2013-2014 Psychiatry Interview Reviews

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Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW)

1. Communication: Email. One of the warmest program coordinators I met on my trail.

2. Accommodation & Food: Had a very comfortable stay. Hotel costs were refunded in full except taxes. Residents picked us up for the dinner which turned out to be amazing and so was the lunch (they really do make the best food in the midwest!).

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): Parking is close and convenient. The day starts at 8 AM when they greet you with a really nice "goody bag" that includes a root beer! After a brief introduction, we get four half-hour interviews. The interviews are all laid back and conversational, and they seemed to mostly just want to know you better. The PD was particularly nice and the consensus among the interviewees on the day was that she makes a personal effort to make each of us feel comfortable during the interviews. The residents I met also appeared to be fun and smart, with most of them having an interest in psychotherapy and also involved in research.

4. Program Overview: This is a well-balanced, clinically focused program with a variety of training sites and plenty of research opportunities as they have one of the biggest neuroimaging research centers in the country. You're going to be well trained for any setting you want to work in, but if you want to be very good in psychotherapy, I can't think of very many programs where you could get better training, including some of the traditionally therapy-oriented programs like Cambridge and Cornell. Don't get me wrong, I'm not directly comparing these programs, but from what I have found out about the intensity with which the faculty support your interest in psychotherapy (if you have one, that is) and the amount of opportunity you get to practice and perfect your skills, this program is definitely in the top-end of the spectrum for psychotherapy training. The other notable features of the program are doing your outpatient year in PGY2 allowing longer longitudinal follow-up of your therapy patients, and having a really low-stress experience with no overnight calls in PGY1, and required overnight calls in PGY2 only once in six to eight WEEKS! o_O There are also plenty of moonlighting opportunities, both external and internal (paid to take call system). All of these make the program one of the cushiest programs in the country, second only to San Mateo. Even the IM rotations are relatively stress-free comprising only of 1 month of inpatient IM, 1 month of inpatient FM and 1 month of outpatient IM.

5. Faculty: The ones that I met were impressive and motivated to teach. A lot of psychoanalysts here, and you can choose one of your two individual supervisors in PGY2 to be a psychoanalyst. The residents also spoke very highly of the faculty and the training overall.

6. Location & Lifestyle: Contrary to popular belief, Milwaukee, although in Wisconsin, does not share the Wisconsin weather. It's much closer to Chicago both in weather and in distance as the two cities are separated by only a short bus/train ride. Takes me just an hour and a half to drive from my home in downtown Chicago to downtown Milwaukee too. I know about the weather because I have friends here and I've visited the city many times in all seasons and have found virtually no difference between the weather in Chicago and the weather in Milwaukee. And here's Milwaukee from Urban Dictionary: Situated along the picturesque banks of wondrous Lake Michigan, Milwaukee is the "hidden jewel of the Upper Midwest". Repressed for many decades, this city has made vast strides since the late 80's. The city boasts a world class zoo, a one of a kind art museum, excellent food, million dollar condos, dozens of large festivals, a large number of parks, a renewed downtown, arts, theatre, and music. Underrated city.

7. Salary & Benefits: Salary is on the higher side, from $56,xxx to $60,xxx, with plenty of moonlighting opportunities starting from PGY2. Full benefits at good networks with possibility of enrolling family. Overall a very good package.

8. Program Strengths:
  • Exceptional psychotherapy training
  • Freestanding psychotherapy hospital
  • Diverse population and training sites
  • Excellent and highly dedicated faculty
  • Fourth year is full and full elective time
  • Diverse research opportunities with plenty of time to do it
  • Second cushiest program in the country, next only to San Mateo
  • Good salary, excellent internal and external moonlighting opportunities
  • Has fellowships in addiction, child, forensic, geriatric and psychosomatic medicine
9. Potential Weaknesses:
  • May be too cush for some. With call frequency at q6-8 weeks, it may not be ideal for those wanting to ER psychiatrists.
  • While Milwaukee is a metropolitan city, it's not Chicago/SF/LA/NYC. Have to travel 1.5 hours for that large city fix.

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Is there moonlighting available? I've read from other posts that they have a lighter call schedule compared to other programs.



Ok, I've gotten requests for most of the programs so I guess I'll end up reviewing all of them anyways. :writer::writer::writer:

Northwestern:
1. Communication: Email. No problems.

2. Accommodation & Food: Pre-interview three-course dinner. Lunch with residents. No accommodations or transportation provided but interview site accessible by foot if staying in area.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences):Light breakfast and overview with PD, tour, 3-4 interviews (standard questions), lunch, short presentation by faculty member on a topic/research project they are working on,wrap-up with PD.

