Penn, Columbia, Cornell, or Sinai

[Rank2Match]

(Long-time lurker, finally feeling the need to post....)

First let me say that I attempted to search for similar threads, but most were a few years old and seemed to end pretty quickly.

Anyway, I was lucky enough to get interviews at some great programs, and I have really loved Penn, Columbia, Cornell, and Mount Sinai so far. I think I could easily be happy at any of these programs, but am having trouble really differentiating between them. I know that rank lists aren't due for almost 2 months, but I am really having some trouble wrapping my mind around these programs and trying to put them in some sort of order.

Do any of you have opinions on how all of these programs stack up against the others? Any glaring differences I need to know about or maybe could have missed on my interview days?

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[Anesthetist2016]

From what I understand Penn and Cornell are somewhat workhorse programs. Mount Sinai seems like it would have great training plus being a somewhat cush program.

 

[El Dooderino]

For academic reputation I'd say Penn>Columbia>Sinai=Cornell. Of course ones in Philly, three are in New York, figure out how much that means to you. I don't think ranking programs based on strengths of subspecialties is that important but if you were dead set on peds Penn would be at the top of the list followed by Columbia.

 

[ashkenazi1234]

on interviews last year i remember a lot of people talking about sinai and how great it was. didn't interview at penn or columbia but heard those were very academically oriented. if you want academics these might be the best for you.

cornell seemed less academically oriented (if that matters to you) but residents were still pretty happy even though they worked super hard. location is awesome as you probably noticed on your interview with the view straight out of the ORs. the NYP institution is amazing as you can probably tell from usnews.

if you consider happiness highly, then sinai would definitely top all of those. this incorporates salary (up to 90k for CA1 years i heard after moonlighting), fellowship placement (recent placements in pain at UCSF, MGH, MSK or CT at duke,emory,sinai or peds at stanford, cincinnati, michigan, ohsu), and chillness factor of the residents/attendings. location is pretty nice right next to central park, although it is a little close to harlem. according to usnews sinai is also considered on honor roll of top hospitals.

i'm sure lots of other people could help you out with penn and columbia reviews, hope interview season goes well for you and good luck! in case you were wondering i matched to west coast because my boyfriend lives out here and we wanted to settle down out here (so beautiful!) but i definitely would have been happy at either of the two that i reviewed... hope you can get a better feel for how you might be happy...

 

[beardpapa]

Have friends who are current residents and interviewed at Sinai. You cannot beat their setup. Friendly collegial atmosphere but still research opportunities and academic futures for fellowship. Moonlighting is crazy in that if you are held up late in a room until 7:30pm, you automatically earn $350 (I believe). And other moonlighting available. If you're afraid it's not academic enough, the only proof you need is the latest fellowship matches. And as stated previously, was astounding. The PD is awesome. You'll understand if you meet him.

The only reason I would say go to Columbia/Penn/Cornell is if you plan on being a chair of a department in the future. Otherwise, you'll get very similar opportunities with a much more laid back atmosphere.

Btw, I also interviewed at the other 3.

 

[Rank2Match]

Thanks for all of the responses so far. Obviously a lot of this is personal preference, but there does seem to be some concrete differences and trends in what people are seeing. I am looking forward to hearing what other people (applicants, residents, etc.) have to say about these programs.

If I had to decide right now, I really don't think it would be able to do it - it would be a coin flip!

For my own curiosity, how would all of you rank these programs (1 to 4)

 

[codeb1ue]

.

 

[Rank2Match]

Any current residents or others who have seen all these programs care to share anymore information?

And just to complicate things, I have been hearing a lot about MGH and BIDMC on the trail. I know Boston is a completely different city, but anyone know how they compare to the likes of Penn, Sinai, Columbia, and Cornell?

 

[Rank2Match]

Bumping just to see if anyone has any new input or opinions

 

[Jeff05]

I think you can go to Sinai if you want anything from a pure academic career to a private practice job. Plenty of research available. If you want to be a chair, etc in the future - this place will serve you just as well as ANY institution.

Residency is not "cush." However, it provides a phenomenal level of clinical exposure and guided autonomy in a non-malignant setting. You will have a reasonable lifestyle.

 

[Harrison486]

Having some trouble figuring out how to rank Columbia, Cornell, MGH, and Penn....

 

[Magoun]

Long time lurker finally registering in the face of no Cornell representation on here...

People are generally quite happy at Cornell, though there are probably a few in each residency class who aren't, for one reason or another. I think there were a couple residents who finished four or so years ago that were unhappy at Cornell and vocal about it online. Most (but not all) of their issues have been dealt with by the current program directors. That may explain the disconnect between happy residents seen on visits and rumors of unhappiness.

I can't begin to compare Cornell with other residencies that I only saw for a day on the interview trail, but am happy to try to answer any questions you may have.

Things to know:
1) I would absolutely go to Cornell again. Had a good time, learned a ton. Like the residents (in anesthesia and in surgery), like the faculty. Liked the cby year (only 1 month of medicine, lots of unit and surgery time).

2) I don't know what makes a program a workhorse or not, but you get plenty of cases. Met my minimums for everything by halfway through ca2 year, when I did my first month of cardiac. Neuro and thoracic exposure is strong. Regional is strong with 3m at hss minimum. Early Peds exposure starting as a ca1 (and sometimes as an intern) but no Peds hospital - 6 of the 19 current ca3s are doing a Peds fellowship this year. OB epidural utilization is rediculous: 95% get some sort of neuraxial. Those that don't either deliver as you sit them up, or are crash generals from triage. Around 5500 deliveries a year. Trauma is a well known week point for manhattan programs - minimal high velocity but lots of hip fxs. Burn unit is the biggest in the country and competes with one in china for biggest in the world. Now doing liver transplants in addition to kidney and kidney/panc but volume is low so far (I've managed to be involved in 3 of the 15 done in the last year, 'cause I am interested, but this is not a 3 simultaneous liver center).

3) You earn your independence here -- they don't drop you in the deep end after your first month. There is no VA or city hospital affiliation, and the upper east side pt population means attendings hover early on in residency. You do get comfortable doing things on your own, though, and as a ca3 you pretty much do everything by yourself unless it is cardiac, thoracic, or requires 2 sets of hands.

4) as far as academic environments go, the administration is very happy to support research interests, but the majority of faculty are pure clinical. A research track in the residency exists and people have been doing well in it, but the majority of residents do there ABA mandated scholarly work and leave it at that.

Hope that helps. Let me know if I can fill anything else in. I'm sure any of these programs will train you well, so good luck and hope you find a program you like!

 

[Harrison486]

Long time lurker finally registering in the face of no Cornell representation on here...

