I don't know anything about GW...
UMDNJ IMO is a great program.
I think most people on this thread understand that a "big name" elsewhere can mean nothing in the world of Ophthalmology. For instance, I've heard from several sources on this thread that U Chicago and Northwestern are among the least strong programs in Chicago for ophtho. That to me was surprising, but it just goes to show that the world of ophtho is its own entity. Going into this process, we don't always know such things so a lot of people apply to places that have names.
UMDNJ is not a place that has a name- yet. At least not so much outside of the East Coast. They have a well-respected Wilmer-grad PD in Dr. Langer, and have their share of heavy hitters (ie Dr. Zarbin in Retina). I think people in the know such as fellowship coordinators know about UMDNJ.
For instance, one of their seniors will be starting their Plastics fellowship next year (ASOPRS).
"Pros":
1. TONS of volume. Just tons. (I guess this can be a "con" depending on who you are). You will see everything. Their clinic is basically a free clinic with charity care, and you get people originally from just about every country dropping in. You'll definitely learn Spanish just by being there (mira ariba, etc), there will be people who drop in speaking Arabic, French, Hindi. You name it. Several African countries. And they all have the kind of pathology you thought you wouldn't see in the US. And of course Newark residents who may also have a million comorbidities and a festering problem left untreated for five years.
2. 5 residents per year for Q5 primary call first year.
3. Well-respected faculty that work closely with residents
4. Location: I guess this can be a toss-up but you are only about 20 minutes outside of NYC and you have a whole state to yourself in terms of pathology. If there is an ophtho complaint in NJ, they are sent to Newark.
5. Autonomy- a great mix of autonomy- you work up the patient and make an assessment and plan and the attending will take a look and basically let you know how they feel about that A and P. So you get that education on each and every patient you see- which to me beats working up a patient and then not even knowing what happens to them because you're already working up the next patient when the attending sees your last one.
"Cons":
1. In house call. Again, depends on who you are. But you will be BUSY on call and its better that you are in house. I believe you will get an education on call that rivals any other program in the US. You may get multiple ruptured globes in any given night. So to me this isn't so much of a con. And it's only Q5 anyway.
2. Newark. Again, NO residents live in Newark, some live in NYC I think most live somewhere in NJ. They have lots of nice suburbs and cities in NJ, some that are only a Path ride away from Manhattan.
3. YOU WILL WORK (pro or con)- I think residents looking for a "cush" program will not be thrilled here. And residents who matched here looking for a cush program are probably not too thrilled right now, but I'm just guessing. Do residents feel overworked? I don't know. A good question to ask though on interview day.
Anyway, overall it is a great program, and as I've heard on this board several times, somewhere in the top 3 or 4 NYC area programs. You won't be begging a patient with 20/30 vision to do their cataract. You'll have the volume that most other NYC programs (other than Downstate or NYEE) can only dream of. But know you will work, you will work very hard over three years. You will have clinic days with just waiting rooms full of patients. Volume. Everyone pitches in though for general clinic (will come in after their subspecialty clinic and start calling in patients and working them up, sending them on their way) and you're not travelling solo. I would put the clinical skills of someone at UMDNJ after their first year of ophtho against most second years (or even some third years) anywhere else. But you will work. Know that going into it.
