2014-2015 Rank Ordler List Thread

[coffeetime75]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi everyone. Given that the rank order lists are due in just a few weeks, I'd be curious to see what you all have come up with.

Cheers!

 

[RehabDoc2015]

Ok I'll post, I'm a little anxious about anonymity but screw it, not 100% decided at all but I think it will look approximately like this, pretty heavily weighted for location, also have a significant other in the mix. Certain programs I liked a lot but just couldn't see myself in that city as much as other places (Hello Pittsburgh) I applied to 26 programs, got 26 invites, went on 12 really based all on location and travel $:

1. Spaulding
2. UMiami
3. MedStar NRH
4. RIC
5. Tufts
6. UW
7. Jefferson
8. Pitt
9. Kessler
10. UColorado
11. Emory
12. Temple

 

[sloh]

@RehabDoc2015 solid interviews! excited to see where you match. i'm still ambivalent about my rankings. if you are open to sharing, would like to know your reasons for ranking RIC and UW after UMiami and Georgetown

 

[Kissmyabjj]

Applied everywhere, had 23 invites, went on 18 interviews, and will rank 15 programs. Here is my what I think my ROL will look like.

1) RIC-categorical
2) NYU-R
3) Loyola-R
4) Case Western-categorical
5) RIC-advanced
6) Case Western-advanced
7) NYU-advanced
8) U Miami-advanced
9) Loyola-advanced
10) U Penn-categorical
11) U Penn-advanced
12) Kansas-advanced
13) JFK-advanced
14) LIJ-advanced
15) Stony Brook-advanced
16) San Antonio-categorical
17) Oakwood-categorical
18) Einstein-advanced
19) East Carolina-categorical
20) Rochester-categorical

 

[PMRmer]

Applied everywhere, had 23 invites, went on 18 interviews, and will rank 15 programs. Here is my what I think my ROL will look like.

1) RIC-categorical
2) NYU-R
3) Loyola-R
4) Case Western-categorical
5) RIC-advanced
6) Case Western-advanced
7) NYU-advanced
8) U Miami-advanced
9) Loyola-advanced
10) U Penn-categorical
11) U Penn-advanced
12) Kansas-advanced
13) JFK-advanced
14) LIJ-advanced
15) Stony Brook-advanced
16) San Antonio-categorical
17) Oakwood-categorical
18) Einstein-advanced
19) East Carolina-categorical
20) Rochester-categorical

Nice list. Your odds of matching are extremely high with 15 programs/20 contiguous ranks in total. Will post my list shortly, just in the process of finalising it!

 

[RehabDoc2015]

@RehabDoc2015 solid interviews! excited to see where you match. i'm still ambivalent about my rankings. if you are open to sharing, would like to know your reasons for ranking RIC and UW after UMiami and Georgetown

Thanks!

I guess it is mostly gut feeling. I posted some program specifics earlier on this thread. Here are some more thoughts from my gut:

I loved NRH, my favorite program that I saw actually. Still considering ranking them higher, there is a lot factoring in to having Spaulding and Miami 1 and 2. NRH has the best schedule I saw, best electives, awesome facilities, awesome PD, awesome city. Cons for them: they are fighting what I have found is a negative reputation from the past in the PM&R world (I'd be curious if people disagree with this). I wasn't super duper crazy about some of the faculty I met but overall loved this program.

I really liked RIC a lot, reasons it dropped to #4 are that I felt the program and residents were on the more intense side (which I am not the hugest fan of), ultimately I was not a huge fan of Chicago (don't know anyone there, I don't love big cities and it felt very urban, don't really want to move to a location with equal/worse weather than where I am now).

I liked but didn't love UW. I LOVED Seattle but it is really far from me. Cons: I felt like the program was not very innovative and not the best fit for me personality wise. I'd still be happy there for sure.

Miami is a dark horse for sure, nobody seems to know much about this program, I was super close to cancelling my interview there! It's funny cause the interview day was kind of disorganized and I actually think the whole Jackson system is kind of a **** show. BUT, I felt like the residents were very much my people more than anywhere else ( really value work life balance, happy, super laid back bunch, a lot of them from great med schools) and I just generally really liked the vibe. People working to live and not living to work. I love Miami as a city, obviously a super diverse population, like 50% spanish speaking only, pretty much like living in another country. I feel like I would be super happy there, able to do residency, learn and get what I need out of it but also be really happy for 3 years, I can't say I felt like that about any other program. The program is only 10 years old. They are about to start building a new rehab hospital (they said finished in 2016 but I find that hard to believe) which would make the program so much better, right now some of the facilities are pretty dingy. They have 2 model systems already, for SCI they are a powerhouse. I think in the future they are going to be much more well known.

