2007-8 interview trail

[dc2md]

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I second GQPMR's request. I went through this all last year so I realize not everyone wants to give programs details/reviews for a number of reasons. Some don't want to share the interview day experience because they don't want the next guy/girl to have an advantage (answering a surprise question better). And some don't want to criticize a program for fear that AXM will find out their true identity and turn them in (muahahahahaha...get 'em AXM). But most (like myself) were too damn lazy or busy to write a review.

Well, now that ROLs are pretty much done by most programs, write away fellas. Share your knowledge with the next group of interviewees. You've all been helped by this great website, so....pay it forward!!!! (oh, and you can also pay it back by donating to SDN).

good luck everyone.

chris

 

[bellepmr]

Hey- He is right.... I simply have been too lazy to write up the programs I interviewed at. I rotated at both Dallas programs for 4 weeks each and interviewed at both. Here is my opinion of both programs. I will write about them in the order in which I rotated at the respective program.

Baylor Dallas- Great attendings. Very thoughtful. I felt like I was part of a family. The PD is very approachable and very knowledgeable in both the physiatry field as well as the business field. It is a smaller program, but some how they choose residents that all get along and all help each other out. Call is home call. You take it a week at a time. They did not seem overly worn out. Most nights did not have to come in. On weekends, they do any admits. Some would get 5 in a day, some would get none. It just varies. As a student, you cannot chart. They have electronic records and we dont get access, so it was a long day watching the resident type in notes. They have a wonderful free standing inpatient rehab facility. They work in teams consisting of the resident, the attending, a pharmacist, PT, OT, social work, nurse manager and neuropsych. Each week when they meet up, everyone shows!! Very educational, learning aspects of each essential member of the team. The residents have "gradual" autonomy (good or bad-- depends on your personality). Residents from there have gone on to fellowships- everything from SCI to pain. During my time there, I saw many EMG's in the outpatient clinic, but did not see many joint injections and residents basically just observe the pain procedures. I believe they do all their injections at UTSW on a rotation there. (I could be wrong--- but I remember the baylor residents doing an injection rotation at UTSW, they might have alot more exposure at Baylor-- I just did not see any during my four weeks). You have 15 days (i think) of Vacation. The nice thing is you dont have to find someone to cover.... you put in your days and go! You also get a stipend for travel/accommodations to a week conference (you can choose which you want a PMR/AOA) They do have a research requirement that can be fulfilled with case study. They all have blackberries instead of pagers. They seem to love them, they can text their attending and get a quick answer back without having to wait around a phone.



UTSW- A 360 from Baylor. You can have as much autonomy as you want (within limits). There is always an attending there. All the attendings I worked with were very approachable. Patient load in the clinics is HUGE! You get to see alot and do alot. My first day there I was able to do 3 injections (2 knee, 1 shoulder). Call is in house- q12. Call did not seem to be too demanding. The usually got at least 4hrs of sleep unless the had an unusally hard night. They are pretty flexible and will schedule call around personal things. You get over 1000K in books as a PGY2 and a stipend from there on out of I think about 350(dont quote me on that). You do have to find coverage for your vacation time, however, I never saw someone during my four weeks be turned down. Even one resident had a family emergency and had to fly to Cali and the residents covered for her without any complaints. The program coordinator is WONDERFUL. She will help you with anything you need and is absolutely pro-resident. You have a broad exposure to everything! Parkland is this area's burn center and you have a burn rotation. They have a great PM&R trained pain guy who is a great teacher and encourages residents to come in on his procedures. (he puts you to work, does not make you stand and watch). The PD is not as outgoing as the PD at Baylor, but all the residents seem to like him. My experience with him is limited since I did not directly rotate with him while I was there so I asked the residents about working with him and they all had positive things to say. Many are scared of being overworked here. You do have some long days. When I was there it was usually 8-4, however, some of the residents on other rotations were done by one. They have any fellowship you could want- NMS, Peds, Pain (through anesthesia), SCI, TBI


I hope this helps...... I tried to be very non-biased in my review. If anyone has more specific questions I can try to answer them. Good luck in all your applications!!