4. Program Overview: First of all let me just say Dr. Anzia is amazing! Probably the best PD I met on the interview trail. She takes on a loving motherly attitude toward her residents. She knows their back-stories by heart and it's obvious that she cares about them and supports them. She's a great asset to the program and a lot of residents mentioned that she was a big factor in choosing the program. You start seeing outpatients in 2nd year and you can follow the same panel through graduation. If I remember correctly training in couples/family therapy is available too. Specialty clinics include neuromodulation, women's health, addiction psych and neuropsych. All sites within walking distance from each other except VA and there is a shuttle to the VA available. Northwestern does not just see the worried well. Since they are located in downtown Chicago you do get some well-off/business exec type population but in my opinion the population is about as varied as the other Chicago programs. Most intellectual residents of the three Chicago programs I interviewed at.

5. Faculty: I liked everyone I met. However one of the weaknesses of this program (which Dr. Anzia said they are trying to address) is the lack of racial diversity among residents and faculty. The newest hires/resident classes reflect that change but there is still a ways to go.

6. Location & Lifestyle: I personally like Chicago a lot. Great food (important to me), ample public transportation and the diverse entertainment option of a big city. It's not as busy as NYC or LA but I consider that a plus. Northwestern is in a desirable part of Chicago so living nearby may be pricey but convenient.

7. Salary & Benefits: Starts at 52K salary,most of all the Chicago programs, I believe. Free iPad, etc.

In my humble opinion, this is the best Chicago program. (Tied for 2nd/3rd would be UIC/UofC, 4th Rush, 5th Loyola). One thing I didn't know about Chicago before interviewing is that Chicago is a city of neighborhoods and although the city of Chicago as a whole may be ethnically diverse an individual neighborhood may not be. Because there are so many great hospitals to choose from people just tend to go to the one closest to them and thus the hospital population reflects the surrounding neighborhood population. So while you may get somewhat different primary populations at UIC vs UofC vs NW, they all have about the same amount of variety.
 
Is there moonlighting available? I've read from other posts that they have a lighter call schedule compared to other programs.

If I remember correctly there is both in house and outside moonlighting available.
 
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Bringing up this thread for soon to be applicants... anyone want reviews on Emory, Vanderbilt, UTSW, Univ of Chicago, Wash U, Mt. Sinai, or MUSC?
 
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Bringing up this thread for soon to be applicants... anyone want reviews on Emory, Vanderbilt, UTSW, Univ of Chicago, Wash U, Mt. Sinai, or MUSC?

Not going to be applying for several years, but definitely! The more the better!
 
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I'll go ahead and request Vandy and WashU
 
Not going to be applying for several years, but definitely! The more the better!

Same here. And I agree; I love it when people like you decide to rack up some good karma points. I would certainly appreciate additional thoughts, especially for UTSW.
 
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In looking through some of the previous reviews on this thread, I do not have much more to add. I will, however, summarize my overall impression of the requested programs:

Vanderbilt: Truly a gem. The department was in somewhat of a precarious situation until 2006, when Dr. Stephan Heckers, who is internationally known in schizophrenia research, came from MGH to become chair at Vandy and has since turned both the department and residency program into very strong entities. Dr. Heckers has recruited bright, young faculty from MGH and other premier institutions, really putting Vanderbilt at an upward trajectory. Dr. Heckers is also the training director, but he is not overwhelmed with his duties because the entire department and especially the associate PDs all share his vision and act as an entity rather than a sum of individual parts. Regarding the training itself, Dr. Heckers was very forthright in explaining that because most therapy is practiced by non physicians, and most pharmacology is managed by NPs/PAs, the role of the psychiatrist of the future will be that of the "orchestra conductor" (another Vandy faculty member used those words specficially). Either way, the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital is a gorgeous facility on the campus of the gorgeous Vanderbilt medical center, getting a broad, diverse patient population. ALL of the clinical and basic science divisions are very strong at Vanderbilt. Dr. Heckers, given his background, is keen on breeding young academicians, and the department has the infrastructure to support and train young clinician scientists. Anyway, the clinical training here is definitely stellar.

