Back by popular demand - interview stories from 2005-2006

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axm397

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Just got done with my first interview this morning. The morning starts with a tour of the hospital (which I skipped b/c I already did a rotation there) followed by interviews with the program director, associate program director, and one of the teaching attendings. You have lunch with the residents and later interview with the chiefs. The day ended around 1:30pm.

Again, this is my first interview so I have nothing to compare to. Questions they asked me were the typical interview questions, like "why our program", "strengths/weaknesses", etc. Only question that threw me off guard was "why did you get a C in reproductive/sexuality?" I didn't even remember getting a C until the PD brought it up. I just mentioned that it was at the same time I was preparing for my boards and most of my priorities were focused on that.

There were plenty of opportunities to ask questions. Overall, very friendly interviews, much like the program itself. I was never intimidated except in the beginning, just from being my first interview. At the end, they informed me that I was early on their interview list (I was the only one for the day) and that if I was still interested, to keep in touch throughout the process. Not sure if it was good or bad.

If anyone has any particular questions, feel free to ask!
 
Thanks Fooman for your feedback. I just that there are many more people who have begun. Please post. It will help other applicants as well as future applicants get an idea about many of our PM&R programs.
 
NUMC
Had my first interview at NUMC on friday. Interview started at 9 AM where the program director Lyn Weiss met with us in her office, gave a very thorough description of the program and then led us on the tour of the facility. Interviews themselves were about 10-15 minutes long, interviewed with 6 other candidates from all over the US, mostly DOs. The interview was very easy going- all the candidates thought so as well. It's a very DO friendly program, with faculty on staff that do OMM like Dr. Dowling. All the other attendings are MD but all are open to manipulation. It's a program very strong in outpt MSM, with oppurtunities to do tons of injections, EMGs (Dr Weiss is an EMG guru with a book published called Easy EMG) and manipulation. All the attendings are really nice and get along with the residents and work with them. Since it was formerly a county hospital, residents get lots of exposure and hands-on experience doing all the procedures themselves with the attendings supervising. Lectures are twice a week in the afternoon, all the residents seem really happy, call is q4 can be from home if live nearby within 10 min. Program weakness is in inpatient. All in all, it's a strong outpatient program and Dr Weiss is very supportive and active in helping the residents get fellowships. 🙂
 
My first interview was yesterday at EVMS in Norfolk Virginia. This is a small program with approx. 10 residents in total. As far as faculty, Dr. Shelton the PD/chairman was warm and friendly. She is a Peds Rehab veteran and there is a clear focus on peds rehab in this program. In addition, the children's rehab wing in the hospital is GORGEOUS!! The rest of the faculty are varied...some with backgrounds in acupuncture, others in interventional pain ..the usual gamut. Everyone was extremely friendly.

Okay here are the points:

PROS: good solid PM&R training with most residents getting the fellowship training of their choice
- financially secure -- they just hired a new attending and are looking into another one
-friendly program with a warm family-like interaction between attendings and residents
-all call is taken from home
-very relaxing schedule --all the residents seem happy and relaxed and have MORE than enough free time to study

CONS: -very little social interaction between residents
-most residents seem to end up in fellowship in the VA/NC area (this may be a pro for some people)
- no attendings who teach manipulation
- a relatively weaker (but rapidly growing emphasis) on research
- average/weak didactic schedule (but the PD told me that she is trying to improve that aspect)

Overall I think this is a good program that is working hard to improve on its weaknesses. Having said that, even if it was perfect from a training veiwpoint, I personally would not want to spend 3 years in Norfolk VA. It is a beautiful, kinesthetic city - but it's just not metropolitan enough for me. That's a very personal choice. So in essence, if you like a more leisurely paced lifestyle and don't mind not interacting with your peers socially then this program will certainly meet your needs and provide excellent training.
 
Small program with 4 residents per year. Had some problems previously which were pretty well described in previous threads (conflict between residents/old PD), had ?two people in the upper PGY years leave. Has a new PD, and it seems as if changes are coming about. Interview day was half IMG, half US allopathic. You have 3 interviews (the PD, an attg and a PGY4/R3) and everyone sees the PD. Interviews were pretty low key.

The facility building itself is gorgeous on the Washington Hospital Campus near Howard and CUA, and access to DC area facilities makes this program have enormous potential, you can even do a research project 6 months at NIH if you want to. Do a block of EMGs at Walter Reed. Inpt is confined mostly to 12.5 mos in the first year with one block in the last, most of the rest is outpt at their extensive suburban network of clinics.

As the only DC area program with GTU affiliation and possibly Howard to come, this program has enormous potential, depends on which way the new PD steers the ship, but there is definitely a potential here to forge a new culture if you're into that kind of thing. The residents I met that day seemed to be pretty honest about past problems, but also seemed to be happy with the way things are heading. I think most of the seniors are going on to pain fellowships and seemed to have a not-so-difficult time securing them. I was suprisingly delightedly impressed despite all the negative things I have heard on this board. Combine this with the attractive DC metro area, endless cultural opportunities, and close proximity to Maryland's eastern shore, Annapolis, and the hills of Maryland and West Virginia, has excellent extra-curricular opportunity though cost of living is relatively high - still compares favorably against NY, SF or Boston.

One interview down...
 
Small program with 3 residents per year - 2 PGY1 and 1 PGY2. On the beautiful UNC hospitals campus - Chapel Hill is what a college town should be. Relatively young program (<10 years old). Interview day was about 10 applicants, no IMGs - they are doing 4 interview days this year. Half interview in AM and half in PM - noninterviewing half goes on a tour. Interviews are 15 min x 3.

Program seems solid enough, has a newly redone rehab floor with ~30 beds (that from an aesthetic viewpoint is very nice). Burn center in the area is good for exposure to that field. Seems like less peds exposure (no inpt peds). Residents well exceeded 200 EMG requirement, mostly seemed interested in MSK side. It seemed as if most graduates have gone on to fellowships. Didactic series is on q18 month cycle.

Residents all seemed extremely happy there and to get along extremely well with each other - playing b'ball with each other, and seemed to tout the low cost of living in the area - many had built their own houses or bought their own homes. An athletic bunch in general - marathons and the like.

The PD seemed very enthusiastic and approachable to applicants and residents. A good opportunity for leaving your mark and culture building if that's your cup of mocha. Pretty positive vibes.
 