 

[Finally M3]

I second GQPMR's request. I went through this all last year so I realize not everyone wants to give programs details/reviews for a number of reasons. Some don't want to share the interview day experience because they don't want the next guy/girl to have an advantage (answering a surprise question better). And some don't want to critisize a program for fear that AXM will find out their true identity and turn them in (muahahahahaha...get 'em AXM). But most (like myself) were too damn lazy or busy to write a review.

Well, now that ROLs are pretty much done by most programs, write away fellas. Share your knowledge with the next group of interviewees. You've all been helped by this great website, so....pay it forward!!!! (oh, and you can also pay it back by donating to SDN).

good luck everyone.

chris

Y'all can criticize Michigan without fear of repercussions. If anything, I can't because some of our attendings know who I am on here.

Seriously, if any of y'all are holding out, now that ROLs are in, spill. It really will help out the current MS3s next year.

 

[agdoc04]

I am copy and pasting from the rank list thread.

1. Utah-Great sports and MSK exposure, including ski clinics, and chances to do interventional procedures. Average TBI and SCI. Smaller program, but get strong residents. Still looking for a department chairman (though last I heard they have brought someone in for a 3rd interview.) Wife and I loved the Salt Lake City area. It's an easy flight from Houston. Cost of living is not too high.

2. Univ. of Washington: Awesome program. Good all around. PM&R was one of U of Wash. original departments, so there is a strong history. Improving on MSK/interventional exposure. Seemed to have good camaraderie within the residents, and I liked all of them. Went for 2 visits (one to bring my wife) and it was raining the whole time. Long way from Houston. Very expensive to live in Seattle. Only one elective month, but that is offset by the diversity and strength of the "core" rotations.

3. Northwestern/RIC: Another phenomenal program. Amazing hospital, with amazing exposure to everything. Huge. RIC is an enterprise. No other program I went to was as visible as RIC. Residents are top notch. Again lifestyle was sort of a deciding factor on rank order (again, if unmarried my list might be a little different). Would probably live in the downtown area, in small expensive housing. Cold, Cold winters. I'm more into the outdoors type of entertainment then art/theatre.

4. Kessler: Was the first "top" program I went to. I immediately understood the difference between the tiers once I saw it. Excellent didactics. Very involved residents (they kept emphasizing that they don't like to take their 4 weeks of vacation, though they do of course). Excellent all around training. Kessler review course is sort of the standard review course. They get speakers from all over the US (and world for that matter) to speak at lectures. The residency director is great. Residents lived in a broad area (about 30-45 minute circumference around Kessler), some lived in Manhattan. Your rotations aren't all at Kessler, and you seem to do a little bit more driving then most of the other programs. Cost of living is expensive, housing is expensive. Residents are unionized, so their salary is better than the NY programs, and they seem to have a little better benefits.

5. Ohio State: Very strong MSK/EMG exposure. Model SCI and TBI. Lots of research opportunities if you are interested. The attendings I met were great. Very laid back. They are very proud of their program. If a program could be "inbred" this is it. I asked why so many residents graduated from OSU (college, med school, residency), and why they have so many people from Ohio. They said they love it there. Cost of living is Houston cheap. PM&R is well established. Ohio State offers athletic and cultural opportunities, among other things. They claimed it wasn't because they took care of their own as much as their own wanting to stay. Another perk was 120 dollar an hour moonlighting opportunity as a PGY-4 (though they were working on getting PGY-3 the opportunity.

6. Houston: Strong SCI and TBI exposure. I live outside of Houston, and have been in the area my whole life. Looking for a change for at least a few years. Residents place well in fellowships. Ample research. Inpatient medicine is stacked in the front half of your residency, but they are starting to shift rotations around some. The medical center has amazing opportunities, but that doesn't mean you get to take full advantage of all of them. Outpatient medicine is a little weak, but they are taking some steps to improve. Since Baylor/Houston are an alliance, they aren't as involved in the Memorial Hermann shakeup. Large residency program, yet only 2 residents showed up to our interviewee lunch. We were left to navigate the construction of the medical center when it was about 40 degrees and drizzling.

7. San Antonio: I love the San Antonio area. Cost of living is dirt cheap. It is a booming area of Texas. Strong EMG and MSK. Good TBI/SCI. Intern year is mixed between your first two years, so you get rehab experience from PGY 1, though you are still doing medicine wards as a PGY 2. If VA's disturb you, then you may not like San Antonio.

