Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Residency Reviews

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GiJoe

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Interview was very laid back, sweet group of residents. attending and staff were very approachable. Very well recognized hospital and program. interviews were about 20 minutes each and with attending, intern and director and assoc director. they have flight, which you are a part of and not just riding along. strong EMS. phenomenal peds experience. +/- off service rotations. Didactics for some reason are NEVER on power point which in my opinion can become a little tedious since I'm use to having info right infront of me. downside is that they do 2 medicine months and trauma experience is ok...not up to par as some of the other places i've interviewed at.. i think this is important cuz this is where you get to do your procedures. ED itself looks kinda old and gloomy but they said they're renovating soon. Ok im tired. overall a decent program and will rank somewhere in the middle

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Any other interviewees, residents, etc. with some additional insight on this program. They seem to take a majority of Wisconsinites, so I wanted to get some additional perspective on what people thought...

Thanks!
 
Any other interviewees, residents, etc. with some additional insight on this program. They seem to take a majority of Wisconsinites, so I wanted to get some additional perspective on what people thought...

Thanks!

My opinion is that it is a good, strong program. There is good, broad exposure at multiple facilities, and most of the attendings seemed good to work with. The ED is usual steady but never ridiculously crazy. There is a good mix of rural and urban trauma and I liked how the surgery and ED teams shared the trauma responsibilities. Aside from the optional flight experience though, I don't know if the program has anything that is particularly outstanding about it. That being said, I ranked it highly when I was in the match because I like the area and as I said, it is a good, solid program. Downsides in my opinion: rotations on general medicine and general peds. At least there used to be last year. Probably still there. I also don't like how the ED is set up...too divided. The trauma rooms feel like a mile away if you're on the other side. But the trauma bays are nice.

And yeah, I've noticed over the last couple years that they usually take at least a few Wisconsinites. Usually a 1-2 from MCW each year, plus a couple from UW Madison.

Hope that helps!
 
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***Disclaimer. I am an MCW resident. After traveling far and wide during interview season I was astounded at the quality of this program. I am biased but not blind. Feel free to take what you read with a grain of salt. Also feel free to contact me with questions.

A bit more info about the strengths of this venerable program:
1. Variety is the spice of life and MCW has it. The Froedtert campus is located in Wauwatosa, a calm suburb or Milwaukee. However, it is the old county complex and the only level 1 trauma center in Southeastern WI. It is also a transplant center, heart center, stroke center, educational center, bariatric center, pediatric center, etc., etc. Thus, the variety of patients is astounding. You can see all of the inner city pathology you want next to transplant pts, insured pts with MIs, and enough bread and butter EM to keep you happy for years. Regarding the volume...it just keeps going up. It is well over 100K for the campus.

2. Pediatrics: On the pediatric front the CHOW is just 100 feet down the hall. It is one of the premier peds EDs in the country and as an EM resident you are an integral part of its operation. Each resident does one month in the peds ED then as EM2 and EM3 residents you do 3-4 shifts per month to keep your skills up. After working shifts at the peds EDs the MCW residents are as comfortable with sick or not sick pediatric EM as anyone in the country.

3. Trauma: The SDN site is replete with discussions about whether the partnership with trauma surgery is a benefit of not. I argue it is a great benefit. Traumas are run so incredibly smoothly it is astounding. The system is a partnership between surgery and EM. Thus, procedures are shared between surgery and EM. The trauma faculty are nationally recognized and author many sections of the ATLS handbook. When trauma comes down to the trauma bay EM is not pushed aside. We all step to the bedside and perform some of the most seamless resuscitations you can imagine. EM residents get chest tubes (I got 5 last month) crics, thoracotomies, reductions, lines, etc. As captain you stand at the foot of the bed and direct the resuscitation. This is an incredible experience and one that will prepare you for practice in any setting. It goes without saying that EM, specifically EM2s, runs the head of the bed where the airway is secured.