Pitt County Hospital-North Carolina
This the only county hospital that serves the neigboring 29 counties. Approx 750 beds; rehab facilities were very nice. They are one of 8 rehab hospitals that are have some accreditation. They have 80 beds for rehab, typically not all are full. Each area of inpatient rehab has its own unit and rehab gym etc. They even have a simulated town store and daily activity things (kitchen- much nicer than the one at my house) with a car and boat/dock for transfer training. The program is 3-4 PGY1 and 2 PGY2. There is definately a friendly atmosphere, people get along well doing the usually sporting activities and socializing. The residency coordinator keep everyone in line, no doubt about that. All the clinics are situated in one location, the hospital is growing and constantly adding new buildings. They have a brand new outpt building that just opened because the demand is increasing. Call is from home. The town is really, really small; mostly built around East Carolina University which contains about 30,000 students (second hand info on the stats) and a town of only 90,000. The town empties out when summer hits. It really limited if you are used to city life. 2 hours form Raleigh/ 2 hours from Norfolk, VA. Overall, all aspects of training seem to be covered with the exception of interventional procedures. They offer an elective with anesthesia, but you don't get any hands on experience, I was told for some liability reasons ?? So, if you interested in inteventional you should go for an away elective. Research is a scholarly project, it can be anything. Cost of living is rediculous cheap..... They also give 1000 moving allowances. Again town is small!
 
Just reminder -- We're all helping each other out in this process, let's try to keep posting the interviews to either enlighten those who will go for an interview at a last date or to help those discriminate which program is more suited for them.
thanks...
 
Medium sized program with avg 5 residents per year. Since separating ties from other hospitals (Sinai), considered a relatively young program (<7 years old). Interview day was about 30 applicants, no IMGs? - they are doing 2 interview Saturdays this year. Half interview in AM and half in PM - noninterviewing half goes on a tour. Individual interviews are 30 min x 3. Everyone eats lunch together with a lot of residents and faculty alongside (since it's Saturday) to answer program questions or talk about the area (good gauge to see if you'd like to work w/these people).

Program appears very solid. Received a lot of money (millions), so renovation at rehab dept was going on, and was told new equipment is being bought. Peds hosp next door. Didn't ask about burn center. Hosp is trauma level 1. Residents met 200 EMG requirement. MSK is suppose to be good (Krabac). It seemed as if half of graduates have gone on to fellowships and the other half to private practice. No real research requirement, although happy to give you opportunities if you want them. Didactic series is on q18 month cycle. Everyone passes and from what we were told does very well.

Residents all seemed happy there and got along well with each other. Immediate area around hosp is something less than to be desired, but all live within 15-25 min away. Told that Baltimore is a sports town and great place to live, "big city life with small town feel."

The PD (Krabac) was very enthusiastic and approachable to applicants and residents. Powerpoint presentation was very informative. PD also made sure opportunities to ask any and all questions were available from various individuals (faculty to residents). Everyone was nice and seemed honest. Made no light of the fact that you will work hard, and play hard. As we were told, you will also work alongside specialties that are rated in the top tier of the country, so getting consults from Ben Carson is very probable. Also they boasted the Hopkins name with plenty of examples, such as how the name creates a "buyers market" once you graduate.

So if you want to live in the area, like to learn by doing, want to hob-nob with the big whigs in medicine, and like everything I've written...this place is for you. 😀
I will have difficulty ranking it against what I thought would be better choices based on geography alone.
 
This program, as eveyone knows, has the "Kessler" facilities. They take 9 PGY-2. The hospital you interview at is the free standing west orange Kessler facility, which large and very consice. There is on staff pulmonology, rads and ID etc... The are building two additional towers one SCI/ the other TBI. All the residents seem happy and satisified to be there. The locations are a bit spread out throughout the area; mountainside children's, university hosp (newark), East orange VA, other Kesslers, overlook, center for rehab (outpt), mountainside hospital (montclair). They seem not to mind the commute, most of the residents live in the suburbs as Newark itself isn't all the appealing. The program is highly structured, organized didactics- 4hr wed and fri (protected), heavy inpt PGY2 with PGY4 as open schedule, anatomy lab involvment with the med school cadavers, protected research (required) time- one afternoon per week for 6 months, several fellowships internally and no trouble getting other nationally recongnized spots. There is a plethora of research going on within, options to create your own project or jump on with someone else.
Some drawbacks are no outside elective time, and allthough there is plenty of exposure to procedures there is limited hands on time as there are not part of the "required" residency educational material. So this depends on the attending, the fellow and your motivation.
Call is in house and not too bad at that, 6pm-8am with call approx 1:7 the PGY2 year and diminshing each year thereafter.
There are exams after each rotation, everyone does well above the mean on boards, seniors take the SAE and participate in the "Kessler Board Review" - free. Overall, its a fantastic program, highly organized and if you don't mind the Newark area its definately going to give you all the exposure one needs. (county/va/private/university)
 
Big program, they take 10 a year. Seemed to be a pretty even mix of MD's and DO's. All the residents seemed very happy to be there. Board scores are impressive - I think 2 or 3 years ago, they said they had the top 2 scores nationally with very high overall pass rate.
Moss Rehab is a free-standing hospital just north of Philly in Elkins park. Great facility here.
Call - since the classes are so large, PGY2's are only on 2-3 times per month, less in later years. No holiday call as PGY 3,4.
Peds done at duPont Institute. Didn't get to tour here.
Temple University Hospital is in downtown philly. Big tertiary care center with a lot of trauma, etc. General rehab floor, so you get a mix.
Multiple outside, private clinics that comprise most of pgy3, pgy4. Definitely have to travel a bit, but not too far.
Residents get >200EMGs easily. Lots of elective opportunities.
PD - Dr. Maitin is AWESOME. Very pro-resident, down to earth. Per the residents, he really goes to bat for the residents in most situations.
The rest of the faculty seems pretty impressive - one used to be the team doc for the Eagles. I did get pimped during the interview - it seemed to be only one of the faculty, however, so if you interview here, there's a 50-50 chance that this happens to you, as you don't interview with everybody.
Didactics - seem pretty strong, structured. Residents give some lectures.
Residents seem to get the fellowships they want. Temple grads also seem to be PDs in several places around the country per one of the faculty.
There are certainly things I forgot, as I interviewed a few weeks ago, but I think this gives a good overview.
Overall, I think this is a GREAT program, I just don't know if I want to do Philly enough to rank it at the top...

Feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions.
 
Does anyone know much about the Stanford PM&R program? I was just offered an interview there, but the only available date is Dec 16, when I already have an interview scheduled at Carolinas med Center. Any advice on which one I should go to? If anyone out there is scheduled to interview at Stanford on any of the Jan or Feb dates who would be willing to trade with me & go on Dec 16 instead?? I really want to go out there (my brother is a Stanford undergrad- I know tons of people there), but my travel plans are just not working out. Any suggestions??
 
bxg205 said:
Big program, they take 10 a year. Seemed to be a pretty even mix of MD's and DO's. All the residents seemed very happy to be there. Board scores are impressive - I think 2 or 3 years ago, they said they had the top 2 scores nationally with very high overall pass rate.
Moss Rehab is a free-standing hospital just north of Philly in Elkins park. Great facility here.
Call - since the classes are so large, PGY2's are only on 2-3 times per month, less in later years. No holiday call as PGY 3,4.
Peds done at duPont Institute. Didn't get to tour here.
Temple University Hospital is in downtown philly. Big tertiary care center with a lot of trauma, etc. General rehab floor, so you get a mix.
Multiple outside, private clinics that comprise most of pgy3, pgy4. Definitely have to travel a bit, but not too far.
Residents get >200EMGs easily. Lots of elective opportunities.
PD - Dr. Maitin is AWESOME. Very pro-resident, down to earth. Per the residents, he really goes to bat for the residents in most situations.
The rest of the faculty seems pretty impressive - one used to be the team doc for the Eagles. I did get pimped during the interview - it seemed to be only one of the faculty, however, so if you interview here, there's a 50-50 chance that this happens to you, as you don't interview with everybody.
Didactics - seem pretty strong, structured. Residents give some lectures.
Residents seem to get the fellowships they want. Temple grads also seem to be PDs in several places around the country per one of the faculty.
There are certainly things I forgot, as I interviewed a few weeks ago, but I think this gives a good overview.
Overall, I think this is a GREAT program, I just don't know if I want to do Philly enough to rank it at the top...

Feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions.
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I agree with the assessment of temple. They do have that reputation for pimping on interviews, I should say that I was not asked any questions beyond the standard "what are you looking for in a program etc..." On one of my interviews at Temple, all we discussed was football. The residents seem honestly happy and very close - after lectures, they all stayed around and chatted for an hour. They seem like an energetic, dynamic bunch. They all said that the biggest advantage of Temple is the huge alumni base, which helps tremendously during job/fellowship searches.

I was surprised to find that I enjoyed my experience at Temple more than at Upenn. Upenn is a small program (4) residents a year. They do have a prelim yr which is more like a transitional and relatively focused on rehab and related disciplines. Strong research component, most of the faculty is involved in research in some form or another - in fact they have several research fellowships (not sure if its through the K12 program or not) My interviews were fairly laid back, although half the applicants *were* pimped by one of the attendings. The PD (Dr. Salcido) is also the program chair. The man is a little intimidating (He was in the special forces) but extremely straightforward, no-BS and will tell you exactly what he thinks of you.

Hours at Penn are average for PMR, call is about once per week as PGY1 and tapers from there. Exposure to multiple hospitals in the area, CHOP for peds is noteworthy. As a general impression, I felt the residents seemed stiffer and less dynamic than at temple, and that the training and future job prospects would be better at temple.
 
PM&R gal said:
Does anyone know much about the Stanford PM&R program? I was just offered an interview there, but the only available date is Dec 16, when I already have an interview scheduled at Carolinas med Center. Any advice on which one I should go to? If anyone out there is scheduled to interview at Stanford on any of the Jan or Feb dates who would be willing to trade with me & go on Dec 16 instead?? I really want to go out there (my brother is a Stanford undergrad- I know tons of people there), but my travel plans are just not working out. Any suggestions??
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Hi, please help keep this sticky uncluttered and useful by limiting your posts to interview stories. If you have questions, you can start a new thread.
 
2006MD said:
Medium sized program with avg 5 residents per year. Since separating ties from other hospitals (Sinai), considered a relatively young program (<7 years old). Interview day was about 30 applicants, no IMGs? - they are doing 2 interview Saturdays this year. Half interview in AM and half in PM - noninterviewing half goes on a tour. Individual interviews are 30 min x 3. Everyone eats lunch together with a lot of residents and faculty alongside (since it's Saturday) to answer program questions or talk about the area (good gauge to see if you'd like to work w/these people).

Program appears very solid. Received a lot of money (millions), so renovation at rehab dept was going on, and was told new equipment is being bought. Peds hosp next door. Didn't ask about burn center. Hosp is trauma level 1. Residents met 200 EMG requirement. MSK is suppose to be good (Krabac). It seemed as if half of graduates have gone on to fellowships and the other half to private practice. No real research requirement, although happy to give you opportunities if you want them. Didactic series is on q18 month cycle. Everyone passes and from what we were told does very well.

Residents all seemed happy there and got along well with each other. Immediate area around hosp is something less than to be desired, but all live within 15-25 min away. Told that Baltimore is a sports town and great place to live, "big city life with small town feel."

The PD (Krabac) was very enthusiastic and approachable to applicants and residents. Powerpoint presentation was very informative. PD also made sure opportunities to ask any and all questions were available from various individuals (faculty to residents). Everyone was nice and seemed honest. Made no light of the fact that you will work hard, and play hard. As we were told, you will also work alongside specialties that are rated in the top tier of the country, so getting consults from Ben Carson is very probable. Also they boasted the Hopkins name with plenty of examples, such as how the name creates a "buyers market" once you graduate.

So if you want to live in the area, like to learn by doing, want to hob-nob with the big whigs in medicine, and like everything I've written...this place is for you. 😀
I will have difficulty ranking it against what I thought would be better choices based on geography alone.
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Just wanted to add my 2 cents on JHop.
I actually did not care for the program. I felt they were leaning on their name more than actually having a great Rehab program. For a such a small program they are worked pretty hard. I was also disappointed that they do not have a TBI unit--they use NRH unit to train residents. Also there was some confusion on wheter or not they were a 4 year categorical program (they are not) or a 3 year advanced program (they are). Also I am pretty comfortable/used to being in some shady neighborhoods but that area around JHop made even me check twice.

However with all that being said--When you finish you will be a forever be a JHop doctor so that might be enough go and ignore all the other stuff alone. I however will not be ranking these guys.
 
Medium sized program, I think about 6 spots, but don't quote me since I interviewed there a little while ago. The program is a sub-division of the neurology department and they share a chairman. The PD, Dr. Tolat is friendly and very involved with the training program. The program's strengths seem to be their didactic schedule which includes a one month SCI rotation at Mount Sinai, as well as many lectures by Kessler attendings such as Dr. Kirshblum and Dr. Braddom. On the other hand, it seemed as though the residents saw a narrow range of pathophysiology. They tend to see more neuro patients and patients who have had joint replacement surgeries. PGY-1's spend 6 months at Glen Cove doing inpatient rehab. Glencove is a private rehab and orthopedic hospital located in a very affluent neighbourhood. It is run by Dr. Root who is passionate about both the hospital and the residents. All call is beeper call and most residents said that they rarely had to return to the hospital once they went home. PGY-1 are on call about once a week but that gets less as you move forward in the program.

Interviews were very relaxed with no pimping at all. Dr. Root and Dr. Oreste really put you at ease. Most of the other interviewees were locals who really wanted to stay in Long Island.

pros include: free kessler board review course, good fellowship opportunities, competitive salary, home call. A few cons: lots of travelling, about an hour a day for most residents usually because people can not afford to live near the hospital and also because you rotate at a few different hospitals that are about 40 minutes apart; weak musculoskeletal exposure; heavily weighted towards private practice; many lectures given by neurology faculty.

Overall, this is a strong program especially for those who are interested in going into private practice in the Long Island region. The program has strong connections to many of the other program in New York and residents get an opportunity to take the Kessler board review course and go to Mount sinai for a month. There seems to be a lack of exposure to MSK and most EMG exposure is in the 4th year. I would definitely rank this program if i wanted to stay in New York because the residents seemed very relaxed and, if they were motivated, could get good fellowships.
 