People are generally quite happy at Cornell, though there are probably a few in each residency class who aren't, for one reason or another. I think there were a couple residents who finished four or so years ago that were unhappy at Cornell and vocal about it online. Most (but not all) of their issues have been dealt with by the current program directors. That may explain the disconnect between happy residents seen on visits and rumors of unhappiness.

I can't begin to compare Cornell with other residencies that I only saw for a day on the interview trail, but am happy to try to answer any questions you may have.

Things to know:
1) I would absolutely go to Cornell again. Had a good time, learned a ton. Like the residents (in anesthesia and in surgery), like the faculty. Liked the cby year (only 1 month of medicine, lots of unit and surgery time).

2) I don't know what makes a program a workhorse or not, but you get plenty of cases. Met my minimums for everything by halfway through ca2 year, when I did my first month of cardiac. Neuro and thoracic exposure is strong. Regional is strong with 3m at hss minimum. Early Peds exposure starting as a ca1 (and sometimes as an intern) but no Peds hospital - 6 of the 19 current ca3s are doing a Peds fellowship this year. OB epidural utilization is rediculous: 95% get some sort of neuraxial. Those that don't either deliver as you sit them up, or are crash generals from triage. Around 5500 deliveries a year. Trauma is a well known week point for manhattan programs - minimal high velocity but lots of hip fxs. Burn unit is the biggest in the country and competes with one in china for biggest in the world. Now doing liver transplants in addition to kidney and kidney/panc but volume is low so far (I've managed to be involved in 3 of the 15 done in the last year, 'cause I am interested, but this is not a 3 simultaneous liver center).

3) You earn your independence here -- they don't drop you in the deep end after your first month. There is no VA or city hospital affiliation, and the upper east side pt population means attendings hover early on in residency. You do get comfortable doing things on your own, though, and as a ca3 you pretty much do everything by yourself unless it is cardiac, thoracic, or requires 2 sets of hands.

4) as far as academic environments go, the administration is very happy to support research interests, but the majority of faculty are pure clinical. A research track in the residency exists and people have been doing well in it, but the majority of residents do there ABA mandated scholarly work and leave it at that.

Hope that helps. Let me know if I can fill anything else in. I'm sure any of these programs will train you well, so good luck and hope you find a program you like!

Thanks for registering and giving us some information! I really appreciate it.

 

[codeb1ue]

Long time lurker finally registering in the face of no Cornell representation on here...

People are generally quite happy at Cornell, though there are probably a few in each residency class who aren't, for one reason or another. I think there were a couple residents who finished four or so years ago that were unhappy at Cornell and vocal about it online. Most (but not all) of their issues have been dealt with by the current program directors. That may explain the disconnect between happy residents seen on visits and rumors of unhappiness.

I can't begin to compare Cornell with other residencies that I only saw for a day on the interview trail, but am happy to try to answer any questions you may have.

Things to know:
1) I would absolutely go to Cornell again. Had a good time, learned a ton. Like the residents (in anesthesia and in surgery), like the faculty. Liked the cby year (only 1 month of medicine, lots of unit and surgery time).

2) I don't know what makes a program a workhorse or not, but you get plenty of cases. Met my minimums for everything by halfway through ca2 year, when I did my first month of cardiac. Neuro and thoracic exposure is strong. Regional is strong with 3m at hss minimum. Early Peds exposure starting as a ca1 (and sometimes as an intern) but no Peds hospital - 6 of the 19 current ca3s are doing a Peds fellowship this year. OB epidural utilization is rediculous: 95% get some sort of neuraxial. Those that don't either deliver as you sit them up, or are crash generals from triage. Around 5500 deliveries a year. Trauma is a well known week point for manhattan programs - minimal high velocity but lots of hip fxs. Burn unit is the biggest in the country and competes with one in china for biggest in the world. Now doing liver transplants in addition to kidney and kidney/panc but volume is low so far (I've managed to be involved in 3 of the 15 done in the last year, 'cause I am interested, but this is not a 3 simultaneous liver center).

3) You earn your independence here -- they don't drop you in the deep end after your first month. There is no VA or city hospital affiliation, and the upper east side pt population means attendings hover early on in residency. You do get comfortable doing things on your own, though, and as a ca3 you pretty much do everything by yourself unless it is cardiac, thoracic, or requires 2 sets of hands.

4) as far as academic environments go, the administration is very happy to support research interests, but the majority of faculty are pure clinical. A research track in the residency exists and people have been doing well in it, but the majority of residents do there ABA mandated scholarly work and leave it at that.

Hope that helps. Let me know if I can fill anything else in. I'm sure any of these programs will train you well, so good luck and hope you find a program you like!

Sounds like Cornell has really stepped up their game in the past few years. I was going back and forth between Cornell and Columbia but I'm starting to lean towards Cornell > Columbia. I appreciate your review a lot, it has definitely helped solidify my decision.

 

[Steege305]

Bump.

Does anyone have any new perspectives on these programs?

 

[Steege305]

Ok, I'll start. I can see that people are viewing the thread, so I can't be the only one considering this.

Columbia: My overall impression was that of a well-rounded program with great opportunities in Cardiac. It also seemed that if you wanted to conduct research you wouldn't have to look very far. The residents were pretty relaxed and friendly. Like all of the NY programs I was a little worried about the pay compared to the cost of living.

Sinai: PD was excellent - easily the most engaging of any that I've met so far and the impression I got was one of a true resident advocate. The residents were very easy going and seemed happy with the program. I wasn't thrilled with the CBY, but it's just a year. I definitely got the feeling from the PD and the residents that you'd walk out of the program ready to make moves. Great moonlighting opportunities, but given the cost of living that just allows you to work more to have the same QOL as if you'd been living somewhere not in New York City.

 

[anonymau5]

Bump.

Does anyone have any new perspectives on these programs?

As much as I hate to hear it, I think it's all about personality / personal situation.
The fellowship crap should be ignored, IMO. If you're a superstar, you will be a superstar at any of these programs. Columbia tries to tell you that it gives all its fellowships (esp ones that are outside of the match) to Columbia residents. Figure out if that's important.
I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty of regional/cardiac/peds/OB/pain rotations because as said by someone, that may very well change for you, and idk about you but I can't stand hearing that on the trail anymore. Almost as bad as hearing call schedules rotation by rotation.

For example, the Mount Sinai personality is very specific and you will be very unhappy if you convince yourself that it is right for you if you know it's not. Adam Levine definitely dictates the tone of the program. The residents here all highly self-select into the program and simultaneously get the Adam Levine stamp of approval. He knows what he wants. If you like being VERY informal and laid back, (some but not all would say unprofessional), this will be your home. Someone once said Sinai is the "sexy" program in NYC because of this atmosphere. For some (single) people, it may be the only affordable option 2/2 the overtime ($90k / year) and the fact that East Harlem is not crazy expensive. If you have a specific interest in sim, go there. If you like nice new/renovated facilities, maybe don't.

