Columbia

[Krafty]

So first, I did like dinner at Ruby Foo's, must have cost them a pretty penny. I thought it was funny their residency coordinator was dispatched by the dept to control the spending, hehe. Apparently in the past residents were ordering rounds of 18 year old aged scotch for everybody. No complaints there.

Overall pretty similar to the other interviews - morning session - presentation - little movie (marketing) - PD/Chair presentations, 2 interviews. Here's my beef with them tho (and reply and tell us what you thought):

1) Program director did not personally meet with all the applicants. That to me says "we don't really care that much as to which kind of residents we take". This didn't bother me as much as a certain friend of mine, who did an externship there and the PD didn't even meet with him during the interview.
<BUZZ> Thanks, please try again!

2) What is UP with the Peds dude!? The whole nonspecific "tell me about yourself" in front of like 20 other people was a little much. I didn't mind blabbering, but I didn't think there was a point to it, he wouldn't know my name in 3 seconds anyway - waste of time.

3) Lack of professionalism (Dr.Schecter - Peds dude) I could not believe how much trash he was talking about the other programs especially locally - Cornell.
"We have better residents", "We have better faculty, more accomplished", "Cornell is an inferior institution"...ok maybe not the last one, but I'm considering writing them a little letter saying something about his blatant arrogance. Let's face it - Columbia is NOT UCSF, DUKE, Hopkins, Duke or Penn.

Overall not to tremendously impressed. If it wasn't for location I might not rank them at all.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Beantown]

Schecter is a tool A big tool!

 

[dukeybootie]

I arrived to my interview day with high hopes, since the previous evening's dinner went quite well and the residents seemed like a good group. Was shown a lot of promo and history/heritage stuff, particularly highlighting Apgar. It seemed a bit weird to me, but I guess that is a matter of personal opinion.

Then the whole peds thing was even more strange--why make everyone go on a tour of the children's hospital, then sit everyone down at a table and make each person ask a question about peds anesthesia at Columbia? I mean, this took up ~60 minutes of the day. It *is* a very nice children's hospital but not everyone is that interested in peds (at least that was the case in my group).

One of my interviews was a real gem, the kind where you get asked "tell me about yourself," then "what can you bring to our program that other candidates cannot" or something to that effect. To top it off, I got the sense I was being strongly urged to pursue research if I were to go there.

So I was a bit disappointed because I had heard good/great things beforehand, and I still hear good/great things afterwards from various sources. I would like to think my day there was an aberration. Anyone else have comments?

 

[UTSouthwestern]

Sounds like my experience two years ago. Wasn't too impressed nor too put off by it.

 

[Thoinga Thoing]

Sounds very much like my experience there, too. Dinner was definitely fun, though, since pretty much everyone got hammered and especially since the residency coordinator looked like he was going to **** a brick when he saw the final bill......

 

[gaslady]

I thought they tried very hard to emphasize their differences from the other NYC programs. For example, older programs with more alumni, strong history of research and current opportunities for research, and peds hospital. They made it very clear that there were opportunities at the peds hospital that were only available to Columbia residents. My feeling was that they were trying to say without saying that this is what they have that Cornell doesn't. Even though Columbia has a longer history of academic /research than Cornell, they just can't compete with the housing at Cornell.

 

[s204367]

OK guys,
Thought I had to reply just a bit..I'm a CA-2 resident at Columbia. I switched into anesthesia after 2 years of a surgical subspeciality, and it was the only place i interviewed at..granted a q2 schedule can make one pretty desparate, and the old program coordinator accepted me on the day of the interview. . , there are some awesome peds attendings, and it is unfortunate you did not meet them. Peds is one of the stronger departments of the programs..They anesthesia attendings run the show, and will hold up case after case to teach residents new techniques, FBO, etc...The schedule is cush, and many days you will be out by 2-3. The Cornell and St Luke residents all come through for one month. They all seem pretty cool as well. They will do general cases only, as will the Columbia residents on their first month there. Most of us do about 3 months in babies, some up to 8. This is becuase of the cush schedule, but also because in the 2nd month and on you will do some amazing cases. Transpositions, liver transplants, and almost any cardiac amnomaly you can imagine. You will operate on neonates .5 kilo..really a great experience that can not even begin to be matched anywhere else in NYC.
As far as OB...Columbia is the only high risk OB service in Manhatten. Again you will see some amazing stuff...Pregnant ladies with PA pressures supersystolic...last week as EXIT procedure where a c-section was performed, the fetus intubated, then delivered...THe poorest of patients to the richest high profilers....Lots of clinic patients...Tons of experience and a very educational rotation with dedicated lecture every morning.
As far as Cardiac....over 2 hundred heart transplants a year, lung transplants as well. We frequently get transfers from EVERY other program in NYC..
Over 100 liver transplants a year....those my friends are the biggest of the baddest...I have had many cases with over 125 units of blood product....believe me when i say you can handle anything after a few of those..I have done almost a dozen so far.

Now, to some of the sown sides...You will work pretty hard during the day. Poor techs, some ****ty nurses. Your call schedule will be cush. one over night per week...one weekend day per month...Calls are busy till about 11. I was up all night as a CA-1 2 times. average is about 4 hours. OFten over 7.....THis year's CA-1 class is a bit strange. Wood does the rank list ENTIRELY by herself with little imput from even the program director...
My class and the CA-3s are great. Party hard and party often. The west side is more fun than the est side. As far as Carmine(the program coordinator) caring about the bill at dinners...not a chance....Wood drops about 35 grand every July renting a 200 foot luxury Yacht with 4 open bars to cruise around Manhatten...We all get to go to one conference per year, with a budget of about 1500 to each...The department has some serious money.....
If i were to aply out of med school all over again, I would probably head to MGH just because my family is from around there. However, without even looking at anyother programs in NYC,I would choose Columbia again. I think the residents are a lot more fun that those at the other programs I have met, and there is no doubt in my mind the clinical caliber of thr residents is not even close...there is not even a comparison in the difficluty of some of the cases i mentioned above...All however willgive you great training i am sure though......

 

[NYRes]

how about your call days; when do you usually get out, and how does the short call system work?

 

[s204367]

NYres,
Call is roughly one overnight and one short per week. One weekend call day per month, though I have not had a weekend call day since early Jan, and don't have another till April. Short call can be anywhere from getting out at 6pm until whenever the overnight call team can handle all of the remaining cases. This is usually around 10, so the short call team gets out one by one up till about 10. If you stay too much later you usually get out early the next day, or even the next day off. There is a totally separte call team for peds, cardiac, and ob. Call nights are very good, as there is no trauma. As a CA-1 I was up all night only once. Usually get 4-5 hours sleep or more. There is no sign out, so even if you crash at 3am there is nothing to wake you up in the morning. I would typically sleep till 10am then have the whole day off and feel pretty good.... hope you all get you matches where you want.........

 

[NYRes]

Did Columbia fill all their spots?

 

[dukeybootie]

Columbia filled all spots.