MCW Lifestyle?

[BeddingfieldMD]

I recall some of the current students and residents at MCW telling me at the interview that it's a bit of a workhorse program, even though a couple residents there said they really loved it. What's the story on this program? It seems to have some good stats in terms of research dollars, case numbers, etc., but it never seems to garner as much praise among Midwestern programs. The story I often hear is that the hours can be pretty bad, there's a lot of commuting, call schedule is rough, etc.

Can anyone more familiar with the program comment? Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[guitarguy09]

I would say that at times it can seem like a bit of a "workhorse" program but apparently they are supposed to be looking into hiring additional CRNAs to help relieve the residents at the end of the day. The lectures have been revamped to be class specific fairly recently (CA1 lectures, CA2 lectures, etc). They are toying with the idea of giving everyone iPod Touches and utilizing iTunes U (don't know how close they are to actually doing this though). There is no electronic recording of vitals and whatnot in the ORs, don't know if that really matters. Call can be hit or miss from what I understand depending on your year-in-training and what rotation you're on (I hear Peds one of the most rough, but good training). The main area of concern for getting numbers is in regards to hearts, but apparently they hook you up with extra cases or cardiac rotations if you need the numbers. They do "all" transplants but I honestly couldn't tell you how many heart/lung transplants they actually do, although I did see some livers, kidneys, etc while rotating through there. Also, Froedtert is a level 1 trauma center with helipad, if that matters to you.

Oh, and in regards to the commute, it's really not bad. Downtown Milwaukee is only like 10-15 minutes away and traffic isn't bad at all compared to other cities. Also, the children's hospital and Froedtert (the main hospital) are actually connected. The main other one you are probably referring to that you would have to drive to is the VA hospital, which is only like 10 minutes or so from Froedtert. Overall, nice group of people (it's the Midwest, what do you expect). And yes, MCW brings in plenty of research money (although I'm not actually sure how many residents utilize this fact there).

 

[indo]

It isn't just a bit of a workhorse program. They do tons of cases, except hearts. I overheard some of the bosses saying they have to make some modifications in order to comply with the hours rules. The CA-3s are pretty damn smooth though. You can't argue with that.

The work environment here is malignant though. Not within the anesthesiology program itself, although there are some extremely passive aggressive people you'll be working under, but in the hospital's work environment. The OR nurses are malignant as hell. They are hateful obstructionists that apparently can't be fired because they've been working there for so long. There are some baller nurses that you'll cling to with your arms and legs but they are rare.

There is no traffic before 7am so your commute, as above, will be minimal.

 

[AnesthesMD]

Yes MCW anesthesia dept will certainly work you to the bone.

The promise of more CRNA's comes too little and too late. The work load continues to increase. And for every 2 CRNA's they hire, one quits. There are not many CRNA's that will stay, since the package is not very competitive. Plus, MCW and Froedtert are 2 different billing and employer entities occupying the same hospital. So there's a constant bickering over price and spending, as well as employees and benefits.

Also, many anesthesia staff, the good ones, are leaving for other hospitals (summit, grafton, aurora). Many of the ones who are staying cannot get a job anywhere else due to personality problems, lack of ability to actually practice anesthesia on their own, or just laziness and tenure of being able to sleep in the lounge all day. Some staff really do treat resident poorly. But, there are some that are very very good, but I am afraid that they will be leaving too.

At MCW's program it's the quantity of cases you do, there is no emphasis on quality. The more challenging and interesting cases are always given to the favorite residents time and time again, while others never get a chance. A typical resident day begins at 0545-0600 with post-op check with rounds and a note written. Then set up for your case at OR start 0715AM. You may or may not get a bathroom break or a lunch depending on staff. And there is hardly ever any residents out of a case and available to give lunches. Staff cover 2 rooms, and yes, sometimes 3 resident rooms. But they do find plenty of time for crossword puzzles and what ever else they do in the lounges (they are always there). Then at 445pm or so the CRNA's must be relieved before 5pm. So any available residents are sent for that. And hopefully in all this mess the post-late call people can go home (but not always). Then after you get done, usually around 5-7pm (if not oncall pre or post), you finally get done to do your pre-op's, after which you are expected to call the attending, whether they talk to you or not. Then you have to keep up with your case logs, reading for lectures (wed and friday AM's 0630-0730). It is really tough to find time for reading!

