@Cinematographer's note: Interesting to see I'm not the only one ranking Fresno above the other CA programs. Great RoL.
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Main Considerations in Creating this ROL: Most important things were fit and location, SO's happiness w/ location, diverse population, acuity (admittedly difficult to assess,) and my sense of the resident's ability to go anywhere after training. Real support for global health opportunities was a plus. Ultimately, things like 3 vs. 4, floor months, shift length, moonlighting, and other considerations didn't really enter into it. I have found these lists interesting/entertaining/anxiety-provoking for the last few months, so I thought it would be only fair to chime in.
1. Denver Health–Pros: Not much to say that hasn't been said. These guys are incredibly well-prepared by the end of residency. Despite how hard they work, they all seemed very happy with their choice of program. They are a close-knit group, despite having 17 residents in a class. Get both the county and academic experience, which I think is valuable. Denver is an awesome city close to the mountains with a decent COL. Cons: A little worried about work/life balance, but feel that some sacrifice for the few years of residency in order to lay the foundation for my career is justified.
2. UCLA-Olive View–Pros: Loved the residents. They seemed like a really laid-back, smart group of people who genuinely like each other (a huge thing that I looked for during interviews.) Good degree of diversity and acuity between Ronald Reagan (probably couldn't be more academic if they tried) and Olive View (very underserved, county population.) Antelope Valley rotations in 2-4 years are apparently amazing for trauma and high-acuity cases. LA is a cool city w/ lots to do: beach, decent climbing and hiking nearby. Good for SO's job. Cons: LA traffic and COL. The drive to Olive View looks hellish, but apparently residents often carpool for overnights, so that's something.
3. UCSF-Fresno–Pros: Do not discount this program. I know that Fresno sucks, but everything about the program looks awesome otherwise. High volume, acuity and diversity serving both the wealthier side of Fresno and the very poor, migrant workers. Very friendly, happy residents who all do things together outside of work and seem incredibly well-prepared to go anywhere after residency. Relatively few residency programs in the hospital means that EM gets to do everything. Great global health and wilderness medicine opportunities if that's your thing. Lots of climbing/mountain happiness about 30 min away (you'll notice a trend in my ROL). Cons: Fresno. Awful air quality, no job opportunities, nothing really to do in Fresno except get out of it. Despite this, it would have been 2nd on my list if not for SO input.
4. Highland–Pros: It's Highland. You get to take care of an incredibly diverse and sick population. The residents all truly seemed to feel like they were part of a family. PD seemed very friendly and approachable; I would not have any problem talking to her if there were any issues. This program has a strong social justice component through the Berkeley School of Public Health that I was not aware of prior to my interview. Great support for global health interests. The bay area is a great place to live with lots to do outside of work. Cons: Bay Area COL is unbelievable. I just didn't feel like I clicked as well with this program as I expected to, and there is less access to the things that I like to do outside of work. Otherwise I had no concerns, and would be thrilled to match here.
5. Maricopa–Pros: This one being so high on my list surprised me. It was my first interview, which I scheduled for practice, and I had a really fantastic experience. Really felt like I got along with all the residents. They're a very work hard, play hard group of people, who spend a lot of time outdoors. A lot of residents praised the Burn ICU month; wasn't a major selling point for me, but thought I'd mention it. Good degree of patient diversity and, I believe, reasonable acuity. Some good international opportunities, and an elective month all 3 years. Cons: Phoenix was a tough sell for me. Summers sound ridiculous. This one being higher than others came down to a gut feeling that it would be a good fit.
6. University of Utah–Pros: I really clicked with the residents, who are another very outdoorsy, laid-back group. This was probably the best PD interview I had; Dr. Stroud is hilarious and genuinely seemed interested in me as a human being. There is a $1500 stipend available for any resident who wants to work globally, which I didn't see anywhere else. Salt Lake is (surprise!) a great location for hiking/climbing/skiing.
Cons: Let's face it, Salt Lake is a pretty homogeneous population. It's getting better (so I hear,) but I was worried about the lack of diversity. Trade off airway with anesthesia every other day. Lots of SICU, but no MICU, time (which I imagine is d/t being a division of surgery.
7. UC Davis–Pros: I really liked all the residents that I met. There is no county hospital in Sacramento, so Davis sees a lot of the county population. PD (Dr. Barnes) was really approachable.. Sacramento was actually a plus for me. It's an affordable, laid-back city in California with a great food scene and mountains relatively close by. Cons: Minimal global health (and was treated fairly dismissively by APD when I asked about it.) Only 1 elective month in 3 years.
8. Loma Linda–Pros: Southern California. Hospital culture of actually being nice to each other. Residents seemed very happy w/ their choice. Very strong peds experience. Some fun international experiences and event medicine. Seemed like solid all-around training. Inland empire not very appealing. Just didn't feel that click that I did with programs higher on my list.
9. UC Irvine–3 year program in Southern California. Good ultrasound experience. Lower diversity/acuity. Just didn't feel like my place when I interviewed. Nothing to do with the program per se, just a vibe.
10. University of Arizona–High volume and diversity. Well-respected program. This is a really strong program that, at the end of the day, just didn't feel right for me.