8. Univ. of Virginia: Almost a carbon copy of Utah (they were back to back interviews). Great MSK/Sports. Amazing Gait labs. Where it differs from U of U is their emphasis on resident leadership. They want their residents to get positions in the residency councils at UVa, and in national PM&R councils. They want their residents to participate in research, and if I remember right they require you to attempt to present at a national conference. They have a rather detailed research course (stats, how to make a poster, etc). This is a program that I feel is moving up. Charlottesville is small. It centers around UVa which is a beautiful campus. Lots of hills around. The city seemed a little small for my liking. I don't want to have to drive to DC or charlotte to do things. That's just my preference though. Very tough to get to from Houston (by tough, I mean Southwest doesn't fly in there for 90 dollars, it will cost 300 plus)

9. Southwestern: Another program that I feel is setting itself to move up the ranks. Lots of independence, possibly to a fault. They are expanding the rotations, and are thinking about adding more residency spots. They are very interested in meeting Houston's training, and eventually overtaking it. They have strong burn exposure, and increasing the strength of their Pedi exposure.

10. Baylor-Dallas: I rotated here as a med student. Residents are extremely nice. The Baylor Institute for rehab is a very nice free standing facility, with awesome exposure to TBI/SCI. It is a private program, so it is not nearly as hands on as Southwestern. The Baylor-Dallas hospital is what I would call a palace. Outpatient clinics are scattered throughout surrounding communities. PDA's for all residents, most meals are covered by your meal card. Didactics are 1/2 a day once a week. It is a very small program (3 residents per year). Most are married. Call is from home and is front loaded. They pay for you to go to one national meeting per year (only program I interviewed at that pays for multiple national meetings). No problems with vacation time coverage, because the attending will do it all (again, it’s easy because you are a little less hands on). All and all this is a great small program. Very non-malignant. Residents get along well; eat lunch together almost every day. Not as much emphasis in fellowship placement. Their goal is to turn out a well-rounded PM&R Doctor, who if they want more training in a particular area can go do a fellowship. You are very ready to go out and do clinics with EMG , and do basic inpatient management.

 

[Camaro]

Sorry I didn't post this earlier. Here is my totally biased and superficial assessment of a few programs. I hope this helps stimulate some discussion.

Baylor – Dallas – Very kush program. Education is very good and the focus here is strongly on education. Learning appears to be more hands-off than at other locations. Model for TBI. Very tech savvy. Facilities are plush. EMGs are low but rising quickly. Residents are settled and happy. Interview is stress-free with friendly faculty and easy location and parking. Ms. Verma is very nice. Lunch was excellent. As a car it would be a Rolls-Royce Phantom – luxurious and powerful but a bit boring.

CWRU/ Metro Health – Up and coming program. Focus appears to be on research with a real gem in Dr. Chae. Faculty is eclectic and sometimes rough around the edges. Residents are happy and motivated. Good fellowships are common. NYU prosthetics class. MetroHealth is a county hospital but facilities are good. Lots of didactics. Very cool journal clubs. SCI is model system. Interview day is tough but fair and enjoyable. Ms. Karim is a sweetheart. A Corvette ZR1 – a bit unrefined but serious performance.

Cincinnati – Small program. Faculty have a real love for teaching and work 1 on 1. Program is expanding in the adult sector and has number one peds rehab. Drake Hospital seems like a great learning environment. Residents are happy and well taken care of. Moderate amount of driving required. Interview day is fun and everyone is very friendly. Like a Mazda Miata – small but wildly rewarding and comfortable if you can find your fit.

Emory – WOW – The Shepherd Center is breath-taking. Model system for SCI. New faculty hired to improve TBI. Emory is constructing a new rehab building. Very interested in invasive procedures. Residents are happy but over-worked their PGY2 year. Good fellowships are common. Residents seem well taken care of but must do some driving. Atlanta is difficult to navigate. Interview day was good but long. Residents and support staff interview candidates – says a lot about the program to me. Lunch was very good. Plus, Miki is the best. A Ferrari 430 – powerful in the right hands but you have to work for it.

Ohio State – They do EMGs! Dr. Johnson is awesome. Has TBI model system. New research requirement for residents. Focus appears to be on musculoskeletal. Dodd seems like a good learning environment. Faculty members are very friendly and nice. Program has practice mgt classes available but seems underutilized. OSU works closely with big business, loves red tape, and creates paperwork. Residents are very happy and well taken care of. FREE Drycleaning! They do lots of EMGs. Good moonlighting opportunities. Interview day was a lot of fun with a great lunch. A BMW M3 – comfortable performance anyone can enjoy.