Cornell. Does a LOT of ICU and works a LOT of hours. People are falling in love with Brumberger--he *is* super charming, and you *do* want to believe in him as your defender who remembers what it was like a few short years ago. I think he's doing a lot for the face of the program. But I would re-read Magoun's point #3 and try to figure out what he's trying to say in a more PC manner.

Columbia. I think I wasn't the only one on the trail that got weird vibes from the interview dinner/day? Or maybe it was the lack of a vibe. Their whole selling point is the Columbia name and the crazy cases they get. Plus obviously the research. They definitely take the cake on those in NYC. But otherwise the place just felt so anonymous...confirmed by one of the residents who said their PD is "distant." I feel like this is the place where out-of-towners go when they want Manhattan and are prestige wh*res because otherwise, people from around here know the 3 other NYC PDs would take a bullet for you and then buy you a drink after. Only your own personal values can dictate what is most important you.

NYU. No one mentioned it but I will for completeness sake. Often lumped together in the same personality category as Sinai, aka the people who value happiness highly. Wajda seems super laid back but very different from Adam Levine. This is the program Magoun is probably jealous of with the city hospital + VA affiliation aka autonomy. Plus you get the best of both worlds with the hospital with all the $ next door. Plus i don't know know why no one ever mentions Hospital for Joint Dz and only ever talks about HSS, but it's there for you. All of these places see great cases (granted it's not Columbia) plus you're not worked to the bone. Hard to beat.

Penn. Self-advertised as hard-working. Gaiser is famous on the interview trail for being an electric personality. I'm sure if you graduate from there you will be a phenomenal clinician (one could argue > any NYC program given how many hrs they work), but I just couldn't wrap my head around how they try to sell the program by telling you how they usually work 70 hrs / week. I know you're compensated and all, but if you think your morale can withstand that (ie if you don't have to put a >minimal amount of effort into maintaining a social life), by all means, proceed to Penn b/c this place is very impressive.

Go with your gut.

 

[Magoun]

Oooh, a blast from the past.

Since my previous comment (#3) was called out as being PC, let me be more explicit.

When I was at Cornell (a few years back), some people did T&As and cranis as an intern, at the end of their 3 month anesthesia block. Others didn't do a crani or busy peds day until CA2 year. The schedulers put real effort into matching cases with personnel. I'm now on faculty at another great, busy program that throws everybody in on a fixed schedule block -> you're on neuro, you do cranis (though maybe not aneurysms until you are more senior), you start doing peds as a CA2, etc. In retrospect, Cornell accelerated people who seemed to be doing well.

There are advantages to each system and you can do well in either one. I prefered Cornell's, but it lead to a few people feeling like the program plays favorites -- and there are a couple of old reviews of the program that will never die complaining about this. I don't know how this has changed since Brumberger took over (and the chair also changed), but I can guarantee that Brumberger is a genuinely good guy that cares about both the resident experience and the quality of training.

Hope that helps.

P.S. You won't go wrong between these programs if you go with one that feels good to you, rather than chasing a ranking. From what I could tell, I would not have been happy at Sinai -- I wanted something that felt academic and hardcore. From what I've seen, Penn and Columbia are great. Columbia felt more antagonistic than I wanted (and I lived in NYC for well over a dozen years, so I don't mind people being - ahem - direct). And Penn is in Philadelphia.

 

[wrkrB]

I don't know why I come back to these boards since I'm "in it". But in the interest of shedding a little light I'll share some insights into the recent goings-on at Sinai from a resident's perspective. Let this serve to those of you on the trail as a caveat emptor. Of course I expect some internal backlash or a witch hunt to result from this. But if nothing else I, and some of my colleagues who may be too tired or cowed into speaking out, need to vent a little and maybe get a little perspective from those in other large "brand-name" programs.

Things have gotten out of hand at the hospital. There was a recent merger between this hospital and several other less financially sound facilities in the city. Seemingly this shouldn't affect resident training. But I submit that there has been a definite impact on the overall environment. Quite simply, people are just miserable. At all levels: the PACU nurses, the techs, our attendings. There are murmurs of debt, of how bad the merger is for this hospital. I think the corporate side of things has responded by cracking the whip, as it were. We are busier than ever but we are also coming apart at the seams. For a place that prides itself so much on its ranking and is so obsessed with its appearance I find myself empathizing greatly with the patients who suffer by deciding to come here for care. Waiting endlessly for surgery to start, let alone to receive some kind of communication from staff, being made to walk to an OR naked except for a flimsy gown and socks, coming into an OR where loud music is playing and everyone is talking not paying attention to you the patient, and best of all at the end of surgery being made to sit and wait in an OR because of PACU holds. A regular occurrence now is to get emails telling people to hasten discharges because beds are full. But the number of cases hasn't changed. In fact they keep going up. So what's happened? PACU is full because there are no beds to discharge patients to. And then no joke, we are acting as recovery nurses in the OR watching patients until they can get discharged to the floor. That's right when you are not on call it is not just possible but a regular occurrence to be stuck after 6 (you get a little money thrown at you but it's not worth it since I'd rather go home and either learn some anesthesia, go to the gym, or just sleep) to act as a watered-down PACU nurse. The sick thing is I'm sure the hospital is still making money off of having the patient in an OR.

Problematic in several ways, this:

1. Seemingly no oversight of inflow and outflow of patients on a global level. It just seems that production trumps everything else resulting in total disregard for patient experience. How many patients have voiced their frustration at me when I come to interview them and place an IV because they've been NPO for god knows how long because it's now 4PM and they were told that they would be having surgery at 10AM?

2. Isn't this fraud to be billing a patient's insurance for OR or anesthesia time when they are sitting in an OR not receiving any real OR care but only because the PACU is full? Wait no, the entire hospital is full.

3. Why am I still here in an OR at night when there's no educational value to me being a pseudo- recovery nurse? It seems that every senior level person in the department or the hospital seems to be OK with this arrangement.

4. Did I mention misery? The nurses are about to ready to revolt or walk out en masse. Morale is low amongst the attendings. Overall the level of teaching could be better. Some of the junior attendings are good about making an effort. But otherwise from their looks of quiet desperation it seems that there may be some more change coming. I guess what they say about mergers and changes in staffing is true.

5. Generalized misery makes it hard to come to work.

This has been long-winded but in summary the hospital is undergoing a transition. But it's one I wish I didn't have to be a part of because it's affected all things big and small. The attendings are stressed so what little attention we do get from them has been diminished. This is not the low-key, laid-back place I thought I was going to for training. Yes, our PD is still an advocate. But obviously his reach is limited or even worse maybe he's OK with everything going on, that we don't receive that much formal education, that we are being worked even if that work is not necessarily anesthesia work. I have to say that Sinai has done a thorough job of molding us into factory-line workers. I'm just glad that I'll be done soon. I think it's probably best to steer clear of this place, either as a trainee or a patient until they sort out their institutional issues.