WashU: The Department of Psychiatry at Wash U has traditionally been one of the strongest and most well known psychiatry departments in the country. One of the former Heads of Department (Chair), Dr. Sam Guze, in the 1970s crafted the philosophy of the Department and its training program in a manner akin to what Dr. Paul McHugh did at Hopkins (though the two dogmas are in a sense antithetical, they both share the "NO, WE ARE NOT FREUDIAN" philosophies): psychiatric disorders are medical entities, and the treating psychiatrist approaches them as a diagnostician and "engineer" of treatment. Naturally, this includes rigorous training in diagnosis and psychopharmacology, but the myth that Wash U is "anti psychotherapy" is completely untrue. Wash U residents get exposure and training in a broad range of psychotherapy, and I suppose if they really want to, they could take advantage of the analytic institute in St. Louis. The reality is, however, that this program does not necessarily breed "therapists"... it breeds PHYSICIANS. Psychotherapy is an incredible asset and indispensable to patient care, and the psychiatrist an needs understanding of psychodynamics (especially when dealing with colleagues as well as patients), but in a similar manner to PT/OT/etc, psychotherapy is best administered by a non physician therapist as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Furthermore, this department is deeply rooted in understanding the underlying underlying neurobiology of psychiatric disorders, pushing the boundaries with some of the ground breaking and forward thinking research done here (see BRAIN initiative). The Wash U approach is "let's make an attempt at understanding the neurocircuitry of these disorders instead of just labeling them as 'too complicated to be understood scientifically.'" GREAT neuroscience teaching for residents (see anything Drs. Zorumski and Rubin have written). Also, the Department features some of the premier academic psychiatrists in the world including Dr. Robert Cloninger, a prolific writer on temperament and personality, the lead author of groundbreaking studies on alcoholism, and a National Academy member as well as the current Chair Dr. Charles Zorumski, who is a renowned psychiatrist and basic science researcher, also a National Academy member. The clinical training at Wash U is very intense, as they are committed to producing stellar clinicians first and foremost, but the residents are not overwhelmed or burnt out. When I interviewed, they were all very serious and professional, yet quite amiable. Wash U is one of the world's premier medical centers, and within the Wash U medical center, the Department of Psychiatry is as strong and as reputable as any of Wash U's other departments.

UTSW: My overall impression when interviewing here was "BIG!"... definitely a Texas sized program! In all seriousness, UTSW offers some of the strongest clinical training in the country. With intensive, clinical training sites at UTSW hospital, Parkland, the upcoming "new" Parkland, one of the biggest VAs in the country, the residents who graduate from UTSW will be able to handle anything. The department has a historically strong reputation, and even with the departure of Dr. Eric Nestler in 2008 (?) for Mt. Sinai, the Department has remained at the top. The current chair is Dr. Carol Tamminga, who is one of the leading schizophrenia researchers in the country. The PD is actually an analyst from Harvard, but is incredibly pro-resident and will go out of his way to help each resident develop his or her own particular career. The opportunities are really endless... from an intensive research track to a close affiliation with the Dallas psychoanalytic institute (even offering discounted analysis for residents...). 16 Residents a year, big names in academic psychiatry, huge hospitals, big money... don't mess with Texas!
 
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Alright, trying to finish them all off in one go!

1. UTHSC- San Antonio : One of the (positive) surprises for me on the interview trail. First off, one of the things that makes this program unique is that they also house military residents along with civilian residents. This makes for a very large class (somewhere around 16 or so I think). As such you also get to rotate in a military hospital and work with active duty military (younger than typical VA population). The only other residency that has similar experiences is somewhere in Ohio I believe. The residents I met were all very personable. Cost of living is great (as are most Texas cities). However San Antonio is missing some of the diversity and big city excitement of Houston and Dallas. Still the riverwalk is nice and this is not a small city by any means. The program director, Dr. Schillerstrom is amazing! He's young, energetic but also capable. It's not as well known for research as nearby UTSW, but there is a big emphasis on resident scholarly projects and research is available for those who are interested. They also have an amazing variety of clinical sites to rotate at. The warmness of the residents and faculty I met as well as the unique military exposure and diverse clinical sites led me to rate this program highly - though the allure of San Antonio is not as strong for me as nearby Austin, Dallas and Houston.

2. U Washington : To sum it up quite simply - this is a program that has everything. There is an abundance of program tracks that you can become involved in, too many for me to remember! Seattle is a beautiful city that is more pricy that most southern and midwest cities but has a better cost of living than the coasts. This seems to be the perfect program for individuals who want exposure to all areas of psychiatry or want a program to help them cultivate an interest. The program serves not only the state of Washington but also populations from surrounding rural Idaho and Montana. If I am correct the Alaska track is no longer available but I think there is still opportunities to do a month there. U Washington also has partnerships with programs overseas and some residents have done international rotations. There is ample research opportunities available as well. Reasons why I did not rank this program higher than I did were mostly personal; I did not connect with the residents or faculty, Seattle was farther away from my family than they would have liked and couples' match logistics. However I still consider this to be a superb program though the Seattle area is somewhat lacking in patient diversity.

3. U Penn : A wonderful program with an array of fellowship opportunities, intellectual residents, and strong research. The faculty I met was all professional and approachable including the PD (who apparently is in a rock band - how cool is that!). This is a program that I would have ranked higher if not for the location (I do not like the northeast, apparently). I don't have my notes with me to give more details. If anyone is interested in knowing more PM me and I'll try to look up more details when I get home next week.

