I'm finishing up my TY at Harbor, and I can tell you: it is quite cush. I personally cannot imagine a program as easy as this. Not saying that there aren't programs easier out there, but I've just had it so easy this year, I can't even tell you. I definitely do not feel like I've done an internship.
As far as the schedule is concerned, you have 4 hard rotations...that's it: IM wards, CCU, Trauma surg, and a surgery subspecialty. You then have only 2 other required rotations: outpatient clinic and ER, both of which are easy (you are like a med student in the ER, and the pediatric clinic, which is one of the options, is 4 days a week). The remainder of your schedule is electives, and there are some electives that are so easy that it basically feels like a vacation. Dermatology is 16 hours a week (4 half days; you get off saturday, sunday, and monday). You can do a research "elective" which for most people ends up being a month of vacation. The anasthesia elective is even easier than derm (read: you make your own schedule, and nobody cares if you show up or not). I can honestly say that I have had so much free time this year that I haven't known what to do with myself. Yes, your IM month is hell, absolute hell. I hated it. I wanted to cry. You will work more than 80 hours a week. But it's only 1 month. Trauma surgery can be rigorous work-wise, but the surgeons at Harbor are so fun, and you see such amazing ****, that it really ends up being one of your best rotations. Most people, in fact, love trauma. Plus, you are gauranteed every post-post long call day off, and you get out your post-long call day at 8am. So you are actually off quite a bit. CCU is hit or miss. I had a very easy month; others have a more difficult month. Surgical subspecialty month is consistently rigorous, although not as bad as IM. Other great electives if you are interested: Peds ER and Psych ER. If you aren't going into ophtho, ophtho elective is easy as well. (beware if you are going into that specialty, however). You cannot go wrong with Harbor.
Sorry about the rambling...but one other thing. Thought I would briefly discuss some of the questions I have heard raised about Harbor: 1. No PACS--used to be true, but no longer. Just instituted a PACS system this year. 2. Blood draws: interns no longer have to do blood cultures. 3. ABGs: Interns do do stat ABGs, but if you are willing to wait, RT will do it. But you definitely will do some ABGs while you are here, so that is one "myth" that is true. 4. Paperwork: yeah, there is a lot of paperwork. You will get sick of it when you are on a ward rotation. But there are so few rotations where you have to do the paperwork that it doesn't matter. 5. Approval for Radiology Studies: yes, all studies have to be approved. But, once again, if you schedule correctly, you will have very few rotations where you have to deal with this ****, so who cares? 6. Safety: harbor is not in the ghetto. It's not Beverly Hills, but it isn't the ghetto. you don't have to worry about you car being stolen. There are plenty of nice cars in the parking lot. I have a 50k plus car, and I've never worried. I've gone to restaurants in the area at night, and I've never been scared. Hell, many of the residents live in the apartment complex across the street.
; 3. you have 1 month (I think) of elective; one guy I know was able to do ophtho.
Is that enough punishment?
