I interviewed at Duke over a month ago. It was very similar to all the other interviews I have been on. A major difference was the 6 faculty interviews. Seems a little excessive.
Duke has an excellent program. They take pride in only taking 12-14 residents per year so that every case a resident does is a learning case. The strengths are regional (where the number of peripheral nerve blocks outnumber places like Virginia Mason) and cardiac. They also have a night float system to reduce call.
There are some weaknesses though. Not alot of trauma in Durham if that is your thing. Also, I've seen much more attractive OB and peds. Third, the education system (didactics) seemed weak. Duke desires "highly motivated individuals" who largely learn anesthesia on their own.
My biggest angst with Duke was the people. The faculty were bipolar. Some were very nice and impressive. The kind of people I would like to work for on a daily basis. Several others were the most arrogant I have met on the trail. I didn't identify with any of the residents either. I'm really not very cool, but many of the residents belong in a revenge of the nerds film. Did anyone else get this vibe from Duke?
