2008 interview reviews

[amyl]

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since you brought it up lets start reviewing programs we have been to:

SLU: the thing that stands out about this program are the great attendings in general but specifically statzer and connors. also, they are great about making sure you get breaks etc. in the whole month i was there no one was ever ignored. no problems getting numbers. lots of livers. maybe a little light on hearts. there is a lot of ortho and yes, it is not common to use regional. call is like q10 or so but while you are there you will probably do something cool. they have early, late and dinner stays. early people get out around 3, regular 5, dinner is usually until 6 (just to give late person dinner and then you can leave) and late stay is 7 pm. first month in the or you start with an upper level and then they progress you as you feel ready. they just got the computerized anesthesiology records which are awesome (only one room with the mri uses paper as the computer and mri do like each other). intern year is average to light -- a few months are tough and a couple months are cush. st. louis doesn't really deserve the knife and gun club reputation that it has. residents are happy, their complaints, if they had any, were really minor. no moonlighting. peds fellowship will be in place soon, definately in time for us.

UMiss: again call schedule is light but you will likely see good stuff while you are there. jackson seems to deserve the knife and gun club rep a little more than st. louis but i think it is because it is the only level one trauma in the whole state. the suburbs to the north and west of jackson are beautiful. intern year is lighter but useful -- they have sicu, nsicu, micu, etc. and these patients are sick so you will see good stuff. pain fellowship adding a spot but opening to psych, etc., will have peds fellowship and ob fellowship soon. no moonlighting. residents leave at around 5ish, sometimes if the case will go late they are relieved earlier by crnas. no livers but lots of kidney transplants. light on hearts but still enough to get numbers and then some and the program is aware and working toward improving. of note, in past years they have taken outside their own quite often but I got the impression in general that they are headed back in the inbred direction.

 

[ear-ache]

... st. louis doesn't really deserve the knife and gun club reputation that it has.

I am glad you feel that way, and it is not my intent to dissuade potential applicants, but the fact is St. Louis IS the most dangerous city in the U.S.

It is just one of many factors to take into account when choosing a program.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15475741/
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0921299.html

 

[amyl]

maybe i just didn't go the right, or wrong, places. i just don't think the stats tell the whole story. maybe it is dangerous and i just got lucky. honestly, i grew up in chicago and that seemed much worse. just mho. While i was there, the news talked more about cows running under the arch more than who was shot over night. =-)

 

[Ferdie]

I am glad you feel that way, and it is not my intent to dissuade potential applicants, but the fact is St. Louis IS the most dangerous city in the U.S.

It is just one of many factors to take into account when choosing a program.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15475741/
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0921299.html

they included East St. Louis Illinois in those statistics, which is a not-so-safe place. St Louis Missouri itself, however, is much safer. If you look at St Louis county, surrounding St Louis MO, it has one of the lowest crime rates of any urban county in the country.

That said, I have a cousin who lives in the Soulard neighborhood of St Louis, not far from SLU, a really pretty nice neighborhood, and his car has been broken into twice in the last two years...

Are there bad areas of St Louis? Yup. But if you look at the greater metro area (with the exception of the Illinois part...) it's really pretty safe.

 

[anesguy1012]

According to the national news, Memphis, TN has surpassed St. Louis as America's most violent city (due to, what they said, is an influx of Katrina victims from New Orleans). Therefore, it makes sense that Jackson is the way it is (3 hours down the road from Memphis).

 

[Ferdie]

one interesting thing about the SLU interview - they gave you some souveneirs: 2 pens, a stethescope nametag, a mouse pad, a plastic cup, and a beer cosy, all emblazoned with their logo...

 

[-Goose-]

I am glad you feel that way, and it is not my intent to dissuade potential applicants, but the fact is St. Louis IS the most dangerous city in the U.S.

It is just one of many factors to take into account when choosing a program.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15475741/
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0921299.html

Keep in mind StL is a very segregated city; the bad parts are really really bad. The good parts are usually very far away.