OK, so in the beginning I was thinking of chucking the whole 'Pittsburgh' experience but I am very happy I decided to go. UPMC's program is historically known for its strength in TBI, its chair (formerly from Wayne State) is a guru in the field and for being weak in MSK. This appears to be undergoing a revamp currently with greater utilization of a name attending (Stone) in the field and change in curriculum. It is one of the few places in the country with model systems in both TBI and SCI.

Interview day was ~9 applicants, no IMGs - I believe 5 spots a year. You get an interview with the PD, 2 attgs and a chief resident. It also includes a tour of Montefiore with a road trip for lunch (yummy! - at a southside restaurant - no cafeteria food!) and a tour of UPMC Southside later on (where TBI SCI units are).

I guess the real outstanding point of the program is its proximity to Carnegie Mellon if you're interested in robotics/P&O type stuff though the translational aspect of this research is still infantile. Research opps are boundless. NIH funding at Pitt is one of the largest in the nation, supposedly all turned around by the psych group that came from Yale to 'save them' and turned them into a roaring success.

Pittsburgh is a surprisingly delightful city of 330,000 (metro area 2.4mn) with funky neighborhoods, great restaurants, a superb airport, and affordable housing. No sushi shortage like in some midwestern small towns (which will remain nameless). You can buy a house on a resident's salary in one of the tonier neighborhoods or prestigious suburbs.

And though this is subjective, the residents seemed to be the most collegial bunch that I have seen to date (maybe UNC is tied with them) and all seemed very pleased with their program. They do well for fellowships - believe one is staying on for TBI (they get first dibs like everyone else for their own fellowships) and one to Kessler for SCI.

So if you like being exposed to a research powerhouse, are interested in TBI, believe in the greater exposure to MSK training, and are a Steelers fan, you may find yourself in the city of bridges next year.
 
Schwab

Great environment! Of all the places I've been to, best comraderie amongs the residents and faculty. Dr. Gittler is probably the best resident advocate there is. She doesn't play politics, she lets you know what's up, she genuinely cares about her residents, and has fun with them. Education is also very good.

Only downsides are that it has a tough time recruiting because it's in the shadow of RIC. Also, many people don't like the area (south side Chicago).

UTSW

Another great program in terms of environment and procedures. You'll get to do lots of injections (both peripheral and under fluoro), close to 300 EMGs if you choose, and the didactics are improving. Up and coming program.

Wash U (St. Louis)

Not bad in terms of basic training. But I wasn't a fan of the environment. The PMR department is really a subset of the neuro program, so dynamics are a little weird. PM me if you have specific questions.

I've been to a few other programs, but most people have already written extensively on them. I would agree with above! 🙂 Been wanting to say that for a while now.
 
Smaller program 4 a year 2 PGY1 and 2 PGY2. Dr. Kerrigan is an awesome chair! - was instrumental in starting the Harvard program. She is the driving force behind the revitalization of the program at UVA. ~9 interviewees, no IMGs.

Most inpt is in PGY2 year then it's a very flexible program including a 3 month research block! 6 months EMG in PGY3 and PGY4 years. Very nice, shiny new hospital. Call is q4 in PGY2 year and then falls of sharply. It's home call. Will let you do an outside elective while being paid (you pay for travel).

Known more for MSK - and one of their seniors is going to Mayo for fellowship. Good opportunities for injections under fluoro.

Charlottesville is quaint, a little remote (2 hours to DC, 1 hour to Richmond). Affordable housing though probably not as cheap as Chapel Hill.

Overall very impressed with the balance, MSK strength, and research opportunities as well as flexibility. Residents very friendly and collegial. One of many solid programs in the south. Gave up Mayo to come here and pleased.
 
A smaller program (4 or 5 a year) based out of UCHSC in Aurora but with rotations all around. They are moving most of the hospitals in Denver to the new complex in Aurora. Dr Matthews the chair talks to you while you're waiting to interview. Nice vistas of the Rockies.

Interviews are 4 - everyone talks to the PD (Venu Akuthota) who is RIC trained. I had a interview with a PGY3 and 2 attendings from the area.

There's a little slide show they show in the beginning.

The program seems very well balanced and outstanding based on that alone. Rotation blocks are meaty at 3 months each. Spine at Craig and peds are high points.

They are pretty attractive to candidates and don't go far down their ranklist. Main competition claimed is UW and RIC. 😀

So if you like the meaty rotations, spine at Craig, a well rounded program, and skiing, you may find yourself in Colorado next year.
 
Small program 3per year. First year/intern is a beast which can be cosigned by acurrent Kentucky intern who voiced her/his displeasure in it on this forum. However after you get through the first year things are pretty cush. After first year its all home call which consists of answering the phone a coulple of times. Most of the time there is not an emergency where you would have to come in because the staff at the Cardinal Hill Rehab hospital will send the patient directly to the ER instead of bothering you.

The facilities at Cardinal Hill Rehab were top notch. For each of the three units (TBI,Stroke,SCI) it's one resident and one attending. That type of one on one attention is excellent for learning. Also everybody kept ranting and raving about the nursing staff/ancillary support at Cardinal Hill. One of my interviewers even said that these were the first happy nurses he has seen in his 35 years of medicine (I'll believe it when I see it).

Interview day was pretty simple. Introduction/tour with a PGY-3 all morning long then they provide lunch. Afternoon consists of 3 interviews for 30 minutes each. You'll be finished by 4.

As far as the city Lexington, it is your typical college town with alot of young people(18-24) but they do have a desent amount of 25-35s. Cost of living there is pretty cheap and they pay well in comparison to most of the places I have looked at. You will be able to buy a nice house even with a residents salary.

In closing, I was very impressed with the program. I had planned on ranking them very low if not last on my ROL, but after visiting I will rank them very high.
 
This is the only program in the City (or the state of NY for that matter) that I am interviewing at. It's fairly young in the sense that two smaller programs were merged, believe there are 8 slots a year and they are interviewing ~80. IMHO could be (without a doubt) the premiere program in the City if they played their cards right.

Interview day was about a dozen applicants (a handful of IMGs), begins with a slide show by the PD, tour of Cornell/Weill, HSS, and some subsidized resident housing. There's lunch back at Weill and then 6 interviews, everyone meets with the PD. One interviewer was inappropriate asking SAT scores, college GPAs, class rank in high school and college and questions even more remote and irrelevant - this really turned me off as it had been the first time I had such a tacky interview.

Interesting points about the program besides all the standard stuff (ie you spend some time at Weill on east 68th and some time up at Columbia--the Cornell patients are more affluent, the Columbia ones are more needy, etc., consults are a long 6 month block (too much IMHO), no electives): Sloan Kettering for cancer, HSS for ortho. Might need a car to get to a state rehab hospital out in Rockland Co. and a children's hospital somewhere in Westchester Co. Parking costs ~$400 a month. But these are only 2 short rotations in pgy2 and pgy4 respectively. Grand rounds at HSS must be awesome. Didactics are 2 hours on two days of the week, one day at Columbia in Washington Heights and another at Cornell at 68th/York. Traveling back is facilitated by a shuttle bus, but it seems like this might be an eater of time as C and C are not anywhere near each other in Manhattan.