 

[RehabDoc2015]

Nice list. Your odds of matching are extremely high with 15 programs/20 contiguous ranks in total. Will post my list shortly, just in the process of finalising it!

Applied everywhere, had 23 invites, went on 18 interviews, and will rank 15 programs. Here is my what I think my ROL will look like.

I agree, I think you will match for sure. One thing - why not rank all the programs where you interviewed? I remember your experience last year. Matching at your dead last still >>>>>>> not matching right? I am really rooting for you!

 

[j4pac]

Applied everywhere, had 23 invites, went on 18 interviews, and will rank 15 programs. Here is my what I think my ROL will look like.

1) RIC-categorical
2) NYU-R
3) Loyola-R
4) Case Western-categorical
5) RIC-advanced
6) Case Western-advanced
7) NYU-advanced
8) U Miami-advanced
9) Loyola-advanced
10) U Penn-categorical
11) U Penn-advanced
12) Kansas-advanced
13) JFK-advanced
14) LIJ-advanced
15) Stony Brook-advanced
16) San Antonio-categorical
17) Oakwood-categorical
18) Einstein-advanced
19) East Carolina-categorical
20) Rochester-categorical

You are going to have the most epic review post this forum has ever seen!

I would be interested in ones you won't be ranking and why.

 

[Dodgers75]

Haven't been on this forum for A WHILE! Hope everyone would do great for the upcoming match! Crossing fingers!
Canceled so many good interviews due to cost/time.
My top 3 reasons on choosing the program: 1) the vibe/gut feeling 2) research 3) location. I have no geographical ties. I really don't care about the clinical opportunities/training as long as I get average exposure.
1) RIC
2) Spaulding
3) Columbia/Cornell
4) Stanford
5) UW
6) UCLA
7) UPMC
8) Hopkins
9) Mayo
10) Baylor

 

[RehabDoc2015]

Haven't been on this forum for A WHILE! Hope everyone would do great for the upcoming match! Crossing fingers!
Canceled so many good interviews due to cost/time.
My top 3 reasons on choosing the program: 1) the vibe/gut feeling 2) research 3) location. I have no geographical ties. I really don't care about the clinical opportunities/training as long as I get average exposure.
1) RIC
2) Spaulding
3) Columbia/Cornell
4) Stanford
5) UW
6) UCLA
7) UPMC
8) Hopkins
9) Mayo
10) Baylor

Awesome list dodger!

 

[colourmebadd]

My SO finally sat down and looked at job openings in different cities this weekend, so we were able to go over my ROL...

I'll go into more details about each program, with my interview/post-interview experiences and thought process for each ranking, but in the meantime I'll just say the top criteria were: 1a) gut feel/intangible; 1b) job prospects for SO>>>>>>> 3) flexible/tailored schedule; 4) research opportunities; 5) location -- mostly topography, climate, COL

1. RIC
2. Spaulding
3. UW
4. Utah
5. Colorado
6. UPMC
7. OSU
8. Mayo
9. C/C
10.UVA
11. UNC

Not ranking: Kessler, Stanford

 

[RehabDoc2015]

My SO finally sat down and looked at job openings in different cities this weekend, so we were able to go over my ROL...

I'll go into more details about each program, with my interview/post-interview experiences and thought process for each ranking, but in the meantime I'll just say the top criteria were: 1a) gut feel/intangible; 1b) job prospects for SO>>>>>>> 3) flexible/tailored schedule; 4) research opportunities; 5) location -- mostly topography, climate, COL

1. RIC
2. Spaulding
3. UW
4. Utah
5. Colorado
6. UPMC
7. OSU
8. Mayo
9. C/C
10.UVA
11. UNC

Not ranking: Kessler, Stanford

Great list! Did I hallucinate that Stanford was at one time your top choice?

 

[colourmebadd]

Great list! Did I hallucinate that Stanford was at one time your top choice?

No, you're right -- Stanford was my top choice before all interviews.

As I said, I didn't go into details of my interviews/post-interview experience with programs. And, for the sake of not bad-mouthing a program on the forums for something that probably no one else will experience, I'll just say that I am not ranking Stanford for personal differences. (No, that doesn't mean I'm willing to discuss it by PM either, so don't ask me) On top of that, my SO has ZERO job prospects in the entire Bay Area, so it wouldn't have been in my top 5 anyway.

