Department Chairs, and have incredible job/fellowship placement.
Amazing peds experience. Amazing clinical training in the SRU. streamlined curriculum. Seriously badass. Such an easy stress free interview process with the hotel provided and shuttles to dinner and interview. Wish this had worked out
1) OH- U of Cincinnati
legendary program, incredibly laid back and nice but accomplishing big things. Helicopter program sounds bada**, incredible job/fellow placements, EM is highly respected in the hospital/ on off service rotations, CC great. Cinci was a better city than I expected. Loved every single thing
7) OH- University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program
Legendary program. Relatives have trained there and rave about it. I loved it and all of the people there. My brother lives in Cincinnati as well. S/O and I are not crazy about the city itself and never have been. Also bumped down a bit because of the heavy emphasis on flight med (RIP Kobe).
1) MA- Boston University Medical Center
Excellent interview experience with very friendly residents, mission devoted to service and diversity, hospital with historical roots in the community, desirable location for me personally
4) OH- Akron General Medical Center/NEOMED Program
This is actually for Summa Health but it wasn’t a choice in the drop down.
Program actually seems like it will be good, they put a lot of work into finding faculty to build the residency into what it should be. Was told by the coordinator that there are contracts and stops put in place to prevent issues they had previous when accreditation was lost. Definitely taking a chance here but did get a good overall vibe.
Cons: Obviously Summa’s past is a lingering black cloud.
9) OH- Ohio State University Hospital Program
Good volume and pathology. PD and Faculty seemed cool. Didactics were very engaging. top-notch ultrasound curriculum. Columbus is a nice place to live with good COL. month long rotation in Hawaii. ED was very nice and big
Cons: Too academic. Residents echoed that they did not get enough really sick kids. Have reputation of being kind of arrogant. Too consult heavy
10) OH- Ohio State University Hospital Program
Pros: super nice facilities, curriculum sounded good, seemed like they get a pretty diverse and high acuity patient population. Faculty seemed to care a ton about education and the wellbeing of their residents. Columbus seems like an easy place to live in with low COL. It was a place I could totally see myself working at some day but just didn't feel like the right fit for me right now.
Cons: Just really did not fit with the residents, tho Columbus is nice it was beaten out by other cities I interviewed in.
14) OH- Ohio State University Hospital Program
Great program. just not wild about Columbus relative to everything else on my list. Also a bit too academic for my taste without the tiniest shred of county.
11) OH- Ohio State University Hospital Program
Nice academic/community vibe. 3 years. No county sites. Trauma leaves some to be desired. Columbus is meh. Ohio is even more meh. Kind of weird interviews from what I remember.
8) OH- Ohio State University Hospital Program
Pros: the nicest support staff, everyone went out of their way to make it a great day. Dinner was fun and well-attended. Really care about resident wellness (attendings even offer babysitting on residency event nights). Columbus has more going for it than I would imagine (a couple faculty members even own breweries in town where journal club is held occasionally). Amazing facilities and everything is pretty easy to get around to in town between sites. COL is good.
Cons: Don't have a big draw to Ohio and ultimately loved other programs more but I would be really happy if I ended up here still.
11) OH- Case Western Reserve University (MetroHealth) Program
Pros: 3 years. Adequate training. Split sites offers broad training experience
Cons: No support in area. Do not think I'd enjoy living in Cleveland. Limited opportunities for my niche.
6) OH- Case Western Reserve University (MetroHealth) Program
Program seemed like it would provide excellent training. Good mix of academics at cleveland clinic and county at metro. Curriculum doesn't have a lot of fat. Residents were people that I would enjoy working with. Good alumni network and job prospects
Cons: Seemed very burned out. Worried there is not enough peds exposure. They are weird about using dictation. Did not get good vibes from PD. Interview day was kind of a disaster
8) OH- Case Western Reserve (MetroHealth)
I like the mix between county and academic - I was expecting this to be higher on my list, but I just didn't get good vibes on my IV day. Not any 1 con stood out just my gut wasn't in it. Cool helicopter experiences and I think they come out well trained. Cleveland is meh.
3) OH- Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center Program
I felt like all the faculty were just so passionate about being there. The intern report didactic seemed like it would fit my learning style. Residents seemed very happy. 12 hour shifts on weekend, so you get more weekends off. Good work/life balance. Good peds exposure.
Cons: not as big of a name in the EM world. Just came off academic warning. EMR is allscripts, Graduated responsibility. Job prospects may not be as good as some of the other programs on my list, but I feel like my QOL here counteracts that.
3) OH- University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program
This program was a complete surprise to me and had major feels during my interview day, interviewed there because I've heard great things but its location had it low on my pre-interview list.
Pros: Badass program with great reputation, high volume, high acuity, supervisory experience (but only as 4s), great med ed opportunities. I also just loved loved loved the residents here. Felt like they had a great family vibe (non-medial SOs at dinner) and really enjoyed spending time together. Many leadership opportunities both locally and nationally. Loved the PD.
Cons: Cincinnati did surprise me in how much it had going on, but I couldn't get fully excited about living there. Major con for me and a big part of why it feel to 3 was the amount of flying they do. I can see how it would be a great learning experience to be a solo doc but I felt my time could be better spent in the ED or exploring other interests rather than doing the job that 95% of HEMS programs in the country have nurses and paramedics doing (not saying its bad to have a doc, just a personal opinion on my training) .
8) OH- University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program
Cincy turned out to be a pleasant surprise and I enjoyed the city much more than I expected. Reminded me of Detroit in the way it's coming back and revitalizing almost everywhere. Loved every aspect of their curriculum and the graduated responsibility with specific roles for each training year. Got along really well with the residents and loved seeing how many even brought their kids to the interview dinner. Could really see myself at this program and would be happy to match here but it's too far away from family.
17) University of Pittsburgh
Pro: excellent 3 year training, resident run EMS vehicle, cool city with lots of sports and good nature around
Cons: dinner was awkward and residents huddled together then were largely absent on interview day. I just didn't jive with them. The Chair of the department came to speak and was really the reason I was turned off. Didn't hear the word wellness once all da
1) PA- UPMC (Pittsburgh)
Vibed really well with the people. Multiple training sites seems like it will prepare you for anything. Excellent EMS experience. 18+2 shift structure gives you the opportunity to explore interests. Good peds exposure. Huge alumni network with great job prospects. Pittsburgh seems like a cool city, without having a huge COL or horrible commutes.
Cons: Seems like a decent amount of scutwork during off-service intern year. rumors that they work too much and are burned out (I did not personally get this impression)
3) SC- Prisma Health-Midlands/University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Columbia Program
Loved the PD and the residents. Hours bank that allows for more flexible scheduling. Longitudinal peds and trauma. Patient pop was super sick. Residents really knew their stuff.
8) SC- Prisma Health-Midlands/University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Columbia Program
Pros: Huge global health opportunities. PD seemed awesome. Really busy. Warm weather. Low COL.