The subsidized housing is ~$1100 for a studio and upwards. Married folks get a 1br, married folks with offspring a more than 1br. Residents seemed content for the most part.

Overall, the program has a lot of potential having the resources of 2 Ivy league medical schools in the nation's most populous city (with a sophisticated medical community). Salaries in the 40s and living in NYC could be difficult at times, I suppose (the average Manhattan condo costs more than a million dollars but as mentioned there is subsidized housing, keeping a car for parts of the program seems costly too, food and other costs are also higher in Manhattan than say Philly, e.g.). But if you're a self starter, like to rub elbows with hotshot oncologists and orthopods, enjoy riding the number 6 train over driving the 405 freeway, then you might be spending some time in the Big Apple on the Upper East and upper upper upper West side.
 
This is my sole foray into the Lone Star State. Houston is one sprawling metropolis. Day begins at TIRR, one of the many institutions in the Texas Medical complex, the largest conglomeration of medical institutions known to mankind. You get a short intro to the program by the PD (powerpoint of course) then 2 interviews, one with an assoc PD and one with a faculty member. Some of us had to go to another nearby hospital for one of our interviews. About a dozen of us interviewing, think they're doing ~120 interviews. One IMG on my day.

Points of note: PGY2 call is home call. PGY3 call is in house call at TIRR (you experience 6 mos a TIRR). PGY4 is no call. TIRR is in PGY3/R2, hence the delayed onset and in-house call (they think it's tough and you need to be R2 before you can handle it). Program is inpatient heavy compared to say NRH or UVA. MSK is on the rise but it appears as if exposure is lagging relatively, may take years to change IMHO. Electives are ok, but you don't get paid and must find your own malpractice cover.

Program is very respected nationally, will have great network of alums to land you choice positions whether they be in academia or private practice. Is largest program (as combined program) with 14 a year. Texas Medical complex is amazing! Lots of opportunities here for someone motivated. Cost of living in Houston is below average for a large city, you can buy a new free standing house with Andersen windows and a white picket fence for what a typical small '60s condo with lime green Formica countertops goes for in Philadelphia or Boston. Houston summers can be humid, brutal, and oppressive and city can be disorienting and overwhelming - think LA without any geographic features, beach, mountains, or Hollywood charisma (and a million times more humid).

Residents for the most part happy, though 1 or 2 had >avg gripes.

All in all impressed with the inpatient breadth, encouraged by movements towards improving outpatient exposures. Excellent academic reputation that will allow you to open doors left and right. Great research opportunities for the self starter though formal research requirement dropped. A big program for sure, but if you can handle it, you may find yourself in the Lone Star state next year and will be prepared for most any inpt situation, I am thinking. Definitely deserves the traditional pseudo-top-5 designation.
 
The day starts at 9am with a 2hr informative meeting with the PD. This by far is the longest time I've seen a PD spend with applicants. The meeting is about the program itself -- the cirriculum, benefits, etc. followed by an opportunity to ask questions. This is shortly followed by a meeting with the chairman and the assistant program director. You then follow the chief resident(s) for a tour around the facility. You meet with a couple of residents during lunch and also during the time you're waiting on being called for the interview. You either meet first with the PD again for a one-on-one or meet with the 3-panel interviewers, one of which is the assistant PD. Interview ends roughly around 3-4pm at the latest. The only question that caught me off guard was "so tell me what you're all about". The rest was typical straight-forward questions. No pimping.

It goes without saying that NYU/Rusk has a solid, well-reputable program. The hospital is ranked Top 10 and there's a large alumni, scheduled teaching, board review, and a very hands-on interventional rotation from what I heard. NYU also has a pain fellowship through its anesthesia department in which 3 fellows are accepted each year which is an added plus. The facility is old, probably one of the oldest I've visited. However, it is located in a great area of town, right along the river with the closest subway station about 3 blocks west of the hospital.

As with any top program, it's going to be inpatient heavy. I was told that they are trying to make their cirriculum more outpatient part of their changes in the future. Call is in-house call (if I remember right) with average of every 8th night and every 9th Saturday or Sunday. Call schedule tapers down as you become PGY3 and so forth. Residents I spoke with said their typical days are from 8am to 5:30pm with an occasional late day. This seems pretty the same with other programs I've interviewed at. Other than being busy, residents didn't have much to complain about.

As for benefits, vacation time is 4 weeks/year, salary starts ~$51k, some housing assistance is given to those who really need it.

If those who haven't been to NYC, you just have to see it for yourself to see if it's right for you. There are lots of pros and cons to the city and it just all depends on what you want. But for those who are looking for a well-reputable program with a large residency (14 per year) and situated in a big metropolitan city, it doesn't get much better than NYU. I was quite impressed with the program and plan to rank them pretty high.
 
About a dozen applicants or so, handful of IMGs, one of their last interview days this season. PD presentation on Penn, pictures of different facilities. CHOP is a big plus if you like peds. Then another presentation on cancer rehab (kinda educational). Then 3 interviews, 1 chief res, 1 neuropsych and 1 attg. Pretty laid back. Asked basic questions about brain injury but no real 'pimping.' Then tour of HUP and CHOP and Penn campus, great lunch at Faculty club at the Inn at Penn. Then a little mini-talk back at HUP about new modailites in 'physical medicine' - interesting but just tired by that point. Out at about 3pm. They are interviewing at 20x positions (~80) which is strange to me (usually it's ~10x though Seattle is only 6x and Kessler 8x).

People pretty laid back. Not intense like at some name places I have been to. Definitely type B place. Research is great. Comes with a pseudo-transitional year with only a few months of real call.

Friendly residents. Quite candid and laid back. Most lived in Manayunk or other NW Philly areas. I think someone lived in NJ.

Like all Penn residents you either get free parking or a free transit pass but not both.

Participate in the EMG/P&O/gait collaboration lecture series with other programs in Philly.

Call is ~q7 as R1, 2x/month as R2, 1x/month as R3, R3s usually get Thursday calls.

Penn is a vibrant campus though a few blocks west of 40th get sketchier. Easy walk to Center City (the central business district) or short trolley/bus/subway/bicycle ride.

All in all a nice program though there has been some tumult as of late in faculty. PD says he will be around a while. No free standing hospital of course. I think the program will be stronger every year - lots of potential. Are working on adding NEM fellowship I think and collaborating with anes on pain.
 