Pittsburgh – Very impressive presentation by Dr. Boninger. Model system for SCI. Research is big here. TBI and SCI fellowships available. Residents get great fellowships. Little exposure to specialty rehab (cardio, pulm, cancer). Residents are hard working but not well taken care of (few free meals, difficult parking not many books). Chief resident interviews candidates. Pittsburgh seems like a real cool town but it is very difficult to navigate. My interview day was poorly organized but I think it was an exception rather than the rule. A Porsche 911 – built for performance not comfort.

UT Southwestern – Dr. Kowalske is awesome. TBI model system (shared with Baylor – Dallas). Parkland has good facilities for a county hospital. Focus leaning towards invasive procedures. Residents are taught hands-on and work hard but get fellowships (atleast 1 PMR resident usually gets UTSW pain fellowship spot). Lots of exposure to specialty fields - lots of burns. Everyone seems happy. Board pass rate could be better. Huge book list is a big perk for me. Ms. Isbell made this interview day my favorite. Ford F350 – Git r' done mentality with lots of power at hand.

Stanford – Program is working hard to improve and in the midst of a number of changes. SCI and TBI model systems and one of four polytrauma centers in USA. Awesome blend of private and public facilities. Residents are hard-working, competitive, and happy. Residents seem eager to meet applicants and candidates interview with a resident. Salary is high with awesome moonlighting opportunity but cost of living is outta control. Few EMGs. Admin problems seem prevalent. Awesome fellowships. Plenty of driving is a big draw back. Small peds exposure. Interview day is poorly planned with lots of down time. Longest interview day for me and most taxing by far. MacLaren F1 – very powerful but expensive and a bit impractical

VAGLAHS/UCLA – The best program for invasive procedures. Faculty, fellows, residents, and patients interested in invasive pain. Four spots available for pain fellowship. Good education in musculoskeletal. Not much inpatient rehab, peds, or burns. Residents get few perks, besides the southern California weather, but are very happy and have a lite call schedule. Heavy requirement for driving but didn't seem like an issue for most residents. Rent controlled housing is available. Interview day is choppy and unorganized. Everyone is very laid back. A Lotus Esprit – unbelievable hands-on experience but at the cost of everything else

 

[Camaro]

Boston University – Small program but with real resources – model SCI. Highest paid residents in the country and I got the feeling they don't work that hard. Residents still didn't seem happy. Cost of living is out of control and the residents complained about the lack of organization. Some driving is required and residents indicated that it could get expensive. New facilities in the works. Interview day was nice with an excellent lunch. Chief resident interviews applicants. Dr. Williams is very charismatic but a bit polarizing. As a car it would be a Lexus LS460 – expensive and plush with real power but somehow not satisfying.

Spaulding – Impressive hospital overlooking the water and bridges. No model systems. New chairman Dr. Zafonte from Pittsburgh is interested in improving that. LOTS OF RESEARCH – two research projects required. Biggest positive is 6+ months of electives fully paid anywhere in the country. Residents get fellowships and live well on the Harvard name. Negatives include lack of MSK, invasive procedures, and cost of living. And residents have crazy responsibilities during call. No practice mgt and little exposure to specialty fields (cardio, pulm, cancer). Resident happiness was a mixed bag. Chief resident interviews applicants. Interview day was well organized and enjoyable. Ms. Lo Monaco is the most organized person I have met on an interview yet. Lunch was average. An Alfa Romeo Spider – awesome experience, with some comfort, and some performance but you're really all about the name.

UT Houston/Baylor – Huge program with tons of resources. No lack of patients or exposures here. TIRR is world leader for rehab with model SCI. Residents do very well with matches and fellowships. Many get pain fellowships at MD Anderson! Residents complain openly about call schedule. Pay is very low and residents complain about the lack of perks and electives. Some exposure to specialty fields but each resident has a different schedule. Residents get moderate amount of hands on procedures and practice on cadavers. Interview day was great as I had a chance to talk to many residents one on one. As a car it is a Ferrari Enzo – a no excuses car, designed purely for performance.

