- Joined
- Aug 3, 2004
- Messages
- 752
- Reaction score
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I get a ton of requests about my program, and here is my reply to a recent message.
Hey man.
I like my program... a lot! Although intern year can be a bit hectic, it's a good experience. CA-1 yr is good b/c you get paired up w/an attending, and they are always readily available. Our last mo of intern yr is an anes elective, and what it breaks down to is an intense crash course in anesthesia, and a quick cramming of M&M down your throat. This month is great b/c it gives you the tools to take on a basic case (MAC/GA/some regional), and it also equips you with a head start for board exams w/all the required reading. Our PD, Dr K. Rusin, gives us an "anesthesia essentials" course during this month, too. It's just a single intra-op event each day, how to handle it, and the DDx. For example, hypoxia, how to approach it, and the range of differentials you need to rule out.
Learning: is good b/c we get AM report 1x/wk, and 1 PM guest 1x/mo, attendance is mandatory and is checked by the PD. They stress home reading, and test the hell out of you. 2 AKT exams/yr, and 1 ITE. AKT are 1/2 day long, and ITE is a full day. If you do poorly, you get put on probation, so we definitely have motivation to read regularly.
CRNA's: we have them at all our sites, and they are typically pretty good. They really don't cross paths w/us often b/c the arrangements w/attenings are static. Some att. are resident oreinted, and others are CRNA oriented. The order changes, so one day you can be w/an attending who had CRNA's just the day before... it's all about scheduling. This holds true for all except DRH, where it's quite CRNA heavy. We typically only have a resident or 2 at any given time here, but I don't mind b/c Dr Perov is amazing w/teaching us regional. He does a ton of ortho cases, and uses regional unless contraindicated, so you get good practice w/blocks.
Moonlighting: @ PGY2, 6 mo into the yr, if you pass S3, get your license, and DEA#, you are allowed to moonlight. You get some opportunities to get workday moonlight hours... ie, getting there early to take a case, or stay late for a case, and they'll give u 50-75 bucks. You can schedule yourself for opportunities in harper, and at PGY3, you can work at the VA in the Urgent Care dept, 12hr shift, and you get like 6-700 bucks. You have around 20-30 hrs a week to remain w/i RRC hours guidelines, and that's pretty much the only stipulation.
Visa: We sponsor them.
Practical:
Hours are reasonable as hell! 50-55/wk, no weekends unless on call, which doesn't start until jan/feb-ish of CA-1 yr. You typically won't get a case assigned at 1500, and your last case is usually around 1300. 1st case is usually around 0730.
Attendings are pretty good all all the way around. We have a cuppla people who may a be a bit overbearing/intense/annoying etc..., but they are tolerable, and they teach so it makes up for it.
Workload: reasonable. About 3-4 cases/day, unless in SDS, or some other high turnover dept. MIOSH is our ortho hospital, and you'll be doing a ton of pre-ops, blocks, epidural/spinal, etc.. Not much chair-time, but that's ok b/c the purpose of going there is to get blocks, not intra-op experience.
Pay: It's a competitive resident salary... 42K and 1k/yr raise. Private programs give more, but no such programs exist in MI.
Sites: We have 6 sites, which all offfer something a little different.
Food: meal tickets for call, but cafeteria food is mediocre, at best.
Book $: 350 PGY-1, 0 PGY-2 but you get all the books you'll need for free, 1200 PGY-3, and 1200 for PGY-4. If you have a research project that you can present, they pay for you to go to conferences/meetings including airfare/lodging, but I'm not too sure about food $$.
COL: Detroit is an average city in terms of costs. Downtown is cheap/average for apt/loft, and housing is typically in run-down areas, or in new subdivisions surrounded by run-down areas. Nowhere to get groceries in D-town. Sub-urbs, on the other hand, are quite nice. You won't get as much as you will in TX, or as little as in CA, for your $$ in terms of housing, but COL otherwise is average.