4. UIC: A bustling program with diverse clinical sites (including a VA which is what put them over UofC for me) and a decent number of fellowships. I personally didn't connect with the residents. The dinner felt kind of like a college frat house party (maybe it was because the number of male residents that showed up outnumbered women?) and the residents said some negative things about UofC and NW which was unnecessary - especially considering that UofC and NW residents didn't do the same. Still a decent program with solid training though the atmosphere couldn't compare to NW for me. Only placed over UofC because of the VA exposure for me though I enjoyed my time with the residents more at UofC.

5. U Chicago: I read interviews on here that described it as malignant which made me nervous but I'm glad I went anyways because I think this is a program worth looking at. First off I detected no malignant atmosphere. The PD was not warm and fuzzy but she was professional and polite as were the residents. The program lacks a built in VA experience which was a big deal for me but may not be for some as there plenty of clinical sites otherwise. Although a decent program it's hard to not compare them to nearby UIC and NW and I felt that UIC had a better size and fellowship opportunities while Dr. Anzia at NW just made a spectacular atmosphere for her residents. Still a good program but with so many options in Chicago I ended up ranking them middle of my rank list.

6. U Maryland : My impression of this program was overall not favorable though this does not reflect on the quality of the training offered but rather what I was looking for in a program. First off they work their residents quite hard. I wasn't looking for a kush program but by the time my UMaryland interview had rolled around I had been to at least 11 other interviews so I think I had a fairly good idea of what an average call schedule looked like. I wish I had my notes with me; without them I can't give specifics but their call schedule was by far the toughest. Call continues all four years. Sheppard Pratt is a big draw for this program but fewer than half of the residents actually do outpatient there (it's decided through a lottery I think). My interviews were odd. One interviewer asked me no questions then stated he felt like he didn't really know me when the interview was over. PD only asked questions about my psych experience (how many rotations did I do, did I write notes, could I do interviews, how long was each rotation). I was also disappointed by the lack of diversity in the patient population but perhaps that's my fault for not doing more research on Baltimore. I discovered during this interview process that I don't like the northeast. I also discovered that of all the northeast cities I like Baltimore the least. Even if this was the perfect program I probably would have still ranked it low because of it's location. I realize this all sounds negative but I don't feel like it's a poor program. If you like the northeast (which I don't) and don't mind working very hard all four years this is a decent program. The high patient load makes for a taxing call schedule but gives you great patient exposure. Addictions is really big here so if that's an interest you may want to look here as well.

7. Thomas Jefferson: This program is just ok and is easily overshadowed by neighboring UPenn. Several of the residents mentioned that they ended up here because they wanted to be in Philly or mentioned that this was not their first choice. The PD also made a point of announcing to the group how they do not often get their first choice residents and the residents that end up there do not always rank Jefferson as their first choice but everyone ends up ok in the end. Although this may be true for many programs I thought it was odd of him to announce that to our group of interviewees. Several of the residents also mentioned to me at dinner that the PD was an intense guy who would sometimes call you into his office to "chew you out" but he did so because he cared about patients. Again, nothing particularly wrong with that style of leadership but not exactly the style I was looking for. Residents mentioned that there is no social work in ED at night so you have to do own bed-finding. Otherwise training seemed standard with nothing particularly amiss and this program would probably do better if it wasn't so close to other powerhouse programs. The PD also mentioned that they kept losing researchers to Penn and Pittsburgh though they are trying to improve on that weakness. I don't mean to sound negative (again). Although not spectacular this is a solid program and a decent option for those looking to stay in Philly.

8. UT Southwestern - Austin: This is a program that is still in flux but I think it will become a larger player within the next year or two. The program in fairly new with most of the rotations currently being done in two locations. However there are plans to open up a medical school in Austin within the next few years and with it a university hospital and more outpatient sites. The PD mentioned that the program curriculum differs every year because of these ongoing changes but it seems that most of the residents view these changes as positive and a necessary for this growing program. The location of this program is ideal. Austin is not as big as San Antonio/Dallas/Houston but it's young, vibrant and constantly growing. Many of the residents mentioned that Austin was a big draw for them. The program still lacks strong research, most fellowships and diversity of clinical sites but I think that the less "new" this programs becomes the better it's training will get. I would recommend that applicants for next year do some more research on this program as I'm sure much would have changed by the time the next interview cycle comes around (hopefully for the positive).


Sorry for lack of details in these last few reviews - just trying to get them all done before I start residency. Also as you can see my decisions were influenced a lot by location. I don't like the northeast (I discovered this during interview season) so take my NE interviews with a grain of salt!
 