4. EMS: If you go into V-tach on the streets of Milwaukee you are more likely to survive than any other city in the country. That is due to the fact that Milwaukee has the second best EMS outcomes in the country (Seattle is one if are wondering). You get an opportunity to be an integral part of that system. As EM1s you do ride alongs during your orientation month. As EM2s you run the base calls directing ACLS resuscitations over the radio. As EM3s you do an EMS rotation and work as an assistant medical director addressing pre-hospital challenges. Want to get involved with an EMS crew in the area as a medical director? Done. Want to do EMS research? The sky is the limit. Want to meet the WI state medical director? He is on our faculty. Want to get involved in urban SAR? It is run under MCW medical direction. Want to get on the chopper and fly with Flight for Life in exchange for a couple of EM2 shifts? Again MCW medical direction. Many MCW graduates go onto become EMS medical directors without fellowship training simply based upon the strength and the reputation of the EMS training within the residency program.

5. Research: MCW's ED is classically one of the top 5 NIH funded EDs in the country. The are opportunities for research in EMS, out of hospital arrest, traumatic brain injury, obesity and trauma, stroke, education, US, Wilderness medicine, injury prevention. Dr. Tom Aufderheide, recent IOM inductee runs a number of large NIH out of hospital trials. He loves to get residents involved in his projects. All you have to do is ask. If prehospital arrest, or prostaglandins in brain injury are not your thing, there is a PhD researcher dedicated to helping residents select and complete scholarly projects. If research in general is not your thing it is not rammed down your throat. If it is, you will be welcomed with open arms.

6. Faculty: The MCW faculty come from EM training programs across the country. Thus, there are a variety of practice patterns to learn from. The primary research interest of many of them is education. Thus, simulation and resident education is at the forefront of the program. Dr. Callahan the PD has worked for years in community practice and has a Master's degree in education. This makes for a phenomenal combination of "real world" experience and "pie in the sky" academics. He gives phenomenal lectures. We also have faculty writing chapters in the new addition of Rosen and Adams. They are not just brilliant, they are fun. Outside of the hospital we are all friends and many of the faculty socialize with the residents.

7. The curriculum: We spend a lot of time in the ED or the ICUs. These months are complemented by constant peds and EMS experience. There is a lot of discussion about the value of floor months. We do one month of peds floor and one month of medicine. We all went into EM because rounding and cogitation over potassium levels is not our thing. However, I would argue that these rotations are important for us to see. The peds month in particular is valuable and unique. We serve on the hospitalist general admitting service. I really think that you can't spend enough time taking care of kids in order get comfortable with the weight based dosing, the presentations of shock, and variety of pathology, and the social interactions involved in working with a pediatric population. US is a rapidly growing component of the curriculum. As EM1s we spend the afternoons of our anesthesia month running around the department scanning as many patients as we can find. This is a great opportunity to build a foundation of US skills that you can use in the next 2 years. During this month you work with US core faculty to go over scans and perfect your methods.

8. The City and the State: We all love Milwaukee. It, like other old industrial towns, has enough grit to make it a great place to practice and learn EM. However, its recent renewal makes it a great place to be young, single, married, or whatever. Most of the single residents live downtown near the lake and the action. The married residents tend to live in 'tosa near the hospital and the quiet, pleasant suburban life. In my opinion Milwaukee is the perfect sized city for training. It is big enough to have sufficient pathology to learn. However, it is small enough to be affordable, escapable, and to avoid paralyzing traffic. If you are not a city person there are many city parks, 3 rivers full of steelhead and salmon, and Great Lake. You can also easily escape to one of the many nearby lakes, forests, or rivers. For sports fans, the Brewers are just down the road at Miller Park. Beer fans will love the many local brew pubs.

9. The facility: It is new and beautiful with all the amenities. Look for ED-based definitive U/S soon with U/S techs available to help teach residents bedside scanning.

10. The alumni: The program has been around since 1978. Thus, we have alums across the country and globe in all settings from academic and community to wilderness. Don't be surprised that many of the graduates stay in Wisconsin to practice. It is a great place to live and... it has either the highest or second highest compensation levels in the country (depending upon your source). Training at MCW only serves to open doors for your career. You get to decide which doors.

11. The residents: Relaxed, humble, fun, smart, hard-working and well-regarded around the hospital.
 
MCW is an absolute top-notch training program. I only ranked it lower because it was my home program and wanted to go somewhere else only for the sake of going somewhere else. Either way, I'd be thrilled to come back as staff someday. High acuity mix of trauma and medical patients, urban and rural, sick and non-sick. Attendings are great, ER is brand new, great salary, and Milwaukee can be a cool city.
 