 

[nimbus]

I don't know why I come back to these boards since I'm "in it". But in the interest of shedding a little light I'll share some insights into the recent goings-on at Sinai from a resident's perspective. Let this serve to those of you on the trail as a caveat emptor. Of course I expect some internal backlash or a witch hunt to result from this. But if nothing else I, and some of my colleagues who may be too tired or cowed into speaking out, need to vent a little and maybe get a little perspective from those in other large "brand-name" programs.

Things have gotten out of hand at the hospital. There was a recent merger between this hospital and several other less financially sound facilities in the city. Seemingly this shouldn't affect resident training. But I submit that there has been a definite impact on the overall environment. Quite simply, people are just miserable. At all levels: the PACU nurses, the techs, our attendings. There are murmurs of debt, of how bad the merger is for this hospital. I think the corporate side of things has responded by cracking the whip, as it were. We are busier than ever but we are also coming apart at the seams. For a place that prides itself so much on its ranking and is so obsessed with its appearance I find myself empathizing greatly with the patients who suffer by deciding to come here for care. Waiting endlessly for surgery to start, let alone to receive some kind of communication from staff, being made to walk to an OR naked except for a flimsy gown and socks, coming into an OR where loud music is playing and everyone is talking not paying attention to you the patient, and best of all at the end of surgery being made to sit and wait in an OR because of PACU holds. A regular occurrence now is to get emails telling people to hasten discharges because beds are full. But the number of cases hasn't changed. In fact they keep going up. So what's happened? PACU is full because there are no beds to discharge patients to. And then no joke, we are acting as recovery nurses in the OR watching patients until they can get discharged to the floor. That's right when you are not on call it is not just possible but a regular occurrence to be stuck after 6 (you get a little money thrown at you but it's not worth it since I'd rather go home and either learn some anesthesia, go to the gym, or just sleep) to act as a watered-down PACU nurse. The sick thing is I'm sure the hospital is still making money off of having the patient in an OR.

Problematic in several ways, this:

1. Seemingly no oversight of inflow and outflow of patients on a global level. It just seems that production trumps everything else resulting in total disregard for patient experience. How many patients have voiced their frustration at me when I come to interview them and place an IV because they've been NPO for god knows how long because it's now 4PM and they were told that they would be having surgery at 10AM?

2. Isn't this fraud to be billing a patient's insurance for OR or anesthesia time when they are sitting in an OR not receiving any real OR care but only because the PACU is full? Wait no, the entire hospital is full.

3. Why am I still here in an OR at night when there's no educational value to me being a pseudo- recovery nurse? It seems that every senior level person in the department or the hospital seems to be OK with this arrangement.

4. Did I mention misery? The nurses are about to ready to revolt or walk out en masse. Morale is low amongst the attendings. Overall the level of teaching could be better. Some of the junior attendings are good about making an effort. But otherwise from their looks of quiet desperation it seems that there may be some more change coming. I guess what they say about mergers and changes in staffing is true.

5. Generalized misery makes it hard to come to work.

This has been long-winded but in summary the hospital is undergoing a transition. But it's one I wish I didn't have to be a part of because it's affected all things big and small. The attendings are stressed so what little attention we do get from them has been diminished. This is not the low-key, laid-back place I thought I was going to for training. Yes, our PD is still an advocate. But obviously his reach is limited or even worse maybe he's OK with everything going on, that we don't receive that much formal education, that we are being worked even if that work is not necessarily anesthesia work. I have to say that Sinai has done a thorough job of molding us into factory-line workers. I'm just glad that I'll be done soon. I think it's probably best to steer clear of this place, either as a trainee or a patient until they sort out their institutional issues.

The bed situation is all over SoCal. I consider it a good thing. Business is booming.

 

[Truth not emotion]

For a place that prides itself so much on its ranking and is so obsessed with its appearance I find myself empathizing greatly with the patients who suffer by deciding to come here for care. Waiting endlessly for surgery to start, let alone to receive some kind of communication from staff, being made to walk to an OR naked except for a flimsy gown and socks, coming into an OR where loud music is playing and everyone is talking not paying attention to you the patient, and best of all at the end of surgery being made to sit and wait in an OR because of PACU holds.

I'm a resident at Mt. Sinai and I'm really disappointed to read this post... I think it's unfortunate and misleading. Let me explain my position.

Things are definitely intense at Sinai right now. We did indeed recently go through a merger, and we have been working harder than we are used to due to several factors:
1. When we merged, some anesthesia faculty at the hospitals we purchased chose to leave for various reasons, often because the salaries they were pulling were unsustainable and they knew this would not continue.
2. With the multiple openings in these other anesthesia departments, a number of our anesthesia attendings left Sinai at the same time to fill various directorial and supervisory positions at these other hospitals.
3. Because they recently unionized and have not yet completed contract negotiations with our hospital, we cannot hire CRNAs at the moment although we desperately need them.
4. Our surgical and OB volume is higher than ever, unfortunately in the face of a sudden perfect storm of understaffing. It was not just our department that is stretched thin with the addition of the other hospitals; our entire institution is currently trying to make the transition to being the large consortium we have suddenly become.

Our residents continue to leave Sinai with excellent and thorough training as clinicians and as humanistic caregivers. We have a ton of opportunity for research, teaching, specialized experience, and extra income... I am thankful that I am a resident here. WrkrB, I'm sorry that you are feeling the burn - we all are - but I am very confident that it's going to improve, simply because the culture here has been so pro-resident for so long and the same players who kept it that way in the first place are still here and actively looking for solutions. You say you're almost done; maybe a busy NY hospital is not the right fit for you as an attending, but only you can decide that. Good luck.

 

[Truthiness not emotion]

(Another resident at Sinai here.)

Reading your response to WrkrB's rant, I'm worried that people will think that your condescending "STFU or GTFO" tone is characteristic of our program. I can confidently say that you are not this bad in real life because I know and like everyone.

WrkrB's post is a bit melodramatic but not so off base. The fundamental problem is that the institution - the institution as a whole, not the department - is now prioritizing production over education to a level that none of us have seen before. This is no secret, and presumably it's happening everywhere as the hammer starts to fall on our unsustainably expensive healthcare system. Simply, hospitals are scrambling to sustain revenue.

This has been a jolt to a number of the residents. Things like ridiculous PACU holds and long, non-educational hours (for some, certainly more than the 60-65 hours you somehow are only working) as well as extremely busy attendings who simply don't have time to teach, are real concerns. These are shared by a number of the residents, and I don't understand where you got the idea that WrkrB is some kind of loner crazy without valid complaints. We just want to make the most of our limited years in training.

