2013-2014 Psychiatry Interview Reviews

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OHSU

1. Communication

ERAS

2. Accommodation & Food

Accomodations were not provided. Lunch was catered in a conference room with a number of residents, and dinner was at an Italian restaurant a short drive from campus the night of the interview.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences)

Started at 8 AM with a presentation by one of the chiefs, tours, lunch, and then 3-4 interviews with various faculty. The interviews were very laid back and conversational. I didn’t have any oddball questions whatsoever – just kind of general “where do you come from?” type questions. All of the interviewers except for one had clearly read my application.

4. Program Overview

I’m not going to beat this to death since there are already a ton of reviews on OHSU from this season and previous ones.

For such a large institution in the state of Oregon, OHSU has less of an “academic” feel than a lot of places I visited. They have plenty of research stuff, sure, and a big hospital with large staff, but they have a very big community emphasis. I may be biased by my community rotation here, but I felt like their programs (intercultural psychiatry, Early Assessment/Intervention for Psychosis, etc) were the highlight of the program. Of note, call seemed to be pretty intense in year 1, ramps up in year 2, and tapers away in years 3 and 4. I was a little concerned by the 2 12-hour days per week plus a 12-hour weekend every other weekend starting in year 1, with overnights added in year 2. They seemed very committed to making sure that you have plenty of support starting out as an intern on call, though. The univeristy inpatient unit is very very busy; the VA unit is less so. Interns on the university inpatient service carry 8-9 patients, and then 2nd years carry less but "supervise" the interns (it sounded like 2nd year on inpatient was actually pretty nice). You do spend a great deal of time in years 1 and 2 in the VA system, so people should be aware of that going in - I believe it was a 60/40 split with VA having more time, but that's just from memory. It was a lot, either way. Word has it that the off-service rotations have good teaching faculty. The most intense are the IM wards, and I was told that neuro wasn’t too bad (and was a good learning experience). The didactics I attended were solid, and the community psych seminars drew in some big names and really dynamic speakers. I liked that on didactic day all of the residents get together in one room for a few minutes to discuss what's going on in the program - I didn't see this at some other places I rotated/interviewed.

5. Faculty

The faculty I met were on the whole pretty “chill.” They were friendly and very pleasant to talk to. Psychotherapy was valued about equally with biological psychiatry from what I saw. I was on a rotation with one of the community psych docs, and he was absolutely fantastic - great teacher, nice guy, easy to learn from.

6. Location & Lifestyle

Portland has been discussed at length in this thread, so I don’t know how much I could add. It’s… Portland. Some people apparently take a strong disliking to it. It’s a “small” city in that it isn’t the concrete jungle of New York, and not even as concrete-y as Seattle. There’s a lot to do in a short distance if you like the nature type stuff, and there is some night life if you go looking (however, night life isn't my thing, so I'm not the best judge).

The residents seemed to work pretty hard, especially in years 1 and 2. It has been mentioned here that Portland is one of the “harder” psych residencies, and I agree based on the other programs I’ve visited. The residents I met seemed to make the most of it, though, and didn't act like they were totally overworked. I think they were being honest about it.

7. Program Strengths

Resident group seemed very pleasant and good to work with, great location (if you like Portland), ability to bike to work, strong community psych emphasis, balanced biological vs psychotherapy emphasis, intelligent and motivated faculty.

8. Potential Weaknesses

Definitely is a hard-working program, which is both a positive and a potential negative. It’s not vas "academic" in the traditional sense compared to the northern neighbor UW, and I could see that being a problem for some (I’m more of a clinical/community person, so this didn’t bother me). Residents have to commute a bit in the last 2 years if they have clinics in various places, and there is going to be some commuting to Salem in the coming years as the state hospital moves down there.
 
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Good Samaritan in Corvallis, Oregon (originally osteopathic, now dual-accredited)

1. Communication

ERAS

2. Accommodation & Food

I was on rotation at the time so I was not in need of accommodations – there are plenty of places to stay around Corvallis, though. Dinner was an informal pizza gathering at one of the resident’s houses.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences)

I had 3 interviews each a half hour long with the program director, chair of the department, and a member of the faculty. Questions were very conversational, mostly “What questions do you have for us?” and "Why psychiatry?" Everyone was upfront about answering any questions I had. I didn’t have a formal tour or anything like that on interview day – I got the idea that I was interviewing before their season really opened because I was on a rotation, and I got informal tours/overviews from residents and faculty during my month there, so I don't know what one of the regular interview days looks like.

4. Program Overview

The Corvallis program is a small community residency (3-4 residents/class) which is also relatively new. They’ve graduated two classes as of this review, with so far a 100% board pass rate (this is, of course, a very small sample size, but it’s what they have to go on). Years 1 and 2 are pretty standard with lots of inpatient and most of the usual off-service rotations. The inpatient unit is a 24-bed facility which takes patients from all over Oregon. For what it's worth, the inpatient unit was a pleasant place to work with good social work support and very nice/experienced nursing staff. One of the months of internal med is an outpatient clinic which offers acupuncture (you might find this cool or you might not). You have one month of ER. The residents said that neuro was a good experience without heavy call. For a few of your months during 2nd year you will have to commute to Eugene or Salem (45-ish minutes each), which is a bit of a downer. If I remember right, these were for addictions and rotations at the state hospital. Later rotations reflect their community basis, with lots of outpatient through the county in PGY-3/4. There are opportunities to rotate in Portland if you want with accommodations provided. As of 10/2013 they are dual accredited through the AOA and ACGME, which is really a success for their program. The PD, Dr. Fischer, seemed very dedicated to building the program. The program has evolving but not-yet-polished didactics which they seem to be actively trying to improve. They place a lot of emphasis on psychotherapy training and value it quite highly.

5. Faculty

The faculty I worked with during my rotation on the inpatient unit were uniformly eager to teach and kind. There have been some shake-ups in the inpatient unit with several physicians leaving for various reasons (some were uncomfortable with the switch to a more academic model, some had health issues, etc.). The PD seems dedicated to finding good teachers to replace them and is reportedly very sensitive to resident input on the candidates.

6. Location & Lifestyle

I happen to like Corvallis. Corvallis has a population of 50,000 or so, and neighbors the city of Albany which has another 50,000. It’s a mid-sized college town with a nice downtown, riverfront, a few microbreweries, nearby wineries, and lots of fun local restaurants. Not much of a nightlife here for sure, if you're looking for that. Corvallis is very bike-friendly and has decent public transit, so that would be a viable way to commute. I didn’t grow up in a city, so for me Corvallis is a nice cross between ‘not too many people’ and ‘stuff to do.’ If you’re a big city fiend Corvallis might not be your style. Salem is 45ish minutes away, and Portland is ~2 hours. Newport on the coast is also an hour away.

The residents seem to have a good lifestyle and are able to enjoy their location. Call is from home, and usually residents go in 1-2 times in a night. I believe call was about q9 with a few weekends thrown in, more in PGY2 than PGY1 – honestly I didn’t write it down, but I remember it being extremely manageable. Residents were friendly and seemed to get along pretty well.

7. Salary & Benefits

The salary is on the low end for the west coast. $1,000 fund for educational expenses, step 3 is paid for, and 20 days of vacation.

PGY 1 — $43,700
PGY 2 — $45,500
PGY 3 — $47,900
PGY 4 — $50,300

There are a couple of pretty lucrative moonlighting opportunities that were starting up when I was there (~3k/weekend), but no word on what those are actually like.

8. Program Strengths

Dedicated program director, beautiful location, community setting (positive or negative depending on your outlook), emphasis on psychotherapy, very reasonable (maybe too reasonable?) home call. They have TMS available, which is a positive or neutral depending on how you feel about TMS. Dual-accreditation through the AOA/ACGME.

9. Potential Weaknesses

The program is still new and is undergoing changes, including changes in faculty. The didactics outside of psychotherapy need some work but seem to be changing with resident feedback. Commuting for several months to Salem and Eugene isn't the greatest. Definitely not a place for basic science researchers, although they do encourage systems-based and community research. Salary isn't as good as other west coast places, and certainly lower than OHSU. They are working on a child fellowship which they hope to start in 1-2 years, but at this time they do not have any fellowships available.
 
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As the self-nominated and accepted but half-hearted public defender of 2014 I skim-counted last year vs this year--and while it is true that we are nearly half their total count at present--I will have you note that we are at almost exactly the same review count for this time of year. I am therefore counting on my paranoid classmates to not allow us to finish dismally and loose face here at psych program gossip central. That...would simply not do. Gooooo team. (In very subdued portlandish hues of enthusiasm.).
 
Just to clarify, does this mean they are accepting MDs? It looks like they aren't participating in ERAS...maybe the website just hasn't been updated? that would be good news



Daedra22 said:
Good Samaritan in Corvallis, Oregon (originally osteopathic, now dual-accredited)

1. Communication

ERAS

2. Accommodation & Food

I was on rotation at the time so I was not in need of accommodations – there are plenty of places to stay around Corvallis, though. Dinner was an informal pizza gathering at one of the resident’s houses.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences)

I had 3 interviews each a half hour long with the program director, chair of the department, and a member of the faculty. Questions were very conversational, mostly “What questions do you have for us?” and "Why psychiatry?" Everyone was upfront about answering any questions I had. I didn’t have a formal tour or anything like that on interview day – I got the idea that I was interviewing before their season really opened because I was on a rotation, and I got informal tours/overviews from residents and faculty during my month there, so I don't know what one of the regular interview days looks like.