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Alright, trying to finish them all off in one go!:laugh:

1. UTHSC- San Antonio : One of the (positive) surprises for me on the interview trail. First off, one of the things that makes this program unique is that they also house military residents along with civilian residents. This makes for a very large class (somewhere around 16 or so I think). As such you also get to rotate in a military hospital and work with active duty military (younger than typical VA population). The only other residency that has similar experiences is somewhere in Ohio I believe. The residents I met were all very personable. Cost of living is great (as are most Texas cities). However San Antonio is missing some of the diversity and big city excitement of Houston and Dallas. Still the riverwalk is nice and this is not a small city by any means. The program director, Dr. Schillerstrom is amazing! He's young, energetic but also capable. It's not as well known for research as nearby UTSW, but there is a big emphasis on resident scholarly projects and research is available for those who are interested. They also have an amazing variety of clinical sites to rotate at. The warmness of the residents and faculty I met as well as the unique military exposure and diverse clinical sites led me to rate this program highly - though the allure of San Antonio is not as strong for me as nearby Austin, Dallas and Houston.

2. U Washington : To sum it up quite simply - this is a program that has everything. There is an abundance of program tracks that you can become involved in, too many for me to remember! Seattle is a beautiful city that is more pricy that most southern and midwest cities but has a better cost of living than the coasts. This seems to be the perfect program for individuals who want exposure to all areas of psychiatry or want a program to help them cultivate an interest. The program serves not only the state of Washington but also populations from surrounding rural Idaho and Montana. If I am correct the Alaska track is no longer available but I think there is still opportunities to do a month there. U Washington also has partnerships with programs overseas and some residents have done international rotations. There is ample research opportunities available as well. Reasons why I did not rank this program higher than I did were mostly personal; I did not connect with the residents or faculty, Seattle was farther away from my family than they would have liked and couples' match logistics. However I still consider this to be a superb program though the Seattle area is somewhat lacking in patient diversity.

3. U Penn : A wonderful program with an array of fellowship opportunities, intellectual residents, and strong research. The faculty I met was all professional and approachable including the PD (who apparently is in a rock band - how cool is that!). This is a program that I would have ranked higher if not for the location (I do not like the northeast, apparently). I don't have my notes with me to give more details. If anyone is interested in knowing more PM me and I'll try to look up more details when I get home next week.

4. UIC: A bustling program with diverse clinical sites (including a VA which is what put them over UofC for me) and a decent number of fellowships. I personally didn't connect with the residents. The dinner felt kind of like a college frat house party (maybe it was because the number of male residents that showed up outnumbered women?) and the residents said some negative things about UofC and NW which was unnecessary - especially considering that UofC and NW residents didn't do the same. Still a decent program with solid training though the atmosphere couldn't compare to NW for me. Only placed over UofC because of the VA exposure for me though I enjoyed my time with the residents more at UofC.

5. U Chicago: I read interviews on here that described it as malignant which made me nervous but I'm glad I went anyways because I think this is a program worth looking at. First off I detected no malignant atmosphere. The PD was not warm and fuzzy but she was professional and polite as were the residents. The program lacks a built in VA experience which was a big deal for me but may not be for some as there plenty of clinical sites otherwise. Although a decent program it's hard to not compare them to nearby UIC and NW and I felt that UIC had a better size and fellowship opportunities while Dr. Anzia at NW just made a spectacular atmosphere for her residents. Still a good program but with so many options in Chicago I ended up ranking them middle of my rank list.

6. U Maryland : My impression of this program was overall not favorable though this does not reflect on the quality of the training offered but rather what I was looking for in a program. First off they work their residents quite hard. I wasn't looking for a kush program but by the time my UMaryland interview had rolled around I had been to at least 11 other interviews so I think I had a fairly good idea of what an average call schedule looked like. I wish I had my notes with me; without them I can't give specifics but their call schedule was by far the toughest. Call continues all four years. Sheppard Pratt is a big draw for this program but fewer than half of the residents actually do outpatient there (it's decided through a lottery I think). My interviews were odd. One interviewer asked me no questions then stated he felt like he didn't really know me when the interview was over. PD only asked questions about my psych experience (how many rotations did I do, did I write notes, could I do interviews, how long was each rotation). I was also disappointed by the lack of diversity in the patient population but perhaps that's my fault for not doing more research on Baltimore. I discovered during this interview process that I don't like the northeast. I also discovered that of all the northeast cities I like Baltimore the least. Even if this was the perfect program I probably would have still ranked it low because of it's location. I realize this all sounds negative but I don't feel like it's a poor program. If you like the northeast (which I don't) and don't mind working very hard all four years this is a decent program. The high patient load makes for a taxing call schedule but gives you great patient exposure. Addictions is really big here so if that's an interest you may want to look here as well.

