Decisions, decisions...

[EMApplicant]

Man, this ranking thing is hard. I'm already on my 2nd certified rank list and i'll probably change it again before all is said and done. Any thoughts on ranking these? No flames please, i realize this is splitting hairs but I am genuinely conflicted.

My top programs (not yet ordered) are likely going to be:

nyu - loved it except for the ancillary staff, which i consider a pretty big BUT....

brigham - some great faculty with some unique resources, i just worry about the malignancy involved in training at MGH...

harbor - great program, but terrible pay...is it enough in LA?

stanford - great program, but too much commuting?​

Any input on these concerns from those in the know would be most appreciated! Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[waterski232002]

I interviewed at all those programs except for Harbor.... Had I been offered an interview at Harbor it would have definitely been in my top 2 programs! I think the combination of LA, county program, excellent reputation, strong faculty, and solid forsight for the future of emergency medicine make Harbor awesome.

Personally, I wouldn't let $$$ factor into your decision. We will all be successful physicians in the future and $$$ will not be a problem in the end. When you are 40 yrs old and have a family, the things you will look back on and remember will be what kind of experience you had in residency (did you have fun, did you socialize, did you like the people you worked with). If you let a few thousand dollars affect what city you live in, than you may pay the price of living in a less than ideal city for 3-4 years. Granted all these places are great cities--but if you have a preference for one over another than don't let money be the deciding factor. Also, if you're really worried about $$$, then how the heck are you even considering a 4 yr program ($100K mistake?).

I agree stanford has a lot of commuting, but the academics of the program are fantastic and I think it probably has the most well rounded curicullum of all the 3 year programs I interviewed at. I actually really liked the transitional 1st year. Plus, they offer lots of elective time (2.5 months). As far as NYU, I have the same concerns as you... Same as with Brigham. Personally, I would rather live in NYC than Boston... but then again, I really want to have a car during residency. Do you have a preference for location???

I hope someone else can shed some light as to what they think about those programs.

 

[EMApplicant]

I interviewed at all those programs except for Harbor.... Had I been offered an interview at Harbor it would have definitely been in my top 2 programs! I think the combination of LA, county program, excellent reputation, strong faculty, and solid forsight for the future of emergency medicine make Harbor awesome.

Personally, I wouldn't let $$$ factor into your decision. We will all be successful physicians in the future and $$$ will not be a problem in the end. When you are 40 yrs old and have a family, the things you will look back on and remember will be what kind of experience you had in residency (did you have fun, did you socialize, did you like the people you worked with). If you let a few thousand dollars affect what city you live in, than you may pay the price of living in a less than ideal city for 3-4 years. Granted all these places are great cities--but if you have a preference for one over another than don't let money be the deciding factor. Also, if you're really worried about $$$, then how the heck are you even considering a 4 yr program ($100K mistake?).

I agree stanford has a lot of commuting, but the academics of the program are fantastic and I think it probably has the most well rounded curicullum of all the 3 year programs I interviewed at. I actually really liked the transitional 1st year. Plus, they offer lots of elective time (2.5 months). As far as NYU, I have the same concerns as you... Same as with Brigham. Personally, I would rather live in NYC than Boston... but then again, I really want to have a car during residency. Do you have a preference for location???

I hope someone else can shed some light as to what they think about those programs.

hey waterski, thanks for the excellent input. i agree, $$ shouldn't be a big factor. that's why i'm looking at both 3 & 4 year programs. as long as i have enogh to be reasonably comfortable it's not that big a deal.

but, harbor pays about $10,000/year (or 25% less) less than the other 3 programs I listed. that's pretty significant. when you're only making a resident's salary, the loss of 10k/year is pretty harsh. i think harbor pays about the lowest salaries of any em program around.

as far as location preference, i like cali and nyc a lot. boston less so - but i have many friends in boston as i used to go to school there.

still lost. how's your rank list? i should probably just go back to thailand. when i was over there none of this seemed to matter!

 

[waterski232002]

I leave for China in 2 days!

 

[jonahhelix]

Hi EMA-

So, the only one of your progs that I interviewed at was Stanford. I thought the people (fac and residents) were great: super nice and clearly smart. I found their love for EM and EM academics to be definite strong points. However, 12 hour shifts up to 1 hr away seems barbaric. Personally, I'd need an attending's salary so I could keep an apartment in each city.

As for Harbor: I didn't interview there because I thought the transitional-esque 1st year would be painful. I also had some concern about surviving the COL in LA (of course, I am considering Boston, so....). Also, I personally think there is such a thing as *too* county. However, clearly people LOVE this program for a reason; if you liked it a lot upon visiting, I'd say it'd be tough to pass up based on $$.

As for Brigham: I think Boston is a wonderful town and I found the Brigham program and people to be top notch when I informally visited last Fall. For me the 4 year thing was a deal breaker, but if it's not for you, I think this prog is great.

I know nothing about the NYU program, but bad ancillary staff is a huge downer, for sure.

So, I think if I was ranking your list (skipping NYU):

1) BW/MGH
2) Harbor
3) Stanford

Good luck!

 

[roja]

nyu - loved it except for the ancillary staff, which i consider a pretty big BUT....

!​

You should have come to visit me. ​

 

[waterski232002]

I would suck up the $$$ thing during residency and go for this ROL...

1) Harbor
2) Stanford
3) NYU
4) Brigham

Between Harbor and Stanford, I would choose Harbor because you can actually live in the city... If you don't have a problem communting a lot, and could suck it up, then maybe Stanford should be number 1. But I'm guessing you want to actually be in a city--why else would you prefer Cali and NYC?

As far as NYU and Brigham... well, they're 4 years. And if you're worried about a measly 10k during residency, it wouldn't make sense to choose a 4 year program, especially in a city that's not your top choice (Boston).

 

[hello23]

Stanford in my opinion is no where near Harbor or Bellevue in terms of reputation and training....For the salary issue...having 10K more from Stanford can just cover the crazy rents of Palo Alto. It should all come down to the same thing after rent for both Harbor and Stanford.
1) harbor 2) Bellevue 3) Stanford 4) Brigham

 

[EMApplicant]

thanks for all the advice everyone - definitely appreciate it. this ranking stuff is hard!