4. Program Overview

The Corvallis program is a small community residency (3-4 residents/class) which is also relatively new. They’ve graduated two classes as of this review, with so far a 100% board pass rate (this is, of course, a very small sample size, but it’s what they have to go on). Years 1 and 2 are pretty standard with lots of inpatient and most of the usual off-service rotations. The inpatient unit is a 24-bed facility which takes patients from all over Oregon. For what it's worth, the inpatient unit was a pleasant place to work with good social work support and very nice/experienced nursing staff. One of the months of internal med is an outpatient clinic which offers acupuncture (you might find this cool or you might not). You have one month of ER. The residents said that neuro was a good experience without heavy call. For a few of your months during 2nd year you will have to commute to Eugene or Salem (45-ish minutes each), which is a bit of a downer. If I remember right, these were for addictions and rotations at the state hospital. Later rotations reflect their community basis, with lots of outpatient through the county in PGY-3/4. There are opportunities to rotate in Portland if you want with accommodations provided. As of 10/2013 they are dual accredited through the AOA and ACGME, which is really a success for their program. The PD, Dr. Fischer, seemed very dedicated to building the program. The program has evolving but not-yet-polished didactics which they seem to be actively trying to improve. They place a lot of emphasis on psychotherapy training and value it quite highly.

5. Faculty

The faculty I worked with during my rotation on the inpatient unit were uniformly eager to teach and kind. There have been some shake-ups in the inpatient unit with several physicians leaving for various reasons (some were uncomfortable with the switch to a more academic model, some had health issues, etc.). The PD seems dedicated to finding good teachers to replace them and is reportedly very sensitive to resident input on the candidates.

6. Location & Lifestyle

I happen to like Corvallis. Corvallis has a population of 50,000 or so, and neighbors the city of Albany which has another 50,000. It’s a mid-sized college town with a nice downtown, riverfront, a few microbreweries, nearby wineries, and lots of fun local restaurants. Not much of a nightlife here for sure, if you're looking for that. Corvallis is very bike-friendly and has decent public transit, so that would be a viable way to commute. I didn’t grow up in a city, so for me Corvallis is a nice cross between ‘not too many people’ and ‘stuff to do.’ If you’re a big city fiend Corvallis might not be your style. Salem is 45ish minutes away, and Portland is ~2 hours. Newport on the coast is also an hour away.

The residents seem to have a good lifestyle and are able to enjoy their location. Call is from home, and usually residents go in 1-2 times in a night. I believe call was about q9 with a few weekends thrown in, more in PGY2 than PGY1 – honestly I didn’t write it down, but I remember it being extremely manageable. Residents were friendly and seemed to get along pretty well.

7. Salary & Benefits

The salary is on the low end for the west coast. $1,000 fund for educational expenses, step 3 is paid for, and 20 days of vacation.

PGY 1 — $43,700
PGY 2 — $45,500
PGY 3 — $47,900
PGY 4 — $50,300

There are a couple of pretty lucrative moonlighting opportunities that were starting up when I was there (~3k/weekend), but no word on what those are actually like.

8. Program Strengths

Dedicated program director, beautiful location, community setting (positive or negative depending on your outlook), emphasis on psychotherapy, very reasonable (maybe too reasonable?) home call. They have TMS available, which is a positive or neutral depending on how you feel about TMS. Dual-accreditation through the AOA/ACGME.

9. Potential Weaknesses

The program is still new and is undergoing changes, including changes in faculty. The didactics outside of psychotherapy need some work but seem to be changing with resident feedback. Commuting for several months to Salem and Eugene isn't the greatest. Definitely not a place for basic science researchers, although they do encourage systems-based and community research. Salary isn't as good as other west coast places, and certainly lower than OHSU. They are working on a child fellowship which they hope to start in 1-2 years, but at this time they do not have any fellowships available.
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University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt

1. Communication: Email. No issues with scheduling, although the program coordinator here is on the quieter side.

2. Accommodation & Food: Two discounted hotels. Hampton Inn at $109+tax and Mariott at $132+tax. I stayed at the former because it was cheaper and it was actually pretty good (and close to the interview building). The dinner the night before was at a very good restaurant called Lebanese Taverna. The food here was quite delicious.

3. Interview Day: Starts at around 8 with a light breakfast followed by an hour-long program overview by the program director. This was followed by two interviews - one with a faculty and one with a resident/fellow. Those were the only interviews for the day apart from the short exit interview with the program director at the end of the day. The questions were standard although the interview with the program director was a little “bumpy” as he kept interrupting. He had been at the job for only a little over a year now so that could have been the reason. Apart from these, the day included tours of the University hospital and Sheppard Pratt hospital, and lunch with the residents.

4. Program Overview: It is a good program on paper. The reality though seems to be quite different. Sheppard Pratt is a nice quaint place to train in. Unfortunately, only a small part of the training is done here. The residents rotate through a staggering number of sites and while that is generally good for getting varied exposure, sometimes too many can be too much. That is precisely the case here. The residents are spread so thin that there are often only 2-3 residents per site, going up to a maximum of 5-6. So, naturally, the call frequency at all the sites are quite high. This would be okay if the calls themselves were not very busy. Unfortunately, that is not the case as one resident at Sheppard Pratt, for instance, has to cover the 300+ beds at hospital apart from doing the night admissions! The resident has to stay until rounds the next day which generally go on till noon. It is not much different at the University hospital either (there are no admission caps there so you can sometimes have 8 admissions in one night!) Duke and Emory gets a lot of flak on these forums for making the residents work hard so I was really surprised to find the residents here working harder than ones at either of those two places and yet get no mention here. Maybe because it is not as popular a program as Duke or Emory? Anyway, the residents here take call all four years. Sorry no reprieve in the senior years. And presumably because the work leaves the residents with little free time, even though the university has some opportunities for research, hardly anyone does research (only 1 out of the 60+ residents is involved in any research at all and even he is only continuing his research work from his postdoc work before residency). The only strength of the program, in my opinion, is having Sheppard Pratt as one of the hospitals. That said, the residents pick lots to do their outpatient year here and only 6-7 out of the 15+ residents in each class get to do that. What if you have more than that number in your class interested in doing the outpatient year at Sheppard Pratt and you end up having to spend the year in the city or in one of the community centers? Also, it takes a minimum of 30 minutes by car to get from Baltimore where the University hospital is located to Towson where the Sheppard Pratt hospital is located. The state hospital is located even further from downtown than Sheppard Pratt in a different direction. The other sites are also located far away in the various suburbs of Baltimore (MPRC for instance is in Catonsville). The didactics are apparently just okay, and you tend to miss them if you are not rotating in Baltimore itself.

5. Program Strengths:
1. Sheppard Pratt hospital’s quaint feel
2. Large group of residents to socialize with, if you find the time

6. Program Weaknesses:
1. Extremely busy (very high call frequency and volume)
2. You take calls until PGY-4!
3. Enormous amount of commute
4. Tons of sites and all of them with different EMR systems
5. Very little free time for research
6. Average quality of didactics that makes the program feel even more service-oriented
7. Baltimore is one of the most dangerous cities in the country to live in; drugs are also quite rampant
8. Inexperienced program director
 
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nmbutah said:
Just to clarify, does this mean they are accepting MDs? It looks like they aren't participating in ERAS...maybe the website just hasn't been updated? that would be good news
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They are accredited already but wont be participating in the acgme match until next year, so I was told. They are on ERAS just for DO's this cycle.
 
Kaweah Delta (Visalia, Ca)

1. Communication

ERAS – used an online interview date selector website, which I really liked

2. Accommodation & Food

Accommodations were not provided. I got a decent cheap hotel (~$60) on hotwire.com in Tulare, about 15 minutes down the highway. Lunch was sandwiches and stuff like that. No dinner the night before (but since this is a new program there were no residents to dine with, anyway)

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences)

Started at 7:30 AM, very structured. There were a ton of applicants in my group, and we split off into those of us interviewing and those of us who were touring the hospital. Tour was pretty standard.

The interview here was quite different from anything else I experienced on the interview trail. There were 9 or 10 stations, each with a faculty member. Because of the confidentiality statement I signed I can’t directly discuss the questions except to say that there were a wide variety of questions, some you might not expect. Initially it felt high-pressured, but towards the end I got relaxed. You get to meet a lot of the faculty, but at the same time it can be difficult to really express your personality in such a short period of time.

Afterwards there was lunch and a tour of the inpatient unit (~10 minutes from the main hospital), gym, and a little bit of Visalia. The PD gave these tours and was highly entertaining. He gave away prizes for quiz questions – a little cheezy, but very fun if you ask me.

4. Program Overview

This is a community-based program. It’s hard to say how it will look in a few years since it’s brand-new, but they were very proud that they were accredited “with commendations” from the ACGME. They are associated with UC Irvine and would like to eventually host students from UCI and do video conference didactics with UCI. They have some good forensic exposure and a very large (>50 bed) inpatient unit. They might down the line open a forensics fellowship, but that's a ways off. They have their own EMR, which the PD claims is great (I am skeptical of any homegrown EMR, but I’m willing to entertain the idea that it's good). They plan to start interns carrying 3-4 patients and increase the number of patients as they feel comfortable. Off-service rotations have already been tested by the family med and ER residents, who in my brief interactions with them seemed to be happy with their teaching experience. There is moonlighting available in the theoretical future. Call is from home, to emphasize their lifestyle focus. The PD seemed very interested in making sure that residents were able to live full lives away from the hospital.

They’re looking for residents who want to help shape the program, which makes sense since they’re so new. The PD seemed like he would be pretty good to work with and valued input. He expressed an interest in branching out and extending rotation options to various places in the California valley according to resident preferences. For the most part required rotations are supposed to be in the immediate area. Honestly I don't have a great memory of where people are rotating in PGY 3 and 4, except that it (like most 3's and 4's) is outpatient heavy.

5. Faculty

The faculty members had some impressive CV’s and many of them were from ivy league places. A couple of the faculty who are planning to do the didactics seemed like they were quite sharp and academically rigorous – however, without seeing their didactics firsthand that’s just an initial impression.