7. Thomas Jefferson: This program is just ok and is easily overshadowed by neighboring UPenn. Several of the residents mentioned that they ended up here because they wanted to be in Philly or mentioned that this was not their first choice. The PD also made a point of announcing to the group how they do not often get their first choice residents and the residents that end up there do not always rank Jefferson as their first choice but everyone ends up ok in the end. Although this may be true for many programs I thought it was odd of him to announce that to our group of interviewees. Several of the residents also mentioned to me at dinner that the PD was an intense guy who would sometimes call you into his office to "chew you out" but he did so because he cared about patients. Again, nothing particularly wrong with that style of leadership but not exactly the style I was looking for. Residents mentioned that there is no social work in ED at night so you have to do own bed-finding. Otherwise training seemed standard with nothing particularly amiss and this program would probably do better if it wasn't so close to other powerhouse programs. The PD also mentioned that they kept losing researchers to Penn and Pittsburgh though they are trying to improve on that weakness. I don't mean to sound negative (again). Although not spectacular this is a solid program and a decent option for those looking to stay in Philly.

8. UT Southwestern - Austin: This is a program that is still in flux but I think it will become a larger player within the next year or two. The program in fairly new with most of the rotations currently being done in two locations. However there are plans to open up a medical school in Austin within the next few years and with it a university hospital and more outpatient sites. The PD mentioned that the program curriculum differs every year because of these ongoing changes but it seems that most of the residents view these changes as positive and a necessary for this growing program. The location of this program is ideal. Austin is not as big as San Antonio/Dallas/Houston but it's young, vibrant and constantly growing. Many of the residents mentioned that Austin was a big draw for them. The program still lacks strong research, most fellowships and diversity of clinical sites but I think that the less "new" this programs becomes the better it's training will get. I would recommend that applicants for next year do some more research on this program as I'm sure much would have changed by the time the next interview cycle comes around (hopefully for the positive).


Sorry for lack of details in these last few reviews - just trying to get them all done before I start residency. Also as you can see my decisions were influenced a lot by location. I don't like the northeast (I discovered this during interview season) so take my NE interviews with a grain of salt!

I read your closing comment and looked for your NE interviews....philly?....that's your sample...well then...that wraps up the whole NE. :)
 
I read your closing comment and looked for your NE interviews....philly?....that's your sample...well then...that wraps up the whole NE. :)

I also interviewed in Boston and purposely avoided NYC programs because I've been there before and didn't like it. I guess Baltimore and D.C. technically aren't the NE so point taken. :) Maybe it's not so much that I dislike the NE as I am used to south/southwest U.S.
 
I also interviewed in Boston and purposely avoided NYC programs because I've been there before and didn't like it. I guess Baltimore and D.C. technically aren't the NE so point taken. :) Maybe it's not so much that I dislike the NE as I am used to south/southwest U.S.

I'm just playin. Thanks for posting your thoughts. I'm a location *****. So I'm not judging the judging of how one fits locale for yourself. At all. And I've had conversations with colleagues over the nature of the greater DC Baltimore metro area before too. People from Georgia, Alabama, etc don't think of it as southern. Whereas in my view you couldn't create a more plantation inspired theme for a city--DC. Sure international interlopers traipse delicately through the protected parts. But let's just say this. The gentleman planters of Virginia wrangled the site for our nation's capital into their swampy midst while the nation was young. And the Mason-Dixon Line was clear north of it.

If my southern colleagues spent any time in Boston or New York or out West, DC would be laughably southern.

And philly....is nothing special to me either. And I'm, if you hadn't noticed, not a Dixie lover. To each their own to be sure. I discovered Southern California wasn't for me on my trail. These discoveries are interesting to me as is the topography and geography of culture.
 
Late additions but hope they help out you guys coming up.



UC Irvine, UCI in california


1. Communication email, first hand time with program as a med student

2. Accommodation & Food:: Accommodations not provided, hotel rec close. Had lunch with residents.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences)- Started off with tha orientation followed by interviews with PD and residents. Ended with tour and wrap up. Started day in common room work area, lots of residents came in and acted super duper excited to meet everyone, not matched to experience with residents as med student, high fakeness factor here. Interview day high school/cliquish, strange dynamics. Music playing during lunch with resident picture slide show, not professional atmosphere.

4. Program Overview--- They have a good balance between UCI and VA rotations, but hello commuting that admin response was like yeah that’s what you need to do to get diverse experience. Seems about 50/50 between sites.

The first year has 2 months of outpatient neuro and half in vs out medicine. majorly disgruntled interns, complained about how long there hours are on inpatient psych, stay till 8ish, pretty bad intern said her husband medicine intern gets home first sometimes. Minimal to no teaching on the inpatient units, the attendings I worked with never took the time to discuss teaching topics. Intern described her lectures as impractical, and hard to get away for. The second year is standard inpatient psych with interesting forensic rotation, residents seem to like this year. The 3rd year is all over with VA, UCI and community clinics. The 3rd year here sounds like torture, outpatient clinics have no person to help with insurance stuff, no case worker and not even a social worker and not a nurse nothing at all zipppo. The residents call insurance companies, no theapists/psychologist type people either for patients. I watched a dude get boat load of pages in a few hour period all outpatients, they apparently manage their outpatients 24/7 365 days a year here. Third years seemed mixed about therapy education, requirement is highest load of 7 patients, most I’ve seen at any program, service focused no psychologist in dept so depend on residents for all therapy The fourth year is electives, they get to do some better stuff this year like one dude did hypnosis in LA and acupuncture, but residents said new PD changing this.

