Anyone know about/interviewed at residency programs in Washington?

[Ypo.]

I'm specifically interested in OB heavy programs and programs with a strong component in care for disadvantaged patients. Swedish interested me because they offer the OB fellowship there. However, I notice that a lot of their residents are from in state, and I am from the other side of the country.

I'd love to hear about Washington programs. If anyone has interviewed at Swedish or is currently in that residency, I would love to hear any advice/comments you have about what the program is like, what type of applicants they are looking for, and any advice on how to make myself competitive. I'm a third year student.

P.S. Why Washington? I like the climate there and I need some mountains in my life again.
Thanks.

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[subtle1epiphany]

I'm specifically interested in OB heavy programs and programs with a strong component in care for disadvantaged patients. Swedish interested me because they offer the OB fellowship there. However, I notice that a lot of their residents are from in state, and I am from the other side of the country.

I'd love to hear about Washington programs. If anyone has interviewed at Swedish or is currently in that residency, I would love to hear any advice/comments you have about what the program is like, what type of applicants they are looking for, and any advice on how to make myself competitive. I'm a third year student.

P.S. Why Washington? I like the climate there and I need some mountains in my life again.
Thanks.

Hey Ypo!
You're interested in Washington? I'm interested in Washington too! There or Oregon.
I'm leaning very much towards IM, as anyone who knows me had a doubt, even though I was looking towards surgery for a couple weeks.
I'm primarily interested in academic/university sites though, so my choices are severely limited...
Glad a classmate is also considering the Pacific NW, I won't be lonely!

 

[Ypo.]

Hey Ypo!
You're interested in Washington? I'm interested in Washington too! There or Oregon.
I'm leaning very much towards IM, as anyone who knows me had a doubt, even though I was looking towards surgery for a couple weeks.
I'm primarily interested in academic/university sites though, so my choices are severely limited...
Glad a classmate is also considering the Pacific NW, I won't be lonely!

Yay! We can organize SDN meets out there.

Yeah, I am seriously falling in love with the idea of living in Washington. My hubby likes the idea as well. There are a lot of FP programs that look really good there (unopposed programs with a strong OB component). I miss mountains and nature and weather above 10 degrees.

I'd like to be on the coast, perhaps Seattle.

 

[subtle1epiphany]

Yay! We can organize SDN meets out there.

Yeah, I am seriously falling in love with the idea of living in Washington. My hubby likes the idea as well. There are a lot of FP programs that look really good there (unopposed programs with a strong OB component). I miss mountains and nature and weather above 10 degrees.

I'd like to be on the coast, perhaps Seattle.

I totally agree with you, my top choices are a very unsurprising UWash (Seattle) and Oregon Health Sciences. I love things about each of their programs, and I think I'd be thrilled to have the opportunity to attend either program.
UWash because of their breadth of care, phenomenal research, public health, out-reach programs, and dedication to teaching.
OHSU has one of the best teaching programs in the country, one that received national acclaim from the ACGME a couple years ago, plus I think it would be less stressful at OHSU vs UW and also Portland vs Seattle.
Any thoughts?
Hope the rotations are going well for you!

 

[Frijolero]

Yay! We can organize SDN meets out there.

Yeah, I am seriously falling in love with the idea of living in Washington. My hubby likes the idea as well. There are a lot of FP programs that look really good there (unopposed programs with a strong OB component). I miss mountains and nature and weather above 10 degrees.

I'd like to be on the coast, perhaps Seattle.

If you're willing to stretch a bit to the south you might give Santa Rosa, CA a shot. Huge focus on OB/Gyn and underserved medicine, the outpatient clinic recently got status as an FQHC. Unopposed, the residents were outstanding, really just a fantastic group of people. They get enough rain to keep things green but also enough sun to keep ya happy. I didn't find a program on the western seaboard that I liked better.

 

[hippiedoc13]

If you're willing to consider Northern California, take a look at UC Davis. They have a 4 year FP-OB track. Requirements-wise, it's equivalent to doing 3 years of FM followed by a one-year OB fellowship. But it's kinda unique in that they spread out the OB more evenly over all 4 years, interspersed with your other FM rotations. Sounded like it might work out to more opportunities to do operative OB cases over the long term during your residency, but I dunno, I've never seen hard numbers. FWIW, even if you didn't join their OB track, it seemed like a place that was friendly to FPs doing OB, since there is a good relationship between the PDs of the FM and Ob-Gyn departments.

 

[Celestron2000]

I think Washington programs can be hard to break into if you're not from the area/ system. I applied to Swedish (First Hill and Cherry Hill) and UW programs, and was only offered an interview at Cherry Hill (probably because I speak Spanish.) These programs and Oregon HSU were the only programs I applied to not to offer me interviews.
As far as making yourself more competative, I would reccomend doing a couple of externships, that would get you in the system a bit and show them you're serious. That and just all the stuff that makes you a competative applicant, USMLE, Dean's Letter, extracurrics, etc...

I didn't actually attend my Cherry Hill interview, I decided I wasn't that interested in Seattle after all, but it definately sounds like a great program of the type you described.

 

[burlypie]

I'm from an east coast school but interviewed at UW, OHSU, and was offered interviews at the "swedishes". I have a lot of community health experience from before med school, and all of the programs were really interested in that. So if you're interested in those places, I'd definitely make sure that you've gotten yourself involved in something family/community oriented to help yourself stand out. Most of the other applicants I met at these places had also done quite of bit of community health work, public health, or policy work in the past. Which isn't to say that you HAVE TO have done this; you also want to make you personal statement a real reflection of yourself and your passion for FM. You'd be surprised at how far that will take you.