6. Location & Lifestyle

Visalia is a little ways south of Fresno off of I-5. It has the central California… central California-ness. Hot in the summers, mildish in the winters, lots of flat farmland in any direction, but ocean and mountains if you drive far enough. It’s definitely in a place where you could make weekend trips to interesting places. Visalia’s downtown was cute and they boast some good restaurants, but as a mid-sized town you’re not going to have the clubs and such. I’m sure you can find them elsewhere. Visalia is reportedly pretty safe (much safer than Fresno) and has a very reasonable cost of living, especially for California. The population is pretty diverse, but you’ll definitely be seeing a lot of small-towners and other folks you may not expect from California (seeing as California is made up of more than just LA and San Francisco).

7. Program Strengths

Enthusiastic and well-credentialed faculty, seemingly ambitious PD with an interest in ensuring resident happiness, reasonable cost of living, chance to “pioneer” a new program for the next few years (has upsides and downsides), reasonable home call, huge inpatient unit, nice, generally newer or recently redone facilities. Even though it's not in the pretty part of California, it's close to the mountains and forests in a days' drive, and a weekend trip to the ocean.

8. Potential Weaknesses

As an untested program there are definitely going to be things to iron out. It’s not a big city or a great place for bench research, although clinical/systems research is reportedly something they’re interested in. Central California is not *the most* desirable area with its dryness/farmingness/very hotness. Someone on SDN mentioned that it doesn’t sound like they have enough psychotherapy time in the curriculum, which I’m not sure how to judge since they 1 – aren’t up and running yet and 2 – I still don’t know what is a “good amount” of psychotherapy is, only that it’s probably on the lower side compared to a couple places I’ve visited where they do a lot of therapy. Therapy is certainly not looked down upon, though, and they seem motivated to teach it well.
 
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YALE (New Haven)

1. Communication: No scheduling issues.

2. Accommodation & Food: Accommodations were not provided. Food was really good all around.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): Starts off with the overview by the PD followed by four interviews. Completely standard questions, and it seemed all the interviewers were more interested in selling the program than evaluating the applicant. No complaints there!

4. Program Overview: This is a big academic program that feels like a community program in that it felt laid-back and close-knit. They also have a huge emphasis on social psychiatry, good didactics and good opportunities for research.

5. Faculty: Everyone I met seemed likable and warm. The resident group also seemed laid-back and diverse.

6. Location & Lifestyle: This, unfortunately, is the aspect that killed the program for me. I'm picky about the cities as I believe location plays a huge part in resident happiness especially since it lasts four long years. But I still applied here just so I can see New Haven first hand and decide. Stayed here for two days, and I had had enough. It just isn't for me. I'm not going to say anything more about the city here.

7. Program Strengths: Good didactics, good hospitals, and opportunities for research.

8. Potential Weaknesses: Dangerous city, terrible weather, and too much focus on social psychiatry.
 
Brown
1. Communication- prompt, polite and informative; no issues

2. Accommodation & Food: Dinner the night before at a nice place near Brown University- fancy pizza and the like, hotel discounts given but you could easily find cheaper on your own online. Lunch was delicious catered indian food (nice change) with vegan options

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): Interview with all the program leadership (3) a resident and an attending. All laid back and typical questions. Really seemed to want to get to know you and had obviously read your application (unlike some places).

4. Program Overview: This is all online. My extra comments are the psych ER at Rhode Island hospital was pretty hardcore (not in a good way) seemed like a jail. Butler hospital on the other hand was a beautiful and tranquil place, near a river in the forrest with a mix of old and new facilities. Didn't seem like a lot of focus given to community health. But the program had pretty much everything you would want during training (Research opportunities, psychotherapy training, biological ext) and lots of fellowships. Residents seemed liked they worked hard but not over worked.

5. Faculty: Awesome, smart nice and congenial.

6. Location & Lifestyle: What I gathered while there Providence- bad schools, high unemployment, hard to find spouses jobs, reasonable cost of living for that area of the US, easy to get around town though.

7. Salary & Benefits: On their webpage but pay seemed good.

8. Program Strengths: Mix of sites, lots of research and training opportunities. Smart people, nice and laid back for a big name

9. Potential Weaknesses: Location, weather and the older psych facilities. Lots of different EMRs to learn.
 
Mayo Clinic
1. Communication; No issues

2. Accommodation & Food: Hotel discount and a nice dinner and lunch provided.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): Met with all the program leadership, one of which psychoanalyzes you and gets real personal, the others are sort of off the cuff but pleasant, the PD was super friendly and does most of the talking.

4. Program Overview: Facilities and resources like no other, very passionate, smart people in the program. Lots of different therapy modalities. Lots of cutting edge research. It was great. Didactics and grand rounds were top notch. The residents seemed to work a lot but didn't seem to mind. The Consultants (attending) were awesome, the residents were and odd (by that I mean personalities) but down to earth and a mix of DO and FMG and a few US MD sprinkled in which surprised me for a place with a big name. You have to wear a suit everyday!! Stingy on perks like free food for residents. Big name, small ego I was told.

5. Faculty; See above

6. Location & Lifestyle: The biggest downfall- Rochester. Cold, small, boring, good schools, lots of parks and quaint. Perfect for kids and families. Bad for singles and people that want a robust, vibrant city.

7. Salary & Benefits: Avg

8. Program Strengths: Its Mayo so you get a name brand, lots of $$, incredible facilities, awesome attendings and your privy to cutting edge treatment and research.

9. Potential Weaknesses: Location, cold and suits everyday
 
Here is one never put on here- UMKC

1. Communication: Great easy to work with.

2. Accommodation & Food: Best I had on the interview trail, set you up at the nicest hotel in Kansas City, took us to a $400 sushi extravaganza, paid for hotel.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): lots of interviews I think like 4 15min ones, 3 30min ones and I feel like there was like 2 others that were like 45min. Grand rounds for lunch (and the so-so lunch that goes with that). Fast, efficient and busy interview day. Really nice gift messenger bag and flash drive with everything on it.

4. Program Overview: The state hospital, county hospital and inpatient units are all clustered together and not the best facilities I have ever seen but not the worst either. The downtown outpatient clinic was one of the nicest Ive seen as far as being new modern and industrial loft like feel. Very FMG and DO friendly and very nice residents.

5. Faculty: PD is an odd fellow, one of those poor eye contact types and sort of eccentric. Everyone else seemed very nice but nothing to write home (or SDN) about.

6. Location & Lifestyle: Its Kansas City. Near downtown and easy cost of living. More crime than I expected. Bad schools unless you are in the suburbs

7. Salary & Benefits: Avg

8. Program Strengths: Nice people and pretty middle of the road schedule, salary, call ect.

9. Potential Weaknesses: Pretty middle of the road.....nothing outstanding.
 
Another place not on here much - Utah (UofU)
1. Communication: Easy, fast, worked with my scheduling conflicts.

2. Accommodation & Food: Payed for one night in a hotel on campus basically, free dinner, avg breakfast the morning of , lunch was good take out sandwiches. I also heard that they do a date limited, more extended interview weekend where they take you hiking, have a cook-out at one of the PD or Assoc. PD's house and a retreat type thing.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): Meet with all of the leadership and a chief resident. 30min interviews conversational typical questions. Tour, but they don't show you the VA or the psych ED. Seemed like they really took the time to read you application.
They have a free standing psych hospital that is practically in the freaking mountains and its brand new!! Nice facilities, hospital is really nice

4. Program Overview: All online, but of note they had a full day of "protected learning"; didactics, grand rounds and such where you are excused of your clinical duties for the day except if your on call.

5. Faculty; Everyone was nice and down to earth. Very friendly.

6. Location & Lifestyle: SLC was surprising; cost of living wasn't bad, city was nice and clean and its beautiful. People are all nice and its surrounded by mountains.

7. Salary & Benefits: typical

8. Program Strengths: The awesome UNI freestanding psych facility, the amazing people in the program (nicest residents I met on the trail). I am not sure why I haven't heard more about this program, but it seemed to have a great schedule, great camaraderie and smart people.

9. Potential Weaknesses; Not many fellowships - only have addiction and child.
 
Morehouse School of Medicine (msm)


1. Communication- email, quick responses

2. Accommodation & Food- appetizers at a midtown restaurant the night before, breakfast chik fila and lunch Moes!

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences)- really laid back starts off with overview with program director, then 15 minute interviews (3-4). nothing crazy , really friendly. lunch with a bunch of residents who seem
Like they all are friends and have a great time together. Then bus to the VA because it's where you spend half of your intern year. You don't get to see any other sites though

4. Program Overview- 6 months of impatient psych at the VA, 6 months med/neuro. Outpatient starts in 2nd year. Light call schedule

5. Faculty- most trained at Emory or morehouse. Family environment

6. Location & Lifestyle- Atlanta is great! It has a neighborhood for everyone. Transportation isn't the best so you'll need a car. good balance of work and free time. big city but feels like a small town which is nice.

