How would you rank these programs? I am torn and thought each program has its pros and cons. I love Baylor and their facilities, but I'm not too sure about Houston (have family in NYC and Chicago..) Also really like NYU and Columbia, but can't decide between them because while Columbia has awesome faculty and great research, I think NYU has a wider variety of patients and cases because they cover the VA and Bellevue. And UIC seemed really great with research and clinical exposure even though their facilities are so-so. Any thoughts??
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Baylor, UIC, NYU, Columbia..
- Thread starter CuCme
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I can't speak for the other programs since I did not interview there but I can tell you that Houston is not a drag. I'm a resident at Baylor and have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and gotten a tremendous amount of support from the faculty. It's amazing how much they trust the residents here to do things. Having lived over on the east coast, I was a little worried about being in the south. But, Houston turned out to be much more pleasant than I ever expected. The cost of living is fantastic and it's really a very very diverse city (being the 4th largest helps) with alot of great restaurants and has all the amenities of a big city as well. People are really friendly. I honestly think Houston gets a bad rap because it's in Texas. Feel free to ask any one else you might know who has lived in Houston.
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Granted I am a baylor resident and a little biased, but it is by far a level above the other programs you mentioned. You will be hardpressed to find another program with the same surgical experience and clinical exposure and trust me, this is seriously considered when interviewing for fellowship. In addition, I am from the east coast, and I was a little worried before moving down here...but houston is actually pretty metropolitan and diverse and progressive...hey did you see the recent mayoral elections? So, it's def. not a bad place to live for three years and it's also a lot cheaper than both chi town and nyc. In any case, good luck with the match!
Baylor is a good program, but there are a couple possible issues (which may or may not affect you as a resident). One is the troubled financial state of Baylor COM. Some of the buildings on their campus (including the one that the dept of ophth was originally supposed to move into) remain unfinished because they ran out of money.
The other is that Baylor as a program seems very anterior segment-centric. The current retina dept is going to take another hit, when Dr. Holz leaves in the coming year for a private practice group. This may not affect your training as a resident, but it could affect you if you decide to apply for retina and need letters from people who are well-known. Dr. Holz is the most senior retina specialist, other than Dr. McPherson, who is near retirement and doesn't operate anymore.
If you are interested in cornea, though, Baylor has a great cornea fellowship program.
The other is that Baylor as a program seems very anterior segment-centric. The current retina dept is going to take another hit, when Dr. Holz leaves in the coming year for a private practice group. This may not affect your training as a resident, but it could affect you if you decide to apply for retina and need letters from people who are well-known. Dr. Holz is the most senior retina specialist, other than Dr. McPherson, who is near retirement and doesn't operate anymore.
If you are interested in cornea, though, Baylor has a great cornea fellowship program.
I'd like to mention a few issue that photobug mentioned since I am a resident at Baylor. Yes, Baylor CoM had been having financial issues... that was the reason for the baylor Methodist split 4-5 years ago. Over the past 50 years, Baylor and Methodist had an agreement. Baylor would supply the labor force of physicains and methodist would provide the hospital. During that 50 years, baylor was only paid for physician services while methodist generated the big bucks from hospital care. When that 50 year agreement expired 4-5 years ago, Baylor wanted a portion of the profits and that was where things went sour. So, Baylor decided to build it's own hospital which is currently on a stand still due to the economic crisis that everyone has suffered. However, this past academic year, Baylor has balanced its books and had a net profit for the year. They also have a 700 million dollar endowment. Not large compared to private university but very substantial for the only top tiered standalone medical school still present today. However, of course, Baylor wants to have a greater security and that's why there has been serious talks with Rice University regarding a merger. Whether or not that happens is still to be decided, but no matter what, Baylor will remain an overall fantastic training place because of the pathology that is present in this region. Ask any program who has taken on a former baylor resident as a fellow and they will say how competantly trained we are and that all stems from the professionalism of our chair.
Now, on to ophthalmology. Dr. Jones, our chair is amazing as anyone who has interviewed at our program knows. Baylor ophthalmology has moved into a fantastic new building. Yes, it's unfinished but not because it wasn't by our decision. The original plan was the top floors belonged to Baylor administration. Since BIG baylor is cutting back on it's finances for now, that's why they did not complete any new construction including the top floors of the alkek eye center. However, the ophthalmology department finished everything that they had wanted to finish. Also, the ophthalmolgoy department owns half of the previous space which they were in-- the Neurosensory building at Methodist hospital. We are the only department at Baylor that has a standalone building. We were fortunate to obtain this because of Dr. Jones, since he knew that by having our own building, we would have greater control over how we want out department to run.