If the day ends earlier than expected for you, it's like walking on eggshells to hopefully get sent home early (early being a 10 hour day: 0600-1600).
It is exhausting to do this day in and out, but don't get behind on your post-op's because you will get in big trouble! Once you finally get to that OB month, or pain clinic month, it's finally a rest!!!

They only record work hours during march and october months. This program would be in big trouble if they recorded them during summer months, where residents can, and have regularly put in over 100hours/wk. Forget about 10 hour respite!

Research, we don't see any of that. All the $$ is squandered away to other facilities with people we will never see or meet. MCW building. VA hospital. There's little real opportunities for residents interested in research here. They say there are on paper but when you pursue it they blow you off. Fact is that Froedtert OR's need warm bodies and they will daily take residents away from OB, RAAPS, private hearts, and pain. They are so thin that if 1 person is lost for baby leave, at least 3-4 people are negatively affected.

There's good and bad in this program, like all the others. You just have to make the best with what you get and if you get MCW, then just start counting the days till graduation, cause they seem to go very fast when your working your tail off!

 

[md2010sgu]

There is no electronic recording of vitals and whatnot in the ORs, don't know if that really matters.

This changed from when you were there... I interviewed there and they have electronic recording of VS now. Not that it should be a maker breaker...

 

[panetrain]

sounds overall like your typical **** shop operation! Sad thing is...that this describes MOST Anesthesia Residency Programs. Get ready to take your turn new grads!!!

Yes MCW anesthesia dept will certainly work you to the bone.

The promise of more CRNA's comes too little and too late. The work load continues to increase. And for every 2 CRNA's they hire, one quits. There are not many CRNA's that will stay, since the package is not very competitive. Plus, MCW and Froedtert are 2 different billing and employer entities occupying the same hospital. So there's a constant bickering over price and spending, as well as employees and benefits.

Also, many anesthesia staff, the good ones, are leaving for other hospitals (summit, grafton, aurora). Many of the ones who are staying cannot get a job anywhere else due to personality problems, lack of ability to actually practice anesthesia on their own, or just laziness and tenure of being able to sleep in the lounge all day. Some staff really do treat resident poorly. But, there are some that are very very good, but I am afraid that they will be leaving too.

At MCW's program it's the quantity of cases you do, there is no emphasis on quality. The more challenging and interesting cases are always given to the favorite residents time and time again, while others never get a chance. A typical resident day begins at 0545-0600 with post-op check with rounds and a note written. Then set up for your case at OR start 0715AM. You may or may not get a bathroom break or a lunch depending on staff. And there is hardly ever any residents out of a case and available to give lunches. Staff cover 2 rooms, and yes, sometimes 3 resident rooms. But they do find plenty of time for crossword puzzles and what ever else they do in the lounges (they are always there). Then at 445pm or so the CRNA's must be relieved before 5pm. So any available residents are sent for that. And hopefully in all this mess the post-late call people can go home (but not always). Then after you get done, usually around 5-7pm (if not oncall pre or post), you finally get done to do your pre-op's, after which you are expected to call the attending, whether they talk to you or not. Then you have to keep up with your case logs, reading for lectures (wed and friday AM's 0630-0730). It is really tough to find time for reading!

If the day ends earlier than expected for you, it's like walking on eggshells to hopefully get sent home early (early being a 10 hour day: 0600-1600).
It is exhausting to do this day in and out, but don't get behind on your post-op's because you will get in big trouble! Once you finally get to that OB month, or pain clinic month, it's finally a rest!!!

They only record work hours during march and october months. This program would be in big trouble if they recorded them during summer months, where residents can, and have regularly put in over 100hours/wk. Forget about 10 hour respite!