Cons: None
9) SC- Prisma Health-Upstate/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville Program
I had a uniquely rough experience on my rotation here that I don't think represents the program as a whole. I know several people who have personally had great experiences. The PD is truly amazing and there are many, many great faculty here. They have a great academic-community hybrid program that I think provides a great depth of training. I just worked with several female faculty members that were very hard on me, in a way that really disappointed me because I always hope that women will support women but I didn't find that to always be true. A lot of my evaluation comments were about how I was quiet and soft-spoken and the were worried that I lacked confidence and I did not have the same experience on my other 2 rotations so I'm just not sure what happened there but it left a bad taste in my mouth.
2) SC- Prisma Health-Upstate/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville Program
Pros: Great newer program. Greenville seems like a great place to live. PD is awesome, overall faculty there seem amazing and enthusiastic about their residents and the program. Hospital feels like the right mix between having enough resources and not having so many residents/fellowships to consult and poach patients.
6) SC- Prisma Health-Midlands/University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Columbia Program
AMAZING global health opportunities. Dr. Cook seemed to really care about his residents, and finding residents that wanted to truly come there. You can tell you'll get your hands dirty with this program.
Cons: literally only being in Columbia
4) SC- Prisma Health-Midlands/University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Columbia Program
Pros: PD is great. Acuity here is awesome - very much a resident run program if that's your thing. You'll get lots of procedures.
Cons: A bit too "trial by fire" for me as an intern. Columbia isn't as exciting of a city (resident quoted saying "it's not as bad as people say"), but very affordable.
Cons: newer program, more limited in fellowship opportunities.
14) SC- Prisma Health-Upstate/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville Program
Rotated here. Loved the location, PD is outstanding. Really awesome opportunity to be part of a growing program which I really believe with be exceptional very soon.
Didn't rank it higher because SO wouldn't be able to find a job here. Otherwise, would have easily been 6-8 spots higher.
4) SC- Prisma Health Upstate Greenville
I was surprised by how much I loved this program. PD has so much energy and she is definitely taking this program to great places. Great ICU experience. High volume ED, high acuity. Perks like meal stipend and free parking. Greenville is a cool and up and coming city. Residents were cool. Program provided a hotel for interview day.
1) SC- Prisma Health-Midlands/University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Columbia Program
Pros: Great program overall, well-established. Awesome faculty (some griping and complaining but nothing more than anticipated). Everyone seemed to enjoy teaching (residents, core faculty, non-faculty attendings); great moonlighting opportunities; great pediatrics exposure. Great benefits; meals covered, free parking; PD is big in the ultrasound world and it definitely shows in the training that the residents and students receive. Also big focus on sim training and tox. Well-rounded program. Live PD films in Richland County and sometimes you'll see your patients on there... so that's cool, I guess?
Cons: Columbia isn't the greatest city in the world but it's also not the worst. Cost of living is low and there's still a lot of stuff to do during downtime (Lake Murray; downtown scene; college sports). The ED definitely gets super busy (they'll sometimes be putting patients in the middle area where the doctors sit - not just next to it on the other side of the desks, but in the actual middle area, ridiculous and I'm pretty sure this has be be violating some sort of regulation).
14) SC- Prisma Health-Upstate/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville Program
Awesome TriBred program in an AWESOME mountain town. Hospital is super nice and benefits are amazing. Faculty here were lovely - felt like I’d be nurtured as really set up to succeed coming out of here in terms of med Ed and general training. The residents were really cool, but a little older and settled down. If you’re gonna live somewhere rural, Greenville is a pretty great place to be.
Cons: very new and very rural, could definitely get bored here. Absolute PITA to fly anywhere from here. Limited alumni network
1) SC- Medical University of South Carolina Program
Pros: Happy residents, 1:1 with attendings, global health options, longitudinal peds, level 1 trauma, 12 blocks, EPIC, PD was the best I met on the trail, Charleston is an awesome location, SO happy here, this just “felt” right for me, residents get along great and hang out outside of work
Cons: high COL, no community rotations
5) SC- Medical University of South Carolina Program
Enjoyed this program. The tarantula during the interview is definitely memorable. Residents seem close.
Cons: cost of living honestly. Also, questionable acuity that I couldn't get myself completely on board with, which is why they're 5.
7) SC- Medical University of South Carolina Program
Pros: Charleston is great. Incredible weather. Everyone was very friendly and enthusiastic. If I didnt get one of my top programs this would be a great place to live and work.
Cons: I don't really have anything bad to say about them, but they also didnt stand out in any major way. I wanted more of an urban underserved population and wasnt sure I would get that here.
8) SC- Medical University of South Carolina Program
Pros: loved the PD and faculty, beautiful hospital and grounds, laid-back and fun residents, all of them seem like they hang out after work and are genuinely happy at their program, free access to MUSC gym/rec center, free phone, state-of-the-art SIM center, work 9s with 1 hour of overlap 21/20/19 on month long blocks, 2 months of electives, a lot of fellowship opportunities, EPIC EMR, moonlighting in PGY3, good peds experience (longitudinal) Charleston is an awesome city that I could live in for 3 years, close to the beach, great food
Cons: poor trauma experience, separate trauma center with only one month there in PGY2, longitudinal shifts in trauma site, also they have a chest pain center separate from the regular ED that you take shifts at each ED month, not sure how to feel about a separate chest pain center but residents didn't seem to mind it, less procedures and lower acuity than the other programs I've listed, COL in Charleston is higher than other programs, salary is not inflated to the COL, very low food stipend at work, you have to pay for parking and health insurance
7) SC- Medical University of South Carolina
Very well rounded program without major deficits. PD is michael scott. Happy residents. Tertiary hospital with many resources. Charleston is beautiful with lots of history and good food. Good work/life balance. Cons: Program wasnt great at anything, not many opportunities for fellowship
3) SC- Medical University of South Carolina Program
Pros: Really got the feels here. PD is awesome and makes you feel right at home. Residents are really chill and they seem to enjoy themselves. Charleston is an awesome place to be.
Cons: Question the acuity some. SO isn't as enthused about Charleston (which is weird because she's the only female I know that doesn't love it).
6) SC- Medical University of South Carolina Program
Fun outdoorsy residents, and young, supportive, funny faculty. Program Director is a walking dad joke, and Melanie, the coordinator, was one of the nicest people I met on the trail. Campus was surprisingly impressive, beautiful, but with a weird hybrid sort of system where they see medically complex well connected patients in their “Chest Pain ED,” which didn’t seem like a detriment, but did seem weird. Minimal time off-service and in the ICU which is nice, very humane schedule, tons of moonlighting opportunities. Charleston is AMAZING - world class food and bar scene, great proximity to the ocean and outdoor activities, and very reasonable COL. SO loved it here.