EVMS (Norfolk, VA)
-Only 2 applicants on my interview day. We each interviewed with 3 faculty, very relaxed
-community based program with rotations at Norfolk general, children's hospital, Riverside (private) hospital, and VA
-hospitals are about 30 min apart
-very light schedule (40-60 hrs/wk)
-home call
-friendly faculty, PD is double boarded in PMR and peds
-residents have gone straight into private practice and some into pain fellowships
-research is pretty weak but now is a requirement for every resident (i.e. pull off at least one poster presentation)
-board pass rate is 87%
-residents say they get to do tons of procedures (interventional pain, baclofen pumps, even acupuncture)

Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation (Charlotte, NC)
-8 applicants. Each interviewed with two faculty and one resident. All applicants were asked a set of 6-8 questions concerning patient/personal experiences and the answers were written down and put in your file.
-free-standing, private rehab hospital (but adjacent to carolinas medical center)
-full 5 year accreditation with no citations
-heavy emphasis on education, yearly anatomy course
-research is readily available
-board pass rate 100% (and scoring typically above the 60th percentile)
-model system for TBI
-residents have gone into fellowships, academics, or private practice all over the country
-call is approximately 1/wk during PGY2 with home call after the first 6 months. Call decreases with each subsequent year and PGY4's have no weekend call.
-new PD will be taking over next year and the current PD will become chair of PM&R
-residents were very friendly. Great camaraderie.

I'll be writing more as I dig through my notes. Hope this helps!
 
4 applicants, 1 cancellation. Was told no IMG policy (a new policy?). Sat in for didactics in AM. Interviewed with Dr. Cuccurullo (the PD) and one of chief residents. Group interview with Dr. Strax (the chair), former AAPMR presdient, an inspiration for sure. First interview where I didn't get a name tag. Presentaiton by Dr. Cuccurullo - UMDNJ-RWJMS/JFK-JRI is one of 26% of programs in PA/NJ/NY area with 5yr accreditation (as a counterpoint believe UMDNJ-NJMS and UPenn are 4y), excellent SAE and board scores by recent house staff, didactics on q12 schedule (instead of more common q18), 100% fellowship placement (recent graduates at Cleveland Clinic for pain, Sloan Kettering for cancer pain, another chief going to Florida Spine Institute for interventional). Less pressure perceived to go to fellowship route if that's not what one wants. Felt like primary mission was to teach, not have residents run everything as there are more attgs than residents. Lots of protected time for lectures. Felt like residents here give their own lectures moreso than other institutions. More structured and less freeform compared to say University of Virginia. Casual lunch in conference room.

Call is ~q7+ from home call must live with 15 min of hospital less likely to be called in b/c of intensivist. Far away people must take call in house. Infrequent weekend call. Peds call at Mountainside covered my NJ Med residents. Do a block of SCI at Kessler West. Has model TBI system. Few attgs do acupuncture.

Location is in Edison, NJ attached to community hospital bearing same name. Edison is a middle class suburban community along the northeast corridor rail line, closer to NY than Philly (30mi/70mi) with a large South Asian/East Asian population. Housing in area is expensive (get a small cape in township for $300k maybe) compared to southern states but cheaper than the City. Lots of tasty Indian food in the area.
 
wow cyano you must be the only one still on the interview trail .... are you just about done? thanks for all your candid input.
 
joseppi said:
wow cyano you must be the only one still on the interview trail .... are you just about done? thanks for all your candid input.
Click to expand...

I have a few more left in the new year - RIC, UM, UW et al. Thinking of canning some of the et al though. Hopefully I'll have some energy to write on them though they have been extensively covered in the past (well maybe not UW). I wish everyone a happy new year!
 
Anyone have info on their interview day?

Thanks!
 
Now I've heard a lot about the temple interview day, but I have to say my experience was wholly positive. V. light and friendly pimping by one interviewer. The program is relatively large about 7 to 10 residents per year. Call schedule is light compared to other PA programs ~ 2 x month as a PGY-2 and about once a month in PGY-3, none in PGY-4. PGY-2s do all the weekends and holidays. The program is a model TBI system so you can imagine they see a lot of great pathophys. Dr. N. Mayer is a giant in TBI and is very knowledgeable and eager to teach. Dr. Maitin is the acting chair/director. He is a character and seems very devoted to the program -- i believe he will also become chair, but that remains unknown. The program's greatest strengths are their teachers (some strong faculty in TBI, EMG and sports) and their alumni -- 3 PGY-4s got a pain fellowship with a temple alumni. Depending on your outlook, a few of the cons might be their location (North Philly) and the amount of travelling you have to do between some of the sites. Residents rotate through one clinic that is in Elkton, MD (about 1 hour away depending on the traffic). All the residents seem very happy and were forthcoming with their opinions about the program.

All in all I was impressed with Temple and would recommend it readily.
 
Since no one responded by the time I interviewed, I'll end up answering my own question. 🙂

The interview day goes from 7:30AM to about 3:30PM, with a little variability towards the ending time depending on how many people are interviewing that day.

They are interviewing about 60 total this year from what I remember.

The day begins with everyone meeting in the conference room with the chiefs. They show a short vidoe made by the previous year's chiefs which is actually pretty entertaining. It gives good insight into the personality of the program. Then there are the standard overview presentations. Then they divide the interviewees into two halves with one half touring first (all three hospitals where the residents rotate--Harborview, VA, and UW hospital) and the other half interviewing.

There are three interviews, generally two of them are with Dr. Robinson and Dr. Massagli. The third interview can be one of several faculty members. The interviews are fairly benign. Dr. Robinson is one of the nicest chairs out there. After reading the reviews on scutwork, I was still skeptical, but he really is very nice. Dr. Massagli is very honest and open. She's pretty no nonsense and will tell you how it is. She gives the impression of someone who cuts through the politics. I personally found this very refreshing. By the way, don't misinterpret this. She is very personable and quite funny.

Overall, you can see the strength of this program and why it has the strong reputation it does. Dr. DeLisa graduated from here. The work hours are probably on par with the other tier 1 programs. If you want a slacker program, this is not it. You will work hard, but get great education from that work. The program seemed to be heavier on the inpatient side, but that could just be because of the people I met that day. One of their attendings is also the MSK person for the Seahawks. They have opportunities to work sporting events if interested (not a requirement). I could be wrong, but I think they said they are starting either an MSK or pain fellowship soon (don't quote me on this, could have misheard them).
 
Sorry for separating the posts, I thought SDN was about to crash and didn't want to lose what I'd already typed.

The faculty are very well connected and known, both at their institution and nationally in PMR and elsewhere. Dr. Robinson has a very high position in the Dean's office (I forget the offical title, but very high up there). He also is the head of the entire Department of Rehabilitation which includes the PMR residency, PT PhD program, PT/OT programs, Pyschology, et al. Dr. Massagli is well connected because she's been PD for like 16 years and received two very prestigious teaching awards (nationally) last year. You will have good connections coming from this program, which bodes well if you apply for fellowhsips.

The opportunity for research is there. However, there is a different philosophy here in terms of incorporation into residency. There is the standard research elective if you choose to want it. However, if you care for more, the department supports you in many different and innovative ways. Dr. Massagli makes the point that it is impossible to get your inpatient months, outpatient months, and 200 EMGs, and do quality independent research in 3 years. She will support research by helping you apply for several prestigious research fellowships.

