Does it matter where you do your anesthesiology residency?

[naus]

If you plan on going into private practice, would it matter if you did your residency at say the University of Kentucky or UMass versus say Stanford or B&W? We're not talking about tiny community programs with small caseloads.

Would you have a little bit easier time finding your first job or have more job security? Or is the career benefit negligible unless you go into academia?

How much alumni networking exists in this field?

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[MD Dreams]

Well known names will always give you an advantage, even if the training is not better. The job market sucks so you want to go to the best name (assuming training is equal or better) program you can get. Networking is also important, especially if you want to practice at a particular region. Also you may decide you want a fellowship down the line, names help here as well. Plus if you go to a program that has the fellowship you want, that may make your life much easier down the road.

 

[gtb]

Your best chance of getting a job in the town you dream of living in, is to do your residency in that town.

 

[periopdoc]

Yes. "Alumni networking" is everything (in private practice).

If you want to spend your career at a high power east coast program, you need to train on the east coast.

If you want to spend your career at a high power west coast program, you can train on the east or west coasts.

If you want to work in rural Alaska, Montana, Idaho etc, you should probably train at University of Washington, University of Oregon, Virginia Mason, University of Utah etc.

Figure out a region you want to live in and train in that region. Get to know the senior residents and where they are going. Call them when it comes time to look for a job.

Not to say that it is impossible to jump regions. I trained in the Pac NW and my best (financially speaking) job offer was about as geographically far away from my training institution as is possible without leaving the U.S. It resulted from networking done outside of training, and I am pretty sure there was significant resistance from the partners who did not know me. At least one was really concerned about whether I had sufficient trauma experience.

- pod

 

[MTGas2B]

At least one was really concerned about whether I had sufficient trauma experience.

- pod

Wow. Really? Did you laugh when that question was asked?

 

[periopdoc]

I laughed a little. Unfortunately, I didn't expect the question (although I should have) so I didn't have the HMC trauma numbers in my head. I gave him a rough idea but it would have been more convincing if I could have given him the numbers

-pod

 

[IlDestriero]

Fellowships only really help in PP if they want what you're peddling. A Peds fellowship in a group with only healthy older kids isn't going to help. A group that does hearts might want a CV guy. If they're not fellowship trained, they also might not want a newly trained kid who wants to come in and change things. Some people suggest fellowships are critical for the future, I'm not convinced. Only do a fellowship if you have a strong interest in that field and want to pursue it >50%. Avoid the pseudo fellowships like the plague (trauma, neuro, OB, or management, etc). Probably regional as well, unless your skills are weak.

 

[okayplayer]

All other things equal, if someone wanted to eventually practice in the Pac NW (Seattle), but went to a good, solid but not necessarily "big" name academic program in a different part of the country (maybe like MCW or Ohio State or Iowa), would that trump a good but smaller program like Virginia Mason?

No. VM has a (well-deserved) sterling reputation in the NW (at least on par with OHSU and UW).

With that being said, nobody (from UW, VM, or elsewhere) is getting a job in Seattle right now, unless it is in academics. The PP market is very tight, at least within the city.

Also, would fellowship help in terms of landing a private practice job in a region one wants to live in? Say again the Pac NW but from OSU with fellowship?

Potentially, but there are no guarantees. Peds/CT would probably be the most marketable.

 

[jetproppilot]

Some people suggest fellowships are critical for the future, I'm not convinced. Only do a fellowship if you have a strong interest in that field and want to pursue it >50%. Avoid the pseudo fellowships like the plague (trauma, neuro, OB, or management, etc). Probably regional as well, unless your skills are weak.

HEY MY COLLEAGUE ANESTHESIA RESIDENTS OUT THERE IN INTERNET WONDERLAND

Please read Dest's above advice since he

CUT THRU THE CHASE WITH ASTOUNDING ACCURACY.

Nicely done.

 

[step213]

Just curious, while we are on the topic of jobs and fellowship...how is the job market for graduating seniors of well known programs? I see on at least UW's website that many are taking the fellowship route nowadays compared to before when jobs were more plentiful. Are people finding jobs right out of residency in non large city areas? after fellowship? or is it still really rough?... and if they are finding jobs- how far outside of the big cities are they having to go?

 

[Direct Laryngoscopy]

With that being said, nobody (from UW, VM, or elsewhere) is getting a job in Seattle right now, unless it is in academics. The PP market is very tight, at least within the city.

How tough is Seattle? A guy from my program in NYC had 3 offers in Washington State. 2 were in the Seattle Metro area (Private practice). He took one of the offers in the Seattle area.

Of note he had no professional ties to the region and started by making cold calls.

 

[IlDestriero]

Our peds fellows all have jobs lined up except for one, but they are still interviewing and have at least one offer.
They seem to have gotten into their desired geographic areas. From what I heard, the residents that are not doing fellowships all have offers/jobs secured as well.

 

[step213]

Our peds fellows all have jobs lined up except for one, but they are still interviewing and have at least one offer.
They seem to have gotten into their desired geographic areas. From what I heard, the residents that are not doing fellowships all have offers/jobs secured as well.

Thanks... it's good to hear the sky isn't falling completely.

 

[okayplayer]

How tough is Seattle? A guy from my program in NYC had 3 offers in Washington State. 2 were in the Seattle Metro area (Private practice). He took one of the offers in the Seattle area.

Of note he had no professional ties to the region and started by making cold calls.

It depends how liberally you define "Seattle metro area," but yeah, people are getting some jobs (mostly 45 min outside of the city, some as far as Tacoma).