Research, we don't see any of that. All the $$ is squandered away to other facilities with people we will never see or meet. MCW building. VA hospital. There's little real opportunities for residents interested in research here. They say there are on paper but when you pursue it they blow you off. Fact is that Froedtert OR's need warm bodies and they will daily take residents away from OB, RAAPS, private hearts, and pain. They are so thin that if 1 person is lost for baby leave, at least 3-4 people are negatively affected.

There's good and bad in this program, like all the others. You just have to make the best with what you get and if you get MCW, then just start counting the days till graduation, cause they seem to go very fast when your working your tail off!

 

[mcwgrad]

As a recent graduate of this program I feel compelled to respond to the blistering evaluation that was given previously. I guess I may be one of the old school mentality folk, which is weird since I am probably younger than many in this forum, but residency is residency. Everyone knows that you have to go through medical school, then do an internship, and then do a residency. It's tough, but it shouldn't have been a surprise.

As far as MCW is concerned, the place is busy and that's not necessarily a bad thing. We are well within our 80 hour work week...there are times on busy months (Pediatrics) where you will be pushing it, but they are aware of the work hour issues and are pretty strict about either getting you out or letting you come in late. The volume of cases and complexity are an asset of the program. Look at any of the CA3's in the group and they are second to none.....can come out running at any other facility once they finish, without hesitation. Their graduates are spread out all over the US and I have not heard of anyone having trouble getting a job. Some of the staff may not necessarily be up to snuff, but they are few.....when the poop hits the fan, they all know what to do. We have some big names in our department just like any other academic center, but in my opinion, experience is what is going to make you stand out from other graduates.

Our field isn't based on what you can do when things are going smooth, it's the 5% that are going to die without your intervention that really will benefit from the type and number of cases that they do at MCW. Maybe I was one of the well liked ones, but if you don't feel worked during your residency, how will you feel when your patient is crashing in the real world and somehow the scenario in Miller doesn't quite seem to fit whats happening in front of you. Doubt that you will see everything in residency, but you definately will not see anything if your in too cush of a residency.

Sorry about the long post, but I felt compelled to defend my residency. You may be able to find a place with better hours because you have more CRNA's, but remember it's a double edged sword. Here's a quote you should consider when thinking that you are being done a favor when your program hires CRNAs "to keep the stool warm"...

The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) maintains that CRNAs are being fairly compensated.
"From our perspective, we are fairly compensated for the level of responsibility that we shoulder," said Lisa Thiemann, senior director of professional services with the AANA.
"We are at the head of the patient's bed. We deliver anesthesia and we keep the patient safe," said Thiemann, who has been a CRNA for 14 years.
"Once nurses and physicians arrive at anesthesia training, we use the same textbooks and same cases. The training is not too different between the two groups," she said. "We all deliver anesthesia the same way."

Good luck in the residency search.

 

[mcrr]

It's been a few years since this thread was updated? Any changes to the program since this was posted? I'm very interested in MCW regardless, but would like more information if it is available. Thanks!

 

[BeddingfieldMD]

Funny that this thread is still out here. I started the thread when making my rank list, and I actually ended up going to MCW and am graduating the end of this year. Here is my take...

Many changes have taken place here even since I started at the end of 2010, such that I think we are now very "average" in terms of workload, schedules, hours worked, etc.

Number of CRNAs at our main teaching hospital has ballooned from about a dozen when I started to 41 today.

We now have a night float system of three residents and several late CRNAs that help finish cases.

Children's Hospital is still busy, but the hours have become much more reasonable this year due to some of the business staying in Northern Illinois because of changes in marketing strategy for the hospital--or something like that.

In short, our average weekly hours are around 55 hours per week, there are hardly ever work hour violations--and these are always the 10-hour rest rule. Most days at Froedtert are 6:30-4:30 or thereabouts, closer to 5:30-6:30 if on late call or 3:30-4 if pre- or post-call. Night float folks come in at 5:30 and stay until 7. Children's is similar, VA is easier.