7. Salary & Benefits-50's, iPad mini

8. Program Strengths- community based, heavy on psychopharm, program director and staff, can do anything
Emory offers without a problem, light call schedule, no overnights intern year, small program

9. Potential Weaknesses- so much time at the VA, small program
 
Brown

1. Communication- email, quick responses and very helpful

2. Accommodation & Food- list of great discounted hotels, dinner at Italian place night before, breakfast burritos with surprise meat (I'm a veg), Indian food for lunch

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences) - early and longest day I've had. Start at 730 with overview with chief, drive to Rhode Island hospital for tour, drive back and get a series Of presentations of what the program offers- research,therapy, the chair also speaks. Then tour of butler hospital, then lunch then FIVE interviews but only 30 min each. Real friendly ivs they just want to get to know and seem really genuine

4. Program Overview- broad spectrum of experiences and locations. Residents seem really happy and none want to leave. Call seems really great barely once a week. Each month at a different hospital. Tuesday everyone has didactics

5. Faculty- impressive, seem easy going and approachable

6. Location & Lifestyle- providence is the cutest. Quirky fun town probably because of RISD. Amazing food and really nice people. So affordable to live. Boston is super close, nyc is a 3 hr train ride away. Beaches are 30 min south

7. Salary & Benefits 50's

8. Program Strengths- great schedule, can function without residents, new women's fellowship starting next year. 7 sites offer great diversity in type of patient and problems, freedom to tailor schedule to your interests, great PD

9. Potential Weaknesses- being so close to Boston (that accent!!), snow/winter, not a big city like Manhattan/Boston etc, multiple emrs
 
North Shore LIJ/Hofstra/Zucker Hillside Hospital

1. Communication – ERAS/Email. There were no issues here.

2. Accommodation & Food – No pre-interview dinner. Breakfast was provided with a large selection of bagels, muffins, fruit, and coffee. Lunch was great as well, consisting of a variety of sandwiches, chips, drinks, and pasta. I was not sent any information nor did the website say which hotels I could stay at or any suggestions in terms on housing arrangements for the night before.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences) –
LIJ is piloting a research orientated interview day for those who indicated that research was an interest. The program coordinator sends you a document with a list of your interests in psychiatry. I originally had my interview day earlier, but was emailed and asked if I would like to switch my interview day to one that was more research focused. The day was very, very long. Registration started at 7:15 to 7:30 am with a welcome intro to the program by the PD and APD from 7:30 to 8 am. The PD shares with us his reason to joining LIJ and why he enjoys it here. Right afterwards, we had 5 interviews in a row with about 5 minutes of break in between. Interviews were with the PD, APD, a faculty member, Director of Medical Student Education, and a chief resident. The interviews were mostly casual with some standard interview questions. Interviews ended at 10:30 am. Afterwards we went on a tour of the outpatient and inpatient facilities by another chief resident. The tour was very rushed and felt a bit dangerous as the streets/roads were icy and a couple of us almost slipped. None of us really heard what the chief resident was saying to the group outside as he had a heavy German accent with snow crunching and rain noises hence it was hard to hear. With the inside tour as well, it was very hard to understand him, at least to me. The facilities itself were very nice and impressive especially the new psychiatric facility that was built only one year ago. From 11-12 , we had an overview of the resident research track by the same chief resident and another resident in that track. This is a very unique feature of the residency program as the research track give residents time to do research for 1/3 of their 2nd year, ½ of their 3rd year, and ½ of their 4th year. Afterwards, we had lunch from 12:00-1 pm with the chair, and with 1 resident represented from every class. Unfortunately, the food arrived late and there was very little time to talk to the other residents about their experiences with the program, which was rather unfortunate. Afterwards, there were several lectures from 1 to 4 pm regarding the type of research that is involved at the program. Also, the researchers shared with us how they got interested in research. Topics included Clinical Trials Research Opportunities, Psychiatry Genetics Research, Neuroimaging Research Opportunities, and Neurobiological Studies of Schizophrenia. At around 3 ish we headed back to the original building and had a wrap up with the chairman, PD, and APD and concluded around 3:45 pm.

4. Program Overview – Overall it seems to be a solid psychiatry program with a huge component in research. I was surprised at the small amount of resident representation at lunch with NSLIJ having a large class size, but perhaps it was designed that way to have one from each class. Sadly, there were only about 2 residents (a 4th year and a 3rd year) to interact to most of the day and spent most of their time talking about their research. With no pre interview dinner, small amount of residents at lunch, and the day being almost exclusively research focus, I really have NO idea if I would get along well with the other residents and no idea how the clinical portion of the residency is like in the eyes of the residents. The PD stated that there would be no 3rd year call for the incoming class. Additionally, they are dropping the amount of residents from 17(I think) to 12 residents for the incoming class. He states that there will actually be less call than previously because the program is going to drop some call duties from several areas so that the residents are not spread thin from the drop. I don’t know how it was on non-research interview days, but our day was SO focused on research that I felt it neglected time in regards to the clinical aspects of the residency. I know that they are piloting the interview day and this is still much a work in progress.

5. Faculty – Research faculty seem nice, accomplished, and passionate to teach. I have no idea about other faculty in the clinical areas.

6. Location & Lifestyle – This place is located near Queens and Nassau(I think). Everyone mentioned that Queens was the #1 highest diversity place/area in the country and that other areas are all suburban-type. I can’t comment on resident lifestyle as there were too few residents and too little time to ask questions.

7. Salary & Benefits – I’m sure this is on the website somewhere or in the folder that they gave us. Oh here it is – PGY1 $ 65,500, $67,500, $69,500, $71,000. Standard benefits and subsidized housing available right near the hospital. They give you a nice little blue bag with post-it notes, a computer brush (?), and a thingy that holds a paper upright on a table. Neat stuff.

8. Program Strengths
- Great benefits
- Excellent facilities
- Free standing psych hospital
- LARGE amount of outpatient clinics with specialties
- Program has all fellowships even a research one
- Population is very diverse per location and often get to see pure psychopathology without substance induced added on top of that
- RESEARCH – Mostly all in schizophrenia. Chief said there is not really any research in other areas (anxiety, bipolar, depression etc.)

9. Potential Weaknesses
- Location
- New PD who started last September, but APD has been there for a while. He has a great background in education and health policies and I feel that he will have great ideas to improve the residency
- Education is mostly in schizophrenia and clozapine treatment – not much in other areas
- /+ Decrease in class size
-/+ Psychodynamic emphasis
- Overworked in the psych ER
- At some locations, progress notes are hand written
 
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Anonymous Review - AE-Montefiore

1. Communication: email.

2. Accommodation & Food: no accomodation. Superb food. Very nice breakfast, amazing lunch.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): This is one of the absolute best interview day structures of my season--9:00 to 2 or 3. No unusual questions. It's the central location pull you out at intervals for 3 half hour interviews interspersed with company of a resident type of thing. Except that this was not a resident being rushed from clinical duties but an administrative fellow training in resident education and program administration with the PD. I think this detail, if paused and mulled over in a comparative sense, displays in microcosm the skill and grace with which this program is run. Whoever is running the finances of this place is nothing short of a genius--I have no idea how normally stressed mental health services budgets can be turned into some strange European style cushiness with perks that have perks. Everywhere you turn there are happy people working harmoniously in an entirely unstressful work culture. Anyway...then you have a fantastic lunch with a bunch of residents. Then you go on a nice tour of the on campus facilities and see the resident housing directly adjacent to the hospital. The facilities were not new but decent. The resident apartments were outstanding for the price--secure building with parking. They have an option in Riverdale too with a shuttle that runs to and fro.

4. Program Overview: So first year fits the patterns elsewhere. Medicine months seems like real medicine months and probably comprise the toughest months of the residency. These, I think are done, at the main hospital and one close by with a month of ambulatory mixed in. Residents seemed really happy with the rest of that year--neuro and C&L and emergency psych and such. They have their own child ER and a separate wing for psych ER in the adult wing. Second year has 6 months of service at a state hospital. It seems pretty open to residents with creative ideas. There are forensic aspects to this rotation as well. So overall I would characterize the clinical venues as very public and community psychiatry oriented. You get your own office in 3rd year and supervision seems thorough and varied enough but with a psychodynamic focus. A big bonus for me is all day protected didactics--no running around in between clinical work trying to catch lectures while swallowing your lunch whole. Just you and all your colleagues enjoying each other's company and learning the academics of the field in a relaxing and focused setting. Residents says the lecturers are great.

5. Faculty: From what I saw--excellent. This was the first program where I was felt all of my interviewers and I had a warm positive connection. I'm sure there a some statistical variations that skew an interview day one way the other depending on the luck of who you encounter and whether there is natural affinity between you. However, a perfect series of interviews where you would be thrilled to have them as mentors or attending or supervisors says something strong to me. I would guess therapy might be a particular strength at this program in terms of faculty.

6. Location & Lifestyle: The Bronx isn't bad. Depends what your used to. It's urban environment that has lagged behind the economic development of the most of the other boroughs but it is long ways from the days of its burning buildings. Basically the economics of the city at large has created a truly diverse working class feel to the area with large Latino and African American populations. But there is also excellent train service to city so residents live as far as Brooklyn or the other direction in more suburban areas of Westchester. Riverdale is a more safe, family oriented neighborhood with a short commute. Parking can be had cheaply, either as a commuter or in resident housing. Lifestyle is pretty nice from what I can tell. Call is reportedly light.

7. Salary & Benefits: good salary--super cheap rent. Free food at cafeterias and cafés. Great health benefits for residents and families at no or minimal cost. Cheap parking.

8. Program Strengths: overall excellent work culture. Well-managed program. Great faculty. Great resident camaraderie. Excellent economic picture for NYC--wonderful perks. All the types of fellowships in house. Full day awesome protected didactics for the win.

9. Potential Weaknesses: location is what it is--however I was happy to find it amenable given the program's strengths, economics, and ease of commuting should I decide to commute in. I think also if you want to train for boutique private practice this program would not be ideal. Research doesn't seem like a program focal point.

Overall: I thought this program would be on the middle of my list before going. But it has unexpectedly leapfrogged to the top now that I have my own feel of the place. I've been batting around ideas in my head about what sort of clinical training I'd be satisfied with and I was apprehensive about things I'd heard about this place being to light in this regard. It's not. It just has more off time. And light call. But I think the clinical services will provide great training. So that apprehension was allayed. The overall vibe and work culture was perfect for me.
 
Boston University

1. Communication – ERAS/email

2. Accommodation & Food - Breakfast was served with excellent muffins (eat the chocolate chip one!), bagels, orange juice, and coffee. Lunch was served with excellent choices for different sandwiches, drinks, and chips. Hotel accommodations were provided, but should look at others hotels to compare prices. Post interview cocktail is available with residents and faculty.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences) – The day started from 8:30 to 9:30 am with an overview of the program by the PD. Make sure you check your email regarding the correct location because several applicants were lost and in a different location. There was a large amount of applicants there around like ~15-18. Every applicant had a different interview schedule, but generally there are 6 interviews (5 – 30 min and 1- 15 with PD). Interviews were very casual and I can honestly say I enjoyed all the interviews at this program. Around 1:30 pm, there was lunch with residents and a tour of the campus. At 2:30 to 3:00 pm, the PD will conclude with a wrap up session for any further questions. Some applicants had interviews with PD after the wrap-up sessions. Afterwards, there is a cock-tail party from 5-7 pm at a faculty member’s house where you have the opportunity to interact with residents and other faculty.

