For current residents, if you could go back in time and re-do your rank list...

[GasO]

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what are the things you wish you considered about programs before finalizing your rank list?

 

[lane]

1. do i REALLY want to be that far from home?
2. how bad do the call rooms smell?
3. how far will $42k actually go in this city?
4. who is the chair and how likely is it that they'll stick around?
5. can i understand over half of the faculty?
6. it gets HOW COLD?

just a few questions i wish i would have considered more...

 

[medicinesux]

if I don't submit this thing, can i get a refund?

seriously, I second location...3 years is a long time and nearness to family and friends is important

 

[lushmd]

I agree w/location.

 

[GasO]

thanks for the input... any other residents care to contribute?

 

[neuroride]

Location again, I love where I am at but don't have any family nearby and limited friends outside work.

Pick where it is going to be easiest on you ie: don't have to move or already have childcare for kids or spouse has a job that they really enjoy and don't have to work their way back up the ladder if they start someplace new.

 

[G0S2]

Pick where it is going to be easiest on you ie: don't have to move or already have childcare for kids or spouse has a job that they really enjoy and don't have to work their way back up the ladder if they start someplace new.

That is a huge reason for my #1 choice. If it were not a good program though, we would move.

 

[NotAMD]

1. do i REALLY want to be that far from home?
2. how bad do the call rooms smell?
3. how far will $42k actually go in this city?
4. who is the chair and how likely is it that they'll stick around?
5. can i understand over half of the faculty?
6. it gets HOW COLD?

just a few questions i wish i would have considered more...

why do so many people care about #4? as long as the program is stable/respected who cares who the chair is?

i would add that I would not value so much moving only once if it meant i had an easier intern year (ie rank random transitionals above prelim med in same city)

 

[McCram]

why do so many people care about #4? as long as the program is stable/respected who cares who the chair is?

i would add that I would not value so much moving only once if it meant i had an easier intern year (ie rank random transitionals above prelim med in same city)

IMHO, #4 is important because at certain programs the chair may serve as the program's national network access point, meaning if you want a fellowship at program X or need a job in city Y, the chair if well known can make a call on your behalf.

And less directly, I think residency programs tend to take on the attributes of its PD and Chairperson most.

My $0.02.

 

[seinfeld]

1. how far away from family will i be, is that a good or bad thing 🙄
2. Will my wife really be happy or is she just telling me that
3. How much will it cost me to move there and then back when i am done

I had a great residency expierence but i wish it did not involve moving 10hours away, those holiday trips are brutal.

 

[Gern Blansten]

why do so many people care about #4? as long as the program is stable/respected who cares who the chair is?

It has the potential to be a very big deal. If one chairman leaves (or is fired) and another, with a totally different leadership style comes in, it can change the tone of the entire department. Often, they bring certain key faculty with them which may displace other leaders in the department from positions they had. Occasionally, faculty who were friends with the former chair will be disgruntled and non welcoming to the new chair. Sometimes, the loyalty lines divide the department in two. Often, with a new chair, there can be large exodus of faculty and recruitment of new and different faculty. These things can effect the residents, though they are not always impacted. Stability in leadership is usually not a bad thing. I have seen excellent programs go downhill quickly after rapid loss of several key faculty. However, I have also seen a program where the department was in a shambles politically, but the residents still received excellent training and were overall pleased with their program. It can go either way, but stability is nice to have.

 

[NavyFlightDoc]

OHSU is a good example of the above point. Dr Kirsch is a bad***** and OHSU is a better program purely as a result of his presence.

 

[loveumms]

1. do i REALLY want to be that far from home?
2. how bad do the call rooms smell?
3. how far will $42k actually go in this city?
4. who is the chair and how likely is it that they'll stick around?
5. can i understand over half of the faculty?
6. it gets HOW COLD?

just a few questions i wish i would have considered more...

I couldn't agree more with number 4. It may seem trivial but, when you are in an OR and your attending is mumbling in a language that barely resembles English, it can lead to a very stressful day.

 

[Jay K]

Here's my third post with the same theme.

As a CA-3 interviewing for jobs right now, I'd consider if the city you're planning on training in is the same that you want to work in after you're done with residency.
1) It's easier to get a job in the same city due mainly to connections
2) It's cheaper to interview for jobs in the same city.
3) It's easier to get time off to interview in the same city.
4) You don't stray far - jobs might be in adjacent states.
5) It's hard to break into a market with no connections.

If you're planning on doing a fellowship:
1) Track record of program successfully placing residents in fellowships.
2) Locations of said fellowships - see connections
3) What fellowships are available in the program - typically the easiest fellowship to get into is your own program (cause they already know your education, personality and work ethic) - you're a "safe" bet

 

[173291]

1) Be very careful about ending up at a work-horse program for prelim year. If I could do it over again, I wouldn't have been as cheap with my transitional year applications. Meaning I would have applied to ****loads more to avoid the friggin' nightmare that has been this year.

2) Location is the most important thing. Whatever floats your boat (family, spouse/significant other, natural terrain) needs to be near-by. This will be the glue that keeps the fragments of your core together when the **** hits the fan, i.e. you are a real live resident with real live resident problems

Goodluck ya'll

 

[lfesiam]

OHSU is a good example of the above point. Dr Kirsch is a bad***** and OHSU is a better program purely as a result of his presence.

I 2nd the above comment. Dr. K is the bad**** of the bad***** of the bad******. Most of the time, I see him in scrubs w/ a black sport vest working in the OR. Never seen him in a suit, only a colorful tie on the interview day. He takes friday nights calls regularly (a chair taking friday night calls? let alone working regularly in the OR?) and drives a 1998 honda accord! My honda accord is 2002, jeeesh.......He is the man. Hired a phD in education just for the residency program..👍👍👍 The list goes on and on and on. No wonder OHSU is going to be the most desired program in the country and a model for other programs. Residents loved him. Dr. K personified EDUCATION and LEADERSHIP. His goal is to make OHSU not just a great program but the BEST ANESTHESIOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY. only good things to say.