Our hearts numbers have actually gone up quite a bit with our expanded VAD program. That can be a busier month, as can be the cardiac ICU.

I have a family, kids, friends outside and within work, and generally have no major complaints about the lifestyle at MCW.

You get really good clinical experience, they have all fellowships available, many research opportunities, and Dr. Ebert (program director) has made a lot of resident-driven changes to make it a better program.

 

[BadgerDoctor]

Hi everyone, I am a current resident at MCW and would be happy to answer questions anyone has about the program. I also want to offer my opinion of the program cause - even though this site isn't always accurate, everyone looks! This is a long explanation because the program has had personality ups and downs in the last decade or more, so an updated description would probably be helpful for you guys trying to decide between programs.

Regarding all the above comments... Lifestyle -- like everything, depends on the specific month you are on. Our "standard" months are at Froedtert Hospital. Days here start around 6:15 am, and end anywhere from 4-4:30, to 6:00. Most end around 5, but this all depends. Some weeks you're there 6-6:30 pm every day, then the next week less is happening and you're out at or before 4 most days. Call also varies based on time of year (early in the year CA1s aren't really able to manage emergent cases, codes or trauma alone so they don't take call). For call, everyone takes 2 x 1week blocks of nights, saturday - thursday, from 5:30pm through the morning. Fridays are NOT covered by the night team. As an overwhelming generalization of a very dead average call schedule.... expect to have one Friday overnight call, and one Saturday or Sunday call every month (7a - afternoon). You'll have 2-4 later OR days (end anywhere from 6 - 10pm, generally 7:30ish) during the week, and people try to get you out earlier the next day (1-4pm). Anyways, the net sum is that you'll average 2 weekends off, 2 weekends partially working, and an average day of 6:15a - 5:15 M-F. These are the busiest CA1 months. Regarding 'easier' months, VA call you typically get a decent amount of sleep, end most days between 3-4 and start at 6:30. Pain months are typical clinic hours, weekends off. OB is q3 overnight, with post call off, and every other call night you are 'second' and get a lot of sleep (over 4 hours, 6-8 average).

I think overall, in talking to a lot of friends, this is about average for a high volume center that really still provides awesome training to residents. It's definitely busier with less overall handholding than some places -- this is both good and bad, so I'll let you decide what you would prefer. Residency in a procedural field is about getting flat out practice. MCW is a good balance of getting practice and not being way too overworked. Sometimes you feel overworked, for sure, and everyone complains a lot (it is residency, after all), but overall myself and my co-residents feel overall good about our hours. There are almost never duty hour violations -- if you average out the hours I described above, it's 50-65 hours a week. The hours you are here are totally, completely engaging and busy, and stressful with sick patients and fast turnovers, but you definitely don't push duty hours very often. There are times you are extremely busy without breaks, and that sucks, but life goes on. We all have a life outside of work.

OK, next up -- cases and autonomy are awesome. This is sometimes pretty rough early in the year, but you really push yourself to learn things because you are expected to be the primary provider for your patients. Huge variety, blah blah good cases blah blah, all the stuff you need. I think our cardiac numbers are fine, but not great - people get their numbers but there's not a plethora of cases. Peds numbers are huge.

OK, addressing personality and feel. Some of our attendings are not peaches and cream to work with. These are absolutely in the minority, but they do sour a day. A HUGE majority of our staff, however, are great, enjoy teaching and are super approachable. They are really talented in the OR. Attendings do seem overworked here, and I know they are actively trying to hire people. But I don't think this impacts how they act towards residents a ton, just a thought for future work. In general attendings are really nice, approachable, willing to help and talk through anything and get to know us, but they for sure give us a high level of autonomy appropriate to their assessment of how we are doing with our patients. They do have high expectations for what they want us to know, but it's not negative yell at you pimping sort of crap. Early in CA1 year the autonomy can be a bit heavy, and this was really stressful, but I am confident I'm a far better doctor because of it. If I wrote this early in the year, I would say that I should have been helped out more (a little extra hand holding). Although I still feel that way to some degree, I see how it benefited me.