Just graduated from this program; it does have a homegrown flavor but overall training is excellent. 2 months out of the program I can handle 2.6 an hour--painfully, but I can handle it--and we do get all the procedures mentioned. The relationship with the Trauma team is nothing but a positive. You'll find bigger programs with more flash but this is excellent, core training. No regrets.
 
i was really surprised by how much i liked MCW on the interview trail and I am really loving it as a resident here! I think we have some of the happiest residents around and a great life/work balance. Very responsive faculty, warm relationships between residents (I needed someone to cover a few hours of a shift in a different ED department and I had at least 5 residents immediately volunteer to help- without even asking me to switch shifts with them!), really nice PD, fun city, highest salary in the country and low cost of living. I also feel like they help you ease into residency and then build up the responsibility and acuity gradually in a way that is challenging but not overwhelming. Great hours- mainly 8 hour shifts in adult ED and 10 at CHW.

Here is my review after interviewing there as a student:
Pros: great volume- 100,000+ between the adult ed at Froedtert (61K ish i think) and peds ed (around 60K) at CHW with only 9 residents a year- meaning a great resident/patient ratio. Lots of trauma- penetrating and blunt and the ER resident runs the trauma every other week (the trade off with surgery). Beautiful hospital that is in the suburbs of milwaukee- its the only large county hospital i visited that isn't in a really sketchy area of town. lots of the residents live right next to the hospital or in the village of wauwatosa close by. fantastic pediatrics- #3 peds program in the country with great faculty in peds EM (Goerlick of pediatric EM textbook). Peds shifts built into entire training instead of isolated to a few isolated months (i.e. Grady) Brand new state of the art children's hospital that is connected to the adult ED. very friendly residents that love the program and get along great with the faculty and off services. good off service rotations. highest paid residents in the country (53.2K in PGY1) with good hours (i think they were 16-18 8 hour shifts 2 and 3 year and 18-19 8 to 10 hr shifts first year). built in training in ED management in the third year- lots of autonomy and graded responsibility as a senior resident. milwaukee was a fun city with enough crime to keep you busy but a lot of cute restaurants etc. 1 hour from chicago by train. great starting salaries for graduates and they placed people all over the country. but most of all, the nicest and most rockstar research director anywhere- Dr. Tom Aufderheide. he is probably the #1 published EM researcher right now and has a huge NIH grant to study cardiac resuscitation. I spoke to him on the phone and he was so wonderful- and he sent me the two articles that he had published that week in the new england journal and the lancet. he is amazing and has set up a program there that is ideal for someone who wants to do EM research as a career. He can add you to his open in NIH grant, basically give you a K grant, and move you towards an RO1. That kind of mentoring and structure is priceless. Plus, he and the program director are just really nice people.

Cons: You have to visit Wisconsin in Jan. It wasn't that bad, but it is cold in the winter. good amount of trauma but not as crazy as some of the busiest trauma centers. not a ton of burn experience. research in EMS (Pirello) and Resuscitation (Aufderheide) very good, but they are the only big names if you are looking for strong research and fellowships in other programs.it's not a "name" program. limited Ultrasound program. some go on to fellowships, but largely training for docs who want to go into community practice. No as much exposure to some of the more complicated rare cases as some of the academic programs i have seen (cleveland clinic heart pts etc.), off service departments are not national leaders for the most part.
 
1) General: I should start off with the disclaimer that this is my home institution and thus am at least partially biased. 3 year program that has pretty big numbers, ~65K in Adult ED and ~65K in Peds ED. Both hospitals are outstanding entities. Froedtert ED is fairly new and up to date with latest equipment, all patient rooms are private. 4 trauma bays are located in separate wing of ED and this is likely one of the best aspects of MCW. Trauma is run incredibly smoothly and efficiently and there is a fantastic relationship with the trauma surgeons. Honestly, you have to see it yourself to understand how smoothly things run. By the book ATLS. ED is trauma captain every other week and 2nd year residents get all airways. Also important to note is that Froedtert is the only trauma center in the region and thus gets all trauma from the inner city Milwaukee which is extensive and relentless. Children’s hospital of WI is one of the best children’s hospitals in the country on a yearly basis and the ED is fairly new as well. Excellent Peds experience at MCW.

