boston

There is a review on this program on the interview review thread that seems in keeping with what you have just described. My only knowledge of this program is second-hand, but it was persuasive enough to keep me from applying (and I'm looking strongly at nearly all of the Boston programs). Good luck.

 

I can speak first hand about this program as I recently interviewed there.

Overall, I think they have an average to strong clinical program. You'll do a lot of cases and be very prepared when you finish. They also have a demonstrable committment to education with a brand new multimedia room and a kick-ass web site for the residents.

However...

The interviewing experience was embarrasing at best. I received no confirmation of the interview so I called the day prior to ensure everything was all set, and proceeded to get attitude from the secretary..."why wouln't everything be all set?" was the response. When I arrived, there was no schedule and we all sat in a room for 30 minutes after the start time waiting. Finally the vice-chair greeted us an proceeded to mumble about the program for an hour, putting almost all of us to sleep. It was totally unorganized, unprepared and overall boring and worthless. After that, we went on a mini-tour and met two residents. After we left the room where the residents were studying, the vice-chair proceeded to throw one of the residents (who we just me) under the bus and describe how, duriing a recent trauma at 200 in the morning, she proceeded to make multiple errors of "ommission and commission." His point was that BMC is a great teaching hospital because he was with her and was able to debrief her afterwards, etc... Bottom line is that the guy trashed one of his residents infront of a group of applicants. NOT AN ATTENDING I WANT TO WORK WITH. We then went back to the room and each had 2 - 3 interviews (we were all suppossed to have 3 but they were short staffed). No closing words, just a secretary come in and say "alright, you guys are done." No parking validation (cost me $15.00).

The worst part about it was the lack of contact with residents. There was a first year resident who sat with us while people were getting interviewed but he must have been paid to be there. He couldn't think of anything negative about the program except for the food in the hospital cafe. Being a CA-1, he did not know the answers to many of our questions. There was no offer for contact with upper-level residents. This means one of two things... 1) they are too busy to meet with us (a bad sign) or 2) the administration is afraid of what they will say (a really bad sign).

The program does have strong points. it is small (7 residents/year) and 2 - 4 residents ever year stay on as attendings after graduation, meaning they probably had a good experience. The Chair is a nice guy, very charasmatic. Good case numbers, great trauma. Weak in OB, only kidney transplants (nothing more complicated), constantly in the shadow of MGH< Brigham, Beth Israel, lots of FMGs (some would consider this a weakness).

Final analysis... This should be a safety school only. If they will not accomodate you in January, consider it a gift and take the money you would have spent on airfare and parking and double it on a trip to Vegas. Good clinical program, no real research to speak of. Boston is the greatest city in the country, but also one of the more expensive.

If you are really interested in interviewing, email the Chairman directly and ask if he can help. Do not go through the secretary because you might get stonewalled.

Hope this helps.

 

You're not alone. I interviewed there earlier in the season and thought the coordination on the part of the secretary / office manager was deplorably unprofessional. We never met the residency coordinator (who sent us the scheduling info) at all, and we were met at the door by the office secretary (NOT the coordinator), who said, "You're too early. Don't come into the office."

The interview day consisted of sitting in the conference room by ourselves (just applicants) for most of the day, with the occasional resident and attending dropping by for a few words here and there. We saw very few residents, and perhaps it is possible to speculate that they were either too busy or hand-picked to talk to us. The PD/vice-PD and/or chair talked but had no agenda (very informal, off the cuff). We saw no other attendings and no other residents.

If the coordinator said she could "make up" an interview date for you but can't guarantee if the PD/chair will be there, after being defensive and trying to cast the blame on you for her mistake, I am not sure that I would take the interview if I were in your shoes. I would think there was no guarantee that they were seriously considering me as an applicant after all that. Fly to Boston if you want, but seriously, I would just spend the day chilling with the fiance. The interview day did very little to convince me that the program was worthwhile to interview at, much less live at for three years.

 

Gotta agree. I posted this in the interview review section, but just to let everyone know that the experiences y'all are having is common, I will repost it here.

 

after many years of experience with interviews here is some food for thought:

Whatever attitude or personality the program's office has - will only get worse after you are accepted. It makes a huge difference when you can walk into a PDs office and make crazy requests and get them all approved with a smile...

 

If it wern't for the Harbor, snow, big dig, Logan, Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots then maybe...

...sorry just pushing buttons.

That program sounds like a peice of dog shyt and Tenesma is dead on right - how you are treated on an interview is easily twice as good as you will ever be treated again.

 

Don't know why I bothered going on this interview based on all I have read and know. I would sooner change specialties than work at this hole.