Residents really like each other and we like to hang out, in and out of work. I wish there was more emphasis on getting to know each other early in the year (maybe some more events) cause it's a sometimes isolating profession, but once things are rolling you meet everyone over time and we all get along great. We also all like and get along great with our CRNAs. I don't think our interview experience is great, and it doesn't reflect our program super well in that the bad part is that the focus isn't on getting residents there to meet people. That's a big bummer, and hopefully that will get better. But our group of residents is nice, cool and fun to hang out with, if I do say so myself.

Lectures etc. The start of the year has Monday afternoon, Wednesday morning and Friday morning lectures, all 1 hour and totally varying in content. Mondays disappear after the crash-course topics are done, and then there's Wednesday and Fridays. Since we cover a huge hospital which has 2 separate OR sections, a separate peds hospital, the VA, a separate OB hospital, etc, I wish we had more group time, even if it were shorter, just so I could hang out more as a group. But that would be annoying to drive and stuff given the varied locations. No biggie.

This program has had some rough years in the past, and our PD and other staff seem to have turned the program around from a big time service oriented residency to a good balance of service, autonomy and good education / feeling well treated overall. I'm glad I'm here for sure, and the co-residents I know well enough to ask are all glad they are here too. Some of the CA3s are a little scarred by their CA1 year, which was pre-night float and apparently rough and a different overall feel, and that may explain some of the negative feels some people got. But, for sure it's a positive, great program, and I'm proud to be here. I am totally confident I'm getting great training, and this makes any stressful and long days easier to swallow. I mean really -- if you don't get busy, challenging cases where you are expected to be more autonomous as a resident, you are going to struggle as an attending!


....wow, that was a book chapter...

 

[jthedestroyr]

Can we get any resident updates please?

 

[gilletteman]

Anyone? I heard the PD is leaving next year. Anyone else heard this?

 

[partydoc]

He's been around for a long time, I wouldn't be surprised if he's planning on stepping down soon. But they haven't told us residents anything.

 

[Some Anesthesia]

I feel like this thread needs a review with the benefit of some time since graduation for further context.

Ultimately, I feel like I could hold my own on day one in private practice and not be even remotely afraid. This is seriously worth considering as it's the end goal for any residency: to make you a confident, independent practitioner. I passed both my boards on my first try, but as far as board prep went I felt we were rather on our own compared to other places. Practice-wise though, I think even compared to some of my more experienced colleagues in private practice, I had just as much if not more trust from the nurses and docs I worked with. They didn't seem to worry about me being able to do my job in the least, even early on.

That is: unless you had asked me to do hearts. They were hard to come by and their heart program there was in rough shape when I left it. A couple of the cardiac attendings were some of the best ones, so if the numbers are back up, maybe that's a good place for hearts. I don't think I would do a fellowship there though, just for volume and surgeon issues.

Pediatric training was very, very good. I actually feel that the training that led me to be the anesthesiologist I am came from the pediatric hospital. It was actual training with actual teaching and actual follow-up on instruction. I was rather unsure as a resident going in there as a CA1 and probably not among the strongest residents. They actually matched me up with one of the tougher staff and had me work with her for a week straight. She signed off on me at the end of that week and gave my blessing to the rest of the staff that I was up to snuff. The children's staff are super protective over patients so things like extubating without the attending in the room (something that happens occasionally in the adult world if two or three rooms are ending at once) are not usually done. True to form, at first they would have me keep the kid asleep for a little longer until they could get to me. By the time I was a CA2 toward the end of the year they would tell me to go ahead on my own so they could watch the CA1 instead. So I feel like not only did I improve a lot as an anesthesiologist overall while I was there, but they kept track of me very well and made sure that any deficiencies I did have were corrected. A couple of staff encouraged me to go into peds, though with two young kids at the time, it wasn't for me. Also, the RNs and techs at the peds hospital are great. Peds months are your busiest, most stressful and most exhausting months, but I look back on them very fondly.