Cons: Academic opportunities and alumni network are definitely less than my other tops, would need to do a fellowship for academics. Medical acuity and trauma both seemed a bit lacking. People of Charleston looked at me like I had 2 heads when I said I was lactose intolerant.
5) TN- UT Nashville
Absolutely loved the PD here. Dr. Reiter is the man, and is the former president of AAEM. Several of the faculty are current or former high ranking AAEM leadership. This is the only place where I felt they would plug me in for a future in the business of medicine in a very real way. Virtually unopposed in the hospital, great 1:1 teaching, cool residents, and great benefits. Would’ve been way higher on my list but employment options for my SO are not the best. Nashville is great though.
Cons: newer program, virtually no one goes into academics, pretty minimal med-Ed opportunities.
18) TN- University of Tennessee Murfreesboro
This program would have been much higher on my list, but my partner did not get any interviews in the area. This program is a hidden gem
10) TN- Vanderbilt
Pros- 3 years. Residents seemed really happy. Nashville has pretty good cost of living. Excellent reputation in EM.
Cons- Didn't drink the Slovis kool-aid to begin with, and now that he's stepping down even less so. Far from family. TN is probably a little too southern for our taste.
7) TN- Vanderbilt
Pros - loved all the fellowships this program had to offer, residents all seemed nice, 3 year academic program, well known name
Cons - would have ranked this higher but was not sold on living in Nashville
2) TN- Vanderbilt
Pros: Grew up recognizing Vanderbilt as "the Harvard of the South" so good name recognition. Personable PD and residents. S/O would have an easier time finding a job. Nashville can be fun sometimes (see below).
Cons: Nervous about starting under a new chair. Slovis asked me "any other questions?" for 20 minutes. Nashville is fun but is still pretty honky tonk and tourist heavy (which is apparently part of its appeal or something). Less reasonable COL. Was told pretty outright that my research interests wouldn't be a great fit for the Nashville demographic.
1) TN- Vanderbilt
Felt like the ultimate fit. Great EMS experiences available. Fantastic leadership. Love Nashville.
6) TN- Vanderbilt
Partner likes Nashville as a location so this is higher up on my ROL than it normally would have been. My interview day was incredibly unorganized so I left with a bad impression. However, I know this program has great opportunities in medical education. Lots of fun events in Nashville.
4) TN- Vanderbilt
the more I write, the more I realize that it was 100% vibes for the vast majority of my rank list but anyways:
Pros: Obviously great reputation. Really loved how they value both great learning how to be a EM doc and learning how to be a great educator. Liked that they have a chief year as a 4th year (which seems to mostly be people interested in med ed) so saw it kinda as a 3+1 opportunity. Loved the people, had a ton of fun at the pre-interview dinner. Nashville was also awesome but a little on the smaller/touristy side for us and we had trouble picturing ourselves in the South.
Cons: Wasn't convinced about the volume/acuity. For a place that emphasizes teaching, they have no real clinical supervisory role for senior residents.
9) TN- Vanderbilt
Another poor interview experience. Have since talked to others that enjoyed the day, and that changed my mind a bit. Impressed by the trauma set up, acuity, and preparedness of the residents. 1787894732894729384 fellowships offered. Dr. Slovis is stepping down but will still be around. I went to undergrad at Vandy and go back all the time. I think I need a change of scenery from Nashville.
5) TN- Vanderbilt
Lived up to the hype. Residents loved the program/leadership team. Really enjoyed meeting everyone in the pre-interview dinner. Strong didactics. Loved nashville. Less community opportunities.
8) TN- Vanderbilt
pros: speaks for itself and Im sure 100 other ppl will comment on the strength of this program
Cons: Slovis leaving, doubt I would match if i put #1 (everyone on trail loves Vandy, UC, and emory equally seems like), nothing too sexy when I visited
5) TN- Vanderbilt
Well known academic EM center. Will have great opportunities here and will make me an educator. Fantastic faculty and residents. SLOVIS. Great reputation and job placement. Cons: Nashville wasnt my jam, I should like this program more but didnt have the feels
2) TN- Vanderbilt
This program gets rave reviews overall, I rarely hear anything negative about it except all the didactic and classroom learning (which, why is this a negative again? people putting in all this work to deliver organized curriculum.) It didn't fail to impress. I can tell these residents get out in 3 years more than most do in 4. I love the intentional curriculum, it feels like they really go out of their way to help you learn. Loved the leadership, too bad the Slovis legend isn't as present anymore, but I can tell his ways live on. Nashville is cool. Would be thrilled to end up here.
4) UT- Murfreessboro
UT- Murfeesboro
Pros: PD had a clear vision that I loved. Pretty much unopposed. Great work life balance. Felt like they were a "real world" ED place. Would be higher but SO likes other cities better.
Cons: just farther from family.
18) TN- University of Tennessee Murfreesboro
8) TN- University of Tennessee College of Medicine at Chattanooga Program
Pros- High volume/acuity for training. Chattanooga is outdoorsy and has a lot of cute restaurants and bars.
Cons- Very few female faculty and the (one of three) female faculty members that I interviewed with said the female residents still experience overt sexism on their off-service rotations. Overall I felt the PD had a pretty weak sales pitch of the program and was just like "hey we exist, come here if you like." Also only 2 residents came to the dinner and one of them was SUPER weird and that had a pretty negative impact on me.
8) TN- University of Tennessee College of Medicine at Memphis Program
a. Pros: PD is a bulldog (will go to war for his residents), faculty very dedicated to program improvement, TONS of procedures just like CHRISTUS (but not doing thoracotomies like you would at CHRISTUS), very sick population just like Detroit (tons of strokes, MIs, renal failure), new ED, hit the ground running (PD emphasizes interns seeing the sickest pts on Day 1), low COL, amazing BBQ, tons of outdoor activities nearby, small resident class size (6), large catchment area. Residents are genuine and my type.
b. Cons: new program so turf battle dispute (getting better per PD), trauma goes to Regional One center so when at Methodist Hospital (main site) you see minimal trauma, job opportunities for wifey, Reputation outside of TN? Humid summer. Super far from home (I'm tired of routinely missing family and friend functions for the past 4 years).
7) VA- Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Program
Pros: PD and residents were all nice and V chill. Seems like a great setup. Close to fam.
Cons: Would be higher but SO didn't like Richmond too much.
2) VA- Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Program
Pros:
-This was one of the programs that surprised me. I really bought the "county feel with academic resources" vibe that they seemed to be trying to sell.
-Program leadership seemed very supportive and transparent. Seemed to be working to improve the off-service experience.
-Very strong ultrasound presence (and subspecialty in general) which was a plus for me.
-Probably some of a happiest residents I met.
-Richmond was one of my favorite cities of any interview.
Cons:
-SO wasn't especially thrilled about the location.
-Prefer Epic to Cerner but that's not really a reason to change ROL.
2) VA- Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Program
Pros:
-This was one of the programs that surprised me. I really bought the "county feel with academic resources" vibe that they seemed to be trying to sell.