5. Faculty- seemed nice, very few professors. Not academic, residents are service to department. Did not get a good impression from PD, judgemental and over the top excited with some applicants then cold towards others. Wwo abrasive at even question of areas she wants to improve program, would not want to work with that major attitude.

6. Location & Lifestyle- Most of them live across from the hospital, apartments expensive and on a freeway next to them. Call seems standard, NF intern year, then weekends and evenings 2nd year, the 3rd yrs still may get called on weekends and holidays if needed to come to hospital (not home call here). Residents didn’t want to talk about call much, not sure what to make of that. Lifestyle seems okay but not great. Residents do have access to internal moonlighting which is cool perk.

7. Salary & Benefits- standard, expensive parkinhg. no book, housing or educational funds

8. Program Strengths-
Diverse clinical sites
Hospital facility well kept
Internal moonlighting

9. Potential Weaknesses
Service more important than academics, completely resident run
Weak clinical education, busy doing social work and case management stuff
Sorority vibe, kept hearing about residents decorating or baking
PD not good attitude




UCSD
1. Communication- email
2. Accommodation & Food- Accommodations not provided, but had hotel recommendation nearby. Dinner night before with residents.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences)- Started off day with orientation followed by interviews. Take shuttle to Hilcrest campus, stop by and see the seals in La Jolla. The residents seemed like a laid back and friendly bunch. All pretty unique with various interests outside of residency. Causeal interview day with good amount of down time to just observe how people seem, and overall people looked pretty content.

4. Program Overview- Good balance between VA and UCSD. First and second year is split between Hillcrest and VA. The interns said they got teaching on inpatients, and lectures were good balance between diagnosis and treatment. Second year is pretty standard with option to spend time at hospice. The third year is all at Hillcrest clinic, some residents referenced previous years bringing their dog to clinic. bonus of getting same office for entitity of that who year. Option to have electives during third year clinics. They have case managemers to help with prior auths. Saw lecture listing, well designed curriculum with good balance between pharm and therapy. Residents get some flexibility to pursue academic projects. Nice variety of therapy,standard with about 4 long term patients that you follow weekly. Nice setup 4th year as all residents become a chief of something (outpatient, inpatient etc). The call seems avg but busy, and upper levels get paid for calls. Residents seem to work hard but have a good work life balance. Looks like a well oiled machine of a place

5. Faculty- lots of em, all seem smart but also approachable. Good variety of attendings with focus on many things such as psychodynamic, CBT, DBT, pharm, neurosciences and clinical reasearcg . voiced committed to teaching and letting residents. Professional and genuine nice seeming

6. Location & Lifestyle- Nice locations, La Jolla was gorgeous and Hillcrest seemed very diverse and close to downtown San Diego without crazy high rents. Easy access to the beach. Call seemed so so, very busy calls, and didn’t like that attending not always involved in call supervision. Combo of nightfloat and weekends, paid upper levels for call.

7. Salary & Benefits- standard plus housing allowance

8. Program Strengths-
Clinical diversity between VA and Hill crest
Program director Dr. Sizook? Came off as a good guy and smart too
Residents from all over country with lots of different interests,
Overall good training


9. Potential Weaknesses
Upper level call, even though paid, will it continua
Commuting between sites
Volume of patients




UCLA Harbor
1. Communication- email
2. Accommodation & Food- Accommodations not provided, but had hotel recommendation nearby. Had lunch with residents. No dinner the night before.

3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences)- Started off day with an orientation followed by interviews. Very laid back and enjoyable. Had a tour of the facilities.

4. Program Overview- Great exposure to underserved populations, especially emergency psychiatry. Get some private patients in upper level clinics coordinated with UCLA. Almost all rotations are at UCLA-Harbor hospital or within walking distance so minimal commuting between rotations. Unlimited food at cafeteria (all meals) in the hospital. Unique 3rd year with consult liaison rotation half of the day and outpatient the other half of the day. Many residents live in Long Beach (only 20 minute drive) or Redondo beach if they want to live on/near water. Top notch exposure to county patient population, but not much else il 4th year. Therapy requirement typical with 2-4 long term patients, attendings teaching many forms. Minimal driving between sites – only need to drive if opt for UCLA main campus rotations during upper level years.

5. Faculty- many, all seemed smart but also approachable and very down to earth. Seemed focusd and committed to teaching and supporting residents become professionals. PD was open in discussion of program weakness and strengths, seemed like someone I could go to for mentorshop.