 

[Llenroc]

Which one is the Camaro? And which one the Yugo?

 

[Fin-Nor]

camaro, ur car analogies are awesome. love it.

 

[agdoc04]

A few more, I have a little down time.
Louisville: I really liked this program. The hospital was much nicer than what I had imagined. It is a very small program (2 per year, if I remember right), but the attendings are genuinely concerned about being mentors while giving them lots of hands on experience. The residents seemed happy.

Cincinnati: Excellent/Amazing Pediatric hospital. One of the nicest pediatric hospitals, if not hospital period, that I have seen. Great Pediatric PM&R. I got the impression that the rest of the program is average. I only got to meet 2 residents while there, and they had nothing but positives to say about the program. The residency director is great. She sent a hand written note after the interview, and a typed note saying they were looking forward to meeting me (with quotes from my personal statement). All in all, if you want pediatric experience, or want to specialize, this is the place for you. The rest of the program is average. The personalized letters meant a lot in the sense that they are going above and beyond to welcome interviewees, and I feel efforts like that demonstrate a dedication to recruiting.

Little Rock: I had heard good things about Little Rock. They had problems with boards a few years back but that has been fixed. The residency program didn't really seem to stand out in any particular areas. The interview day had lots of downtime. I think we were running close to 2 hours behind.

 

[Shalom77]

I just found this review I wrote a while ago and then forgot about. Oops. 🙂

Penn

The day started at 7:45 with a light breakfast: bagels, breakfast pastries, juice and coffee Then Dr. Salcido (Chairman and Program Director) spoke with us. He started by going around the table and having us each say something about why PM&R. Then he had a presentation about the program and their expansion and about the new freestanding hospital which is opening July 1st, 2008. Instead of having small units within various hospitals in Philly, they will be consolidated in the new free standing facility which will have dedicated floors to TBI, Spinal Cord, Neuromuscular, Ortho. It will also have a small hospice and palliative care service (which is new for the program) and some outpatient facilities will be located there. In addition to the PM& R beds (~ 60), the facility will also have 30 LTACH beds (long term acute care hospital beds.) The program is going through a lot of changes (which seem good). Dr. Salcido did directly say that if you want a program that is staying the same and not changing, don't come to Penn.
In addition to regular faculty, Dr. Salcido gave examples of adjunct faculty (such as Larry Chou) and portrayed them as a relationship that benefited both the residency and the person who wanted to be in private practice. In general goals are to expand influence of Penn and bring program to the next level. Also talked that they are aiming for a Peds fellowship in the next 3-4 years. Program is switching from having only categorical spots to having 4 categorical and 2 advanced spots per year.

Rotations:

• PGY2 year is mostly inpatient with some outpatient exposure during the CHOP, Shriner's (pro bono peds: prosthetics, orthotics, gait, burn, and spine.) VA rotations (although inpatient is a component of these rotations as well – I'm not sure how they are set-up.) Residents do 20-40 EMGs PGY2 year during the VA rotation.
• PGY3 mostly outpatient and consult services. Again with EMG exposure during VA rotation. Other VA outpatient exposure - wheelchair, amputee, rheumatology. Outpatients clinics at HUP include MSK, Neuro, Lymphedema, orthotics. Rotate at Pennsylvania Hosp - for "bread and butter" community PM&R exposure (inpatient, consults, and outpatient). 1 elective: The chief resident also said many/?most residents choose to rotate through very busy sports medicine practice (BBB Orthopedics- practice consists of sports, joints, spine, shoulder cases, high patient volume, no ortho residents but a sports fellow, excellent for PE/injection skills)
• PGY4, Dedicated EMG block, Sports and Interventional Spine at Radnor, outpatient clinics, 3 months of electives (Dr. Salcido does reserve the right to take electives away if a resident has deficiencies in required areas.)

Other notes:
Cancer rehab, cardiopulmonary rehab exposure with EECP practice (enhanced external counterpulsation technique for angina/heart failure). VA has a comprehensive Parkinson's Disease Center.

Didactics: Protected time Tuesday/Thursday mornings. Formal courses with Temple and Jeff.

Research is a requirement but Dr. Salcido tried to make it non-intimidating by saying a case report fulfills the requirement and giving examples of what the residents have done. Residents build a research portfolio.