 

[RehabDoc2015]

No, you're right -- Stanford was my top choice before all interviews.

As I said, I didn't go into details of my interviews/post-interview experience with programs. And, for the sake of not bad-mouthing a program on the forums for something that probably no one else will experience, I'll just say that I am not ranking Stanford for personal differences. (No, that doesn't mean I'm willing to discuss it by PM either, so don't ask me) On top of that, my SO has ZERO job prospects in the entire Bay Area, so it wouldn't have been in my top 5 anyway.

Got it. You have piqued my curiosity but I will not ask haha.

 

[RehabDoc2015]

So I did get a call from a chief resident....not at one of my top programs but I guess it does happen! Basically said "you're at the top of our list".

 

[colourmebadd]

Got it. You have piqued my curiosity but I will not ask haha.

I mean, it's not like I'm unwilling to discuss it, but not in a setting where things could get disseminated. Stanford is a quality program, and my experience shouldn't take away from that. Just, out of principle, I am not ranking them.

 

[DanDan17]

Hey I don't think I've posted on sdn since pre-med but I'm a long time lurker on the PM&R threads

Did anyone else who interviewed at Kessler get a "Thank You for Interviewing" email tonight through ERAS?

I apologize for my lack of contribution and appreciate any help

 

[colourmebadd]

Hey I don't think I've posted on sdn since pre-med but I'm a long time lurker on the PM&R threads

Did anyone else who interviewed at Kessler get a "Thank You for Interviewing" email tonight through ERAS?

I apologize for my lack of contribution and appreciate any help

I got one a few days ago. I think most people did. Wasn't impressed by it -- although I am not ranking them.

 

[Gordonthegoose]

Hey all, just thought I'd briefly contribute my experiences post-interview. I'm hesitant to post my rank list at this point, but may do so later (and definitely will after ROL deadline day for the benefit of next year's people).
For those interested in whether program communication is going on, I have been contacted on a personal level post-interview season by 3 programs - 2 chief residents, and 2 faculty (one of each from one of the programs). All of the programs are in my top 5, but I can see how this communication could be unwelcome/awkward if I wasn't extremely interested in the program...
I've also gotten the periodic generic thank you email/letter from a variety of programs.
Good luck to everyone finalizing their ROL!

 

[RehabDoc2015]

Hey all, just thought I'd briefly contribute my experiences post-interview. I'm hesitant to post my rank list at this point, but may do so later (and definitely will after ROL deadline day for the benefit of next year's people).
For those interested in whether program communication is going on, I have been contacted on a personal level post-interview season by 3 programs - 2 chief residents, and 2 faculty (one of each from one of the programs). All of the programs are in my top 5, but I can see how this communication could be unwelcome/awkward if I wasn't extremely interested in the program...
I've also gotten the periodic generic thank you email/letter from a variety of programs.
Good luck to everyone finalizing their ROL!

Wow that's a lot of contact! I think that is a really good sign for you🙂

 

[Rhobdo]

Hey I don't think I've posted on sdn since pre-med but I'm a long time lurker on the PM&R threads

Did anyone else who interviewed at Kessler get a "Thank You for Interviewing" email tonight through ERAS?

I apologize for my lack of contribution and appreciate any help

Hey there.

I got that message on ERAS from Kessler today too. It seemed pretty generic, but I imagine they are only sending it to the people they've ranked, so hopefully it's a good sign. I've received two phone calls from programs and 3 generic post-interview emails / messages.

Good luck to everyone! Will post my final match list after Feb 25.

 

[sazz9]

Wondering what thoughts others may have about my rank list...
1) UTSW Categorical
2) Vanderbilt Categorical
3) BUMC
4) RIC Categorical
5) UTSW Advanced
etc etc til #17 im ranking.

Biggest question is that I am torn between UTSW and Vanderbilt (which one to rank higher).... Im from DFW but went to undergrad in Nashville. Vandy is a new program with a lot of unknowns, but also a lot of freedoms to set the program. UTSW is a well known and well thought of program, but may be too micromanaged/rigid in its ways.... the list goes on and on... Any thoughts from fellow SDNers about this?!

 

[colourmebadd]

Wondering what thoughts others may have about my rank list...
1) UTSW Categorical
2) Vanderbilt Categorical
3) BUMC
4) RIC Categorical
5) UTSW Advanced
etc etc til #17 im ranking.

Biggest question is that I am torn between UTSW and Vanderbilt (which one to rank higher).... Im from DFW but went to undergrad in Nashville. Vandy is a new program with a lot of unknowns, but also a lot of freedoms to set the program. UTSW is a well known and well thought of program, but may be too micromanaged/rigid in its ways.... the list goes on and on... Any thoughts from fellow SDNers about this?!

