brand new program

[kbrown]

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How bad is it to be a resident at a brand new program? Especially one with a very..."boisterous" surgery residency?

 

[Apollyon]

Having been where you're describing...

It's liberating, since you have to stand up to the surgeons, and so, you develop a sense of bravado and confidence. Also, as EM, you develop a thick skin, since the surgeons will MF you up and down, but, if you do even one week on surgery, you, as EM and having a broader base, will see remarkable surgical successes, and, at the same time, average to worse routine medical management (which you could manage better, more efficiently, and more simply).

 

[kbrown]

would you say that the quality of education/training that one receives would be less? I pose this question regardless of whether or not there is a surgery residency in the same institution.

 

[kbrown]

as an aside, how long should it take for the EM virtual advisor thing from saem? it has been almost 4 months since i submitted my request.

 

[southerndoc]

Apollyon, that's very interesting to hear of your experiences.

My program is relatively new (started in 1996, just graduated our 6th class), and we do not have those problems that you describe. In fact, surgery rarely, if ever, gives us a hard time about coming down for consults. We are a section of the Department of Surgery, and when it comes to everyday operations, you can't even tell it. Perhaps administration has problems being a section of surgery, but as far as the residency and day-to-day operations is concerned, you can't tell we aren't our own department.

Perhaps in the first two years of operations we experienced the same growing pains that you describe. Your program is a little newer than mine.

 

[Apollyon]

Apollyon, that's very interesting to hear of your experiences.

My program is relatively new (started in 1996, just graduated our 6th class), and we do not have those problems that you describe. In fact, surgery rarely, if ever, gives us a hard time about coming down for consults. We are a section of the Department of Surgery, and when it comes to everyday operations, you can't even tell it. Perhaps administration has problems being a section of surgery, but as far as the residency and day-to-day operations is concerned, you can't tell we aren't our own department.

Perhaps in the first two years of operations we experienced the same growing pains that you describe. Your program is a little newer than mine.

We're also a division of surgery. The problem is the old school residents - since it's a 7 year program (2-2-3), the people that had rotated as interns or second yearsd have those memories as they've come out of the lab. As we've advanced, things have gotten better.

 

[DrQuinn]

I'm at a brand new program that is just about to introduce a full complement of residents (ie I am entering my PGY-3 year). Being at a new program is awesome, and I wouldn't change it for the world... but you have to remember:

I have only been at one program, and can only tell you my experiences...

But you really get input on how the resident education is developed, get to create new relationships with the other residents (as they learn to interact with the new EM residents), and get to leave your "mark" on the future of the program. I think our educatoin at my program is on par with, or better than, any developed residency. <--- (yes, I am proud of my program).

I would interview at the new programs and get your "feel" for it. Its pretty hard to judge a program without having met its residents or attendings, so making decisions at this point is pretty hard on whether or not to apply to a program.

Q