Baystate

[Lysdexic]

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I just finished up my interviews and am in the process of deciding on my rank list. I really loved Baystate (I'm a Med/Peds applicant) but had a question for everyone. The categorical programs have had some problems filling with the match. How much should that affect my ranking? I loved the residents, feel very confident about the Med/Peds clinic training, and even enjoy the area.

I do not intend to go into a fellowship after residency as of now. I do have a fear that if I changed my mind, that going to Baystate would hurt my chances of getting a fellowship. I also have a potential concern about the strength of the categorical residents that I'd be working with. I have no idea if those reservations are real concerns, or if I'm blowing things out of proportion. Thoughts?

Thanks

 

[irlandesa]

Hi, I interviewed at Baystate for Categorical IM and have many of the same concerns you do. I posted most of these in the Interview Impressions section. I do have a few additional things to add that concerned me about the program, however.

1)Interns are "eligible" to admit on ANY given day depending on their patient load. Though caps and the call schedule are more than reasonable, this seems like it has the potential to foster disorganization and inefficiency.
2)Second year IM residents are essentially "clinical managers" with a very limited role in teaching med students and interns. 3rd years are responsible for the vast majority of teaching.
3)At least 50% of the residents have children, which is nice (and I really like the residents), but don't count on fitting in here that well if you're single. After seeing the enormous amount of pictures of babies in the education office and in the slide show, I almost felt like reproduction was a program requirement And I don't even know if I want kids..
4)The IM program seems to make more of an outward effort to recruit applicants from the Irish med schools than from Tufts, even though ~40% of TUSM students rotate through here at some time.. As a Tufts student who pays a huge tuition, this does not sit well with me at all.

On a good note, ICU/CCU training is reportedly outstanding, attendings LOVE to teach, and fellowship matches are decent. Also a very busy hospital with a diverse patient population, so you would get great exposure and learn a whole lot! Feel free to PM me with any questions, and good luck!