 

[-Goose-]

According to the national news, Memphis, TN has surpassed St. Louis as America's most violent city (due to, what they said, is an influx of Katrina victims from New Orleans). Therefore, it makes sense that Jackson is the way it is (3 hours down the road from Memphis).

Having lived in both Memphis and St Louie, I can tell you all first hand that M-town is a MUCH more dangerous city.

 

[noc2rnal]

so when i interview at St. Louis, what is a polite way of asking about crime? would any residents frown upon an applicant for asking such a question?

 

[amyl]

when i was there i asked some of them if they ever felt unsafe around the campus...answer was no. asked them how the area was in general and got a couple of stories about peoples cars getting broken into. seemed more like property crime. most of the traumas that came in seemed usually like drug deals gone bad. i never felt in danger there but parked my car in the parking garage not on the street.

 

[Ferdie]

so when i interview at St. Louis, what is a polite way of asking about crime? would any residents frown upon an applicant for asking such a question?

That is an a-OK thing to ask residents about.

Also, at SLU the people you interview with address the whole "most dangerous city" issue, so it's not an off-limits topic.

 

[amyl]

other reviews out there?

 

[lane]

other reviews out there?

not yet, but i was robbed at gunpoint in atlanta when i was there as an undergrad...you know, since we're talking about violent towns 😳

 

[polkadotcap]

same thing happened to me, only at knifepoint, in Durham, NC. Violence is everywhere. Buddy in Dallas robbed two days later- gunpoint. Gotta watch your back no matter where you are.

 

[DrDre']

Now that the thread has unraveled...

I was robbed in the Paris metro for my walkman (yes, a walkman) by a skinhead.

Today, a circulating nurse beat me up for my lunch money.

same thing happened to me, only at knifepoint, in Durham, NC. Violence is everywhere. Buddy in Dallas robbed two days later- gunpoint. Gotta watch your back no matter where you are.

 

[Dr Serenity]

OK, peeps...

I officially declare this thread back on topic (even though I have no authority to do so 😀)

Let's hear some interview reviews! 👍

 

[Dr Serenity]

Bumping to see if anyone has any reviews to offer...will try to get a couple on here within the next week or so when I can spare the time...

 

[WhoopDeeDoo]

My first interview was at UCLA -- which is now completely a categorical program. The first year is done mostly at the VA hospital which is right next to the main UCLA medical center. It's basically an internal medicine prelim year --they mentioned that in the past a lot of their anesthesia residents matched at the VA prelim medicine year anyway and I guess it's supposed to be a pretty nice. They do also integrate an anesthesia month towards the end of your intern year. They usually do it in April/May/June dividing the class into thirds so as not to put all 22 newbies into the ORs at once.

Sounds like finding cases will NOT be a problem at UCLA. They have really busy ORs and thus you will be very busy as a resident. Call sounds like it's about once a week as a CA-1, and then about q5 or so for CA-2 and CA-3. It gets tougher as you advance. The pro/con can be that although UCLA is a trauma 1 center -- they tend to not get so much of the gang fights/ GSWs (those go mostly to USC's trauma center due to geography). They do get a lot of other traumas though - MVAs, etc. UCLA usually is #1 as far as volume goes for transplants and I talked to several residents who were doing liver/kidneys transplants very early in their CA-1 year.

I did not get a tour of the ORs -- mostly because UCLA plans to open the $1 billion Reagan medical center right across from their current location in April of 2008-- so they didn't want to give us tours of an OR we will never be working in. The new medical center is supposed to be really nice and they gave us a virtual tour of it.

The faculty seem really nice. You interview with 3 faculty for 30 minutes each and they are all very friendly and welcoming. None of the asked anything too hard and in fact, they did most of the talking. You get dinner the night before and a lengthy lunch the day of the interview with the residents and they all were really nice and most of them were very pleased with their training and their lifestyles although all of then said that they worked very hard. There was a sense of family among the residents too -- especially considering that it's a large program with 22 residents in each class. Oh and about half the graduating class is going into a fellowship. The faculty and residents mentioned that last year they had a few go into fellowships at MGH and it's really not a problem finding a job in the LA area or elsewhere in the country with training from UCLA.

