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Can anyone comment on their rotation at Dekalb? I am mostly looking at this recent year, due to the new director.
Dekalb rotation?
- Thread starter air bud
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I rotated at Dekalb last June and really like the program. I think that that Dr. Alder is a good director and that there really won't be any changes to the program just because he took over. All of the core guys are still very much involved with the decision making and direction of the program. Overall the one thing that stands out in my mind in terms of advice is to be prepared to work! They put in very long hours and the attendings are very demanding even of the students. You will need to know all of the cases like the back of your hand especially with Dr. Ruch. I learned a ton and I thought it was worth the work because it laid a stellar foundation for me to rock my other externships! If you have specific questions send me a PM.
Alder went to Barry, so you know he's good.
That program is already the best pod surg training in the country IMO, and it will only get better. (disclaimer: be prepared to live to work, though... which I elected not to do when I cancelled my interview there). Not unlike my own program, the PI "depth chart" of attendings is just way too deep and diverse to ever have any real problems. When you have a program where you could - quite literally - have the top 3-5 surgical volume attendings quit/move/etc... and the program would still acheive MAVs, then you know you're in a good place.
As the older guard of Banks/Ruch/etc gives way in terms of academics/leadership/surgical volume/etc to the younger PI members like Alder/MMcGlamry/Camasta/Brosky/etc, things will only continue to progress and evolve. DeKalb, again like my own program, has more overall training potential at the larger medical center (DeKalb vs Northlake). The change in directorship is also probably a good thing. Alder was the clerkship director when I visited, and he's a stand up guy with the residents' training and the history of the PI at heart. Anyone taking over a historical tradition such as the residency training program there has the common sense not to re-invent the wheel. Even if he tried (he won't... not his personality), it's not a one horse show. There are plenty of checks and balances along the way to prevent any real wholesale changes. Banks is obviously very well read and published, but the PI function as committee, and it was clear they felt it was time. I'm sure he will still be a major part of the picture, the teaching, etc. I remember saying awhile back that Dr. Banks, and ACatz at West Penn, are among the greatest pod surg educators in the country...
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=627181
That program is already the best pod surg training in the country IMO, and it will only get better. (disclaimer: be prepared to live to work, though... which I elected not to do when I cancelled my interview there). Not unlike my own program, the PI "depth chart" of attendings is just way too deep and diverse to ever have any real problems. When you have a program where you could - quite literally - have the top 3-5 surgical volume attendings quit/move/etc... and the program would still acheive MAVs, then you know you're in a good place.
As the older guard of Banks/Ruch/etc gives way in terms of academics/leadership/surgical volume/etc to the younger PI members like Alder/MMcGlamry/Camasta/Brosky/etc, things will only continue to progress and evolve. DeKalb, again like my own program, has more overall training potential at the larger medical center (DeKalb vs Northlake). The change in directorship is also probably a good thing. Alder was the clerkship director when I visited, and he's a stand up guy with the residents' training and the history of the PI at heart. Anyone taking over a historical tradition such as the residency training program there has the common sense not to re-invent the wheel. Even if he tried (he won't... not his personality), it's not a one horse show. There are plenty of checks and balances along the way to prevent any real wholesale changes. Banks is obviously very well read and published, but the PI function as committee, and it was clear they felt it was time. I'm sure he will still be a major part of the picture, the teaching, etc. I remember saying awhile back that Dr. Banks, and ACatz at West Penn, are among the greatest pod surg educators in the country...
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=627181
