-
Practice your interview with the new SDN AI Interview Coach. Choose a school, answer by voice or typing, and receive a personalized feedback report. Available now to all SDN members. Try the AI Interview Coach.
Do you recommend your residency prgm?
Started by nykka3
Yes, I am happy at my program.
Why? Great faculty and teaching, the hours are not ungodly (at least not after the first 3 months of the year for the interns and chiefs). Tons of cases. Huge high risk population. Great autonomy.
My beefs...well, high risk clinic is simply too busy. And, living in this town is a bit on the dull side. Some people love it, but I need to be either in a small town on the beach or a city.
Good luck with the match
Why? Great faculty and teaching, the hours are not ungodly (at least not after the first 3 months of the year for the interns and chiefs). Tons of cases. Huge high risk population. Great autonomy.
My beefs...well, high risk clinic is simply too busy. And, living in this town is a bit on the dull side. Some people love it, but I need to be either in a small town on the beach or a city.
Good luck with the match
Stony Brook on Long Island - I'm happy! I'd go so far to say that I think all of us are. It's hard when you start your intern year because of expectations and learning a new system and all of that. But I'm now a third year, and I still love my program. We go out socially after work hours, we hang out after sign out to catch up with each other, there are lots of hugs that go around. Plus, there are tons of OR cases and excellent experience (I had 12 abdominal hysts by the end of my second year).
I think the best example of how close we are was this past month - it was my first month taking chief call and our graduated chiefs (left in June 07) called me to check on me at nights when they were also on call. So even when you go on from here, you still keep in touch with those who are still in the program.
I think the best example of how close we are was this past month - it was my first month taking chief call and our graduated chiefs (left in June 07) called me to check on me at nights when they were also on call. So even when you go on from here, you still keep in touch with those who are still in the program.
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Hey Nykaa3 - can you give any insight into the atmosphere of UTMB - Galveston? My advisor says it's a great program, and as much as academic reputation is important, I'm going to be very conscientious as to the resident attitudes, support, etc as I go through the process.
Also, I'm VERY interested in UTMB - Austin (my parents live there) - any word on the street on how it's faring as such a new program?
I can completely recommend my home program (did my clerkship and sub-i there) - Banner Good Sam. Great residents and faculty support, MFM fellowship onsite (Dr. Elliot is the man for multiples), university affiliation with U of AZ. Maybe the only drawback is no nightfloat, if that's important to you.
Hi Pinki,
Sorry for the delay! I am applying to both the Galveston and Austin prgms.
So UTMB-Galveston.
I have only done my clerkship over a year ago at UTMB, but I have friends who are current residents so a lot of this is what they have told me and some of what I have seen. This is a university prgm. with a lot of high volume OB. The residents I have spoken to say the hours avg from 60-80 per week. I was told by one of the residents that if you are over your hours in one week you get compensated in the next week, and the PD is a strict about the 80 hour limit. We have a new residency director , Dr. Brietkopf, who used to be the clerkship director for some time. He is great and really listens to resident concerns, and his goal is to make this prgm. one of the best in Texas. I also noticed that one of his articles on endometrial hyperplasia is referenced in the new ed. of the little red book (OB/GYN and infertility 6th ed.). Over the past year, UTMB SOM has gotten a new Dean of Medicine, Dr. Anderson who was the chairman of the OB/GYN dept. He is wonderful and makes an effort of meeting with medical students on a regular basis, and i am pretty sure he still is involved with the ob/gyn dept. in some way still. Therefore, we have new ob/gyn chairman who has been MFM faculty at UTMB for many years, Dr. Hankins. He is also great, and one of the authors of Critical Care Obstetrics and Operative Obstetrics. The gyn numbers are pretty good and our PD also has the residents rotate at some private hospitals and the valley to increase numbers. Other great points are a lot of autonomy (but still guidance), protected didactic time, continuity clinic, opportunities to operate during 1st year and night float. Some may find this a positive or a negative but we only have one non-ob/gyn rotation which is ER. I also like the fact that UTMB also serves inmates from the Tx. Dept. of Criminal Justice and we have a separate prison ward, and we thus deliver their babies and see some rare gyn pathologies. The pgy1 and pgy2's i have spoken to state that their camraderie is great and i also get a long fine with all of them. There might be a minority among the those from pgy1-4 that are malignant or highly stressed (b/c this is ob) but overall everyone seems fine.
