Call load and moonlighting in radiology residencies

[rock1234]

Radiology applicant here. I'm older than the average applicant and have two kids to feed, and that I would like to spend time with. Wife is sick and cannot work.
Could you please answer the following, regarding UCSD, UCSF, UCLA, MGH, MOUNT SINAI, MONTEFIORE, COLUMBIA and CORNELL.

1. How often are you on call?

2. What moonlighting do you have (pay per h, hard to get?)?

3. What standard of living do you have in your city (any savings? living from paycheck to paycheck?)?

I very much do appreciate your response, and it would certainly direct my ranking. Please do help!

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[GadRads]

Congrats on having very good programs to rank. I can't answer any questions in terms of moonlighting. All the cities you listed are expensive with SF being the worst. Hopefully you are taking the cost of living in SF into account. For Montefiore, the cost of living in the Bronx did not seem bad and the salary was decent. Moonlighting was also decent, but it is based on seniority. You won't get much/if any as an R1 at Monte.

Per rumors and my interview experience, UCSF seems to be the hardest-working program on your list and with needing to commute across multiple hospitals in terrible traffic, but it's arguably the best reputed program in the country. The chillest program appears to be UCLA, again per rumors.

If cost of living is an issue, UCSF would be at the bottom of your list with Montefiore at the top. But this would be a narrow-minded way to rank, unless you have far compelling reasons.

Using your criteria, my rank order would be MGH, UCLA, UCSD, Montefiore, Columbia, Cornell, Mt Sinai. I am more certain about the top 2 (MGH, UCLA). I don't know where to place UCSF since it's the best program, but with a wife who can't work and 2 kids, the cost to you will be very high. I have a friend who lives in Oakland in a 1 bedroom with rent at $2700/month.

Overall, your own individual efforts appear to be more important that the name of your program, since these are all very good programs. Hopefully other posters weigh in.

 

[rock1234]

Thanks Cyal, that's an invaluable response!