I disagree with the statement that Baylor is very anterior segment centric. We do have an extremely strong anterior segment department and that is one of our strengths. However, we have 2 neuroophthalmologist, 5 glaucoma faculty soon to be 6 in 1 year (with 1 being a recently added MD/Phd bench top scientist), 3 ocular pathologist (2 who help write the BCSC), 1 medical retina geneticist, 3 oculoplastics (2 of the oculoplastics people are trained in both oculoplastics and oculopath), 5 pediatric ophthalmologist, 3 medical cornea, 5 anterior segment surgeons, and 2 surgical retina now that Holz is gone (with 1 being a retina/oncology trained). Our strongest faculty area on size is cornea, pediatric, and glaucoma. Of the retina people listed above, I did not include Dr. Mcpherson since residents don't work with her (only fellows). I've only listed the people above in whom residents will be working with.
Now to address Dr. Holz. He is a fantastic teacher and yes he has left our department. He left our department on good terms and he really loves teaching. He is still doing things on the side with the residents for example I am continuing a research project with him. Yes, he was the most senior retina faculty.
With regards to the future of retina at Baylor. Baylor is recruiting new retina faculty. We have a TREMENDOUS amount of retinal pathologies which is why I think you will not be lacking in your retinal experience or training if you should come to Baylor. Back in the 90s, Baylor had one of the all star retina programs but many faculty were recruited away to be chairs or profs at places like BP or private practice (big big bucks). We currently have 2 retina faculty. One who has been around for several years and another who recently finished his retina/onc fellowship at Casey. I know we are currently working at recruiting and would like at least 2 additional retina faculty.
From a fellowship training standpoint in retina at Baylor in the sense of learning from faculty, it certainly is not ideal. From a surgical experience standpoint, you still get to operate A TON at Baylor because of our incredibly busy VA and County.
From a resident training standpoint in retina at Baylor, I don't think you'll lack any experience simply because of the pathology you see. I mean, as a 1st year resident last year, I got a uveitis subretinal fibrosis syndrome, a few toxocara, tons of VKH, tons of toxoplasmosis, tons of CSR, tons of ROP, a few polypoidals, a few combined hamartomas, several VHL, one DUSN, lots of syphilis and then congenital retinal stuff, several Best's and Stargardt's, a few Birdshot's, and plenty of diabetes, AMD, artery occlusions gone nuts! I believe you learn best from what you see in clinic and so, the more pathology that's available, the easier it is to learn.
From an overall residency experience at Baylor, I do think you become a very competant comprehensive ophthalmologist. While we are strong in anterior segment, I don't think it's fair to say that that's all we learn at Baylor. I think the reason why we are very well trained in all areas is simply because of the depth of pathology in every subspecialty of ophthalmology here as well as having 2 incredibly busy publics. There are just some really sick eyes here in Houston. Both County and VA are booked FULL for surgical cases for 1Y, 2Y, and 3Y up for 3 months! As a result, you get to operate A TON and that experience is priceless. Also, the faculty trusts the residents ALOT and it shows because they let us to do ALOT of advance cases that otherwise goes to fellows. For example, this year as a 2Y, i've already gotten to do a few tube shunts complete from start to finish and a complicated goniosynechiolysis on my own (of course with faculty staffing) in addition to our typical phacos and stuff.
I hope this answers some questions for people. Yes, our retina department is going through a transition right now. And Baylor overall as a school is going through a transition. However, the ophthalmology department is quite secure and stable. And any of the above things I mentioned, I do not believe at all that it affects your residency training considering the pathology here and we have a very good depth of faculty in every other subspecialty arena besides retina and retina, we currently have still 2 very good surgical retinal faculty with holz gone and 1 very good medical retina/genetics faculty. If it's any worth to anyone, I will be applying for retina fellowships and am not worried about how I will do. And, Baylor matched very well for retina fellowships this year. We have one person going to Emory and another person going to Peyman's retina group in Arizona.