4. Program Overview – It is interesting how well an interview day is planned that really molds your view of the program. All I can say is that other residency programs can learn a thing or two from how well I enjoyed the day here, especially in regards to interviews. I had a total of 6 interviews, with 5 of those being 30 minutes each. I had the opportunity to be interviewed by an intern, chief resident, one of the directors of the VA healthcare system, vice-chair for the psychiatry clinical services, and a staff psychiatrist working in psychosomatics. AMAZING and from all different fields. After my interview with one of the interns, I had a 30-minute break, but since she didn’t have any more interviews afterwards we chatted throughout my whole break and I didn’t mind it one single bit! Since this program offers an immense amount of training at different facilities, during my interviews I was able to ask many questions regarding each clinical area because the interviewers were diverse. Incorporating an interview with a chief resident and intern is genius because I felt I really got to gauge how the residents feels about the program and ask questions that I may or may not of had during a lunch with residents. The PD has an extensive educational background and this is totally evident with the incorporation of residents into the day. Additionally, I loved seeing the diversity in ethnicity and gender in the residents and faculty.

This program is surprisingly very innovative as it is really pursuing implementation of telepsychiatry, ACOS, and embedded psychiatry within many fields of medicine. I specifically like how much education is within this program, with even a structured course regarding HOW TO TEACH for residents. Special programs, such as transcultural psychiatry (abroad rotations as well), psychoanalytic programs, and community/public sector mostly dealing with the refugee population, are available and interesting. In addition, there is an opportunity to obtain an MPH but requires a heavier coursework during 3rd and 4th year and often one will use vacation to catch up on MPH courses. Average clinical duty hours are 56/week. No overnight call first year and when you are on “call” you will be with an upper level. Psychotherapy training is available in CBT, psychodynamics, child and family, group, short-term addiction, and trauma. BU has an active research area with 43 million $$$ in research funds and includes projects in HIV, neuroimaging (and even one researcher studying the effects of yoga on the brain!). The program is especially known for addiction psychiatry secondary to Dr. Renner. There are very interesting electives including working at a PTSD national center and spiritual integrated therapy. The population and psychopathology is regarded as very diverse with help from the variety of rotation sites one is involved in. There is an HIV clinic and a psychiatrist embedded in that area as well. 100% board rate passage. PD states the program is accredited until 2020 and has received one citation because a mid –evaluation (I don’t know from what) that was not sent in. PD was out of the country and had to hospitalized due to an accident and could not submit in time. Two years later, the board removed this mid evaluation as being criteria for accreditation.

The facilities were not too bad. The main concern was the PSYCH ER, which held about 4-5 beds. The residents say that the psych ER rotation during the day is not as bad as you see about 4-5 patients, but when you are on call you have to manage the 2 other hospitals as well as consults and so it can be very hectic. There is no social worker in the ER for psych so you will have to address all your SW-ness related matters. If the psych ER get full, there are side beds around the ER to place your patients. Overall, I felt the ER was ultra tiny and crowded. To address this situation, there is a new psych ER near the ER but not directly in it to help with patient privacy. There will be now 6-7 beds and is newly updated to help with amount of patients. Overall, I came away with a solid psychiatry program with strong areas of addiction and community psychiatry with plenty of opportunities to pursue research and train in a variety of sites.

5. Faculty – Residents state faculty are engaged in teaching.

6. Location & Lifestyle – This program is located in the South End of Boston and have a large variety of sites with the furthest one away being a 40 minute drive (3 months out of the first 2 years). Several residents do not have cars and have been able to survive by public transportation and carpooling, so it is possible. A resident stated she is surprised to leave work around 3-4 pm at times on psych inpatient. Additionally, the psych ER can be very, very busy.

7. Salary & Benefits - Standard benefits. Salary is $55,301, $57,393, $60,092, $63,233. Residents state you can even take on more call during second year and earn more money. Additionally, there is opportunity to moonlight. No subsidized housing.

8. Program Strengths
- Diverse population of patients
- Diverse training sites
- Addiction and Community Psychiatry
- Ability to pursue a MPH during residency
- Research is strong and available for residents
- Education is a large emphasis in the program
- Salary is higher than other Boston programs
- Down to earth and fun residents
- EMR is all electronic and moving towards EPIC with the exception of one site

9. Potential Weaknesses
- Busy, busy Psych ER (even more so on call) with NO social worker and small amount of beds (patients have to be in beds in the hall way) but have a bigger area opening in the next month.
- Some didactics are with 1st and 2nd year residents together and information can be redundant (apparently this is in the works to change this)
- One of the main interns for medicine (if medicine is not your thing)
 
St. Luke’s-Roosevelt

1. Communication: ERAS/Email. Program coordinator was on maternity leave, but no problems with communication. No email sent before interview day for a reminder.

2. Accommodation & Food: No accommodations. Coffee and bagels in the morning and an excellent lunch was provided.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): Interview day started at 8:00 am with coffee and bagels. At 8:15-9:00 am, a comprehensive introduction to the residency program by the PD was given. From 9 to 10 am, there was a tour of the St. Luke’s site of the hospital. Inpatient floors were actually nice and given thought to design. The rec room for the patients had an amazing view of the city. Very pleasant to look at in my opinion and better than other places that I have interviewed at. OP facility had small offices but I enjoyed the homey feel the building had. The Roosevelt site was not seen and is apparently much more aesthetically pleasing per residents. There were two 45 minute interviews, with either faculty or the PD from 10:15 to 11 am, and 11- 11:45 am. Some interview questions tested your clinical knowledge. There is lunch from noon to 1:15 pm with several residents and a brief individual meeting with the PD from 1:30 to 3 pm. Different residents from the tour and lunch were there, so it was nice to talk to multiple people regarding the program.

4. Program Overview: The residency offers interesting points in separating itself from other programs. There are two areas for training at this residency program, St. Lukes (~ west 113th st.) and Roosevelt Hospital (~west 58th st). Subsidized housing is provided, assured, and located near the Roosevelt area. There are 2 fellowships offered, child psych and psychosomatics. There is a high level of psychology interns at this program that round on the inpatient teams. The program is strong in addiction/substance abuse with an inpatient detox unit, inpatient rehab, and intensive OP. There is also a unique program for high school students with substance abuse/mental illness that you can work with. PGY-1 seems pretty standard with no call in the neuro rotation and there is currently no opportunity to substitute peds for medicine. PGY-2 is unique in the fact that you have an OP afternoon once a week (~5 pts) working with patients with severe mental illness. There are also unique track opportunities for residents, really starting in PGY-3. The ones mentioned were research track, community psychiatry track, and one that is in development called the Educator track. Research track involves 20% of 3rd year and 4th year dedicated to research. The educator track is interesting in that they coordinate medical student teaching and even have opportunity to take teaching education classes. The program has many child and adolescent OP opportunities but there is no child inpatient. St. Lukes also received a grant for integrated primary care rotations that integrate psychiatrists into the primary care physician clinics. Overall, this residency seems to be a solid program with an emphasis in substance abuse/addiction psychiatry with the opportunity to work early in psychotherapy, child and adolescent OP, and increasing integration of using the health home model. PD is VERY nice and approachable. He has been with the program for a long time and plans not to leave anytime soon. He is straightforward, down to earth, and talks about how the interview at St. Lukes is done, scored, and ranked. Additionally, mentioning on thank you letters don’t really help in the end with rankings. Residents states one of the reasons for choosing SLR is the program director.

5. Faculty: Residents state some faculty members are more difficult to work with, but most are well received by the residents.

6. Location & Lifestyle: Both locations are in Manhattan and a great area of NY. Residents states they never felt overworked and the only rotation where they felt really stressed was medicine. They state you have to take on ancillary jobs and draw blood since sometimes the nurse’s don’t/forget what is needed. Residents feel they have time to enjoy the city while on rotations. Residents states you carry around 8 patients on inpatient psych.

7. Salary & Benefits: Better than other programs. Subsidized housing provided and guaranteed. PGY1 salary is $61,755.

8. Program Strengths:
- Residents seem very down to earth and enjoyable to chat with
- Diverse patient population and psychopathology
- Subsidized housing in proximity to work location (2 buildings – the nicer one does not allow pets)
- Nice inpatient floors and views of NYC
- College population with location near Columbia
- Substance abuse/Addiction Psychiatry
- Has a psych ER
- PD
- Nice call room

(Next ones stated per PD on PP slide)
-Location
-Personality Disorders
-PGY2 Clinic
-Diverse psychotherapy training
- Research and Education Track

9. Potential Weaknesses:
- Not too much research going on, but has a research track if desired
- Only two sites for training (more opportunities in 4th year)
- Medicine rotation (very busy)
- Less ancillary support (draw blood)
- Prism EMR
- Small/not good cafeteria in hospital
-/+ high substance abuse/addiction patients

(Next ones stated per PD on PP slide)
- Geriatrics
- Clinical Focus (less research)
 
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I am a first time poster. I am wondering if I should keep my interviews and fly to the negative wind chills of Wisconsin (MCW Milwaukee and UWisconsin Madison). I am from New England and I do like the outdoors...
 
silverliningsplaybook said:
I am a first time poster. I am wondering if I should keep my interviews and fly to the negative wind chills of Wisconsin (MCW Milwaukee and UWisconsin Madison). I am from New England and I do like the outdoors...
Click to expand...
I think they're both really fine programs, but if you're satisfied with the rest of your list and think there's no way you'd move to the Midwest, you probably don't need them. On the plus side, keep in mind that the negative wind chills are scattered across a couple of months (i.e. not every day, all winter!), and that Madison is a fun small city, and either one has a lot of great activity within an hour drive or so.
 