Despite this, we still do have a residency that is the equal or better of any in (at least) NYC. Again, it's hard to imagine that the other major centers aren't subject to the same pressures as ours, and don't have significant issues of their own. They just don't have as many residents arguing on a public forum over the past couple days

 

[Truth not emotion]

You've got a good point. Things are tougher than they were six months ago, and I don't like it any more than wrkrB does. I just have little patience for what strikes me as anonymous smearing... dissatisfaction is one thing, and you're right, we are all less satisfied at the moment than we were. However, the thing that made me angry is the claim that our patient care is suffering... as for the isolated loner comment (now deleted), harsher than I intended but again, if you're not willing to speak up and ask for help (especially when those around you will really try to give it) I don't think it's fair to complain publicly.

The last thing I'd want to do is give the impression that our program as a whole has a "shape up or ship out" attitude... this is the opposite of what's true, and it isn't what I meant by my last statement. From what I've gathered about other programs around us, ours is the most "nurturing" in the city. I meant that if our hospital isn't the right fit for you as an attending, then find the place you're happier when you've graduated. No hospital is completely alike, and there are a lot of different environments.

 

[Twiggidy]

It's residency. You're gonna work hard, you're gonna work long, and you're gonna be underpaid. Also, attendings will be demanding....Everywhere!

Personally, having don't the fellowship interview and job interview process, I'd sure like to have that Ivy League name on my CV. That just my opinion

 

[wrkrB]

I will rebut Dr. Truth, 'resident' physician who seems to have a lot at stake here. So much so in fact that to take time away from your scholarly pursuits and noble politicking to troll these boards in order to maintain appearances is flattering.

I was also struck by the immediacy of your response and the tone which was described by Truthiness. To the degree that you may accuse me of false piety I will attribute your tone to privilege. At first I thought I was hearing from our PD himself but your diction, its lack of requisite hypomania, and use of spell-check tell me otherwise. Yet there is pressure in your speech and your returning to your post to try to strike the right tone betrays obsession or defensiveness.

Defensive posturing, you should realize, also tends to be emotional. That I, and apparently others among us, express emotion does not invalidate the experience. Frustration usually arises from not being heard. And my observations and sure, opinions, about what's going on here are directed at a system. A large system to which even our PD is a silent and probably powerless accomplice. I am hoping that things will change, obviously not for me during my time, but oh say in about ten years from now when the aftermath of this merger is known. I won't shake your loyalty, admirable and misguided, though it may be. Similarly I doubt that much will change about the tenor of this place: the adversarial, authoritarian, non-collegial environment that is fostered here. STFU or GTFO, indeed.

As you've noticed, I am not alone. I suppose from your privileged position the nectar is sweet. If you got off your hands and knees, took a look around, and noticed the environment around you, you'd realize that things could be better. At a bare minimum, rather than ramping up the production pressure don't you think this place should fix what's already broken? Maybe you don't have those days anymore, sitting around during delays between cases and then being rewarded with a forced short call. Those calls were supposed to be VOLUNTARY, not a default. As far as I can tell, this place is not CRNA-friendly. Why would that suddenly change, especially when they have us as a cheaper form of labor? Where do you suppose they will have the budget to pay for these CRNAs of which you speak? I will forego the petty cash for a predictable relief time, relieved by a CRNA and not the other way around. The way it is done, elsewhere.

I can't speak for the other centers. I only see what's happening here. For you to deny that patients here are treated like cattle, I suspect that you are dipping into your own drug kit. If this is "just the way it is" and that "all NYC centers are the same" as you suggest then I would admonish the next few generations to reap the rewards of a place with a better reputation. Because come on, those Wednesday mornings and research?, meh. Level 1 trauma? Hahahahaha.

Look back at the threads here. The selling point has always been lifestyle, the laid-back atmosphere, the cult of personality that "some but not all would say [is] unprofessional". From what I've seen - the adversarial relations in the OR, the smug snark directed at surgeons when there is a technical challenge or bleeding - I'd say that certain (mis)behaviors are encouraged. You can't deny that. The stresses of this environment only magnify these failures of professionalism and interpersonal communication (cf. ACGME competency). Your second bullet point is tragicomic then, that our attendings are filling supervisory roles elsewhere. The problems here haven't been fixed; they've been allowed to metastasize.

Look, I enjoy working with my anesthesia and surgical colleagues. All I'm saying is that the ongoing stresses of this place magnify what was, what is, and more than likely what is to come. Someone in the thread asked for an update. I am taking that opportunity to do so and to respond anonymously to what is obvious, glaring, and problematic. This will remain anonymous because from what I've experienced, values like fairness, integrity, collegiality, and above all else professionalism aren't real here. They exist only as a simulation.

 

[Truth not emotion]

Wow... that's a lot of angry. Did not mean to stir that up.

I concede in whatever argument there is, and I sincerely apologize for trying to "reason" you out of your frustration (my reasoning is obviously not the same as yours). I'm not any more privileged than any other resident here, just appreciative of what I have... it saddens me that our difference of opinion has apparently pitted us against each other.

You have every right to your opinion, and your points are based on a true, ongoing situation that people are trying to fix. Please respect my right to remind anyone reading this that your opinions don't represent all the residents here... nor do mine. Any assertion otherwise is unfair and untrue. I have no stake in "trying to keep up appearances", I'd just prefer to voice my own opinion rather than have someone else claim to do it for me.

Now can we please stop arguing and pay attention to our patients?

 

[wpink]

Ok guys... Ill add my two cents. The vast majority of what wrkrB says is very much true. We have recently merged with other hospitals, our OR volume is way up, and we are delivering more babies than ever. With that said, we all work hard, though not unreasonably hard, and we get paid extra for it. You can't say that for many programs in the country. Also, ACGME work hours are taken very seriously here and measures are taken if necessary to prevent violations.

I think the larger and more pervasive issue here is that many of the residents seem to be hand-picked by the PD and unfortunately his number one prerequisite seems to be people who share in his personality and his puerile sense of humor. While it may seem enticing in a residency interview to have your PD make dick jokes, I am certain that doesn't translate into a safe, professional atmosphere while actually doing residency. And when you are surrounded by other residents and young attendings (many of whom choose to stay here) who buy into this cult of personality, I would make the argument that this environment crosses the border of inappropriate into outright mysogeny and harassment. In fact there was recently an attending here, intricately involved with resident education, who had to step down because of sexually inappropriate comments in the setting of medical students education. The PD himself was reprimanded a few short years ago for using a derogatory sexual moniker to describe one of his own residents! Many residents choose not to engage in this behavior but it is certainly on everyone's radar. Furthermore, this personality cult has led to what I consider a two tiered residency program. There are those who choose (or are chosen) to take part in simulator education and research and those who do not. The residents actively involved in the simulator/education program spend many days out of the operating room while the rest of us have to pick up the clinical slack. I understand that this is a teaching institution and there are many facets to a residency program beyond operating room time. But, when you are being overworked in the OR while your simulator/education coresidents are enjoying half days and three hour lunches, something doesn't sit right with me.

