I agree with the last post (Nortomaso's), and feel that the problem of being psychodynamically/psychoanalytically-oriented is part of a larger problem of the northeast. I know that I have discussed this elsewhere, but to summarize I think that many programs prioritize specific modalities of therapy (including pharmacotherapy) at the expense of an honest/less biased up-front evaluation or formulation of the patient and the patient's distress. If the focus is mainly therapy(ies), then patients are inevitably shoe-horned into whatever constructs those therapeutic philosophies demand. The risk for this problem increases when a program is dedicated to fewer therapeutic modalities. It seems that if the patient is carefully assessed first without dedication to modalities of therapy, then there is a better chance that the patient's unique circumstances will drive the appropriate therapy. For this to work well in training, however, the assessment-driven program has to give you adequate training in the various therapies that evidence has shown us work.
That being said, I did not visit Columbia, because I could not afford to live in NYC.
I did visit MGH and Hopkins, and I thought they were both really impressive programs. I though the pros of the MGH program included the strength of the various teaching sites, the educational richness of the community, Boston generally, the consistently bright residents, and the dynamic attendings. I also sensed a genuine dedication to excellent training and an overall excitement about the field and its potential.
I was concerned about a few things. I found the residency director to be a bit aloof and lacking warmth, I felt there was a heavily therapy-based approach to psychiatry (albeit in several different modalities), there seemed to be a lack of cohesion of theory in the program overall (which may or may not be a bad thing), and I found the friendliness and, perhaps, satisfaction of the residents to be a bit uneven.
As to Hopkins, I found the formulation-based philosophy refreshing and more common-sense (obviously), I felt the residents seemed more universally friendly and satisfied (and a bit less smug), I liked the fact that the entire second year was inpatient and had specialized services of one attdg/resident, and I liked the fact that the second year was all in one hospital. I sensed there, like @ MGH, a dedication and excitement about training and psychiatry generally. Finally, I felt better about the residency training directors.
I was ambivalent about Baltimore. It is grittier, more violent, and less stimulating than Boston (which is probably why it's more affordable). I was unsure whether I was more concerned or impressed with the rigor of the first year and the heavy focus on medical training and competence, I was concerned that the faculty of my program counseled training at Columbia, Yale, or MGH over Hopkins or other programs (although they all were trained at one of these three sites), and, although I agreed strongly with the focus on assessment, I was not certain if that meant necessarily that therapeutic training was more broad than deep.
In the end, I walked away feeling an excellent education was to be had at either program (or others), but I preferred JHH and, for what its worth, ranked them 1st.
GOOD LUCK!!
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