Admission: Good scores #1, good person #2, good overall #3.
Hey man.
I like my program... a lot! Although intern year can be a bit hectic, it's a good experience. CA-1 yr is good b/c you get paired up w/an attending, and they are always readily available. Our last mo of intern yr is an anes elective, and what it breaks down to is an intense crash course in anesthesia, and a quick cramming of M&M down your throat. This month is great b/c it gives you the tools to take on a basic case (MAC/GA/some regional), and it also equips you with a head start for board exams w/all the required reading. Our PD, Dr K. Rusin, gives us an "anesthesia essentials" course during this month, too. It's just a single intra-op event each day, how to handle it, and the DDx. For example, hypoxia, how to approach it, and the range of differentials you need to rule out.
Learning: is good b/c we get AM report 1x/wk, and 1 PM guest 1x/mo, attendance is mandatory and is checked by the PD. They stress home reading, and test the hell out of you. 2 AKT exams/yr, and 1 ITE. AKT are 1/2 day long, and ITE is a full day. If you do poorly, you get put on probation, so we definitely have motivation to read regularly.
CRNA's: we have them at all our sites, and they are typically pretty good. They really don't cross paths w/us often b/c the arrangements w/attenings are static. Some att. are resident oreinted, and others are CRNA oriented. The order changes, so one day you can be w/an attending who had CRNA's just the day before... it's all about scheduling. This holds true for all except DRH, where it's quite CRNA heavy. We typically only have a resident or 2 at any given time here, but I don't mind b/c Dr Perov is amazing w/teaching us regional. He does a ton of ortho cases, and uses regional unless contraindicated, so you get good practice w/blocks.
Moonlighting: @ PGY2, 6 mo into the yr, if you pass S3, get your license, and DEA#, you are allowed to moonlight. You get some opportunities to get workday moonlight hours... ie, getting there early to take a case, or stay late for a case, and they'll give u 50-75 bucks. You can schedule yourself for opportunities in harper, and at PGY3, you can work at the VA in the Urgent Care dept, 12hr shift, and you get like 6-700 bucks. You have around 20-30 hrs a week to remain w/i RRC hours guidelines, and that's pretty much the only stipulation.
Visa: We sponsor them.
Practical:
Hours are reasonable as hell! 50-55/wk, no weekends unless on call, which doesn't start until jan/feb-ish of CA-1 yr. You typically won't get a case assigned at 1500, and your last case is usually around 1300. 1st case is usually around 0730.
Attendings are pretty good all all the way around. We have a cuppla people who may a be a bit overbearing/intense/annoying etc..., but they are tolerable, and they teach so it makes up for it.
Workload: reasonable. About 3-4 cases/day, unless in SDS, or some other high turnover dept. MIOSH is our ortho hospital, and you'll be doing a ton of pre-ops, blocks, epidural/spinal, etc.. Not much chair-time, but that's ok b/c the purpose of going there is to get blocks, not intra-op experience.
Pay: It's a competitive resident salary... 42K and 1k/yr raise. Private programs give more, but no such programs exist in MI.
Sites: We have 6 sites, which all offfer something a little different.
Food: meal tickets for call, but cafeteria food is mediocre, at best.
Book $: 350 PGY-1, 0 PGY-2 but you get all the books you'll need for free, 1200 PGY-3, and 1200 for PGY-4. If you have a research project that you can present, they pay for you to go to conferences/meetings including airfare/lodging, but I'm not too sure about food $$.
COL: Detroit is an average city in terms of costs. Downtown is cheap/average for apt/loft, and housing is typically in run-down areas, or in new subdivisions surrounded by run-down areas. Nowhere to get groceries in D-town. Sub-urbs, on the other hand, are quite nice. You won't get as much as you will in TX, or as little as in CA, for your $$ in terms of housing, but COL otherwise is average.
Admission: Good scores #1, good person #2, good overall #3.