Graduates matched in competitive fellowships.

After the presentation there were interviews. 3 total. Dr. Salcido interviewed some candidates and those who did not get an interview with him had the opportunity to speak with him at the end of the day. One interviewee reported that he just asked her if she had any questions. (Be sure not to ask about something he covered in his talk because he will call you on it.) Other interviewers were 3 faculty and the 2 chief residents (and I think one other resident.) Overall, fairly laid back and friendly. No pimping.

There was a brief tour – abbreviated since everything was going to change to the new facility. Lunch was excellent – yum! Program coordinator was very friendly. Residents seemed to get along well. It seemed that the program was very responsive to residents and that Dr. Salcido elicits feedback from residents on a regular basis. Recent graduate is now assistant PD to help with accessibility as well.

 

[oreosandsake]

As a car it would be a Lexus LS460 – expensive and plush with real power but somehow not satisfying.

An Alfa Romeo Spider – awesome experience, with some comfort, and some performance but you're really all about the name.

it is a Ferrari Enzo – a no excuses car, designed purely for performance.

these analogies are great 😀 and on point regarding the cars.

I wouldn't know (yet) about the residencies

 

[DOctorJay]

in alpha order...
BAYLOR (Houston) interview day started off with a very nice breakfast and a rather large interview group. overview of program powerpoint with PD and some residents, then broke off into smaller groups with a resident to tour the different areas and interview (total of 3). lunch was a good opportunity to speak with faculty and some residents. would have liked to speak with more residents during the interview day but there was an excellent dinner that the residents brought us out to and that was a great chance to get more insight. big program with a big name in a big city.

CAROLINAS one of the few programs to spring for your hotel stay plus they took us to a fantastic dinner the night of arrival. this was a wonderful opportunity to meet multiple residents including their chief and learn about the program. they all seemed very happy and well taken care of, home call after slight break in period although some choose to continue to stay in house. all mentioned the first year was a lot of work but worth it and they definitely felt prepared for any inpatient work in the future. hotel shuttle brought our group to the interview in the morning and we had an overview with some residents and the PD. program seems to highly value life outside of medicine and has multiple gatherings for residents and attendings including family members. all facilities are new and beautiful - brand new peds floor opening with some cutting edge intra-op EMGs with Dr. Nelson. 3 interviews that were get to know you type. previous reviews were very helpful for this program. this is a great small sized program that is improving all the time and has the resources to continue.

HOPKINS the only interview on my list that was on a Saturday. strange at first but this actually made things very easy in terms of getting around the city in the morning for the interview. a get together was put on at a great italian place with multiple residents and the PD. if you're looking to see who the "competition" is show up to this interview, they only interviewed 2 days and broke each day in half so each group was very large. a good overview of the program was given via powerpoint with the PD and Chair. interviews started off a bit unorganized but with so many interviewing this was understandable. 3 total interviews (1 attending, 1 research coordinator, 1 resident). hard working residents here who enjoy the contact with other attendings who are elite in their fields.

JEFFERSON interview day started with grand rounds which weren't mandatory but i would definitely suggest going - excellent, plus its' a good way to see the residents interact. continental breakfast provided along with multiple attendings stopping by to say hello and answer some questions. 3 interviews (2 attendings, 1 resident). Magee is a very nice stand alone rehab hospital with floors split up by diagnosis. Jefferson is within walking distance. lunch was held across the street at a great buffet with multiple residents attending to answer questions. lots of very bright people here. residents didn't seem overworked and all seemed happy with the teaching they were getting. great exposure to MSK u/s with Dr. Nazarian from the RADS dept and the program even bought a portable u/s machine for the residents to learn on. philly is a great place for pm&r, this is one of the reasons.

JFK one of the most organized and well planned interview days i experienced. outstanding presentation given by Dr. C the program director which almost answered all my questions and made it difficult to come up with any for her during the interview. 4 total interviews (PD, 1 attending, 1 resident, and chair Dr. Strax in a group). the group setting was a little unnerving at first but i was glad to meet some other applicants in this setting and see what they were interested in. the tour of the facility was good and we met a lot of the residents for lunch. this was appreciated as the program is fairly small - i think all the residents might have been there (at one point one of the chief's noted that a more junior resident was getting slammed with admissions so he took it upon himself to make sure there was some help for this resident - that made quite an impression). residents were all very happy taking home call and having opportunities to moon light and pick up sports events for $. small program but with great exposure to all areas of pm&r.