 

[lunaire]

Hahah, Mt Sinai people, you guys are always a blast. I wish I spent more time rotating in your hospital.

There's always so much natural drama there, I think NY Med should've filmed their reality show in your hospital.

 

[YayForAnonymity]

Another Sinai resident here.

The basic truth is that Sinai is not the same place it was when many of us were making our rank lists a few years ago. Hours and workload are worse than ever before, perks are slowly diminishing, and the classic Sinai attitude/feel is slowly being eroded. I don't know whether we need more residents, attendings, or CRNAs, but since the merger (and to an extent, even before that), the department as a whole seems entirely overwhelmed and the result is rotting in the ORs later and later - where seniors used to start getting relieved at 4 or 5, it now seems normal to see them walking out of the locker rooms at 6 or 7 and that's only IF there's actually staff to send them relief. Residents are getting pulled from required off-service rotations such as pre-op clinic or the pain service 90% of the time to cover gaps in the schedule - residents have even been pulled out of the SICU and CTICU recently. Perks such as voluntary short calls are now becoming forced since ORs are running later and there isn't anyone to come relieve you (I know that the extra bonus money is great and we're lucky, but I'd still rather be going home at a reasonable time) and it seems like voluntary moon-lighting opportunities are getting eliminated slowly as the years pass. What used to be a friendly (admittedly too close and friendly in some ways) and collegial department where everyone seemed to be relatively happy has turned to a group of relatively disgruntled residents and similarly dismayed attendings.

Now despite all of the above, I think it is completely wrong to point the finger at our PD. He is almost entirely responsible for making Sinai into the program it is today. While he may not have the same energy and power over the program that he had a few years ago, I don't think that there is anyone out there that is a bigger advocate for residents. He is always going to bat for us, fighting with the higher powers to keep the program and our perks stable. He is more than willing to give residents a day off if they need one, whether its for family, medical, or any reason. Honestly, he is one of the biggest reasons I decided to come to Sinai.

If you come to Sinai for residency you are going to graduate extremely well trained, because we all do ridiculous amounts of cases and get tons of autonomy. However, it's not the same happy, laid-back program it used to be. While I'm not sure I would want to be elsewhere, it would be a much harder decision to rank Sinai #1 now than it was a few years ago.

 

[ProEra]

Thanks for the honesty guys. It's nice to hear another perspective that was not present during the interview day. Very helpful for those of us still debating our rank lists. However, it seems like a lot of the new struggles of PACU holds and increased workload that you describe are very similar to what exists at other large programs both in NYC and other big city hospitals.

 

[bgcntry]

Sinai is the place to be. Yeah we work hard, but IT'S RESIDENCY! So does everyone else. No one should come to residency expecting to be relieved at 4PM by a CRNA. And at Sinai, if you have to stay late YOU GET PAID EXTRA! If you're late in the OR, get your iPad out (THAT THE DEPARTMENT GAVE YOU) and read some freaking Miller if you want. Seriously, I feel like we are treated like royalty as residents.

 

[MikeMerk-MtS]

I'm not sure if someone created a fake account to spew poopoo on Mt Sinai right around the time that applicants are creating their rank list, but please don't let some fake (allegedly) profile throw off what you worked on for years. If it felt right while you interviewed, rank it high. If it felt wrong while you interviewed, rank it low. But please don't let an anonymous person sway your vote (even if they "claim" to be a resident).

 

[MikeMerk-MtS]

As for the original poster's question: all places you mentioned are phenomenal and will make you happy as long as you're willing to work hard. Location aside, all will put you at a place to be a great anesthesiologist and either go on to practice or on to fellowship. I'd pick the one that made you feel most at home (ie, which residents/attendings seemed most similar to your group of friends back at home).

 

[$hort_call_$K]

First of all, please excuse my non-eloquent, spell-check requiring diction, as my writing skills are not as fancy as some others. English is my second language

I could not keep silent anymore after hearing and reading these posts myself. Hard to believe someone in the department has so much anger.

As the one of the biggest advocates for the residency, let me just point few things out to the medical students that I hope is intuitive and transparent. I have no disclosures to disclose.

1. Come visit us. We have nothing to hide. Mount Sinai allows more visiting students from different institutions to check out our program for a month than any other places that I know. Only you can decide what program fits the best for you and our program fosters such experience.

2. I was told by my mentor in medical school to “become an anesthesiologist who gets called for help and not the other way around.” The training here is phenomenal that you will be able to handle everything and anything. No pain, no gain. Just know this still is way better than the third year surgery rotation.

3. It may be painful but you do get rewarded at Sinai. To some, which is “petty cash”, to other it means that you finally get to do something with your life other than continuing to live the same life you’ve lived as a college and med student. I’ve earned $110k+ in 2013 and 2014, and I’m proud to say it even if I do get witch hunted down. Compared to the $46,000 that I got during my intern year at a different institution, it is significant increase. Call me crazy, but I never violated the 80-hour work rule. If you get paid for more experience, why not take it? If I can’t try all the different types of techniques now under the wings of an attending and his or her medical license, when could I?

4. “Get out of the OR.” You will hear this a lot where ever you go. If you want to keep yourself distinguished, as we all know we want to be distinguished from CRNAs as physicians, you have to find a program that allows you to partake in such activities to the point many attendings work alone in a room without residents. You can take all the complaints above as this: the department fosters and protects scholarly activity. Don’t complain because “we” or “another tier” found a project, or a committee to get ourselves involved with and are allowed to “enjoy the nectar.” Haters will always hate. Just know there are equal opportunities for all.

5. I have nothing against Ivy league programs but in general whether you do a scholarly activity or not, hardworking residents at Sinai have found their jobs and fellowships of their choice. Proud to say, many of my CA-3 classmates are all going to some awesome programs next year including places like Mt Sinai, Brigham, MGH, Columbia, and HSS, to name a few.

To all current and future applicants, you already know everyone is different and so are each and everyone’s opinions and experiences. It is called a match for a reason. Obviously, it hurts and sucks if you do not fit in and have to complain here or transfer to a different program. But realize, things will only get better from where you are now as a medical student. Best of luck with your interview process and the match!

And God have mercy for our PD and wrkrB.

 

[wrkrB]

Some truths are inconvenient, aren't they?