A concern I had was that anesthesia does not run the SICU currently. However, I was told that this is going to change in January when anesthesia will be running (one of? /the) SICU at UCLA. Also, they found that a few years ago that their program was a little weak in regional so they really vamped up the program and now most residents fulfill their number of blocks by the beginning of the CA-2 year.

Other perks: You get a meal card for the year to swipe in the cafeteria (which is pretty good). $1800, I believe. It's 4 weeks of vacation all 4 years and you also get a paid 5 days off for conferences and you can use your $1000 yearly educational fund. You can also get an extra $500 a year for passing your in service exam at above the 50th percentile (which apparently most do). UCLA medical center is the #3 ranked best hospital by U.S. New and World Report. It is a beautiful medical center and the new hospital will be really nice. The medical center is located on UCLA campus in the Westwood neighborhood in Western LA. It's a really clean and pretty neighborhood with plenty of shopping and places to eat. The downside is that it is expensive to live around there. However, they offer resident housing a few miles south of the hospital -- which is much cheaper than what you can find around there.

Overall -- I was really impressed with UCLA. I felt very comfortable there and felt like I would really fit in. I didn't realize that UCLA was such a good medical center -- considering that I applied mostly for location. I know it won't be a cush program but I feel like residents get great training there and would be happy to end up there. The faculty really encouraged a "second look" to come observe in the OR and talk to more residents or faculty and if time allows, I think I will definitely go for it.

 

[DrN2O]

Lodging: The nights before and after the Saturday interview. Hotel is 10 minutes walk to the hospital and 2 minutes walk from Michigan's central/undergrad campus. Very nice place.

Schedule: The day starts at 7am. You will get a packet of info. Dr. Tremper (Chair) gives the presentation for an hour--you will be entertained. He is really the face of the program.

Interviews: They start at 8am. You will meet with either Dr. Tremper or Dr. Sanford (program director). By the way, there will be ~30 applicants per day. In addition, you will have 3 interviews with faculty, 30 min each, with 30 min breaks mixed in. Interviews are super chill, no pimping. You spent the break with residents in the department library. Groups go on hour-long tour of the hospital covering main OR (bunnysuit optional if you skip the actual OR), construction site of future children's hospital, and the new cardiovascular center. The chief resident ends the tour with his view on the weakness (regional) and strength of the program. Your schedule ends at noon, if not earlier.

Informal gathering: This occurs at Buffaloe Wild Wings, a sports bar. Informal clothing. The program reserves a chunk of the place just for the applicants and residents. Dr. Tremper, Sanford and a few faculty are there, mainly because of the football games. Tons of residents and family stop by, but they are more there for the free food and drink than anything else. You may need to be a bit proactive to talk to the residents and Dr. Tremper. By the way, easy on the wings, I'm still having flashbacks.

Some objectives:
Leadership: Dr. Tremper is very easy going, jokes, works in the OR, and teaches.
Faculty: They do have British rotators (fellow-level) who function as attendings.
Teaching: Introductory month at the end of CBY. Daily morning conference, daily lunch lecture, and weekly grand rounds
Case load: Volume and variety. Has all the fellowships.
Work: Able to get relieved for breaks, lunch and lectures, call is 11-7, average 55-65h/week. 4 weeks of vacation.
Facility: new cardiovascular center (2007), new childrens (2009?) everything is connected indoor, except VA and Eye center.
Ann Arbor: Impressive for a town of its size, but it is not Chicago. Walked to State and Main st. that's downtown folks. Detroit airport 30 min away, big NW hub.

No pro or con here, that's what the interview is for. But you should ask about things in the last part, don't take my words for it.