KESSLER started off with a continental breakfast in a beautiful conference room and a powerpoint presentation with Drs. DeLisa and Garstang (one of my favorite PDs). this is the place for ultimate resident objective evaluation in my opinion. Dr. DeLisa has created something wonderful here and his model is being used by the AMA. one resident stayed in the conference room the entire interview session to answer questions. 4 total interviews (Chair, PD, attending, resident). all were very much get to know you type. tour of Kessler was great - beautiful building with nice conference center. much of the residency does not happen here however and no visit to UMDNJ-Newark. this program continues to produce outstanding residents who work hard and produce research.

MAYO the only other program on my list to spring for a hotel room and dinner. dinner was great and multiple residents were available to ask questions - all were happy to be there, some weren't huge fans of the location. fantastic in every way except possibly location for the singles out there. of the big name places Mayo seems to really take care of their residents the best - possible to rotate at other Mayo sites (Jacksonville and Scottsdale) picked up by the program (housing, rental car, travel all paid for). the facilities are incredible and the PM&R department is being moved to the orthopedic floor to allow for better communication. EMG training is outstanding with 6 months dedicated to it. spend time with PM&R and neuro for this and get to see all kinds of Dxs. MSK and sports medicine are huge here with some cutting edge stuff coming from the program (lots of MSK u/s which was missing at some programs). interview day was quite long with an extended tour of the facilities (be ready to do some walking - i felt it was worth it though, so much to see). started off with conti breakfast and powerpoint overview with PD Dr. Grogg. lots of history regarding Mayo. 1 interview group and 1 tour group in am, then switches. lunch was with more residents and a great time to get questions answered. 4 total interviews (3 attendings and PD). all were very much get to know you. St. Mary's is where the in patient rehab occurs and you get there by shuttle - work room just for residents with a pc for each resident to complete work. home call and everything is electronically accessible. total focus on the patient here while really taking care of the staff at the same time. no white coats here and all attendings are referred to as "consultants".

RIC This place is great and Chicago is great. Residents here were probably the most close knit group besides the group at Temple. Interview day was well organized. Show up in morning and have an overview powerpoint with a few residents, take a tour of the outstanding facilities, and then on to 3 interviews (PD, attending, resident). Lunch was great with A LOT of the residents showing up to answer questions and chat. I felt they were all truly interested in telling us about the program and everyone was very approachable. My group did not get a chance to visit the new spine center and there's going to be a brand new pain center developing as well, heard other groups did go there however. Interesting didactic schedule here which probably helps to build relationships between the residents and is more like what you would expect to do as an attending (1 hour lecture daily with lunch provided for residents – could still be paged out but doesn't seem to happen much per the residents).

SINAI BALTIMORE heard about this program from a fellow I rotated with on an away. He did the residency here and really enjoyed it. Interview day was nice, hospital is beautiful, and it probably has one of the nicest cafeterias of any hospital I've seen. Interview day started with a light continental breakfast and info session from the PD. This is a VERY resident friendly program and the PD is really willing to work with the residents to help them get the experiences they're looking for. Dr. Felsenthal is a guru in EMG. Residents that I met all were happy to be at this smaller program. Connection to Dr. Furman is certainly nice although he's in York PA which is pretty far from Bmore.

SPAULDING this program is set to become a powerhouse in pm&r, Dr. Zafonte is an outstanding chairman and has a very unique stance on leading, no 5 year plan for him, it's simply about being excellent one day at a time. Biggest plus to the program from the residents was the unmatched number of electives and the ability to rotate WHEREVER you want and still get your salary and be covered by insurance. Interview day was very nice and the hospital has some stunning views of the river. Great location in Boston and a new hospital is set to be built. Interview day consisted of a light breakfast and quick intro with Dr. Zafonte, overview of the program with PD Dr. O'Connor which was probably the most humorous of those on the trail while still giving a great look into the program. Interviewed with 2 attendings, PD, and chief resident. All get to know you type interviews and everyone was very down to earth. Residents made it clear that PGY2 was tough but having the name and opportunities for electives made it well worth it. They also gave out really nice binders to applicants which was a nice touch.

more to come when the pager stops going off