The timing of my reflections were not so calculated. Nor were they ever directed at an individual, but at a system, an environment. The truth remains: that there are some perverse incentives built into the system here. A colleague and a previous poster demonstrates this in spades. Flashing your cash is a little crude, isn't it? But that seems to be in keeping with the hospital at large.

No one questions the need to work during residency. But where is the consideration for the quality of that work? How many more times does one have to rot in a room (keep those cases coming) at the expense of our education? My colleague has described the regularity of being pulled from required rotations. And staying after hours in an OR to watch patients? I don't see how that serves us trainees. These kinds of decisions reflect how we are really valued and perceived.

I have no doubt that we will graduate being capable clinicians. For that I am grateful. However, the cynicism of this place runs real deep. I can't credit any single mastermind - a PD, a department, etc - with having engineered such a hidden curriculum, meaning that we just STFU and be good, numb workers. And all this blabber about being complete periop docs. Something's not quite right.

Good luck to those of you ranking.

 

[$hort_call_$K]

FFP, feel free to ask the details of the program, if you do get a chance to visit. Also talk to me again once you've been in the OR and nowhere else for three years during your residency, actually you did it already and that's what you like, I guess? For many it works but I prefer adding in other experiences as it makes me "less numb" in the OR. Again, we are all different.

wrkrB, your words directed at the system is not what surprises me but the fact that somehow, a change in an environment has made you to be so cynical, as I'm sure you did not start the residency with such a strong negative feeling.

FYI, flashing cash can be seen as opportunities for those whose never seen much. To some it maybe extra but to others it is a necessity. Again, another demonstration that we have different perceptions and needs.

I also don't understand the theme of STFU given our culture. No need to look far, look at our loud presence even on a public forum.

 

[ambiturner]

Full disclosure: I am not a resident in nyc, or at penn for that matter.

I just wanted to say, as someone who has been through residency and seen how much can change from your interview day, there's very little you can count on staying the same (as has been alluded to in this thread). It's a tough time for hospitals and departments and many of these decisions, like cutting moonlighting and mergers that double the or caseload, are made many levels higher than us and no matter how much clout your pd has are not going to change. This is the reality of our system and you have to go in thinking that the "perks" might not be there by the time you would get to enjoy them.

The two things in this thread that I really agreed with are the importance of the program's reputation/network and how you jive with the pd. if you don't think you can get along with the pd, you will not get the best opportunities as a resident that you could. Meeting the Chief residents and seeing who they pick (bubbly extroverts, stern ex-surgical residents, etc) will give you an idea of what they are looking for. Regarding the reputation, a well-known program (such as all of the ones in this thread) will always open doors even if you never make a cent moonlighting and work all day and night. It's only 3 years.

 

[anbuitachi]

FFP, feel free to ask the details of the program, if you do get a chance to visit. Also talk to me again once you've been in the OR and nowhere else for three years during your residency, actually you did it already and that's what you like, I guess? For many it works but I prefer adding in other experiences as it makes me "less numb" in the OR. Again, we are all different.

wrkrB, your words directed at the system is not what surprises me but the fact that somehow, a change in an environment has made you to be so cynical, as I'm sure you did not start the residency with such a strong negative feeling.

FYI, flashing cash can be seen as opportunities for those whose never seen much. To some it maybe extra but to others it is a necessity. Again, another demonstration that we have different perceptions and needs.

I also don't understand the theme of STFU given our culture. No need to look far, look at our loud presence even on a public forum.

Ffp is an attending ...

But anyway it all depends on perspective. Programs can spin anything into a positive. Shorter hours? Means laid back and have a life outside of residency or study. Work a lot? Well it will train you to be a good anesthesiologist! So Yea in the end its about fit. Longer hours may not be a bad thing for some ppl but it definitely won't fit the ppl who rank Sinai high BC its laid back so its good that residents are bringing up the changes

 

[lunaire]

You know, as an outsider resident that rotated in Sinai, I have to say that all you sinai peeps are describing the same place, just from different angles, with slight personal biases. Taken as a whole, emotions removed, you get a pretty accurate picture of Mt Sinai.

But my personal biased opinion aside, just to clarify, Mt Sinai didn't just merge with Continuum (BI, SLR, etc), they absorbed these hospitals. They then shuffled the organization of the various specialties around, to make each hospitals slightly more specialized, and questionably more efficient. This means some surgeons from the old continuum hospitals were transferred to the main campus, and some anesthesiologists from the Sinai network is transferred to the old continuum hospitals (and some continuum anesthesiologists basically resigned). This is why things are busier. So yeah, expect some turbulent course as people adapt to the new system, probably for the next few years or so. But also expect this to get better with time.

 

[ashkenazi1234]

bump

 

[deleted171991]

bump

Oh, come on, it's been just a day since the last post!

 

[wrkrB]

Predictably veiled threats of an inquisition.

For those of you peering in, any suggestions aside from the obvious? Some of these are more are toothless than others:

Resident council
Labor relations/HR
ACGME
JCAHO
CMS
NY Post
Legal

May seem paranoid but other attempts at resident organization, ie union, were met by strong arm intimidation tactics.

 

[K2Anesthesiaresident1]

Ok I can't read this crap anymore. I too am a Mount Sinai Resident.

First off I just need to say that there is some truth to the above posts. Yes we have had more forced short calls (stay past 7:30 -> get $350) that have gone later, yes many auxiliary staff are unhappy, yes people are not happy about all of the change. IMO it has been way overblown and all of the many good parts about this residency which very much still exist were glossed over.

I have a serious problem with the things that were said about our program director. There is nobody in the country who cares about his residents more than he does or does more for his residents than he does. If you have a problem, he will do everything in his power to fix it. If you have an opportunity he will do everything in his power to let you capitalize on it. The personal attacks against him were completely uncalled for. I'm sure they hurt his feelings because he actually does give a ****. They hurt MY feelings because of the numerous ways he has gone out of his way for me since I was a medical student, and I know that he does the exact same thing for every other resident.

If your not happy, set up a meeting with him, tell him your wrkrB, the man will probably apologize and work out a plan for you to switch residencies into somewhere that you could be happy. Think about it for a second and you will know that it is true.

The response from our PD was "The only one in trouble is me. I consider it a personal failure that a resident felt so disenfranchised that he/she felt the need to lash out on a public forum."

I don't have time to detail all of the ways the above posts are misleading. If you are a potential applicant. I'm going to try to make a few takeaways so you can make an informed decision.

1) This residency is not easy. It isn't chill. It hasn't been for years. You work hard, you get excellent training, you can make significantly more money than any other residency in the country here if you want to.

2) Although moral is down right now, it is most definitely a transitional time and the ironic thing is that in all likelihood none of these problems will even affect you when you start here in 2 years. They are working on hiring more staff, but it is a giant institution so it takes a long time to change anything.