I'd never take a brand new program as #1, but I also didn't interview at Vandy. I'm sure they have the resources (from the University) to bring in lots of great teachers and create a solid program, but I'd never want to be the guinea pig. That's my take.

 

[RehabDoc2015]

Wondering what thoughts others may have about my rank list...
1) UTSW Categorical
2) Vanderbilt Categorical
3) BUMC
4) RIC Categorical
5) UTSW Advanced
etc etc til #17 im ranking.

Biggest question is that I am torn between UTSW and Vanderbilt (which one to rank higher).... Im from DFW but went to undergrad in Nashville. Vandy is a new program with a lot of unknowns, but also a lot of freedoms to set the program. UTSW is a well known and well thought of program, but may be too micromanaged/rigid in its ways.... the list goes on and on... Any thoughts from fellow SDNers about this?!

I have to kind of agree with colourmebadd. I think Vanderbilt will likely have some fairly major growing pains in the first couple years, I think it will be tough to be the very first class through. Not necessarily the worst thing but will be very different than UTSW I'm sure.

 

[burndtjamb]

1. University of Minnesota
2. RIC
3. Schwab
4. MSU
4. Toledo
5. UT Dallas
6. UT San Antonio
7. Marianjoy
8. Wayne State

 

[colourmebadd]

My SO finally sat down and looked at job openings in different cities this weekend, so we were able to go over my ROL...

I'll go into more details about each program, with my interview/post-interview experiences and thought process for each ranking, but in the meantime I'll just say the top criteria were: 1a) gut feel/intangible; 1b) job prospects for SO>>>>>>> 3) flexible/tailored schedule; 4) research opportunities; 5) location -- mostly topography, climate, COL

1. RIC
2. Spaulding
3. UW
4. Utah
5. Colorado
6. UPMC
7. OSU
8. Mayo
9. C/C
10.UVA
11. UNC

Not ranking: Kessler, Stanford

So my California-born-and-raised SO has put the kibosh on Spaulding due to winter - now dropped down to #5. Whatever Lola wants...

Was talking to another applicant who dropped Spaulding on her list because of winter weather too... wasn't sure if anyone else has been thinking about that

 

[NightFury]

So my California-born-and-raised SO has put the kibosh on Spaulding due to winter - now dropped down to #5. Whatever Lola wants...

Was talking to another applicant who dropped Spaulding on her list because of winter weather too... wasn't sure if anyone else has been thinking about that

I imagine this happens a lot with Mayo too lol

 

[colourmebadd]

I imagine this happens a lot with Mayo too lol

Except Mayo is also in the middle of no where.

 

[Green Onion]

So my California-born-and-raised SO has put the kibosh on Spaulding due to winter - now dropped down to #5. Whatever Lola wants...

Was talking to another applicant who dropped Spaulding on her list because of winter weather too... wasn't sure if anyone else has been thinking about that

Personally, I wouldn't recommend you to drop a program on your rank list due to winter weather. I have been living in the northeast area for the last 4 years. For sure, they will have snow and ice in the winter, but the severity may vary every year. To me, NY/NJ is colder this year than last year. However, my attending told me that it is not that bad. He said when he did his residency in Chicago long time ago, there was a year when the temperature was so low that his dog's urine literally was frozen right after he peed out. However, my friends in Utah complained that they don't have a lot of snow this year. They had much more snow last year. You know they like skiing and snowboarding. I can't imagine how hard it will be if someone has to drive uphill and downhill in Utah when the roads are snowy and icy. I do agree that MA has a lot of snow this year, but hey you will never know what will be happening next year. If it is snowing so badly, they may close the roads and you will have snow days off. That may be a good thing !!! Other than that, I think people over here are doing a good job cleaning the roads and shoveling the sidewalks. It may be a little bit cold when you are outside, but when you get into a building, it is warm. If you are in Texas, it is gonna be hot like crazy in the summer. There are always pros and cons on everything.

