Any questions for a UCSF Resident?

[ILuvToPassGas]

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Seniors,
I am a current UCSF resident and would like to answer any questions you might have about our program while you finalize your match list. Shoot away. . .

 

[lushmd]

YGPM (off topic though)...

 

[Multifidus]

How are your hours at UCSF? How do you like the call system. Are your hours going to improve with the new CRNAs or are they just going to help with getting you out of the OR and into lectures?

How do you like the call system? Can you please elaborate on it? Is the night float system really brutal?

Thanks.

 

[ILuvToPassGas]

How are your hours at UCSF? How do you like the call system. Are your hours going to improve with the new CRNAs or are they just going to help with getting you out of the OR and into lectures?

How do you like the call system? Can you please elaborate on it? Is the night float system really brutal?

Thanks.

The call system is actually great. You start taking call during the 3rd month of your first year. We have more of a night float system which is awesome in that you are not working very many 24 hour shifts as which a traditional call system, which can be very brutal. You call basically consists of a week of nights where you work 24 hours on sunday and then 6pm-7am M-F. First years will do approximately 4 weeks of nights for the entire year. You will then do a scattering of 12 or 24 hour Saturday shifts. During my first year, I had 45 golden weekends. No joke!

Call during the second year is different in that you are doing specialty rotations (icu, cardiac, peds, ob, etc.). For ICU you are q3-q4. It is not that bad in that the days you are not on call (e.g. pre-call) you consistently leave between 12pm and 2pm. For OB you are q3. In your third year, you will more night-float call as there is always a 3rd year on at the university and at the county to handle the big cases. The week of nights at the county are awesome in that you will work with three residents (1st, 2nd, and 3rd year) with the 3rd year running the show and managing traumas. Really a great experience.

We recently hired 6 CRNAs at Moffitt. The goal of the CRNAs are to take the less educational cases and to relieve residents. Aside from the night call I mentioned above, there are 2 call shifts from 12pm to 8 or 9 (when we are down to 4 or 5 rooms) and a shift from 3pm to when we are down to 2 rooms. These residents are here to get the day residents out. In general, you will leave between 5pm and 7pm with the average being 6pm and some exceptional days where you will stay past 7 or 8, usually for big cases you don't want to leave anyway. If you stay past 7pm you get $75 to use for dinner at any restaurant any day.

 

[dbiddy808]

Hi. I am thinking of applying for the critical care fellowship program at UCSF. Can you tell me what the hours and responsibilities for the fellows are like? Do they take in-house call? Any moonlighting in the ORs?

 

[ILuvToPassGas]

I'm not a fellow but I can comment briefly. The fellowship is actually pretty chill. The anesthesia ICU fellows make a pretty good amount of money compared to other fellows, but still not great. Moonlighting is not currently allowed in house although there is a push to change this. Fellows do take overnight call- I am not sure of the frequency. Overnight call at Moffitt consists of the fellow supervising residents putting lines in and serving as backup for the residents. At the county, where you spend 1 or 2 months, you do about 6 overnight calls/month by yourself. Other than call, there is very little scut during the day. You don't write notes! You spend post-rounding time helping out the residents with lines, calling primary service chiefs or attendings, meeting families, etc. I also believe you get one or two months of elective time. What I hear is that it is a chill fellowship which will allow you ample time to read and really grow as a clinician. Email ICU chief, Dr. Gropper, for more details. Good luck.

 

[mack bronson]

Hello,
I was wondering if the program at UCSF is more academic in its training. I am very interested in just practicing clinical anesthesiology once I finish my residency, and I was worried that the UCSF program would be research heavy and was worried it was more for residents wanting to pursue an academic career. Any thoughts???? I am also just a third year, but I was curious b/c I am trying to plan my externships right now. Thanks so much

 

[ILuvToPassGas]

Another misnomer about our program is that it is research-oriented. This couldn't be further from the truth. There is NO emphasis on residents performing research. In fact, only 2 residents a year select the research track which involves six-months of research in the third year. Our department is heavy in research, but this more concerns the attendings but it will filter down to residents in the form of evidenced-based practice. We are extremely strong in clinical training- you will see many many big cases and complications even during your first year. Each year, approximately 3 or 4 go into academics, a good handfull into fellowship and the rest (approx 40-50%) in private practice. Good luck.

 

[Trisomy13]

I understand you have a sassy intern named Pete in your program. Is this true?

 

[NRAI2001]

Hello,

I am currently finishing up my masters in biomedical sciences at chicago medical school. I am applying to US MD schools at the moment (including chicago med)...but if things dont work out I was considering going the DO route and maybe even the carribean route.

My question is does your program ever interiew DO or FMGs? What if they have above average board scores?

Also does having other advanced degrees ever help (like a masters degree or an MPH)?

Thanks.

 

[patau13]

Iluv,


What do the residents do for parking? I looked at the ucsf website and it seems like parnassus parking is $200/month or more. Does everyone just cough up the dough and get a spot? Or do residents live close enough to walk to work? Is there a wait list for a parking spot?

Thanks,
P

 

[ILuvToPassGas]

I understand you have a sassy intern named Pete in your program. Is this true?

Sorry, don't know any first-years the name of Pete.

 

[ILuvToPassGas]

Hello,

I am currently finishing up my masters in biomedical sciences at chicago medical school. I am applying to US MD schools at the moment (including chicago med)...but if things dont work out I was considering going the DO route and maybe even the carribean route.

My question is does your program ever interiew DO or FMGs? What if they have above average board scores?

Also does having other advanced degrees ever help (like a masters degree or an MPH)?

Thanks.

I am not sure about DO's. I do not believe that we have any in the three classes, but I am not sure. If we do have a DO it's obviously not advertised. As for FMGs, we usually take one a year. However, the FMGs are usually stellar applicants. One class has an FMG who did a anesthesia residency in Germany. Another class has an FMG who did a few years of research in a UCSF lab. I think if you are an FMG you need to be super stellar or have some serious connections. As for advanced degrees, I doubt these will help, except for a PhD. Good luck.

 

[ILuvToPassGas]

Iluv,


What do the residents do for parking? I looked at the ucsf website and it seems like parnassus parking is $200/month or more. Does everyone just cough up the dough and get a spot? Or do residents live close enough to walk to work? Is there a wait list for a parking spot?

Thanks,
P

Parking is not covered. Parking at UCSF and the county is about $100 whereas parking at the VA is $15. At the county, you can usually find street parking. There is no waitlist- you are guaranteed a spot. There is a convenient shuttle service which takes you to three of the hospitals, except for the VA. Those who live near UCSF can walk to the shuttle stops, which means you rarely have to drive. Most people actually live close to campus.