UTMB-Austin: I did my AI here last spring and I loved it. It is a community hospital univ. affiliated (with UTMB-Galveston). It is a relatively new prgm. with only pgy1-3 represented right now. Most of the faculty, including the chairman Dr. Brown, were all trained at UTSW, UTMB or UT-Houston. They are very approachable. Since this is a new program, residents get to do a lot more early on. They have a high risk area and a somewhat low risk area on the 5th floor. Since the prgm. is housed in Brackenridge which is a Catholic hospital, women elect to have a tubal ligation have to give birth on the 5th floor which is owned by the city of Austin and UTMB. As an AI, you do all of your OB on the 5th floor and get to deliver lots of babies since it isn't high risk. This is where first year residents spend most of their OB time btw. They also have a 1 year OB fellowship for FP. Since the prgm. is affiliated with Galveston, you are able to do research if you like. I know of one resident who is currently doing this. They also have protected didactic time. When I did my AI, Dr. Cunningham (one of the authors/editors of Williams Obstetrics) from UTSW gave a lecture. The faculty is very approachable and willing to teach. The residents work hard but are very approachable and get along. Also, Austin is nice. I grew up there.
I hope this was helpful. Please PM me if needed. Good luck!
Anyone wanna tell us more about other programs??
If you are interested in a strong community program with Jeff Univ. affiliation check out Lankenau Hospital in Philadelphia. Plenty of OB and gyn. Great team of residents. Didactics are well-structured. It's a Jefferson and PCOM core rotation site.
here's the website.
http://www.mainlinehealth.com/mlh/hprof/meded/article_4699.asp
here's the website.
http://www.mainlinehealth.com/mlh/hprof/meded/article_4699.asp
I like my program! I'm at Wake Forest. The people are friendly. Yes, it's really hard work, you are busy pretty well all the time, but I'm learning a ton and feel like we are listened to by the faculty. You start operating as an intern - I'm already well over 60 C/S (not all with me as primary of course 🙂) and it's only September! Are there drawbacks... of course. It's not a huge place, but it's affordable to raise a family. Are there really hairy rotations... yes, high risk is difficult, gyn onc is difficult - but that's probably everywhere.
hey tired mom,
is wake forest an ok place for a single female? if not, what is close by?
I've been married for almost 10 years now, so I'm not sure I'm the best to ask. Of the current residents, several have gotten married during the program, some came in married (all of our intern class came in married) but some other classes are nearly all single. There is a ton of residents in this town, so I would imagine that means eligible singles, but I can't say for sure. I know the single ones do have plenty of dates 😀! We as a group get together a decent amount and bring SO's if ya got 'em.
In the area, I think Chapel Hill probably has a similar mix of tons of residents in a smaller city setting. Winston-Salem is around 280K or so. I'm sorry, it wasn't really something I looked at.
In the area, I think Chapel Hill probably has a similar mix of tons of residents in a smaller city setting. Winston-Salem is around 280K or so. I'm sorry, it wasn't really something I looked at.
As I mentioned, I am very happy at Carilion Clinic. Additionally, I can tell you about places that I interviewed, at least the ones that I remember...
Great places:
University of New Mexico-super cool faculty and attendings, nice program numbers, great ultrasound training, fun town (if you are into the outdoors)
Grand Rapids-this one surprised me-well organized program, faculty were awesome, great facilities-but, it is freakin' Michigan
I had a bunch of other interviews at a big mix of places, but none of them really stood out. Some of the University programs were surprisingly weak, and some of the community programs surprisingly strong (ie Carilion was a big surprise).
The match is like getting married after one date, so be sure that you get as much information as you can, visit your top spots again if you can, talk to students that rotated through, keep in touch with a resident at the programs right up until match day. Also, be careful of a places "reputation"-far more important than that will be the feel you get on that interview day, and the people you will be working with. 80 hours a week is a lot of time, as is 4 years. These people will be your family. You can get good training in a lot of places, so make sure you can actually live and be happy with the one you choose.
Great places:
University of New Mexico-super cool faculty and attendings, nice program numbers, great ultrasound training, fun town (if you are into the outdoors)
Grand Rapids-this one surprised me-well organized program, faculty were awesome, great facilities-but, it is freakin' Michigan
I had a bunch of other interviews at a big mix of places, but none of them really stood out. Some of the University programs were surprisingly weak, and some of the community programs surprisingly strong (ie Carilion was a big surprise).
The match is like getting married after one date, so be sure that you get as much information as you can, visit your top spots again if you can, talk to students that rotated through, keep in touch with a resident at the programs right up until match day. Also, be careful of a places "reputation"-far more important than that will be the feel you get on that interview day, and the people you will be working with. 80 hours a week is a lot of time, as is 4 years. These people will be your family. You can get good training in a lot of places, so make sure you can actually live and be happy with the one you choose.