 

[j4pac]

Personally, I wouldn't recommend you to drop a program on your rank list due to winter weather. I have been living in the northeast area for the last 4 years. For sure, they will have snow and ice in the winter, but the severity may vary every year. To me, NY/NJ is colder this year than last year. However, my attending told me that it is not that bad. He said when he did his residency in Chicago long time ago, there was a year when the temperature was so low that his dog's urine literally was frozen right after he peed out. However, my friends in Utah complained that they don't have a lot of snow this year. They had much more snow last year. You know they like skiing and snowboarding. I can't imagine how hard it will be if someone has to drive uphill and downhill in Utah when the roads are snowy and icy. I do agree that MA has a lot of snow this year, but hey you will never know what will be happening next year. If it is snowing so badly, they may close the roads and you will have snow days off. That may be a good thing !!! Other than that, I think people over here are doing a good job cleaning the roads and shoveling the sidewalks. It may be a little bit cold when you are outside, but when you get into a building, it is warm. If you are in Texas, it is gonna be hot like crazy in the summer. There are always pros and cons on everything.

I went to the beach last week here in Florida.

 

[Green Onion]

I went to the beach last week here in Florida.

lol...That is awesome, j4pac. Enjoy the beach before hurricane is coming in August or September. The good thing is schools will be closed during hurricane haha. Sorry, I am off topic. Back to rank order list 😀

 

[j4pac]

lol...That is awesome, j4pac. Enjoy the beach before hurricane is coming in August or September. The good thing is schools will be closed during hurricane haha. Sorry, I am off topic. Back to rank order list 😀

The last major hurricane hit NY/NJ. 🙂

 

[RehabDoc2015]

Yay more spots at spaulding for me! Haha 6 feet of snow never scared me. Even though the city where I am stopped trash collection and mail delivery for a while....nbd nbd. This is why people in Boston are cranky 6 months out of the year.But yeah, it ain't Florida, that is for sure. My mom said "I haven't seen a winter this bad since we lived in Minnesota", it's been 30 years so a)it's not typical for mass and b) it's not nearly as bad as Minnesota!

 

[TXPMR]

Actually winter weather (or any climate for that matter) should be an important consideration in ranking. 3-4 years is not an insignificant amount of time to spend in a place. I know many people who are absolutely miserable in cold weather. There's no reason to be miserable half the year in a place for 3-4 years when you could be less miserable in another place. For someone coming from the South or West, winter may be an unwelcome culture shock. Besides the cold, there are other considerations like shoveling/de-icing driveway and digging out cars from snow. It can get old real fast.

Many people are miserable in the heat too, but there are no particular lifestyle changes associated with heat or otherwise lifestyle changes not endured by the entire country. It gets hot everywhere in the US in the summer. It doesn't ice, snow, or freeze everywhere in the US.

 

[colourmebadd]

Personally, I wouldn't recommend you to drop a program on your rank list due to winter weather. I have been living in the northeast area for the last 4 years. For sure, they will have snow and ice in the winter, but the severity may vary every year. To me, NY/NJ is colder this year than last year. However, my attending told me that it is not that bad. He said when he did his residency in Chicago long time ago, there was a year when the temperature was so low that his dog's urine literally was frozen right after he peed out. However, my friends in Utah complained that they don't have a lot of snow this year. They had much more snow last year. You know they like skiing and snowboarding. I can't imagine how hard it will be if someone has to drive uphill and downhill in Utah when the roads are snowy and icy. I do agree that MA has a lot of snow this year, but hey you will never know what will be happening next year. If it is snowing so badly, they may close the roads and you will have snow days off. That may be a good thing !!! Other than that, I think people over here are doing a good job cleaning the roads and shoveling the sidewalks. It may be a little bit cold when you are outside, but when you get into a building, it is warm. If you are in Texas, it is gonna be hot like crazy in the summer. There are always pros and cons on everything.

Do you have a SO? Because as @TXPMR said, many people (my SO included) are absolutely miserable in the cold and, well, happy wife happy life 🙂

 

[RangerBob]

I agree that weather should usually be a minor consideration. I think 3-4 years is a fairly insignificant amount of time and I would absolutely go to a program in Edmonton or Siberia if I thought it was the best program for me. Sometimes you have to compromise, but generally the quality of your education shouldn't be compromised on unless you have a really good reason (what equates to a good reason is up to you and your significant other).

Happy wife/husband = happy life. My wife actually vetoed my second favorite program because of location (I matched to my favorite, so it worked ok out...). I'm quite certain she would have still been quite happy if I matched the other program, but when you're uprooting others you need to take their needs and thoughts into consideration. And she was convinced she'd be really unhappy, and talking about it for two months didn't help. It was really hard--I really, really liked that program. But in the end I decided my wife's happiness was more important.