-Program leadership seemed very supportive and transparent. Seemed to be working to improve the off-service experience.
-Very strong ultrasound presence (and subspecialty in general) which was a plus for me.
-Probably some of a happiest residents I met.
-Richmond was one of my favorite cities of any interview.
13) VA- Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Program
Pro: Liked the residents and PD a lot, all friendly. Dinner was delicious. Richmond was cooler than I expected and reasonable COL. They're trauma bay was pretty neat, spacious.
Con: no ties to the city at all and just didn't weigh up against some of the more well-known programs I went to.
2) VA- Eastern Virginia Medical School Program
Pros: Residents were very nice, family oriented, most had dogs, really love the area. ED staffed by private group with a little more cash to spend on perks like journal club with fam invited, catered lunch for didactics, resident retreat. New years or xmas off in addition to 15 days. IM Critical Care fellowship open to EM. Day float ICU rotation, and on that note lots of rotations very m-f 9-5 feel. Flight opps from day one. 2 month orientation. Send interns to SAEM and others. Dragon dictation, epic. Extensive alumni base, old program, well established. Allegedly can get an Emergency response vehicle with lights and sirens.I like the multiple sites longitudinally instead of one hospital each month vibe. Beach eating.
Cons: Location is great, but far from home. Concern for trauma exposure given hx of malignancy in surgery program.
10) VA- Eastern Virginia Medical School Program
Great leadership, one of my favorite PDs.
Liked the fact that they are associated with an SDG which hires a lot of their grads but also worried that they might just be focused on training residents to fit that specific need.
Overall seemed very solid just without anything exceptional.
7) VA- Eastern Virginia Medical School Program
Pros: Beach location, good amount of sunshine and warm weather, low COL, seafood. Vibed the best with this PD compared to any other on the trail. Residents were chill. LOT, burn center, high volume and acuity. Dragon, ROSH, moonlighting, discounted gym memberships, beaches, nice area to live around hospital, easy to fly in and out, conferences every year, single plan insurance paid by program, meal funds per year. Good mix of academic center and community ED shifts. No ortho residency so more procedures on my own. Not a CMG. REST month to handle only sickest of sick before graduating.
Cons: Another trauma-surg runs the show shop.Majority is blunt so lacking in the knife and gun club scene. One of the residents on interview day was super odd and off putting.
Would still be happy to match here.
Wanted to rank higher bc I really connected with the PD and think he's amazing. Also left here feeling wanted. Didn't vibe with the residents at all and overall just nothing major stood out to me here.
3) VA- Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Program
Pros-Carilion has a huge catchment area and tons of very sick patients, and I feel confident I would be very well trained here. In addition to the main hospital in Roanoke there are also opportunities to work at very rural hospitals and the program seems very open to moonlighting. I really liked all of the residents and faculty I met*, they seemed like cool, down to earth people
Cons-*The PD is both a pro and a con for me. He seems like a very passionate person who would go to bat for his residents and wants the program to succeed. I also think this is because he seems like kind of a narcissist and probably just views that as a reflection of himself and it is important for his ego, but I'll take it. Roanoke, VA is also a bit of a pro/con; the surrounding area is beautiful and has tons of hiking, but my little foodie heart hurts a little about the restaurant scene (which is not barren but certainly on the sparser side.)
2) VA- Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Program
Pros: Had a good time with the residents, family is close, huge # of outdoor activities, pretty much unopposed, low COL, mid sized city.
Cons: none
3) VA- Virginia Tech Carilion
Outdoors mecca as far as EM residencies are concerned. Very diverse and underserved patient population. Enthusiastic new PD in a well respected program with EM leadership throughout hospital. Lots of opportunities for guidance towards fellowships. Residents very happy with low shift load (all 8s with low #/month). Albuquerque was an interesting city with great food. Lots of trauma with huge catchment. Excellent crit care training and many dual trained faculty. Cons: some areas of ABQ with lots of crime, less on shift training, fewer benefits
2) VA- Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Program
Loved the message of the program. The desire to be more than just a "clock-in clock-out" doctor. PD reminded me a little bit of Gilderoy Lockhart....but he was
5) VA- Riverside Regional
new program but the PD has a ton of experience leading a program as the previous Naval PD; nice hospital with a good volume; it sounds like residents will get a lot of autonomy; nice beach nearby and pretty good weather, cheap COL; may have ranked higher if I didn't get the vibe the PD did not want me there that day, and if I was not asked if I thought I was competitive 15 minutes later by a EM program secretary in the lounge
6) VA- Riverside
This seems like a great new program. Always a little nerve wracking to be the first class but the PD has a lot of experience as a PD and seems like he knows what he's doing. He has a lot of support from some great faculty as well as support from the hospital administration. I talked with some rotating students and they said there's good pathology and a decent amount of trauma here as well as plenty of procedures to go around. I would be happy matching here.
8) WV- West Virginia University Program
Loved the female PD and family-focused feel of the program, they clearly care about their residents, its a truly beautiful facility
Cons: Personally, West Virginia isn't my first choice of location
7) WV- Charleston Area Medical Center Program
Unopposed, lots of procedural experience for residents. Not a huge fan of the area, residents were a lot nonchalant about everything. Educationally strong. Was pleasantly surprised by them.
5) WV- West Virginia University Program
Pros: fam close. great faculty and residents. Rural rotations.outdoors stuff. PD was cool.
Cons: Have to go to a Big 12 school lol
10) WV- West Virginia University Program
Strong academic program. Residents are very close knit and it has a family atmosphere in the program. Lack of diversity is alarming. Nothing to do in Morgrantown. ED volume at main site is not that high ~60k/year
7) WV- West Virginia University Program
-I actually almost cancelled my interview here but was very pleasantly surprised. I think this was the best group of residents I met. Really got along with them well and had some great conversations with residents and spouses. Really had some good feels about the people and the culture of the program.
-The PD seemed really passionate about the program and the other interviews really highlighted the strengths of the program.
-Major emphasis on ultrasound and teaching with the medical school
-Defined role in traumas
Morgantown wasn't my favorite location but I could still see myself living there.
I came in a little worried about the volume/acuity but left feeling reassured about it (though I don't remember why).
Mercy St. Rita's in Ohio - large catchment area; will serve a lot of the sick farmer type; new program but they seem to have things figured out and the hospital is funneling a lot of money into GME; they are also starting their first surgery and IM programs which worries me about too many moving parts that will be tough to manage for the hospital; the location is kind of crappy with nothing around for about an hour; a ways away from family so might as well go to a nicer location
7) OH- University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program
Obviously a fantastic program, IMO the best training program in the country. HEMS experience is incredible and seems like a cool opportunity. Would have amazing resources and could do anything after training here. Not ranking this higher hurts but did not like Cincinnati and can't imagine living there.
9) OH- University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program
I'm so sad to have ranked Cinci this far down. This program is perfect, but the mandatory (I asked on my IV, they said it's mandatory) helicopter program was a deal breaker for me.