Contrast that with what I think happens to weak first year residents their CA1 years in FMLH and it's another story. If word got out that somebody was weak, it wasn't attendings that would try to work with them to make sure they were safe, it was oftentimes senior residents on their own. So that speaks well for how residents relate to each other. Problem was that the attendings seemed to do the opposite. If a resident was identified as weak it seemed their life was made harder, and a couple of the really influential attendings could make your life miserable if they had it out for you. Big time. I would say that of the accusations made in the really negative review from above, the charge of favoritism among some faculty really rings true. I was neither a favorite or a pariah, I don't think, but I did see what happened among friends who found themselves in either category. But again, not all the staff participated in these shenanigans.

Likewise the issue of a malignant work environment among the nurses at FMLH is also very true. They kiss surgeon and surgery resident ass and then treat the anesthesia residents like dirt. Some surgery attendings could also be pretty nasty, and I think frankly the RNs took their cues from how surgery attendings treated anesthesia residents. I think this is a failure on the part of the anesthesia department leadership with respect to backing us up, being in the room, etc.

Which brings me to the attendings. As with any program, some good, some bad. If they're offering attendings as much pay as they were offering when I left (I interviewed there) then it's going to be hard to keep good people there. Yes, there are some that couldn't practice on their own if they left academic medicine. Same as other programs, I would imagine. I think largely, I felt that very few of them ever spent much time teaching you anything at FMLH, they hung out in their office, chatted in the lounge, or spent all day at meetings. Some of the newer ones who happened to be studying for oral boards would actually give you mini board scenarios if you had a long stable case, and those were amazing. I hope they are still there. Others didn't teach that stuff but did a lot to fine tune how you worked, how you did things, etc. I know one of them has since left. But no, the kind of staff at FMLH that really actively taught you beyond a five minute preop call was not high in number. I can't speak to whether or not that is typical for other programs, but it certainly was lower than what we saw on pediatric rotations.

Would I go there again? I think I would. I was honestly ready AF. And I still feel like I can hold my own with any of my partners, even when stuff hits the fan. I think that is largely due to a combination between great OB and pediatric teaching and massive volume at FMLH. I would not credit that to quality of teaching at FMLH or VA. But buyer beware, if the volume at FMLH has decreased from more CRNAs, you may be missing a big part of what may make you well prepared when you leave, IMO.

Could the program be better? Definitely. Leadership isn't great on a day to day basis, teaching isn't great overall. You spend hours a week waiting to be released after finishing work instead of being able to go home and study (that might be less of an issue since I got anesthesia books on kindle, but back then my books and notes were at home). I hated that. We had lectures at FMLH in the morning, but if you were at the VA you had to leave halfway through to get your case started on time. They never set up lectures or a video link to watch at the VA instead.

Ultimately guys, you want residency to be a tempering to your steel scenario. If it's not enough of a pain in the ass, then a busy private practice will eat you alive. I think if they managed to balance the amount of hours you had to spend there with attendings actually being in the room with you grilling you or fine-tuning your technique or knowledge, this would be a top residency program. As it is, it's a decent one, and that's it.

 

[Some Anesthesia]

one more thing. the faculty, especially the influential ones, push you to study Miller and some of the really academic texts from the get-go. I think trying to slog through a chapter where they talked about propofol blood concentrations in rats is one of the reasons I had trouble early on. it wasn't until I read Morgan and Mikhail's (very hands on and practical) that I really got a sense of what I was supposed to know and do. It's more detailed than baby miller but less detailed than barash or adult miller. Barash I felt, was somewhere between M and M and Miller, but still too much for me as a CA1. Anyway, don't let faculty bully you into reading the big book early. I would say get through Morgan and Mikhail beginning to end in the first six months or so (read the chapters before starting rotations for each specialty) and then move on to Barash and Miller in subsequent years.

