cush prelims

[snoopdizzle]

Navigating through FREIDA I'm finding it difficult to assess the malignancy of some of these programs. Prelims and Categoricals are in the hospital for different reasons, prelims are getting through a year and categoricals are there to learn. However because of that, I've heard that prelims are abused in certain placed. Does anyone know of any places that are especially prelim friendly?

I've heard Cabrini in NY and Oakwood in MI are good.

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[Mumpu]

Presbyterian St Luke's in Denver is about as cush as it gets. Very very competitive because of that though.

 

[chicamedica]

Navigating through FREIDA I'm finding it difficult to assess the malignancy of some of these programs. Prelims and Categoricals are in the hospital for different reasons, prelims are getting through a year and categoricals are there to learn. However because of that, I've heard that prelims are abused in certain placed. Does anyone know of any places that are especially prelim friendly?

I've heard Cabrini in NY and Oakwood in MI are good.

Whoa whoa whoa. . .we've gotta stop this stereotype! Many prelims are actually there to LEARN too. Some of us actually do like medicine and want to have a strong background for our future field.

But yeah if you just want to get through the year and not learn anything, Cabrini's great i hear. Dont extrapolate your goals to everyone else though.

 

[Swaydaa]

Whoa whoa whoa. . .we've gotta stop this stereotype! Many prelims are actually there to LEARN too. Some of us actually do like medicine and want to have a strong background for our future field.

But yeah if you just want to get through the year and not learn anything, Cabrini's great i hear. Dont extrapolate your goals to everyone else though.

I totally agree with the above post. If you need a first year for the "road" programs, I would choose a good, but NON-MALIGNANT program. If you are part the "D" class, I could see maybe taking the easiest path. Trust me, you will lose ground on other residents starting at the R2 level for the other "roa" fields. I took a relatively tough preliminary medicine year, and I can already see the difference in knowledge/clinical exposure to some of my fellow R2's who had easy 1st years. You will almost always have to "pay back" any lack of a strong 1st year PGY1 internship......either way, you will have to learn the info at some point. In my opinion it's best to do it as a PGY1 when they don't eXpect much from you!!!!!!!!!

 

[deleted4401]

I did prelim at UPMC (pittsburgh main). It's known as a tough program, but I didn't find it too challenging, and I learned a ton of medicine. I did 7 call months, and averaged 60-65 hours a week on those rotations. My hardest month was inpatient oncology, and that was higher, closer to 65-70 hours a week. I worked >80 hours (81) one time, and that was b/c my resident was being a hard ass about days off. 40-45 hours a week on the electives (GI, hematology), and I hardly showed up for radiology (2 hours a day). The ED months were 45-50 hours a week, and night-float (2 x 2 weeks) was 60 hour/weeks, with weekends off. But, I did have a VA intensive schedule, and those months are easy at UPMC.

In Pittsburgh, UPMC Shadyside is a little bit easier, Mercy is super cush, West Penn is not too bad.

Easy programs: Roanoke, VA, St. Joseph in Houston, Oakwood (Jokewood) in MI, St. Joseph in Phoenix, Good Sam's in Phoenix, the Denver program, Evanston Northwestern, Mayo Scottsdale and Jacksonville, Riverside in Columbus, OH, Philly has a few cush ones but I forgot the names. There is a lot out there. Some prelim medicine years are as comfortable as TYs. And, I don't think easy = no learning. The cush programs just cut out the BS, and you still get to learn medicine.

 

[positiveaob]

..And, I don't think easy = no learning. The cush programs just cut out the BS, and you still get to learn medicine.

Great point. Look for programs with good ancillary services that cut out a lot of scut. It's good to become proficient at drawing blood and starting IVs, etc. But little stuff like that takes up your time.

 

[ktat72]

John Peter Smith in Fort Worth, Texas - a good mix of rotations in different specialties, nice schedule, great ancillary staff, a city with a very low cost of living.

 

[medgator]

Great point. Look for programs with good ancillary services that cut out a lot of scut. It's good to become proficient at drawing blood and starting IVs, etc. But little stuff like that takes up your time.

And when you feel like you want that experience, just mosey on over to your local VA Most medical centers will have one affiliated with it.

My only doctor draws all year during internship were at the VA when the IV team couldnt draw blood on one of my patients.

 

[lakeplacid]

I have also heard that Mercy in Baltimore, MD is very cush, but if people could verify that'd be great.