A historic program that truly lives up to its name, but with a laid back vibe. They have been churning out future PDs, Department Chairs, and have incredible job/fellowship placement.
Amazing peds experience. Amazing clinical training in the SRU. streamlined curriculum. Seriously badass. Such an easy stress free interview process with the hotel provided and shuttles to dinner and interview. Wish this had worked out
1) OH- U of Cincinnati
legendary program, incredibly laid back and nice but accomplishing big things. Helicopter program sounds bada**, incredible job/fellow placements, EM is highly respected in the hospital/ on off service rotations, CC great. Cinci was a better city than I expected. Loved every single thing
7) OH- University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program
Legendary program. Relatives have trained there and rave about it. I loved it and all of the people there. My brother lives in Cincinnati as well. S/O and I are not crazy about the city itself and never have been. Also bumped down a bit because of the heavy emphasis on flight med (RIP Kobe).
1) MA- Boston University Medical Center
Excellent interview experience with very friendly residents, mission devoted to service and diversity, hospital with historical roots in the community, desirable location for me personally
4) OH- Akron General Medical Center/NEOMED Program
This is actually for Summa Health but it wasn’t a choice in the drop down.
Program actually seems like it will be good, they put a lot of work into finding faculty to build the residency into what it should be. Was told by the coordinator that there are contracts and stops put in place to prevent issues they had previous when accreditation was lost. Definitely taking a chance here but did get a good overall vibe.
Cons: Obviously Summa’s past is a lingering black cloud.
9) OH- Ohio State University Hospital Program
Good volume and pathology. PD and Faculty seemed cool. Didactics were very engaging. top-notch ultrasound curriculum. Columbus is a nice place to live with good COL. month long rotation in Hawaii. ED was very nice and big
Cons: Too academic. Residents echoed that they did not get enough really sick kids. Have reputation of being kind of arrogant. Too consult heavy
10) OH- Ohio State University Hospital Program
Pros: super nice facilities, curriculum sounded good, seemed like they get a pretty diverse and high acuity patient population. Faculty seemed to care a ton about education and the wellbeing of their residents. Columbus seems like an easy place to live in with low COL. It was a place I could totally see myself working at some day but just didn't feel like the right fit for me right now.
Cons: Just really did not fit with the residents, tho Columbus is nice it was beaten out by other cities I interviewed in.
14) OH- Ohio State University Hospital Program
Great program. just not wild about Columbus relative to everything else on my list. Also a bit too academic for my taste without the tiniest shred of county.
11) OH- Ohio State University Hospital Program
Nice academic/community vibe. 3 years. No county sites. Trauma leaves some to be desired. Columbus is meh. Ohio is even more meh. Kind of weird interviews from what I remember.
8) OH- Ohio State University Hospital Program
Pros: the nicest support staff, everyone went out of their way to make it a great day. Dinner was fun and well-attended. Really care about resident wellness (attendings even offer babysitting on residency event nights). Columbus has more going for it than I would imagine (a couple faculty members even own breweries in town where journal club is held occasionally). Amazing facilities and everything is pretty easy to get around to in town between sites. COL is good.
Cons: Don't have a big draw to Ohio and ultimately loved other programs more but I would be really happy if I ended up here still.
11) OH- Case Western Reserve University (MetroHealth) Program
Pros: 3 years. Adequate training. Split sites offers broad training experience
Cons: No support in area. Do not think I'd enjoy living in Cleveland. Limited opportunities for my niche.
6) OH- Case Western Reserve University (MetroHealth) Program
Program seemed like it would provide excellent training. Good mix of academics at cleveland clinic and county at metro. Curriculum doesn't have a lot of fat. Residents were people that I would enjoy working with. Good alumni network and job prospects
Cons: Seemed very burned out. Worried there is not enough peds exposure. They are weird about using dictation. Did not get good vibes from PD. Interview day was kind of a disaster
8) OH- Case Western Reserve (MetroHealth)
I like the mix between county and academic - I was expecting this to be higher on my list, but I just didn't get good vibes on my IV day. Not any 1 con stood out just my gut wasn't in it. Cool helicopter experiences and I think they come out well trained. Cleveland is meh.
3) OH- Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center Program
I felt like all the faculty were just so passionate about being there. The intern report didactic seemed like it would fit my learning style. Residents seemed very happy. 12 hour shifts on weekend, so you get more weekends off. Good work/life balance. Good peds exposure.
Cons: not as big of a name in the EM world. Just came off academic warning. EMR is allscripts, Graduated responsibility. Job prospects may not be as good as some of the other programs on my list, but I feel like my QOL here counteracts that.
3) OH- University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program
This program was a complete surprise to me and had major feels during my interview day, interviewed there because I've heard great things but its location had it low on my pre-interview list.
Pros: Badass program with great reputation, high volume, high acuity, supervisory experience (but only as 4s), great med ed opportunities. I also just loved loved loved the residents here. Felt like they had a great family vibe (non-medial SOs at dinner) and really enjoyed spending time together. Many leadership opportunities both locally and nationally. Loved the PD.
Cons: Cincinnati did surprise me in how much it had going on, but I couldn't get fully excited about living there. Major con for me and a big part of why it feel to 3 was the amount of flying they do. I can see how it would be a great learning experience to be a solo doc but I felt my time could be better spent in the ED or exploring other interests rather than doing the job that 95% of HEMS programs in the country have nurses and paramedics doing (not saying its bad to have a doc, just a personal opinion on my training) .
8) OH- University of Cincinnati Medical Center/College of Medicine Program
Cincy turned out to be a pleasant surprise and I enjoyed the city much more than I expected. Reminded me of Detroit in the way it's coming back and revitalizing almost everywhere. Loved every aspect of their curriculum and the graduated responsibility with specific roles for each training year. Got along really well with the residents and loved seeing how many even brought their kids to the interview dinner. Could really see myself at this program and would be happy to match here but it's too far away from family.
17) University of Pittsburgh
Pro: excellent 3 year training, resident run EMS vehicle, cool city with lots of sports and good nature around
Cons: dinner was awkward and residents huddled together then were largely absent on interview day. I just didn't jive with them. The Chair of the department came to speak and was really the reason I was turned off. Didn't hear the word wellness once all da
1) PA- UPMC (Pittsburgh)
Vibed really well with the people. Multiple training sites seems like it will prepare you for anything. Excellent EMS experience. 18+2 shift structure gives you the opportunity to explore interests. Good peds exposure. Huge alumni network with great job prospects. Pittsburgh seems like a cool city, without having a huge COL or horrible commutes.
Cons: Seems like a decent amount of scutwork during off-service intern year. rumors that they work too much and are burned out (I did not personally get this impression)
3) SC- Prisma Health-Midlands/University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Columbia Program
Loved the PD and the residents. Hours bank that allows for more flexible scheduling. Longitudinal peds and trauma. Patient pop was super sick. Residents really knew their stuff.
