I'm a Cornell Resident so hopefully I can answer some of your questions.
Typical day begins between 6-8 for an intern and usually around 7-8 for residents. Interns typically don't work over 80 hours a week. The program is pretty strict at keeping track of your hours. Everyone knows that patient care comes first, so you aren't going to be thrown out of the hospital for working too hard, but there is plenty of back up to help you. The scutwork is a minimum. The nursing varies by floor, but in the unit setting you never draw blood and the nurses are on top of everything. On the floors the nurses might not always draw blood for you, but there is a phlebotomy team and IV team so unless you need the blood draw that second, it will be done, but I draw blood myself all the time because sometimes you want it done immediately so you just do it yourself. You can order EKG's, but they take time to get done so when someone is having chest pain, you do your own ekg's, but I don't think that is a big deal. Transport always takes your patients to tests, you just have to go if it is a unit patient on a monitored bed. Like any other place, every rotation differes, you will work much harder on some than others, but nothing is unreasonable.
The faculty cannot be beat. Although some faculty are more formal, most introduce themselves by their first name. The teaching is attending specific, but for the most part the teaching is great. On the GI service, there is a specific "teaching attending" and the teaching rounds are great. The noon conferences are usually pretty good and intern report is a highlight. There is always food at the conferences which usually isn't the best, but I didn't pick the program for its food. The amount you learn from your fellow housestaff is pretty amazing because the co-residents are smart and more than willing to share their knowledge. The attendings are always willing to talk your ear off about any topic you ask them about and then start telling you about their research. If you want to get involved in research you will find many opportunities. But as with any other place there are always some attendings that just don't teach or people don't like.
As for autonomy, you have plenty of autonomy. The patient's are about half private and half service, but regardless of the attending, they are almost always willing to discuss plans with you and want to know your input and you are an integral part of the decision making. There is a PA service that often covers patients of attendings who don't work well with housestaff and/or there is no teaching benefit for the case.
The residents are super friendly and easy to work with. The physical environment of the work area is great. The hospital is new and clean. Your life outside of work is what you make of it. The housing can't be beat as far as New York City is concerned.
This is a top notch program with top notch residents. Most graduates go into prestigious fellowships. The residents are really nice and a fun bunch. The thing that stands out most is the consistent quality of the housestaff both academically and personally. People really help each other out. If you like New York City, this is a great program. If you don't want to be in a big city, it probably isn't for you. There are plenty of great programs out there with great teaching so go where you think you will be happy. This program has a dedicated housestaff, interesting pathology, great attendings, great housing and a nice hospital.