2) Curriculum: Pediatric and Adult inpatient ward months (2x total) which seems like a bummer to me. Although I will be honest that I have heard good feedback about the months from current residents. Specifically the Adult medicine ward month is at an OSH and tends to be very light hours wise. Didactics are Weekly 7-11am and seem to be well liked. Montly trauma surgery lecture also seems to be a positive and helps cement great relationship with both teams. One change has been the upgrade of the ED ultrasound units. Recently purchased 2 new units that are top notch so I hear. This is definitely a positive change for the program as a whole as US was lackluster in the past. When I rotated through this year it was hit or miss if the US would work properly. While you do not become certified in US with this residency it does seem like they are trying to introduce more US time/practice into the curriculum which is nice.

3) Pre-interview dinner: Held at local brew pub and well attended, probably 12 residents there. All seemed to be “into” the program and excited to share their stories and experiences. Good mix of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years plus a few spouses. Nice chance to grab a beer, heavy appetizers, and chat with the residents. Laid back atmosphere and definitely worthwhile to attend.

4) Interview: Morning or afternoon interview session based on preference. The whole vibe was very laid back from the get go. Depending on which session you attended the order might be slightly different but I don’t think it mattered much. Tour of facilities was pretty blah for me as I know them well; however, nice to see both adult and pediatric EDs for those not familiar. Again, both places are top notch and basically brand new in appearance. Very quiet EDs because all rooms are private patient rooms and NO overflow in hallways. Lunch with residents again was chill. Nice to chat with different residents and ask any questions that may have been missed at the pre-interview dinner. PD is nice guy and approachable, pretty funny and laid back overall. Gave most interesting presentation I’ve seen yet on the trail, which was a nice change. I will say it was very “pro MCW” which is understandable I guess. Interviews are 15 minutes each, 5x total. PD, Assistant PD, adult and peds faculty, and resident. Again, very mellow no trick questions at all. Several of my interviews we just chatted about completely non-medical topics. Definitely more of a “get to know you” vibe vs. interview which was nice.

5) Summary: Overall people are certainly friendly and seem to enjoy working here; very mellow and laid back feel yet supportive in whatever endeavor you choose. Trauma is definitely a strong aspect of this program and is run smoothly. No real negatives to note, US seems to be improved. Really a unique program with crazy amount of trauma and ~130K adult/peds visits yearly yet set in suburban and safe setting just 15 minutes outside of downtown. Essentially all the county patients with resources and setting of community/academic center. Milwaukee is actually a really cool city if you’ve never been. Large enough that anything you want is here yet not too big. Good food, beer, bars, activities. Only downside is cold weather. I really liked this program, and honestly if it wasn’t my home institution may have been my top pick. However, I am kind of looking to change things up and may range this a tad lower possibly.
 
2) Curriculum: Pediatric and Adult inpatient ward months (2x total) which seems like a bummer to me. Although I will be honest that I have heard good feedback about the months from current residents. Specifically the Adult medicine ward month is at an OSH and tends to be very light hours wise. Didactics are Weekly 7-11am and seem to be well liked. Montly trauma surgery lecture also seems to be a positive and helps cement great relationship with both teams. One change has been the upgrade of the ED ultrasound units. Recently purchased 2 new units that are top notch so I hear. This is definitely a positive change for the program as a whole as US was lackluster in the past. When I rotated through this year it was hit or miss if the US would work properly. While you do not become certified in US with this residency it does seem like they are trying to introduce more US time/practice into the curriculum which is nice.
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One correction: this residency program DOES lead to the usual post-residency US credentialing; it has for several years now. This is the norm for many EM residency programs; most do NOT lead to RDMS certifcation after residency; thats what a fellowship is for. MCW US training does exclude a couple scans for institutional reasons, but residents are well versed in and able to bill for several scans upon completion of residency: FAST, RUSH (hypotension), ED cardiac, aorta eval, vasc access, and soft tissue. Of note: RUQ US and transvaginal US curriculum are works-in-progress.
 
Is there any step score cut-off at MCW? I could not find that information on their page.
 
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