8) SC- Prisma Health-Midlands/University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Columbia Program
Pros: Huge global health opportunities. PD seemed awesome. Really busy. Warm weather. Low COL.
Cons: None
9) SC- Prisma Health-Upstate/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville Program
I had a uniquely rough experience on my rotation here that I don't think represents the program as a whole. I know several people who have personally had great experiences. The PD is truly amazing and there are many, many great faculty here. They have a great academic-community hybrid program that I think provides a great depth of training. I just worked with several female faculty members that were very hard on me, in a way that really disappointed me because I always hope that women will support women but I didn't find that to always be true. A lot of my evaluation comments were about how I was quiet and soft-spoken and the were worried that I lacked confidence and I did not have the same experience on my other 2 rotations so I'm just not sure what happened there but it left a bad taste in my mouth.
2) SC- Prisma Health-Upstate/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville Program
Pros: Great newer program. Greenville seems like a great place to live. PD is awesome, overall faculty there seem amazing and enthusiastic about their residents and the program. Hospital feels like the right mix between having enough resources and not having so many residents/fellowships to consult and poach patients.
6) SC- Prisma Health-Midlands/University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Columbia Program
AMAZING global health opportunities. Dr. Cook seemed to really care about his residents, and finding residents that wanted to truly come there. You can tell you'll get your hands dirty with this program.
Cons: literally only being in Columbia
4) SC- Prisma Health-Midlands/University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Columbia Program
Pros: PD is great. Acuity here is awesome - very much a resident run program if that's your thing. You'll get lots of procedures.
Cons: A bit too "trial by fire" for me as an intern. Columbia isn't as exciting of a city (resident quoted saying "it's not as bad as people say"), but very affordable.
Cons: newer program, more limited in fellowship opportunities.
14) SC- Prisma Health-Upstate/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville Program
Rotated here. Loved the location, PD is outstanding. Really awesome opportunity to be part of a growing program which I really believe with be exceptional very soon.
Didn't rank it higher because SO wouldn't be able to find a job here. Otherwise, would have easily been 6-8 spots higher.
4) SC- Prisma Health Upstate Greenville
I was surprised by how much I loved this program. PD has so much energy and she is definitely taking this program to great places. Great ICU experience. High volume ED, high acuity. Perks like meal stipend and free parking. Greenville is a cool and up and coming city. Residents were cool. Program provided a hotel for interview day.
1) SC- Prisma Health-Midlands/University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Columbia Program
Pros: Great program overall, well-established. Awesome faculty (some griping and complaining but nothing more than anticipated). Everyone seemed to enjoy teaching (residents, core faculty, non-faculty attendings); great moonlighting opportunities; great pediatrics exposure. Great benefits; meals covered, free parking; PD is big in the ultrasound world and it definitely shows in the training that the residents and students receive. Also big focus on sim training and tox. Well-rounded program. Live PD films in Richland County and sometimes you'll see your patients on there... so that's cool, I guess?
Cons: Columbia isn't the greatest city in the world but it's also not the worst. Cost of living is low and there's still a lot of stuff to do during downtime (Lake Murray; downtown scene; college sports). The ED definitely gets super busy (they'll sometimes be putting patients in the middle area where the doctors sit - not just next to it on the other side of the desks, but in the actual middle area, ridiculous and I'm pretty sure this has be be violating some sort of regulation).
14) SC- Prisma Health-Upstate/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville Program
Awesome TriBred program in an AWESOME mountain town. Hospital is super nice and benefits are amazing. Faculty here were lovely - felt like I’d be nurtured as really set up to succeed coming out of here in terms of med Ed and general training. The residents were really cool, but a little older and settled down. If you’re gonna live somewhere rural, Greenville is a pretty great place to be.
Cons: very new and very rural, could definitely get bored here. Absolute PITA to fly anywhere from here. Limited alumni network
1) SC- Medical University of South Carolina Program
Pros: Happy residents, 1:1 with attendings, global health options, longitudinal peds, level 1 trauma, 12 blocks, EPIC, PD was the best I met on the trail, Charleston is an awesome location, SO happy here, this just “felt” right for me, residents get along great and hang out outside of work
Cons: high COL, no community rotations
5) SC- Medical University of South Carolina Program
Enjoyed this program. The tarantula during the interview is definitely memorable. Residents seem close.
Cons: cost of living honestly. Also, questionable acuity that I couldn't get myself completely on board with, which is why they're 5.
7) SC- Medical University of South Carolina Program
Pros: Charleston is great. Incredible weather. Everyone was very friendly and enthusiastic. If I didnt get one of my top programs this would be a great place to live and work.
Cons: I don't really have anything bad to say about them, but they also didnt stand out in any major way. I wanted more of an urban underserved population and wasnt sure I would get that here.
8) SC- Medical University of South Carolina Program
Pros: loved the PD and faculty, beautiful hospital and grounds, laid-back and fun residents, all of them seem like they hang out after work and are genuinely happy at their program, free access to MUSC gym/rec center, free phone, state-of-the-art SIM center, work 9s with 1 hour of overlap 21/20/19 on month long blocks, 2 months of electives, a lot of fellowship opportunities, EPIC EMR, moonlighting in PGY3, good peds experience (longitudinal) Charleston is an awesome city that I could live in for 3 years, close to the beach, great food
Cons: poor trauma experience, separate trauma center with only one month there in PGY2, longitudinal shifts in trauma site, also they have a chest pain center separate from the regular ED that you take shifts at each ED month, not sure how to feel about a separate chest pain center but residents didn't seem to mind it, less procedures and lower acuity than the other programs I've listed, COL in Charleston is higher than other programs, salary is not inflated to the COL, very low food stipend at work, you have to pay for parking and health insurance
7) SC- Medical University of South Carolina
Very well rounded program without major deficits. PD is michael scott. Happy residents. Tertiary hospital with many resources. Charleston is beautiful with lots of history and good food. Good work/life balance. Cons: Program wasnt great at anything, not many opportunities for fellowship
3) SC- Medical University of South Carolina Program
Pros: Really got the feels here. PD is awesome and makes you feel right at home. Residents are really chill and they seem to enjoy themselves. Charleston is an awesome place to be.
Cons: Question the acuity some. SO isn't as enthused about Charleston (which is weird because she's the only female I know that doesn't love it).
6) SC- Medical University of South Carolina Program
Fun outdoorsy residents, and young, supportive, funny faculty. Program Director is a walking dad joke, and Melanie, the coordinator, was one of the nicest people I met on the trail. Campus was surprisingly impressive, beautiful, but with a weird hybrid sort of system where they see medically complex well connected patients in their “Chest Pain ED,” which didn’t seem like a detriment, but did seem weird. Minimal time off-service and in the ICU which is nice, very humane schedule, tons of moonlighting opportunities. Charleston is AMAZING - world class food and bar scene, great proximity to the ocean and outdoor activities, and very reasonable COL. SO loved it here.