Utsw review:
1. Communication- Good no problems

2. Accommodation & Food: Good discount at nearby nice hotels and on parking. Great pre interview dinner!! Lunch was served in a cafeteria on the top floor of the building where the psych office is with a nice view of Dallas.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): It was a pretty laid back day, PD gives you a intro talk, followed by 3 interviews 30 min each and lunch and the tour. Pretty standard. No strange questions. They set you up with another informal meeting with a faculty member that shares your interest in a particular area of psychiatry. The residents I met were very friendly and helpful, but with some of the faculty
there was not a lot of enthusiasm for anything and one of my interviewers she told me she was so busy that she had no time to read anything about me so we just talked.

4. Program Overview: So the program offers a lot of fellowships and research opportunities, the people were all very nice, though it did seem like they work a lot. They also have some tracts available in community psychiatry and education ect. but they seemed flexible in allowing to train in any area your interested in. UTSW/Parkland is a huge complex that severe everyone from the underserved to private patients. That said, everything seemed good but nothing seemed particularly great. Everyone seemed friendly but not interested; almost more tired of the process than we were (Mid January). The facilities are ok (the are building a new hospital which will be very nice). Average schedule on the higher end of work hours.

5. Faculty: see previous statements

6. Location & Lifestyle: So Dallas. The traffic was insane from the moment I hit Denton Tx south! Took me 35min to go 2.8 miles from the hotel to the restaurant because traffic was car to car on every highway from 4pm-8pm. The city streets were just as bad. The resident hosting the dinner was 45min late because of traffic; she seemed to suffer from PTSD when asked about Dallas traffic. Several of the residents on the tour mentioned on how horrible the traffic is. And I hear that the heat is stifling in the summer, but the winters are amazing as it was 60 in January (so imagine how hot it is in the summer!!!) But its a big city with people that seemed to be in a hurry to go nowhere.

7. Salary & Benefits: Pretty goo, no state income tax!

8. Program Strengths: Lots of fellowships (even though their own residents tend to go elsewhere and usually to top places), different clinical tracts, lots of research, diverse population. In the next few years lots of facility improvements.

9. Potential Weaknesses: Felt like you could get lost in that big system and now with 15 residents each class. You have to LOVE Dallas and Texas (I mean that nicely, as in almost everyone was from Texas or had strong ties. I was the only applicant my day from out of state).
 
Psychotic said:
Dallas can have some really nasty winter weather (they had some in early December that caused one of my flights passing fhrough DFW to get canceled).
Click to expand...

I also got stranded in Texas in early December and had problems flying out of Dallas. Seems we were at the same airport on the same day - crossing paths. I think it was just that particular few days that was having some awful weather due to the winter storm, but I don't think that's usual though, from what I've heard.
 
Icahn/Mount Sinai (NYC)

1. Communication: Email. No issues with scheduling.

2. Accommodation & Food: No accommodations. A very well-attended pre-interview dinner, along with many bottles of wine, was served at a resident’s apartment. Food is plentiful on interview day: the breakfast cart of coffee, pastries, yogurt, and fruit follows you throughout the morning; lunch was held in an on-campus atrium featuring amazingly delicious food from a local Indian restaurant.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): 8AM-4PM. Typical introduction to the program by the PD (former PD at Columbia) and assistant PD: both seemed warm, friendly, and passionate about Icahn. This was then followed by three 30 minute interviews, two with faculty whose interests matched my own and one with either the PD or the aPD. With the exception of the aPD/PD, the interviewers were… odd. One babbled for 35 minutes about his own research, admitting that he “didn’t have time to read my application” because he “usually reads applications on the train” and “didn’t take the train [that morning].” The second interviewer was non-reactive and stoic. Residents seemed friendly, dropping-in and saying hello throughout the day. One resident went on a borderline uncomfortable diatribe about "separating work-life from personal-life" when I asked how cohesive residents were as a group (hinting, rather conspicuously, that residents don't hang out all that much outside of work). After lunch, we had a 2 hour presentation by the aPD followed by a tour of the Mount Sinai Hospital and the outpatient offices on 5th Avenue. #ritzy

4. Program Overview: Icahn prides itself on being the most “chill” of the Manhattan programs. Weirdly, no one sold me on Icahn, per se: most residents I met simply bashed all the other NYC programs (...very uncomfortable, as I liked the other programs). The PD and aPD say, flatly, that their mission is “to train NYC psychiatrists and NYC psychiatrists only.” Huh? What if I want to leave NY after graduation? Still, it's a very solid program: exposure seems to run the gamut from Upper East Side wealth to the city’s uninsured and homeless; there are some cool rotations during the psychiatry months of PGY1, including eating disorders, child/adolescent, geriatrics, and forensics. Lots of psychotherapy supervision. Sinai is also affiliated with the New York Psychoanalytic Institute, which would be an enriching experience. You can “pick a major” after PGY2, i.e. choose to pursue child/adolescent psychiatry or psychoanalysis, among other such fields. There's a brand-new 7-year PGY-PhD track, too, if research is your thing.

5. Faculty: Didn’t meet a ton outside of my interviewers. PD and aPD are both fabulous. Residents said they felt well-supported by faculty and the administration.

6. Location & Lifestyle: Manhattan’s Upper East Side, nestled along Central Park (between the Museum Mile and Spanish Harlem). The hospital is only steps away from the cross-town bus and the 6-train subway, both of which run 24/7. New York’s a super fun (albeit expensive) city filled with all sorts of vibrant cultural, culinary, artistic, and athletic outlets.

7. Salary & Benefits: Standard. Guaranteed subsidized housing on the Upper East Side.

8. Program Strengths:
- Diverse patient population (true of most if not all NYC programs)
- Affiliation with the New York Psychoanalytic Institute
- Early exposure to specialty services, like eating disorders and child/adolescent psychiatry
- Ability to "pick a major” as soon as second semester PGY2
- The view of Central Park from the didactics classroom (takes one’s breath away)
- Guaranteed subsidized housing
- Extremely warm and enthusiastic PD and aPD
- Psychiatry department EXTREMELY well-respected within the hospital (and, to boot, the President of Mt Sinai is a psychiatrist!)

9. Potential Weaknesses:
- INCREDIBLY NYC-centric; everyone’s attitude towards the world West of the Hudson River and East of the East River was off-putting, frankly. There’s more to life than New York...
- Expensive city that's difficult to live-in (day-to-day); not sure I can afford it on a resident's salary
- With respect to interview day: off-putting interviewers and residents who spent their time bashing other programs (and other cities) instead of selling their own--got the feeling that people chose Mt Sinai for NYC instead of choosing Mt Sinai for Mt Sinai
- Residents don't seem all that cohesive as a group
- Mt Sinai is in a state of MASSIVE transition: the hospital is acquiring Beth Israel and St Luke's Roosevelt (not necessarily a bad thing) and will become one HUGE hospital system, perhaps the largest in New York. I see lots of red tape and even more uncertainty in the not-so distant future.
 
DFW (particularly flying American) is not a good indicator for Dallas weather. American will cancel/delay anything at DFW, which Lovefield has never had that problem in my experience.
 
Yep, it was American that left me stranded. Then I had to pay out of pocket for a hotel as well, as they don't pay for that (unlike other airlines which have paid for my room if they canceled on me). I'll be flying American this week to subzero temps, so hopefully no more getting stranded, as that just adds up the expense of interview season. It's in the mid 70s F in my city right now, and all this traveling is making me all the more appreciative of this sizzling weather. I'm going hiking today in shorts to bask in the sunrays, before my upcoming travel to the polar vortex.
 
I found the residents and other applicants at Sinai very New York-centric, but don't recall the PD or APD saying they only wanted to train NYC psychiatrists. Granted, all of the programs are starting to blend together. What were others experience here?

cosmopolitanboy said:
Icahn/Mount Sinai (NYC)

1. Communication: Email. No issues with scheduling.

2. Accommodation & Food: No accommodations. A very well-attended pre-interview dinner, along with many bottles of wine, was served at a resident’s apartment. Food is plentiful on interview day: the breakfast cart of coffee, pastries, yogurt, and fruit follows you throughout the morning; lunch was held in an on-campus atrium featuring amazingly delicious food from a local Indian restaurant.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): 8AM-4PM. Typical introduction to the program by the PD (former PD at Columbia) and assistant PD: both seemed warm, friendly, and passionate about Icahn. This was then followed by three 30 minute interviews, two with faculty whose interests matched my own and one with either the PD or the aPD. With the exception of the aPD/PD, the interviewers were… odd. One babbled for 35 minutes about his own research, admitting that he “didn’t have time to read my application” because he “usually reads applications on the train” and “didn’t take the train [that morning].” The second interviewer was non-reactive and stoic. Residents seemed friendly, dropping-in and saying hello throughout the day. One resident went on a borderline uncomfortable diatribe about "separating work-life from personal-life" when I asked how cohesive residents were as a group (hinting, rather conspicuously, that residents don't hang out all that much outside of work). After lunch, we had a 2 hour presentation by the aPD followed by a tour of the Mount Sinai Hospital and the outpatient offices on 5th Avenue. #ritzy

4. Program Overview: Icahn prides itself on being the most “chill” of the Manhattan programs. Weirdly, no one sold me on Icahn, per se: most residents I met simply bashed all the other NYC programs (...very uncomfortable, as I liked the other programs). The PD and aPD say, flatly, that their mission is “to train NYC psychiatrists and NYC psychiatrists only.” Huh? What if I want to leave NY after graduation? Still, it's a very solid program: exposure seems to run the gamut from Upper East Side wealth to the city’s uninsured and homeless; there are some cool rotations during the psychiatry months of PGY1, including eating disorders, child/adolescent, geriatrics, and forensics. Lots of psychotherapy supervision. Sinai is also affiliated with the New York Psychoanalytic Institute, which would be an enriching experience. You can “pick a major” after PGY2, i.e. choose to pursue child/adolescent psychiatry or psychoanalysis, among other such fields. There's a brand-new 7-year PGY-PhD track, too, if research is your thing.