The environment seems to be great. Resident comraderie seems good. This is the hardest area to assess in one interview day, but from my one day sample, things seem good and NOT malignant. I could be wrong; I am giving my impressions.

Overall, this is a very strong program that will support your endeavors to get where you want, whether it be academics, private practice, research, fellowships, et al. You will work hard, but you will get a lot out of it.

Sorry for the long post, but since there were no other posts out there, I wanted to be thorough.
 
3 people interviewing at dept offices on Eisenhower near the Burlington Mall. Day started off by intro from asst PC overview. Interviews then commenced with assistant residency director (blinded), clinical faculty (academic), and program director (general). Pretty laid back interviews, no pimping.

Lunch is in conference room w/residents then tour of UM hospitals in central AA. Plusses of program include 21 days off and your birthday and many holidays. Program is still looking for a new chairperson though they claim this does not really affect dept stability as Prof Leonard will stay on until new chair is found. Ortho controls game coverage.

Tour of hospital follows. Hospital is very busy and though inpt is short ~12 mos it is very robust. Schedule going forward is pretty flexible includes ample opps for research. Call is at home and is rel infrequent.

A solid program that compares favorably with the best of the best. Don't know really which way their chair search is going??! More procedural than many programs. Ann Arbor though small seems at least as active as Charlottesville or Chapel Hill.
 
cyanocobalamin said:
3 people interviewing at dept offices on Eisenhower near the Burlington Mall. Day started off by intro from asst PC overview. Interviews then commenced with assistant residency director (blinded), clinical faculty (academic), and program director (general). Pretty laid back interviews, no pimping.

Lunch is in conference room w/residents then tour of UM hospitals in central AA. Plusses of program include 21 days off and your birthday and many holidays. Program is still looking for a new chairperson though they claim this does not really affect dept stability as Prof Leonard will stay on until new chair is found. Ortho controls game coverage.

Tour of hospital follows. Hospital is very busy and though inpt is short ~12 mos it is very robust. Schedule going forward is pretty flexible includes ample opps for research. Call is at home and is rel infrequent.

A solid program that compares favorably with the best of the best. Don't know really which way their chair search is going??! More procedural than many programs. Ann Arbor though small seems at least as active as Charlottesville or Chapel Hill.
Click to expand...

Pleasure to have you here yesterday. We had three people interview for chair: two from UW and one from Charlottseville. Dunno status as of yet.

PM if you have any questions, and good luck to ya! 👍
 
* Appears as if MSK is still relatively weaker to rest of UW program. In interview told that not really the best place for MSK though it's nothing a fellowship can't fix.
* Call is home call usually many days at a time: 6wks in PGY2/R1, 4 weeks in PGY3/R2, 2 weeks in PGY4/R3. May actually have to come in relatively more than say U of M.
* Peds is well represented, Dr. Massagli did residency for peds at Yale New Haven.
* Harborview Hospital, the county hospital for King County is the only level 1 trauma center for Washington, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, Wyoming.
* Seems a bit consult heavy ? 6 months, which is the same as NYPH Columbia Cornell.
* Parking = expensive, ? $65 a month.
* Rent in Seattle cheaper than Boston or New York but more than Houston or Columbus. Buying seems prohibitive but Seattle is garden of eden city.
* 3/8 spots are categorical with the caveat that one practices PM&R for some time in the US as a condition of training.
* Very fit active residents. Great rec opportunities. Limited sunlight in winter months. Annual ski trip to Whistler in BC. Chiefs are informative and humorous as they're your bus drivers for the day.

All in all a premiere program, alumni are leaders in field (e.g. DeLisa, deLateur).
 
Starts at 7:45am - 4 interviewing my day. Trip to outpatient clinic via taxi. Tour there. Return to RIC for tour there. First interview without an intro and/or powerpoint.

Interviews were with the PD anteprandial and 2 attendings postprandial. Sat in for a noon conference which was postprandial. Postprandial lectures can be problemmatic when you haven't slept well in a while.

Lunch with the superstar moderator of the forum - Mexican food. Residents upbeat and positive. Chicago was warm that week, area is very active and one of the safer neighborhoods in the city. Oprah lives nearby. Big diverse class.

Call is relatively infrequent (?2x per mo) but in house with 2 added notewriters on the weekend as there are up to ~150 daily notes to write.

It seems like they work somewhat harder than programs with smaller inpatient units but that is only relative to pm&r. It's the premiere program though. Highly impressed.
 
Program takes 5 residents per year. You interview with the chairman, program director, and an attending from the VA at Long Beach where you do rotations. This is the only program where I was asked why I chose the osteopathic route vs the allopathic route. FYI, there are 3 DOs in the program so it's not like they are unfriendly towards DOs. All faculty were MDs however, not that it makes any difference.

Most residents seem to do private practice upon graduation. I wasn't given a clear answer as to how many people get the fellowships they want. However, for what it's worth, to date, no one from the UCI program has gotten into the UCLA pain fellowship. It could just mean that UCLA doesn't care for other UC schools. Research is not required and probably the weakest area of the program. Residents seem very happy and the whole department seems very resident oriented, especially the program director. He's working on adding more outpatient rotations. Call is home-call, 1x each 5 week block?, no call during PGY-3 where you do strictly outpatient at the VA. Typical hours per resident is 7:30-4pm. Typical inpatient workload is 10 patients per resident.

Location is very nice, suburban type setting with nice facilities with a new hospital being built and supposed to finish within the next 3-4 years. Beaches are only 15 minutes away. Cost of living is expensive as expected for southern California.
 
cyanocobalamin said:
* Appears as if MSK is still relatively weaker to rest of UW program. In interview told that not really the best place for MSK though it's nothing a fellowship can't fix.
Click to expand...

Just as a side note. I would encourage medical students interviewing at UW wanting to know about the MSK training there to ask about a few people I believe are affiliated with UW PMR and exactly how much time is spent with these attendings.

Paul Dreyfuss-pioneer interventional Physiatrist (has arguably put out more quality research on interventional spine than any other physiatrist)

Stan Herring-pioneer interventional Physiatrist and sports doc (Seattle Seahawks)

Andrew Cole-well known PMR spine specialist (author of The Low Back Pain Handbook)
 
Didn't know what to expect from this day, but it ended up being very pleasant. 5 interviews, all very relaxed with no pimping at all. Strong program with all the resources of Boston's renowned health systems. Very amiable and happy residents. PGY-2 year, as always, is the hardest and most inpatient heavy. Of note is a 2 month neuro rotation at MGH where you are q4 overnight, very demanding. Most residents felt that this PM&R program is pretty demanding in comparison to other programs. The big draw is the PGY-4 year in which you have 10 months of electives/selectives. Really unique and an excellent opportunity to tailor your residency to your personal interests. Spaulding residents get anatomy training with Harvard medical students. Didactics seemed strong with a q 15 month cycle. Some very well-reputated lecturerers. Research requirement is at least 2 papers/posters and at least one piece that is submittable to a medical journal. Most people say that it is very doable, with plenty of faculty who are happy to help. The program is in the midst of fundraising for a new free-standing rehab hospital to be built in Charlestown, MA. They expect this to be complete by 2009. Boston is a great city with history, culture and insane sports fans. Residents are getting the fellowships of their choice. MSK is a little weak, but they have added a new outpt msk rotation and plan to continue to vamp up this aspect of their program. Model TBI system. That's about all i can remember....v good program, will definitely rank it. 🙂
 
Last interview date of the season. Started around 7:30 and went until 3pm - only two interviewees that day. Very laid-back, no intro, but also no breakfast. (Last interview date?) Toured with chief resident to outpatient spine/sports center (not much to see, once you've seen one, you've seen them all!) via taxi, then toured RIC with PGY-2.