6. Location & Lifestyle- Variety of places to live from Redondo beach to Long Beach (20 min away) to town closer to Harbor. There is call as upper level, and some residents expressed concern there are not enough attendings for call. Not sure what to make of that. Calls can be busy, but residents felt well supported by their sw and cms



7. Salary & Benefits- standard; all you can eat at hospital cafeteria, free parking


8. Program Strengths-
Clinical diversity
Unmatched county experience
Can do electives with private patients at UCLA
PD seems genuinely interested in resident training

Faculty, coordinator, residents all seem down to earth



9. Potential Weaknesses
Significant county experience may be unbalanced
Concerns that calls are too busy
 
UCLA-SFV

1. Communication: Email
2. Accommodation & Food: No hotel accommodations. Food--light breakfast, coffee/sandwiches etc
3. Interview Day (Schedule, Type Of Interview, Unusual Questions, Experiences): Day starts at 8 AM, parking is very proximal easy and convenient--not sure about access via public transit. But expect to rent a car if you don't live there. First off is a brief friendly greeting from the 2 chiefs--very delightful, engaging gentleman--while you sip coffee and such. Then it's off for a tour and a few interviews with clinical attendings at Olive View--one of their main sites. Then back to Dept. HQ at the VA for a few more interviews with residents and the program director. Typical questions + a few fun ones: what makes you happy, What do you like to do for fun, movies you like, etc. Overall laid back, conversational, and fun format thanks to the cool chiefs.
4. Program Overview: This is a well-balanced, clinically focused program with a variety of training sites. You're going to be well trained for any setting you want to work in. The rotation schedule is normal in proportion--early 2nd year therapy with an overall emphasis in therapy training and non pharmaceutical modalities. 6 months of child service that puts you into direct contact with many of LA's child fellowship faculty--one of the benefits of multiple sites for training is networking. The didactics are solid and time is allotted properly for them. There is a good deal of interest and intent on making sure the residents get what they need out of training. The PD lays it out for you straight in this regard with matter of fact sincerity, saying something to the effect that his residents were the program, if they are not satisfied with their training and the program's responsiveness then it would be evident because transparency is encouraged during their interview process. Which brings me to my overall arching intuition about this program is that the residents are very happy with their choice. That's not to say it's cush. They have some tough gigs in a busy psych ER and other venues. It's just that those hard working elements of their training are balanced well with a steady gradation of responsibility and an overall ethic of resident support. I liked the residents I met very much. They seemed genuinely to enjoy each other's company.
5. Faculty: The ones that I met were impressive and motivated to teach. I can't comment on specific areas of research or resumes, but I'm not that interested in such things. They had attendings that are fellowship trained in all areas. And plentiful in the fields I'm considering fellowship training in, that's probably the extent of how think about faculty. That and do I sense a motivation to teach and willingness to give of themselves to the program and it's success. That seemed to be the case at this program.
6. Location & Lifestyle: It's LA--whatever that means to you. There are 4 core rotation sites in north and west LA and SFV. The driving commuting is not as bad as you might think and their are upsides to taking half days at a particular site. Check this program out and interview and talk to the residents in detail about where they live and what it's like to get around and you'll see what I mean. If LA is abhorrent to you as well as any sort of commuting then you will have not likely applied here. But if it's just kind of a minor pro/con in your overall calculus then certainly don't let the multiple sites and LA traffic scare you. I came away surprisingly reassured that this would not likely affect my ranking of the place. Residents live all over north LA, downtown LA, Santa Monica, Venice beach as well as the more northern suburbs and eastern parts of the valley.
7. Salary & Benefits: 51, 53, 55, 57 G's, full bennies at good networks with ease of enrolling family. Meal tickets daily. 4 weeks vacation, 12 sick days. Overall a good package.
8. Program Strengths: Solid balanced clinical focus with diverse training sites that prepare you well for come what may and the ability to get connected in the area and up and down the coast--the program has long-term unshakable stability with county and VA support under singular leadership of the PD for 30-40 years. Thus there will be no unpleasant surprises here you can feel confident in having a clear picture of the program after your interview day.
9. Potential Weaknesses: LA driving, not the place to be if research career is what you want. But then....you should already know that from having done your research. I did meet a md/phd resident who indicated she came their because she like the program and said that research was largely self-directed anyway, for whatever that's worth. Women's health might not be as strong as other programs of course but they offer ways to address this if you want to with electives in that area.

Overall Thoughts: This is a very resident friendly clinically focused program with very good beneftis/pay package with excellent internal moonlighting with some LA driving involved. The quality of life seems good. The education seems able to prepare you for a career in a variety of systems. I don't know enough about didactics to make a comparative assessment.

where did you guys stay for the the san fernando valley interview? any hotels that you would suggest? it is a very sketchy area.
 
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