My advice (and what I did): Bring your significant other to interviews as much as you can. Not to the interview itself--just to the dinners (if spouses are invited) and then let them explore the city during the day and get a feel for whether they would be willing to spend 3-4 years in that location. More often than not people adapt and learn to be happy wherever we go--it's in our nature. I used to think it was cool the 1-2 days it went below freezing at night. And then I felt miserably cold during the day. Now I get excited and feel really warm when it's in the 20's. The 10's really aren't too bad either. And now I really love spring and summer--I just want to hug them. I never had that appreciation before when I lived in CA... (If I move back to CA, I'm going to really appreciate the fact you can go for a hike or have a picnic in February...)

For the record, Mayo really isn't in the middle of nowhere--it's an hour from Minneapolis, one of the absolute nicest big cities you could live in. There's a reason few people move away from Minneapolis and it has such a high quality of life. Rochester is an amazing place and you really can't beat the training there--of all the big programs Mayo was the one where the residents and attendings were the most down to earth, from my experience and from talking with others on the interview trail about theirs. In my opinion, you also won't find nicer people in the US than those in the upper Great Lakes region--as a general rule of thumb, Minnesota creates the nicest human beings in the US. They're practically Canadian.

 

[Baritonebass]

As a pm&r resident that's lived in NYC for 3trs after leaving the great south... It ain't that bad. Really in NYC only 3 months are cold... Now my wife is a fellow in Boston... Different story it's like a waste land oh and don't get me started on the round abouts

 

[colourmebadd]

I agree that weather should usually be a minor consideration. I think 3-4 years is a fairly insignificant amount of time and I would absolutely go to a program in Edmonton or Siberia if I thought it was the best program for me. Sometimes you have to compromise, but generally the quality of your education shouldn't be compromised on unless you have a really good reason (what equates to a good reason is up to you and your significant other).

Happy wife/husband = happy life. My wife actually vetoed my second favorite program because of location (I matched to my favorite, so it worked ok out...). I'm quite certain she would have still been quite happy if I matched the other program, but when you're uprooting others you need to take their needs and thoughts into consideration. And she was convinced she'd be really unhappy, and talking about it for two months didn't help. It was really hard--I really, really liked that program. But in the end I decided my wife's happiness was more important.

My advice (and what I did): Bring your significant other to interviews as much as you can. Not to the interview itself--just to the dinners (if spouses are invited) and then let them explore the city during the day and get a feel for whether they would be willing to spend 3-4 years in that location. More often than not people adapt and learn to be happy wherever we go--it's in our nature. I used to think it was cool the 1-2 days it went below freezing at night. And then I felt miserably cold during the day. Now I get excited and feel really warm when it's in the 20's. The 10's really aren't too bad either. And now I really love spring and summer--I just want to hug them. I never had that appreciation before when I lived in CA... (If I move back to CA, I'm going to really appreciate the fact you can go for a hike or have a picnic in February...)

For the record, Mayo really isn't in the middle of nowhere--it's an hour from Minneapolis, one of the absolute nicest big cities you could live in. There's a reason few people move away from Minneapolis and it has such a high quality of life. Rochester is an amazing place and you really can't beat the training there--of all the big programs Mayo was the one where the residents and attendings were the most down to earth, from my experience and from talking with others on the interview trail about theirs. In my opinion, you also won't find nicer people in the US than those in the upper Great Lakes region--as a general rule of thumb, Minnesota creates the nicest human beings in the US. They're practically Canadian.

I've actually found Great Lakers, and Minnesotans in particular, to be two-faced and fake. Generally how I feel about most Midwesterners. But that's from a New Yorker who will tell it like it is.

 

[Green Onion]

As a pm&r resident that's lived in NYC for 3trs after leaving the great south... It ain't that bad. Really in NYC only 3 months are cold... Now my wife is a fellow in Boston... Different story it's like a waste land oh and don't get me started on the round abouts

Agreed. The weather in NY/NJ area is cold for about 3 months. Usually just January and February are bad since they have snow and ice. I think it is still better than states that have a lot of mountains. I am not a good driver. I am scared when I have to drive uphill/downhill or on the mountain when the roads are snowy and icy. To me, the cold weather doesn't matter much because I don't stay outside a lot. I turn on the heat while I am driving. When I get out of my car, I run into a building right away. I know it is hard to make a decision. Hope everything will turn out great at the end.

 

[RehabDoc2015]

As a pm&r resident that's lived in NYC for 3trs after leaving the great south... It ain't that bad. Really in NYC only 3 months are cold... Now my wife is a fellow in Boston... Different story it's like a waste land oh and don't get me started on the round abouts

Ha

 

[RehabDoc2015]

I've actually found Great Lakers, and Minnesotans in particular, to be two-faced and fake. Generally how I feel about most Midwesterners. But that's from a New Yorker who will tell it like it is.