RIC facilities are impressive and definitely warrant a visit. Wards are aesthetically pleasing and nursing stations have computers and plenty of place to write. View from the 16th floor of the lake is a nice sight.

Residents ordered deep dish pizza (yum) for lunch, during which time we chatted with other residents and alternated in interviewing with Dr. Sliwa. Dr. Sliwa apparently had lightened up this year from the past where he had been difficult to read during interviews. Experienced a very pleasant and interesting interview session with him while he fired questions at me. Residents say he is a master architect at selecting residents. He has been PD of the program for a considerably long time, definitely goes to bat for the residents, and is one of the hardest-working docs you will meet on the trail.

Sat in on the post-lunch journal club which was run fairly well by residents and Dr. Sliwa.

After interviews included Dr. Nussbaum and Dr. Berkowitz, both very pleasant and for the most part, engaging interviews.

RIC call schedule is obviously in-house and toughest in PGY-2 while gradually getting lighter. Weekends can be tough, but additional residents come into help the on-call and attending write all the hospital notes.

Residents for the most part seemed very happy. Alumni base is strong and graduates do very well in placement.

Location next to Magnificant Mile is wonderful and although cold, it had a holiday feel to it. I was also able to sample a ribeye steak, jazz, and some Chicago hotdogs during my visit. Expensive to live around the area, but would definitely be a plus due to all the nightlife.

Definitely not a program for the faint at heart as residents work hard and are not always able to attend the daily lectures, but lectures are run about once a year so you hopefully sit in on most of them before you graduate. Definitely a program for motivated residents, but seems like the sky's the limit at that point.

Add: 12 residency spots a year with 4 spots being linked to the internship at Northwestern. Residents seem content with either doing the internship or starting as PGY-2.
 
Last interview weekend of season. Flew into the airport around 9am and had plenty of time to take SuperShuttle to UCDMC.

Approximately five interviewees on my day and a few more the next day. Started approx. noon with a few residents joining us for an informal lunch (pizza, salad, etc.) and brief introduction with Dr. Kilmer (chairman).

Strengths of program include incredible outpatient training (i.e. amputee/gait, NMD, spine, sports/msk, SCI, OMT) starting PGY-2 year, impressive EMG didactics and training (multiple faculty with ABEM board cert), peds experience at Shriner's, and smaller size of program allowing for better quality control and oversight. Call schedule is for the most part pager call while at UCDMC. Almost all rotations done on medical campus, thus the need to travel distances is limited to very few rotations such as the VA. Multiple opportunities to work sporting events (track and field, boxing, marathons, etc.) with faculty.

In-patient ward is smaller and a bit crowded, but ancillary staff is good and the UCDMC computer system (i.e. signout, computerized progress notes, ability to retrieve radiology through terminals) is very nice. PGY2 is paired up with PGY3 for inpatient which is nice for collegial teaching opportunities and bonding.

Four interviews total: Dr. Kilmer, Dr. Vandenakker (PD) and Dr. Hoffman (head of VA) in the same interview, Dr. Han (newer faculty doing mostly outpatient work, EMG's, and research), and two residents (PGY-3 and PGY-2). All very pleasant and low-key experiences. Dr. Kilmer is one of the most intelligent, yet modest and personable PD's I've met yet. (great sense of humor) Faculty and residents are mostly on a first name basis and are very tight it seems.

Took a tour of UCDMC and Shriner's after interviews, then was invited to dinner at one of the PGY2's house. Almost all the residents showed up with many of their spouses/significant others and a few kids. Everyone seemed very happy, welcoming, and easy to get along with. One resident is going to peds fellowship at Colorado (first choice) while other two may do private practice or work for Kaiser. Graduates have seemed to gravitate towards outpatient practice (due to the quality of training they receive) although the ones interested in fellowships seem to be very competitive in doing so.

Sacramento is cheaper to live in than SF or Los Angeles and although may not be as glitzy, bay area is 1-1.5 hrs away, Reno/Tahoe is 1.5 hours away, and Yosemite is a few hours away. Plenty of outdoors activities. Sacramento Kings are doing better with Ron Artest these days.

Overall, arguably one of the strongest programs in California albeit the smallest program. Three spots a year with a change resulting in only one advanced spot and two linked/categorical spots due to the difficulty in finding pre-lim/transitional spots in California. Very competitive program to get into, but if main interests are in msk/sports/outpatient/emg, then this is a top program to consider in California.
 
Just wondering if anyone knows anything about the uuhsc program in Salt Lake City. 😕
 
Starts 8 am, overview of program. 5 applicants interviewing. Most from PA and nearby states. 3 interviews with the PD and two chiefs. Very very laid back casual environment. Residents are on a first name basis with many attendings. Hospital is great and the only program in Center City in Philly. Trying to get to know you kind of interviews. Only place that had people call me the day before just to remind me of my interview.

Tour of Magee and then lunch with many residents at nearby hotel ? the Wyndham (buffet). It was the BEST FOOD I had during the whole process.

Believe strengths are traditionally SCI, also owns 80%+ of rehab beds in the area. Even Temple's main hospital (Moss) is owned by Jeff. Go figure. So access to many sites, ortho expreince is good. AI duPont (Delaware) for peds.

Residents seemed very happy, very positive about program and honest. Diverse active crew, some married some not. They claim to hang out together and it's hard to see why not as the area is great. DO friendly, some from PCOM. Philadelphia Center City has got to be one of the best places to be 20 or 30-something. Not as expensive as New York, pretentious as Boston, but funky, urban-secret's out kinda place. Walkable yet not too bad a commute from the 'burbs because of trains though the highways suck (the city has two freeways: the Schuykill and the Delaware the former being a virtual parking lot at times).

Good opportunities after graduation, good fellowship matching. Good vacation policy (4 weeks plus 1 conference week). Every service designed to run without a resident.

Program seems stingy about interviews though, knew people with great unsolicited interviews elsewhere (SRH, Kessler, RIC, Stanford etc) who had to really pussssssssssshh to get an interview out of Jefferson. Don't really know why that is. Maybe they are looking for people who are really interested in being in Philadelphia instead of inviting every Tom, Sally, and Schmo? Any insight out there?

Liked it so much, in my top 3 along with RIC and U of W.
 
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