5. Faculty: Didn’t meet a ton outside of my interviewers. PD and aPD are both fabulous. Residents said they felt well-supported by faculty and the administration.

6. Location & Lifestyle: Manhattan’s Upper East Side, nestled along Central Park (between the Museum Mile and Spanish Harlem). The hospital is only steps away from the cross-town bus and the 6-train subway, both of which run 24/7. New York’s a super fun (albeit expensive) city filled with all sorts of vibrant cultural, culinary, artistic, and athletic outlets.

7. Salary & Benefits: Standard. Guaranteed subsidized housing on the Upper East Side.

8. Program Strengths:
- Diverse patient population (true of most if not all NYC programs)
- Affiliation with the New York Psychoanalytic Institute
- Early exposure to specialty services, like eating disorders and child/adolescent psychiatry
- Ability to "pick a major” as soon as second semester PGY2
- The view of Central Park from the didactics classroom (takes one’s breath away)
- Guaranteed subsidized housing
- Extremely warm and enthusiastic PD and aPD
- Psychiatry department EXTREMELY well-respected within the hospital (and, to boot, the President of Mt Sinai is a psychiatrist!)

9. Potential Weaknesses:
- INCREDIBLY NYC-centric; everyone’s attitude towards the world West of the Hudson River and East of the East River was off-putting, frankly. There’s more to life than New York...
- Expensive city that's difficult to live-in (day-to-day); not sure I can afford it on a resident's salary
- With respect to interview day: off-putting interviewers and residents who spent their time bashing other programs (and other cities) instead of selling their own--got the feeling that people chose Mt Sinai for NYC instead of choosing Mt Sinai for Mt Sinai
- Residents don't seem all that cohesive as a group
- Mt Sinai is in a state of MASSIVE transition: the hospital is acquiring Beth Israel and St Luke's Roosevelt (not necessarily a bad thing) and will become one HUGE hospital system, perhaps the largest in New York. I see lots of red tape and even more uncertainty in the not-so distant future.
Click to expand...
 
jjmack said:
I found the residents and other applicants at Sinai very New York-centric, but don't recall the PD or APD saying they only wanted to train NYC psychiatrists. Granted, all of the programs are starting to blend together. What were others experience here?
Click to expand...

Why don't you write a review to spark the conversation.
 
UT Southwestern (UTSW) - Dallas

1. Communication: Email. No issues with scheduling.

2. Accommodation & Food: No accommodations. A good pre-interview dinner at a good restaurant called Stampede 66. It is a set menu but the portions were excellent. Alcohol was not free. Food was good on interview day as well. Some of the pastries were really tasty. Lunch was at the building cafeteria which was nice.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): 8AM-3PM. Typical introduction to the program by the PD who seemed very nice. This was then followed by three 30 minute interviews, one of which was with the PD. The interviews were mostly standard, although one of the interviewers who was a full professor no less seemed visibly bored during the interview which was no doubt irritating especially considering this was early in the interview season! They schedule a meeting with a faculty who shares your interest in the afternoon but this interview is not scored and they do not report back to the admissions committee. This was good as it allowed a more casual talk and the chance to ask some "real questions". Residents seemed friendly at dinner and lunch, although they (PGY1,PGY2,PGY3) appeared universally tired and happy to take a break from work to attend lunch with us.

4. Program Overview: The buzzword here is "busy". Everyone from the residents to the interviewers agreed on this one point - that it is incredibly busy during PGY1 and PGY2 reducing in intensity only a little bit in PGY3. They have an arrangement with Dallas Psychoanalytic Center so psychoanalysts from there could be one of your two supervisors. Lots of different sites which is good for exposure to different demographics, but not great for having to adapt to different EMR systems and being spread thin. Also, I was expecting the program to have an "academic feel" but instead it has a very "community feel". They even explicitly mentioned that their chief focus is community psychiatry especially with the new community hospital (Parkland) and the homeless outreach program (Metrocare). In addition to Metrocare, you also rotate through the jail.

5. Faculty: They have a few good researchers including the PI for STAR-D, although one of the interviewers repeatedly hinted about funding issues for resident research. I'm not sure what he really meant though. PD seemed genuinely nice and the residents say he is very supportive.

6. Location & Lifestyle: It's Dallas. It's hot. It's commercialized. It's a serious, business city.

7. Salary & Benefits: Low 50's. Standard benefits. No free parking anywhere.

8. Program Strengths:
- Population diversity
- Affiliation with Dallas Psychoanalytic Center
- Amiable PD
- ?Research

9. Potential Weaknesses:
- Busy PGY1
- Busy PGY2
- Busy PGY3
- Dallas: expensive city, atrocious traffic, too hot, too serious
- Forensic, addiction and child psychiatry are apparently not very strong (per the residents)
 
Psychedelicious said:
Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW)
...6. Location & Lifestyle: Milwaukee is right on the rust belt, and it is also depressingly cold most the year with pretty much nothing to do. If you end up here, make sure to supplement your vitamins and avoid becoming SAD! On the plus side, Chicago is only two hours away when it is not snowing.
...
Click to expand...

To each their own, and I'm not affiliated with MCW (though I am a bit of a fan!), but I can't let this pass.

Milwaukee (or Cleveland, or any other metropolis in the Great Lakes region) may not be to everyone's taste, but it is not "cold most of the year". If this winter of Polar Vortices has taught us anything, it is that nowhere in the Midwest or Northeast is exempt from winter! (Or SAD risk--which is related to light cycle exposures--so it's just as big an issue in Seattle as Milwaukee as Boston...) It is truly a disadvantage to many programs that interview season is centered around the bleakest months of the year and that so many impressions are based off of that.

It may not be as cosmopolitan as Chicago (which has equally awful winters), but there's still plenty to do. And summers in the upper Midwest are much more temperate and enjoyable than many other places in the country, IMHO. Take up sailing, kayaking, or just lie on a Lake Michigan beach and enjoy your Sprecher's Root Beer, or other fine Wisconsin brew! (New Glarus Spotted Cow...mmm. I'm getting thirsty...)

[/rant]
 
Redacted because I've come to realize my information here was not entirely accurate.
 
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Regarding MCW and lifestyle:

Are you sure about heavy call? That was the best call schedule on the interview trail that I could tell. Second year call was something like q14 and third year you just had (I believe) a month of night float with no other responsibilities. 4th year was like q24-28. Seemed very relaxed and low stress.

Edit: from their website [my phone isn't letting me paste]

ehh... Not letting me paste anything. Let me try a new post.
 
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Oh well. Check out their website under "general information" and it explains the call schedule. Even less than I described above.
 
Redacted because I've come to realize my information here was not entirely accurate.
 
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Yale-New Haven

1. Communication: Email. No issues with scheduling.

2. Accommodation & Food: No accommodations. I stayed at a Courtyard Marriott ($79/night), which was a short walk from Yale's campus and a short $5 cab-ride from the hospital. Pre-interview festivities included a walking tour of Yale University's campus (GORGEOUS) and a lively (not to mention delectable) pre-interview dinner @ Miya's Sushi, kicked off by a toast from a PGY2 and a group sake-bomb (does it get any better?). During the interview day itself, we were well-fed with breakfast, lunch (pre-fix @ a local Tex-Mex restaurant), and a snack of cookies, candies, and coffee.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): 8AM-3:30PM. Relatively large applicant group; there were about 10-12 of us. Introduction to the program (curriculum, didactics, etc) and the City of New Haven by the assistant PD (Dr. Ross) and followed-up with a talk by the PD (Dr. Rohrbaugh): both were remarkably warm (in a fraternal and paternal sense, respectively), wicked smart, and astutely well-spoken. This was then followed by four 30 minute interviews, including one with either the PD or the aPD. There weren't many (if any) probing questions, and 3 of 4 interviewers were social, friendly, and genuinely wanted to know more about me and my career goals. After the four interviews, we went to a local Tex-Mex restaurant for a sit-down lunch with residents (very well-attended) before a thorough tour of the facilities (Yale-NHH and the Yale Psychiatric Hospital) by one of the chief residents. All the residents were brilliant, eloquent, passionate, and friendly. There was a wrap-up session by Dr. Rohrbaugh and, then, an optional child and adolescent psychiatry information session led by the C&A director.

4. Program Overview: See the website for complete details. In short, Yale’s curriculum is extremely flexible and innovative. There are several clinical sites where residents rotate, including the Connecticut Mental Health Center (chronically mental ill), a VA Medical Center, Yale University Mental Health (including a college counseling component), the Child Study Center, Yale-New Haven Hospital, a stand-alone Psychiatric Hospital, and Silver Hill Hospital (in New Canaan), among many others. There are not one, not two, but THREE MONTHS of elective time in PGY2, which can be spent doing just about anything: traveling the globe, researching at a bench, or delving into SEVERAL elective opportunities on-campus. Third year can be spent at either the Connecticut Mental Health Center, the VA, or Yale Student Health/College Counseling Center (incredibly unique) depending on preference. Of note: the program is affiliated with the illustrious Western New England Psychoanalytic Institute, which offers several classes for those interested in psychoanalysis (several faculty are trained analysts and work at the Institute, too).

5. Faculty: Well-balanced as far as researchers, clinicians, research-clinicians, analysts... All incredibly passionate about their fields of research and/or clinical work and seemed to love teaching residents and students.

6. Location & Lifestyle: The surrounding areas, including West Haven, North Haven, Hamden, and Branford, are all quite lovely and liveable (and VERY affordable!). Yale University itself is stunning: Ivy-covered gothic architecture in every direction screams “money… history… intellectualism… academia.” TONS to do on and just off-campus (byproduct of being at a place like Yale, I guess), including art galleries (e.g. the breathtaking Yale University Art Gallery), theatre (Yale Drama, where you’ll see future Meryl Streeps perform for a ridiculously low-cost), orchestral/chamber performances, comedy... the list goes on! New Haven, by daylight, is cute and even, well, nice (in some parts). There are a surprising number of four-star restaurants, upscale shops, and boutiques around the area of New Haven Green and Wooster Square. However, New Haven, by night, is CREEPY. You’ll see several unsavory-looking people pacing on street corners (sketchy sketchy sketchy), and you'll hear about muggings and "apple-pickings" that happen every so often on and off-campus. My group, upon walking to the hotel from the pre-interview dinner, felt EXTREMELY creeped out as we were being followed, rather closely, by one of those sketchy pacers.