Oh snap


Unrelated -
In all seriousness I am thinking strongly about ranking Miami #1. Not the weather but just the feel of the place. It is literally the opposite of Spaulding - so laid back and friendly, people seem so happy. I am still really struggling with giving up the big name though. I really wonder if the training is truly better at a place like Spaulding - I felt like I couldn't ask questions when I rotated there lest people find out I didn't know something. I feel like I hardly learned anything during the month I did there to be honest.

Do people think your fund of knowledge will truly be more if you train at one of these big name programs or is it more just reputation/prestige/ connections? I want to be competent for sure but I also want to be happy! I am struggling so bad with this decision, time is almost up.

 

[j4pac]

Oh snap


Unrelated -
In all seriousness I am thinking strongly about ranking Miami #1. Not the weather but just the feel of the place. It is literally the opposite of Spaulding - so laid back and friendly, people seem so happy. I am still really struggling with giving up the big name though. I really wonder if the training is truly better at a place like Spaulding - I felt like I couldn't ask questions when I rotated there lest people find out I didn't know something. I feel like I hardly learned anything during the month I did there to be honest.

Do people think your fund of knowledge will truly be more if you train at one of these big name programs or is it more just reputation/prestige/ connections? I want to be competent for sure but I also want to be happy! I am struggling so bad with this decision, time is almost up.

It's a tough decision. I think if you are certain that you want to go MA to practice...the connections at Spaulding would be priceless. I believe that would be the bigger benefit than "prestige". However, if you plan on doing a fellowship...with your rock star scores...I think that you could likely land a great fellowship coming from Miami. It really depends on how you feel you will be prepared for the future. Also...do you want to do inpatient or outpatient. The "prestige" programs usually separate themselves from the pack based on their inpatient exposure. You can find strong outpatient exposures just about anywhere. Good luck!

 

[colourmebadd]

Oh snap


Unrelated -
In all seriousness I am thinking strongly about ranking Miami #1. Not the weather but just the feel of the place. It is literally the opposite of Spaulding - so laid back and friendly, people seem so happy. I am still really struggling with giving up the big name though. I really wonder if the training is truly better at a place like Spaulding - I felt like I couldn't ask questions when I rotated there lest people find out I didn't know something. I feel like I hardly learned anything during the month I did there to be honest.

Do people think your fund of knowledge will truly be more if you train at one of these big name programs or is it more just reputation/prestige/ connections? I want to be competent for sure but I also want to be happy! I am struggling so bad with this decision, time is almost up.

The decision is yours alone. Maybe switch the ROL, give that a couple days to sink in and see how it feels. If you have more questions or concerns, then go back to Spaulding. Alternatively, flip a coin -- if you're OK with the outcome, go with that; if your heart sinks, go with the other one.

 

[luckystar1414]

Oh snap


Unrelated -
In all seriousness I am thinking strongly about ranking Miami #1. Not the weather but just the feel of the place. It is literally the opposite of Spaulding - so laid back and friendly, people seem so happy. I am still really struggling with giving up the big name though. I really wonder if the training is truly better at a place like Spaulding - I felt like I couldn't ask questions when I rotated there lest people find out I didn't know something. I feel like I hardly learned anything during the month I did there to be honest.

Do people think your fund of knowledge will truly be more if you train at one of these big name programs or is it more just reputation/prestige/ connections? I want to be competent for sure but I also want to be happy! I am struggling so bad with this decision, time is almost up.

Maybe the fact that it was an "audition" rotation made you feel you couldn't ask questions? I didn't get that sense during my time there.

 

[MedicalBeast]

Good luck to everyone!

 

[RangerBob]

I've actually found Great Lakers, and Minnesotans in particular, to be two-faced and fake. Generally how I feel about most Midwesterners. But that's from a New Yorker who will tell it like it is.

Ok... I've never heard that before, but I'm not going to discount your experience. I'm just stating my own personal experience and that of all (admittedly not a ton) the people I know. My wife and I feel about LA the way you feel about Minnesota--everyone's got at least one place in the country they don't like. (I've never been to NY--can't comment on it. Upstate looks pretty though). Why live somewhere where you know you'll be miserable?