Now, on to ophthalmology. Dr. Jones, our chair is amazing as anyone who has interviewed at our program knows. Baylor ophthalmology has moved into a fantastic new building. Yes, it's unfinished but not because it wasn't by our decision. The original plan was the top floors belonged to Baylor administration. Since BIG baylor is cutting back on it's finances for now, that's why they did not complete any new construction including the top floors of the alkek eye center. However, the ophthalmology department finished everything that they had wanted to finish. Also, the ophthalmolgoy department owns half of the previous space which they were in-- the Neurosensory building at Methodist hospital. We are the only department at Baylor that has a standalone building. We were fortunate to obtain this because of Dr. Jones, since he knew that by having our own building, we would have greater control over how we want out department to run.
I disagree with the statement that Baylor is very anterior segment centric. We do have an extremely strong anterior segment department and that is one of our strengths. However, we have 2 neuroophthalmologist, 5 glaucoma faculty soon to be 6 in 1 year (with 1 being a recently added MD/Phd bench top scientist), 3 ocular pathologist (2 who help write the BCSC), 1 medical retina geneticist, 3 oculoplastics (2 of the oculoplastics people are trained in both oculoplastics and oculopath), 5 pediatric ophthalmologist, 3 medical cornea, 5 anterior segment surgeons, and 2 surgical retina now that Holz is gone (with 1 being a retina/oncology trained). Our strongest faculty area on size is cornea, pediatric, and glaucoma. Of the retina people listed above, I did not include Dr. Mcpherson since residents don't work with her (only fellows). I've only listed the people above in whom residents will be working with.
Now to address Dr. Holz. He is a fantastic teacher and yes he has left our department. He left our department on good terms and he really loves teaching. He is still doing things on the side with the residents for example I am continuing a research project with him. Yes, he was the most senior retina faculty.
With regards to the future of retina at Baylor. Baylor is recruiting new retina faculty. We have a TREMENDOUS amount of retinal pathologies which is why I think you will not be lacking in your retinal experience or training if you should come to Baylor. Back in the 90s, Baylor had one of the all star retina programs but many faculty were recruited away to be chairs or profs at places like BP or private practice (big big bucks). We currently have 2 retina faculty. One who has been around for several years and another who recently finished his retina/onc fellowship at Casey. I know we are currently working at recruiting and would like at least 2 additional retina faculty.
From a fellowship training standpoint in retina at Baylor in the sense of learning from faculty, it certainly is not ideal. From a surgical experience standpoint, you still get to operate A TON at Baylor because of our incredibly busy VA and County.
From a resident training standpoint in retina at Baylor, I don't think you'll lack any experience simply because of the pathology you see. I mean, as a 1st year resident last year, I got a uveitis subretinal fibrosis syndrome, a few toxocara, tons of VKH, tons of toxoplasmosis, tons of CSR, tons of ROP, a few polypoidals, a few combined hamartomas, several VHL, one DUSN, lots of syphilis and then congenital retinal stuff, several Best's and Stargardt's, a few Birdshot's, and plenty of diabetes, AMD, artery occlusions gone nuts! I believe you learn best from what you see in clinic and so, the more pathology that's available, the easier it is to learn.
From an overall residency experience at Baylor, I do think you become a very competant comprehensive ophthalmologist. While we are strong in anterior segment, I don't think it's fair to say that that's all we learn at Baylor. I think the reason why we are very well trained in all areas is simply because of the depth of pathology in every subspecialty of ophthalmology here as well as having 2 incredibly busy publics. There are just some really sick eyes here in Houston. Both County and VA are booked FULL for surgical cases for 1Y, 2Y, and 3Y up for 3 months! As a result, you get to operate A TON and that experience is priceless. Also, the faculty trusts the residents ALOT and it shows because they let us to do ALOT of advance cases that otherwise goes to fellows. For example, this year as a 2Y, i've already gotten to do a few tube shunts complete from start to finish and a complicated goniosynechiolysis on my own (of course with faculty staffing) in addition to our typical phacos and stuff.
I hope this answers some questions for people. Yes, our retina department is going through a transition right now. And Baylor overall as a school is going through a transition. However, the ophthalmology department is quite secure and stable. And any of the above things I mentioned, I do not believe at all that it affects your residency training considering the pathology here and we have a very good depth of faculty in every other subspecialty arena besides retina and retina, we currently have still 2 very good surgical retinal faculty with holz gone and 1 very good medical retina/genetics faculty. If it's any worth to anyone, I will be applying for retina fellowships and am not worried about how I will do. And, Baylor matched very well for retina fellowships this year. We have one person going to Emory and another person going to Peyman's retina group in Arizona.