7. Salary & Benefits: AMAZING. Base salary starts in the mid-$60Ks and increases steadily to mid-$70Ks by PGY4. Moonlighting opportunities, which are plentiful, put most residents at or above $100K/year. Standard health, dental, and vision insurance through the Yale Health System. Extremely subsidized psychotherapy/psychoanalysis for residents, if so desired ($25/session or thereabouts). Moreover, as a Yale Psychiatry resident, you are an employee of Yale University and NOT Yale-New Haven Hospital (unlike house staff in other residencies, who are employed by the Hospital). Therefore, you are considered to be a “faculty member” of Yale University and can take advantage of ALL that Yale has to offer, including access to ANY/ALL classes, museums, libraries, gyms, and other on-campus facilities.

8. Program Strengths:
- One of the best, if not THE best, salary to cost-of-living ratios out there
- Flexible and innovative curriculum, allowing for three-months (yes, three months!) of elective-time during PGY2, which can be spent doing anything from research on the bench, to working in Africa/Asia/Europe, to pursuing psychotherapy coursework
- Didactics are interactive, dynamic, thorough, and wonderful (all-around)
- Robust (and balanced) in research, psychopharmacology, AND psychotherapy
- Ability to enroll in ANY courses, for free, at ANY of Yale’s schools (you can be well on your way to an MPH or MBA by the time you’re finished with PGY4)
- Affiliation with the Western New England Psychoanalytic Institute
- World-renowned child and adolescent psychiatry department (AND a Child Study Center, like NYU), with a plethora of research and clinical opportunities, including a full-year at Yale Student Health clinic as a PGY3
- History of producing leaders in the field of psychiatry (perhaps the most of all the programs?); this is, of course, more dependent on the person and less on the program
- A group of truly impressive and worldly residents
- New Haven is a culinary haven (hands-down best pizza I've ever had) that's centrally located along the Northeast corridor (NYC, Boston, Berkshires, and VT/NH ski-resorts are ALL at your fingertips!)

9. Potential Weaknesses:
- New Haven, New Haven, New Haven… while the area is improving, it remains one of the country’s most dangerous cities (and the meanest, per CNN ranking). Walking around at night is a CREEPY experience... A group of us walked back to the hotel from Miya’s @ 10PM (3-4 blocks), and we were all sufficiently creeped out. Make sure you DO NOT WALK with your iPhone/anything of value in your hands (Google “Apple Picking”)
- Consult-Liaison department seemed weak historically, but there have been efforts recently to beef it up
 
University of Michigan

1. Communication: The usual, email. Very communicative program coordinator. Had no issues scheduling.

2. Accommodation & Food: I stayed at a friend's place so I'm not sure but I think they offered discounted accommodation. The dinner was amazing. Breakfast and lunch were so-so.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): Extremely standard questions throughout. Two faculty, one PD, and two residents. Absolutely nothing stood out here except that all the faculty seemed very approachable. The tour included all the facilities which was impressive (and unusual).

4. Program Overview: One of the stronger programs I'd visited. Definitely a top 10 program in the country by my count (if not, at least top 15 - it is currently in the top 3 on my rank list). Tons of research opportunities, lots of resources, amazing faculty, very good clinical exposure including county hospitals and excellent patient diversity. The residents also seemed like a very tight bunch and genuinely happy, and those are always good signs. The unique feature of the program seemed to be the six-month intensive mentorships in various forms of psychotherapy.

5. Faculty: A lot of highly qualified faculty here. Most of them apparently love to teach (per the residents). The ones I did meet were all friendly and warm.

6. Location & Lifestyle: Ann Arbor is not a large city, but it is a charming little one. It is cold, but there seems to be plenty to do here compared many places on the same latitude! I stayed on at Ann Arbor for a couple of days after my interview and I never got bored. And while I'm not a fan of Detroit, it is right there if you want a quick big city fix.

7. Program Strengths:
- Excellent clinical exposure
- Tons of research opportunities
- Psychotherapy training
- Very good faculty
- Beautiful facilities
- Charming Ann Arbor

8. Potential Weaknesses:
- Weather
 
Psychedelicious said:
University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt

4. Program Overview: It is a good program on paper. The reality though seems to be quite different. Sheppard Pratt is a nice quaint place to train in. Unfortunately, only a small part of the training is done here. The residents rotate through a staggering number of sites and while that is generally good for getting varied exposure, sometimes too many can be too much. That is precisely the case here. The residents are spread so thin that there are often only 2-3 residents per site, going up to a maximum of 5-6. So, naturally, the call frequency at all the sites are quite high. This would be okay if the calls themselves were not very busy. Unfortunately, that is not the case as one resident at Sheppard Pratt, for instance, has to cover the 300+ beds at hospital apart from doing the night admissions! The resident has to stay until rounds the next day which generally go on till noon. It is not much different at the University hospital either (there are no admission caps there so you can sometimes have 8 admissions in one night!) Duke and Emory gets a lot of flak on these forums for making the residents work hard so I was really surprised to find the residents here working harder than ones at either of those two places and yet get no mention here. Maybe because it is not as popular a program as Duke or Emory? Anyway, the residents here take call all four years. Sorry no reprieve in the senior years. And presumably because the work leaves the residents with little free time, even though the university has some opportunities for research, hardly anyone does research (only 1 out of the 60+ residents is involved in any research at all and even he is only continuing his research work from his postdoc work before residency). The only strength of the program, in my opinion, is having Sheppard Pratt as one of the hospitals. That said, the residents pick lots to do their outpatient year here and only 6-7 out of the 15+ residents in each class get to do that. What if you have more than that number in your class interested in doing the outpatient year at Sheppard Pratt and you end up having to spend the year in the city or in one of the community centers? Also, it takes a minimum of 30 minutes by car to get from Baltimore where the University hospital is located to Towson where the Sheppard Pratt hospital is located. The state hospital is located even further from downtown than Sheppard Pratt in a different direction. The other sites are also located far away in the various suburbs of Baltimore (MPRC for instance is in Catonsville). The didactics are apparently just okay, and you tend to miss them if you are not rotating in Baltimore itself.
Click to expand...

I have to say you have an incredible flair for details. I had interviewed at a few of the programs you had posted about on this thread and the other help thread, and I find your observations spot on, although it look me quite a lot of effort to learn some of the stuff you had posted about - the part about the calls being hard at UMD especially took me a lot of effort to find (found it through a fellow IMG who did her second look in their psych ER). It is very hard to assess everything at every program in about half a day so thanks to you and the wonderful reviewers here like cosmopolitanboy, nasrudin, prittypistol, journey, daedra, josh and many faceless anonymous reviewers for providing the much needed second perspective. Thanks chaps. Good luck to you all in the match. May the good karma pay you back dividends!
 
I agree with the above post. This thread had been very useful throughout the interview season, although there seems to be a notable lack of reviews of California programs (or even the west coast) for some reason. I'll churn out a few when I can, and hope there will be more people doing that as well.

EDIT: As a poster suggested early on in the thread, try to post them before the ROL is due as the information that might help someone now might be too old next year.
 
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Are there any 3-year psychiatry residency programs?
 
BestDoctorEver said:
Are there any 3-year psychiatry residency programs?
Click to expand...

I don't think so. Although a lot of programs would offer to start you off in PGY-2 if you have completed intern year in a primary care field.
 
StECT said:
EDIT: As a poster suggested early on in the thread, try to post them before the ROL is due as the information that might help someone now might be too old next year.
Click to expand...
We had a bit of a post-Certification Day flood last year, with folks being shy to post their opinions until after all reank lists were in. But I think that's OK, as it is generally useful for folks making decisions about applications next year.

The process never stops...
 
OldPsychDoc said:
We had a bit of a post-Certification Day flood last year, with folks being shy to post their opinions until after all reank lists were in. But I think that's OK, as it is generally useful for folks making decisions about applications next year.

The process never stops...
Click to expand...

This is why I think the job description of PD necessarily selects for cooler people. Who the heck would do all that except somebody who cares deeply about educating physicians.

But with regards to my constituency: please feel free to post your thoughts on programs. I am very private and don't have a Facebook or an Instagram or anything and I can assure you--No program personnel has the time to stalk around sdn to profile users. I posted a few anonymously and I can now see that that was excessively timid.

I have one more coming myself, but I don't want our class to be irresponsible to the use of this resource. Frankly, I get annoyed by people asking intimate questions about programs with no expectation that they should join the conversation themselves. Proper conversation is give and take.
 
OldPsychDoc said:
We had a bit of a post-Certification Day flood last year, with folks being shy to post their opinions until after all reank lists were in. But I think that's OK, as it is generally useful for folks making decisions about applications next year.
Click to expand...

I was referring to this post earlier on in the thread:
splik said:
i would encourage everyone to post their interview reviews as they go along, even if anonymously. there is little point in posting reviews after the match as programs often change significant from year to year and point is this is supposed to a forum for you to share your views with your peers during this process.
Click to expand...
 
Nasrudin said:
But with regards to my constituency: please feel free to post your thoughts on programs. I am very private and don't have a Facebook or an Instagram or anything and I can assure you--No program personnel has the time to stalk around sdn to profile users. I posted a few anonymously and I can now see that that was excessively timid.

I have one more coming myself, but I don't want our class to be irresponsible to the use of this resource. Frankly, I get annoyed by people asking intimate questions about programs with no expectation that they should join the conversation themselves. Proper conversation is give and take.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I attended 10 interviews (almost all the better-known programs on the west coast except the super-competitive ones and a few in the south). I will try to post my impressions on as many of those as I can over the next few weeks.
 
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