 

[RangerBob]

Oh snap


Unrelated -
In all seriousness I am thinking strongly about ranking Miami #1. Not the weather but just the feel of the place. It is literally the opposite of Spaulding - so laid back and friendly, people seem so happy. I am still really struggling with giving up the big name though. I really wonder if the training is truly better at a place like Spaulding - I felt like I couldn't ask questions when I rotated there lest people find out I didn't know something. I feel like I hardly learned anything during the month I did there to be honest.

Do people think your fund of knowledge will truly be more if you train at one of these big name programs or is it more just reputation/prestige/ connections? I want to be competent for sure but I also want to be happy! I am struggling so bad with this decision, time is almost up.

I struggled with this too. I had three programs tied for my top choice-- one was quite well-rounded and close to home as possible, one had the prestige, and the other felt like "the perfect fit." I ended up ranking them in that order--my #1 was always going to be #1 because I still liked it and it was close to family, but I had trouble with #2 and #3. The day after submitting my rank list I regretting ranking the name program (which did feel like it'd still be a good fit) over the program that was ultimately my favorite (and would've been #1 if I was single, without family).

I was super relieved when I matched to #3 (perfect fit). I was bummed to not be near family, but it was my favorite and I was really excited about it. And I think that's where colourmebadd's advice on the coinflip may be helpful. I actually wrote the name of every program I was ranking and put them in envelopes. My wife then handed me them at random and we both gauged my reaction (it's important for her to do so because she'll see the subtlety of my expression when I first open the envelope). I found it to actually be fairly helpful for differentiating some of those programs that you otherwise are having a hard time figuring out (ie., two programs tied for 3, etc.)

Ultimately you have to decide how to rank programs. I think broadness of training (you don't want to be limited by the program you go to) is the most important. Generally it's not an issue with any top-name programs. I also really valued fit--I had to feel like it was a place I'd be happy, learning form attendings I saw as physiatrist role models (who else will you model yourself after?), and colleagues I would enjoy working with and grow with.

 

[RehabDoc2015]

I struggled with this too. I had three programs tied for my top choice-- one was quite well-rounded and close to home as possible, one had the prestige, and the other felt like "the perfect fit." I ended up ranking them in that order--my #1 was always going to be #1 because I still liked it and it was close to family, but I had trouble with #2 and #3. The day after submitting my rank list I regretting ranking the name program (which did feel like it'd still be a good fit) over the program that was ultimately my favorite (and would've been #1 if I was single, without family).

I was super relieved when I matched to #3 (perfect fit). I was bummed to not be near family, but it was my favorite and I was really excited about it. And I think that's where colourmebadd's advice on the coinflip may be helpful. I actually wrote the name of every program I was ranking and put them in envelopes. My wife then handed me them at random and we both gauged my reaction (it's important for her to do so because she'll see the subtlety of my expression when I first open the envelope). I found it to actually be fairly helpful for differentiating some of those programs that you otherwise are having a hard time figuring out (ie., two programs tied for 3, etc.)

Ultimately you have to decide how to rank programs. I think broadness of training (you don't want to be limited by the program you go to) is the most important. Generally it's not an issue with any top-name programs. I also really valued fit--I had to feel like it was a place I'd be happy, learning form attendings I saw as physiatrist role models (who else will you model yourself after?), and colleagues I would enjoy working with and grow with.

Thanks so much for this, your envelope thing made me laugh out loud, that is an awesome idea and I think I am definitely going to try that with my SO! I keep thinking about submitting the list and then panicking with whatever decision I make. I am pretty positive that Miami will take me, Spalding I feel like 50-50 so whatever I put as my number one I want to truly want that. I'm glad you felt like you ended up in the right place even though it wasn't your first choice, I am hoping that destiny will prevail, I'm sure it will.

 

[RehabDoc2015]

It's a tough decision. I think if you are certain that you want to go MA to practice...the connections at Spaulding would be priceless. I believe that would be the bigger benefit than "prestige". However, if you plan on doing a fellowship...with your rock star scores...I think that you could likely land a great fellowship coming from Miami. It really depends on how you feel you will be prepared for the future. Also...do you want to do inpatient or outpatient. The "prestige" programs usually separate themselves from the pack based on their inpatient exposure. You can find strong outpatient exposures just about anywhere. Good luck!

Thanks man, I appreciate you holding down the advice fort. I want to do outpatient I am 99% sure and I think what you said is true.

 

[RehabDoc2015]

Maybe the fact that it was an "audition" rotation made you feel you couldn't ask questions? I didn't get that sense during my time there.

For sure, it was the whole environment plus the fact that I was auditioning. I know we talked about it that you had a very different experience there, you are also in a different situation with that program because of your med school. I'm sure it would be a great fit for you.