As far as OB experience, here are some great programs:
OHSU - c-sections actively taught, many with privileges on graduation
COntra Costa county (Martinez) - "you run L&D your first day and if you patient needs a section they hand you the scalpel".
Santa ROsa - not enough for c-section privileges at graduation, usually, but pretty high OB volume. and such nice people!!!!!
UW - didn't strike me with their OB numbers (from what I remember) but lots of gyn procedures

Good luck! There are definitely other high-vol OB programs out there.

 

[secretwave101]

I'm PGY-2 at Olympia, WA St. Peter Hosp program. We have some of the best OB numbers along the "I-5 corridor". It isn't enough typically to get CS priv's, but if you work for it you can get it. Also, we're virtually walk-ons at Swedish, Tacoma and Spokane OB fellowships. Oly residents make up a big part of the Swedish program right now, and one of our grads just became the first FP in decades to get surg. priv's at Swedish itself (ironically, they'll TRAIN FP's but won't let them practice with CS once they graduate...until now).

Town is small and a short 1 hr to Seattle, a short 2 hrs to Portland. Outdoor activities are endless and you're only about 1:20 from the Pacific too. I surf out here with some regularity.

My experience with fellow students disputes one poster's account of OHSU being OB-heavy - I know them to be academics-heavy and competitive with other specialties for procedures and non-FP stuff. Otherwise, agree with everything posted.

Very happy in this program. Would come here again. They literally have parking spots for the trees. It's one of the most beautiful hospital campuses I've ever seen. From the top floor of the hospital, you can look out the huge bay windows and see the Olympic mountains in one direction, Mt. Rainer out another, Puget Sound and the WA state capitol out the other. And you're surrounded by forests. The view - especially in the fall with deciduous trees intermingled with evergreens - is incredible.

 

[Ypo.]

Town is small and a short 1 hr to Seattle, a short 2 hrs to Portland. Outdoor activities are endless and you're only about 1:20 from the Pacific too. I surf out here with some regularity.

Wow! That must be cold! Do you wear a wetsuit?


Thanks for all the info. Really appreciate it. I have also checked out your program. I have some friends from Olympia and I have heard how beautiful it is. Were you accepted from in-state? Also, would you mind commenting on how "hard" it is to get into your program? You can reply via PM if you prefer. Thanks.

 

[secretwave101]

Surfing up here is more dangerous (rip, stormy surf) and quite a bit colder than in CA...but you can afford it without being American Royalty. But a good day up here is easily as good as a clean day at Jalama or other C. or S. Cal beach breaks. But yes, even in drop-hot summer, you'll wear a full suit. I've seen a freak or two in shorts...but most of us are in full suits. In the winter, it's quid-lids, boots, gloves and 5/4's or even possibly dry suits.

As far as "hard" to get into our program, I'd say it's one of the more competitive in the FM world. We're part of the UW thing, which brings interest and apps. There's only 6 spots, so there isn't a lot of room. In 16 years of existence, we've had to fill one spot in the scramble. Otherwise we always fill. So, yeah, as far as FM goes, we're relatively competitive. This year we're even more competitive because quite a few applicants live here and want to stay. So, we'll be #1 (it appears...you never know) on more lists than we even usually are.

That said, it's still FM. It ain't surgery, folks. You spend some time out here, do a rotation and make a friend or two, and rank us first...you'll probably get in.

 

[Ypo.]

My plan for early fourth year was to take July off for USMLE II, then do two months of international electives in August and September. If I stick to this plan the earliest I would be able to do an away Washington elective would then be in October. This seems too late to obtain a LOR from a doctor at the program (or perhaps I could add it on later to ERAS), but I would presumably still have the advantage of having my face seen and getting to know the program. Alternatively, I could scratch my August international elective and opt to do a FP Washington elective in that month instead (doing the international elective in October is not an option).

Just wanted to bounce the question out there to see if I'm missing anything; does one month seem much better than the other? Thanks.

 

[Frijolero]

My plan for early fourth year was to take July off for USMLE II, then do two months of international electives in August and September. If I stick to this plan the earliest I would be able to do an away Washington elective would then be in October. This seems too late to obtain a LOR from a doctor at the program (or perhaps I could add it on later to ERAS), but I would presumably still have the advantage of having my face seen and getting to know the program. Alternatively, I could scratch my August international elective and opt to do a FP Washington elective in that month instead (doing the international elective in October is not an option).

Just wanted to bounce the question out there to see if I'm missing anything; does one month seem much better than the other? Thanks.

Assuming you already have good LORs lined up or can get good ones internationally (from US-trained docs), I say get your happy butt out of the country and enjoy your international electives. October seems like an ideal time to do your WA elective, if you're lucky they could just interview you at the end of the month and you could save yourself the trip. The benefits of an away have much more to do with getting to know the program and vice versa. A letter is a nice bonus, but seriously, this isn't derm. One week!!!

 

[secretwave101]

I'm of the opinion that students on the applicant trail over-think this stuff. In your case, it sounds fine. October is a great time to be here. In fact, any earlier and you won't be remembered unless you do rounds naked or something else insane.