3) We have an amazing department where 90% of the attendings are people you will be excited to work with because they teach and they are your friends.

4) The residents are all very cool people and I genuinely enjoy hanging out with everyone.

5) We have a great program director who will fight for you with every ounce of his being.

6) We are an informal department. You should know this from interview day, but if you felt uncomfortable during that day then you probably would not be happy here.

Feel free to PM me any questions.

 

[IlDestriero]

Taking more short calls, which I guess are late shifts, sounds like a bad deal. There's only so much to learn when you're being whored out from 630am to after 730 pm. Fuçk the $350. That just sucks and will ruin your quality of life.
There is no balance possible when you're expected to be in the hospital for 13+ hours regularly. There are strong programs that have average hours in the low 60s. Those extra 10-15 hours a week are pure gold. That's a lot of study time, regular gym workouts, happy hours, date night, nap time, etc. Maybe money is a great motivator for some to want to work those hours. I'd be suicidal in a place like that.

 

[K2Anesthesiaresident1]

Our average work hours are also in the low 60s. Since July I have had like 5 forced short calls (you can volunteer) which is probably on the low end, but I just want to be clear that it isn't like this happens everyday.

If you have a Saturday call maybe that week you would be in the 70s, but they usually combo Saturdays with a weekday call where you leave around 10pm and still get a post-call day to balance it out.

There are definitely MANY times I've left between 3:30-5. 5:30-6:30 is a normal time to get out. 6:30-7:30 not unusual, but not every day. 7:30+ probably happens about 10-15 times a year on average and you get $350.

 

[Truthiness not emotion]

I want to echo all the good things K2Anesthesiaresident1 said about the PD at Sinai. Really unfortunate that someone has such a problem with him; those complaints don't reflect my experience in the slightest.

If you're a student thinking about your rank list, remember - you'll get excellent training at any of the places listed in the thread topic, and a number of others too. There is not much to go by other than your gut feeling and what you hear from people you trust (take everything on SDN with a big pile of salt...this place is full of the sort of masochistic weirdo who would inflict medicine upon themselves, myself included).

Every hospital is dysfunctional. Pick your poison as wisely as you are able.

 

[sinaianesthesiaresident]

A few thoughts on this whole thing.


This must be a CA2, you guys are way entitled.


B, you are confusing very busy times with a bad residency. We got too busy, from what I understand this happens everywhere from time to time and we can't make more attendings and CRNA's appear from the sky. We are still NOT breaking work hours (not even close). And we are still not surgery residents, whose lives suck all the time. Ask around.


Let me give you some sample responses to your own threats against the department:


Resident council—want to join the union? Oh, wait, what was your complaint? Sorry, can’t help you since you guys are the most spoiled department in the hospital. We heard you get free bagels and coffee each morning, is that true? Wow…
Labor relations/HR—Did anybody touch you? Harass you? Breaking hours? No? Ok, so bye bye.
ACGME—Breaking hours? Wait, weren’t you like the only program to have 3 straight 5 year accreditations? And you mean there are lectures each morning that nobody ever attends? Bye bye.
JCAHO—What is a residency program?
CMS—See JCAHO question.
NY Post—Did somebody die? No? Did anybody use drugs and commit suicide? Oh you’re well-supported by the program and get the help you need if there’s a problem? Not interested, we’ll call NYU or Cornell for a more interesting story. Bye bye.
Legal—Please. Really?



I am not even sure what your complaint is. Please go to Adam and either ask for help, give some constructive criticism, or ask for a transfer and spare us your drama. I am sure he will help you as he has helped all of us throughout our time here with personal days, trouble at home, basically anything else we want, even when we screw up big time and he shields us from stuff.


FFP—you are an attending, and not at Sinai. That makes you a very odd bird, indeed. Lurking medical student boards and starting trouble with residents. Sort of pedophilic, no? Please stop, and go wash your Maserati or do something that normal attendings do. You can’t speak to any of this.

 

[deleted171991]

FFP—you are an attending, and not at Sinai. That makes you a very odd bird, indeed. Lurking medical student boards and starting trouble with residents. Sort of pedophilic, no? Please stop, and go wash your Maserati or do something that normal attendings do. You can’t speak to any of this.

1. Dude, this is a "Physician/Resident" forum. Last time I checked, I qualify for the first. This is not a medical student board. You might think about it as a resident board, but there are probably more attendings here than residents.

2. You are absolutely right. I'd better wash my Maserati. You guys are doing a great job at bad PR, and it's painful to watch.

The annoying thing is that you guys are known for your culture and good program, and I am truly sorry to hear you are going through a merger. So I will delete some of my posts, because I do mean well, and your program doesn't deserve to be publicly roasted.

 

[anbuitachi]

wow things aren't looking well at sinai if they are resulting in posts like those

 

[F is for Foghorn]

I was little shell shocked when I read this recent post. I did my sub-I at Mt Sinai recently and had a completely different impression than whats being expressed now so thought maybe I'd get my two cents, hopefully it'll help some people out.

I did think that Mt Sinai had harder hours than other places I had rotated. But I definitely felt like the hard-work you put in yielded a lot more in reward. I had some great cases and attendings that really cared about teaching me and the residents. I spent an entire day with the department chair who pimped/taught me solidly for an hour straight! Most department chairs don't even show up to the operating rooms let alone take the time to teach the medical student. I learned more in that one month than I did on all my anesthesia rotations combined. Yes I think that the residents worked hard. But I never thought that Mt Sinai had a cushy reputation to begin with and I think if thats what you're looking for another residency might be better suited. Personally I think cushier programs suffer for it in terms of education. I definitely thought the mount sinai residents were very competent.

I think sometimes cushy is confused with relaxed. The program is very relaxed and laid back but I come from a school that is very similar in that regards so for me I felt at home and liked that aspect. All depends on your perspective and preference I think. And yes, I do believe that the PD probably picks personalities that he thinks might fit with the residency the best but don't all PDs do that?? At my school I know they do. My sister's on her residency program committee and they won't even consider someone that doesn't jell with them. They want to "match" ..lame pun definitely intended. I think residency is gonna be hard and suck a little bit no matter what. Everyone is going to have a different personality and different priorities. You gotta know yours and then find a residency you think lines up the best. I think if you're looking to work hard and get an awesome education in a relaxed environment you'll love it as much as I did.

Now I know I obviously did not have the hours that residents did, nor do I think that I worked as hard as they do. But I thought maybe an impression from a naive medical student might help some people out there as well. I'm sure everyone here had several residents and attendings tell them not to go into the medical field!! and to switch into finance immediately!! when we were all lowly pre-meds. Everything with a grain of salt! Good luck to everyone and their rank lists. Pretty sure its too late to switch into finance...