Cons: Academic opportunities and alumni network are definitely less than my other tops, would need to do a fellowship for academics. Medical acuity and trauma both seemed a bit lacking. People of Charleston looked at me like I had 2 heads when I said I was lactose intolerant.
5) TN- UT Nashville
Absolutely loved the PD here. Dr. Reiter is the man, and is the former president of AAEM. Several of the faculty are current or former high ranking AAEM leadership. This is the only place where I felt they would plug me in for a future in the business of medicine in a very real way. Virtually unopposed in the hospital, great 1:1 teaching, cool residents, and great benefits. Would’ve been way higher on my list but employment options for my SO are not the best. Nashville is great though.
Cons: newer program, virtually no one goes into academics, pretty minimal med-Ed opportunities.
18) TN- University of Tennessee Murfreesboro
This program would have been much higher on my list, but my partner did not get any interviews in the area. This program is a hidden gem
10) TN- Vanderbilt
Pros- 3 years. Residents seemed really happy. Nashville has pretty good cost of living. Excellent reputation in EM.
Cons- Didn't drink the Slovis kool-aid to begin with, and now that he's stepping down even less so. Far from family. TN is probably a little too southern for our taste.
7) TN- Vanderbilt
Pros - loved all the fellowships this program had to offer, residents all seemed nice, 3 year academic program, well known name
Cons - would have ranked this higher but was not sold on living in Nashville
2) TN- Vanderbilt
Pros: Grew up recognizing Vanderbilt as "the Harvard of the South" so good name recognition. Personable PD and residents. S/O would have an easier time finding a job. Nashville can be fun sometimes (see below).
Cons: Nervous about starting under a new chair. Slovis asked me "any other questions?" for 20 minutes. Nashville is fun but is still pretty honky tonk and tourist heavy (which is apparently part of its appeal or something). Less reasonable COL. Was told pretty outright that my research interests wouldn't be a great fit for the Nashville demographic.
1) TN- Vanderbilt
Felt like the ultimate fit. Great EMS experiences available. Fantastic leadership. Love Nashville.
6) TN- Vanderbilt
Partner likes Nashville as a location so this is higher up on my ROL than it normally would have been. My interview day was incredibly unorganized so I left with a bad impression. However, I know this program has great opportunities in medical education. Lots of fun events in Nashville.
4) TN- Vanderbilt
the more I write, the more I realize that it was 100% vibes for the vast majority of my rank list but anyways:
Pros: Obviously great reputation. Really loved how they value both great learning how to be a EM doc and learning how to be a great educator. Liked that they have a chief year as a 4th year (which seems to mostly be people interested in med ed) so saw it kinda as a 3+1 opportunity. Loved the people, had a ton of fun at the pre-interview dinner. Nashville was also awesome but a little on the smaller/touristy side for us and we had trouble picturing ourselves in the South.
Cons: Wasn't convinced about the volume/acuity. For a place that emphasizes teaching, they have no real clinical supervisory role for senior residents.
9) TN- Vanderbilt
Another poor interview experience. Have since talked to others that enjoyed the day, and that changed my mind a bit. Impressed by the trauma set up, acuity, and preparedness of the residents. 1787894732894729384 fellowships offered. Dr. Slovis is stepping down but will still be around. I went to undergrad at Vandy and go back all the time. I think I need a change of scenery from Nashville.
5) TN- Vanderbilt
Lived up to the hype. Residents loved the program/leadership team. Really enjoyed meeting everyone in the pre-interview dinner. Strong didactics. Loved nashville. Less community opportunities.
8) TN- Vanderbilt
pros: speaks for itself and Im sure 100 other ppl will comment on the strength of this program
Cons: Slovis leaving, doubt I would match if i put #1 (everyone on trail loves Vandy, UC, and emory equally seems like), nothing too sexy when I visited
5) TN- Vanderbilt
Well known academic EM center. Will have great opportunities here and will make me an educator. Fantastic faculty and residents. SLOVIS. Great reputation and job placement. Cons: Nashville wasnt my jam, I should like this program more but didnt have the feels
2) TN- Vanderbilt
This program gets rave reviews overall, I rarely hear anything negative about it except all the didactic and classroom learning (which, why is this a negative again? people putting in all this work to deliver organized curriculum.) It didn't fail to impress. I can tell these residents get out in 3 years more than most do in 4. I love the intentional curriculum, it feels like they really go out of their way to help you learn. Loved the leadership, too bad the Slovis legend isn't as present anymore, but I can tell his ways live on. Nashville is cool. Would be thrilled to end up here.
4) UT- Murfreessboro
UT- Murfeesboro
Pros: PD had a clear vision that I loved. Pretty much unopposed. Great work life balance. Felt like they were a "real world" ED place. Would be higher but SO likes other cities better.
Cons: just farther from family.
18) TN- University of Tennessee Murfreesboro
8) TN- University of Tennessee College of Medicine at Chattanooga Program
Pros- High volume/acuity for training. Chattanooga is outdoorsy and has a lot of cute restaurants and bars.
Cons- Very few female faculty and the (one of three) female faculty members that I interviewed with said the female residents still experience overt sexism on their off-service rotations. Overall I felt the PD had a pretty weak sales pitch of the program and was just like "hey we exist, come here if you like." Also only 2 residents came to the dinner and one of them was SUPER weird and that had a pretty negative impact on me.
8) TN- University of Tennessee College of Medicine at Memphis Program
a. Pros: PD is a bulldog (will go to war for his residents), faculty very dedicated to program improvement, TONS of procedures just like CHRISTUS (but not doing thoracotomies like you would at CHRISTUS), very sick population just like Detroit (tons of strokes, MIs, renal failure), new ED, hit the ground running (PD emphasizes interns seeing the sickest pts on Day 1), low COL, amazing BBQ, tons of outdoor activities nearby, small resident class size (6), large catchment area. Residents are genuine and my type.
b. Cons: new program so turf battle dispute (getting better per PD), trauma goes to Regional One center so when at Methodist Hospital (main site) you see minimal trauma, job opportunities for wifey, Reputation outside of TN? Humid summer. Super far from home (I'm tired of routinely missing family and friend functions for the past 4 years).
7) VA- Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Program
Pros: PD and residents were all nice and V chill. Seems like a great setup. Close to fam.
Cons: Would be higher but SO didn't like Richmond too much.
2) VA- Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Program
Pros:
-This was one of the programs that surprised me. I really bought the "county feel with academic resources" vibe that they seemed to be trying to sell.
-Program leadership seemed very supportive and transparent. Seemed to be working to improve the off-service experience.
-Very strong ultrasound presence (and subspecialty in general) which was a plus for me.
-Probably some of a happiest residents I met.
-Richmond was one of my favorite cities of any interview.
Cons:
-SO wasn't especially thrilled about the location.