 

[MilleniumFalcon30]

Any updates on MCW's residency program? I am especially interested in the quality of teaching and the fellowship match list. I know it had a bit of a malignant reputation in the past (some of these older posts about attendings picking favorites are particularly concerning to me) and I am just curious if it has improved as I make my rank list.

 

[dabears505]

Contrast that with what I think happens to weak first year residents their CA1 years in FMLH and it's another story. If word got out that somebody was weak, it wasn't attendings that would try to work with them to make sure they were safe, it was oftentimes senior residents on their own. So that speaks well for how residents relate to each other. Problem was that the attendings seemed to do the opposite. If a resident was identified as weak it seemed their life was made harder, and a couple of the really influential attendings could make your life miserable if they had it out for you. Big time. I would say that of the accusations made in the really negative review from above, the charge of favoritism among some faculty really rings true. I was neither a favorite or a pariah, I don't think, but I did see what happened among friends who found themselves in either category. But again, not all the staff participated in these shenanigans.

Very accurate assessment. However, I think it's just like this at any large program.

 

[ItBurnsInMyHand]

Very accurate assessment. However, I think it's just like this at any large program.

I would agree with this. Experienced the same thing where I trained. Attendings did not want to work with weaker residents because it meant that they would have to be spending more time with the residents and in the room. When I was a CA1, thanks to multiple scheduling issues, I didn't even START intra-op anesthesia until 6 months in, so all of my attendings thought I was incompetent comparatively. It didn't take very long for me to catch up, but definitely struggled with being targeted by a few attendings until midway through my CA2 year. At which point, everyone realized I was actually a hard working resident. I can assure you, I hadn't changed anything about my work ethic. I always worked hard and took pride in my job. By my CA3 year, I was someone attendings wanted in their rooms. It sucks, but this happens. I think you will see it in most any program.

 

[Ashers]

I'd say that's true about attendings having favorites (at least they did when I was in residency, and a bunch of those people are there still yet). I had favorite attendings as well. I learned I could request to work with certain attendings (I didn't do this as a CA1, but CA2 and CA3 years if i was on a generic rotation, I'd request my room and attending assignments). I keep in touch with attendings I liked (and some attendings I'd try to avoid talking to still yet, but I'm far away, so I don't run into them). The training is excellent, you come out of the program will trained and able to function in the OR solo. It's busy. It's a big program.

 

[Arch Guillotti]

Posting anonymously for a forum user:

Current resident answering the specific questions that @MilleniumFalcon30 asked.

Quality of teaching - varies depending on clinical rotation. Peds has a daily morning lecture series. Neuro has weekly PBLDs. Regional and OB have daily topics. Interns have curriculum days. CA1 lecture series at the beginning of the year is filled with high yield stuff. Overall there is a decent mix of lectures, PBLD, simulations, clinical discussion, and case conferences. This is something that the residency program is actively working on improving. In fact, we just got an email last week announcing new cardiac PBLD series while on cardiac anesthesia and CVICU. I hear the TEE lecture series that one of the attendings started giving giving to interested CA2/3s is awesome. We are in the process of hiring a new PD so I expect further improvements. All of this is in conjunction with the plethora of clinical exposures from being a tertiary center.

Fellowships - Everyone this year matched into their fellowship of choice. Cardiac at MCW is filled by internal candidates as far as I can tell. I think there is an even splint between the CA3s of doing fellowship or working. Sounds like it is based on personal preference. I think I heard 4 hearts, 2 crit care, 3 peds, 1 OB, 3 regional, 4 pain - some are doing combos which I counted separately.

Malignancy - NO. I've seen malignant programs and this isn't one. I heard that when our dept chair, Dr. Lien, started she said she wanted our program to go back to being one of the top residency programs. There have been slow and steady changes over the years that coresidents told me have positively affected the residency program.

 

[zyovka]

DId they replace their PD? There is/was a job ad in November of 2019 for PD position at MCW. Wondering what was the story behind that bold move.