-Prefer Epic to Cerner but that's not really a reason to change ROL.
2) VA- Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Program
Pros:
-This was one of the programs that surprised me. I really bought the "county feel with academic resources" vibe that they seemed to be trying to sell.
-Program leadership seemed very supportive and transparent. Seemed to be working to improve the off-service experience.
-Very strong ultrasound presence (and subspecialty in general) which was a plus for me.
-Probably some of a happiest residents I met.
-Richmond was one of my favorite cities of any interview.
13) VA- Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Program
Pro: Liked the residents and PD a lot, all friendly. Dinner was delicious. Richmond was cooler than I expected and reasonable COL. They're trauma bay was pretty neat, spacious.
Con: no ties to the city at all and just didn't weigh up against some of the more well-known programs I went to.
2) VA- Eastern Virginia Medical School Program
Pros: Residents were very nice, family oriented, most had dogs, really love the area. ED staffed by private group with a little more cash to spend on perks like journal club with fam invited, catered lunch for didactics, resident retreat. New years or xmas off in addition to 15 days. IM Critical Care fellowship open to EM. Day float ICU rotation, and on that note lots of rotations very m-f 9-5 feel. Flight opps from day one. 2 month orientation. Send interns to SAEM and others. Dragon dictation, epic. Extensive alumni base, old program, well established. Allegedly can get an Emergency response vehicle with lights and sirens.I like the multiple sites longitudinally instead of one hospital each month vibe. Beach eating.
Cons: Location is great, but far from home. Concern for trauma exposure given hx of malignancy in surgery program.
10) VA- Eastern Virginia Medical School Program
Great leadership, one of my favorite PDs.
Liked the fact that they are associated with an SDG which hires a lot of their grads but also worried that they might just be focused on training residents to fit that specific need.
Overall seemed very solid just without anything exceptional.
7) VA- Eastern Virginia Medical School Program
Pros: Beach location, good amount of sunshine and warm weather, low COL, seafood. Vibed the best with this PD compared to any other on the trail. Residents were chill. LOT, burn center, high volume and acuity. Dragon, ROSH, moonlighting, discounted gym memberships, beaches, nice area to live around hospital, easy to fly in and out, conferences every year, single plan insurance paid by program, meal funds per year. Good mix of academic center and community ED shifts. No ortho residency so more procedures on my own. Not a CMG. REST month to handle only sickest of sick before graduating.
Cons: Another trauma-surg runs the show shop.Majority is blunt so lacking in the knife and gun club scene. One of the residents on interview day was super odd and off putting.
Would still be happy to match here.
Wanted to rank higher bc I really connected with the PD and think he's amazing. Also left here feeling wanted. Didn't vibe with the residents at all and overall just nothing major stood out to me here.
3) VA- Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Program
Pros-Carilion has a huge catchment area and tons of very sick patients, and I feel confident I would be very well trained here. In addition to the main hospital in Roanoke there are also opportunities to work at very rural hospitals and the program seems very open to moonlighting. I really liked all of the residents and faculty I met*, they seemed like cool, down to earth people
Cons-*The PD is both a pro and a con for me. He seems like a very passionate person who would go to bat for his residents and wants the program to succeed. I also think this is because he seems like kind of a narcissist and probably just views that as a reflection of himself and it is important for his ego, but I'll take it. Roanoke, VA is also a bit of a pro/con; the surrounding area is beautiful and has tons of hiking, but my little foodie heart hurts a little about the restaurant scene (which is not barren but certainly on the sparser side.)
2) VA- Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Program
Pros: Had a good time with the residents, family is close, huge # of outdoor activities, pretty much unopposed, low COL, mid sized city.
Cons: none
3) VA- Virginia Tech Carilion
Outdoors mecca as far as EM residencies are concerned. Very diverse and underserved patient population. Enthusiastic new PD in a well respected program with EM leadership throughout hospital. Lots of opportunities for guidance towards fellowships. Residents very happy with low shift load (all 8s with low #/month). Albuquerque was an interesting city with great food. Lots of trauma with huge catchment. Excellent crit care training and many dual trained faculty. Cons: some areas of ABQ with lots of crime, less on shift training, fewer benefits
2) VA- Carilion Clinic-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Program
Loved the message of the program. The desire to be more than just a "clock-in clock-out" doctor. PD reminded me a little bit of Gilderoy Lockhart....but he was
5) VA- Riverside Regional
new program but the PD has a ton of experience leading a program as the previous Naval PD; nice hospital with a good volume; it sounds like residents will get a lot of autonomy; nice beach nearby and pretty good weather, cheap COL; may have ranked higher if I didn't get the vibe the PD did not want me there that day, and if I was not asked if I thought I was competitive 15 minutes later by a EM program secretary in the lounge
6) VA- Riverside
This seems like a great new program. Always a little nerve wracking to be the first class but the PD has a lot of experience as a PD and seems like he knows what he's doing. He has a lot of support from some great faculty as well as support from the hospital administration. I talked with some rotating students and they said there's good pathology and a decent amount of trauma here as well as plenty of procedures to go around. I would be happy matching here.
8) WV- West Virginia University Program
Loved the female PD and family-focused feel of the program, they clearly care about their residents, its a truly beautiful facility
Cons: Personally, West Virginia isn't my first choice of location
7) WV- Charleston Area Medical Center Program
Unopposed, lots of procedural experience for residents. Not a huge fan of the area, residents were a lot nonchalant about everything. Educationally strong. Was pleasantly surprised by them.
5) WV- West Virginia University Program
Pros: fam close. great faculty and residents. Rural rotations.outdoors stuff. PD was cool.
Cons: Have to go to a Big 12 school lol
10) WV- West Virginia University Program
Strong academic program. Residents are very close knit and it has a family atmosphere in the program. Lack of diversity is alarming. Nothing to do in Morgrantown. ED volume at main site is not that high ~60k/year
7) WV- West Virginia University Program
-I actually almost cancelled my interview here but was very pleasantly surprised. I think this was the best group of residents I met. Really got along with them well and had some great conversations with residents and spouses. Really had some good feels about the people and the culture of the program.
-The PD seemed really passionate about the program and the other interviews really highlighted the strengths of the program.
-Major emphasis on ultrasound and teaching with the medical school
-Defined role in traumas
Morgantown wasn't my favorite location but I could still see myself living there.
I came in a little worried about the volume/acuity but left feeling reassured about it (though I don't remember why).
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Uhh ... ?
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I'm sure this will be viewed as vital to all of the practicing attendings and residents here.
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Let me sum it up easily.
Emergency medicine residency =bad idea. Doesnt matter the program, the specialty is fuxxored. There done, /thread.
Emergency medicine residency =bad idea. Doesnt matter the program, the specialty is fuxxored. There done, /thread.
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Yep.
Can we sweep this thread into the garbage where it belongs?
Can we sweep this thread into the garbage where it belongs?
