For the ranking gurus, opinion on 4 programs.

[RadioPaisano]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Greetings all, wanting to elicit some opinions or thoughts on 4 programs. This is removing location and focusing purely on the programs themselves.

Trying to organize the top of the list and having some difficulty. Any insight you might have on recent or upcoming changes, status, or even just your opinion or experience interviewing there would be quite appreciated. I just want to hear what kind of experience you had and how that made you think about that program.

Univ of Washington
Indiana Univ
Brown Univ
Univ of Wisconsin

Thanks.

 

[Marqz]

Indiana: Loved it. Very chill, extremely nice people and top notch hospitals. Felt like the PD was really welcoming and "we look for people not just numbers". Very high ranked in doximity too, which adds to it.
U Wash: Honestly, dissapointed. Felt like it would be my number 1 going in but it just felt waaay to formal and uptight. Probably goes with the research reputation. The dept chair was awesome though, very friendly. Awesome city.
Brown: Upbeat, party-ish. Residents did some shots on the preinterview dinner. Had a feeling that they were into cranking out PP minded radiologists. Very "work hard, play hard" feel. Smaller of the four I think. Having so many cities and other medical centers around Providence did make me feel like they might not get to see a lot, but apparently their ED is really busy so I don't know.
Wisconsin: Cold as ***. Went in January, bad move. But really nice interview, people and experience, as a friend of mine put it: "they're pretty much canadians that far up". Best interview lunch. Cramped reading rooms.

 

[RadioPaisano]

Brown: Upbeat, party-ish. Residents did some shots on the preinterview dinner.

O.O

 

[Want2DoRad]

Univ of Washington: expensive city but great program

Indiana Univ: large program, seemed to do call at a lot of places

Brown Univ: (no idea)

Univ of Wisconsin: cold, strong academic reputation, more affordable than UW

 

[RadioPaisano]

Indy also seemed to have a substantial moonlighting repertoire, probably because of the size and ability to spread call. Wisconsin had call every 7th day if I recall correctly.

 

[Want2DoRad]

There is moonlighting at Indiana for sure, but the residents told me that it wasn't worth changing your rank list for.

 

[shark2000]

Academic reputation:
Wisconsin>= Washington> Indiana> Brown

Wisconsin: One of the best MSK and one of the best body departments in the country.

Washington: Solid program in most areas. Good academic reputation.

Brown: Probably one of the best, if not the best IR program in the North East. Other departments are fine. Other than IR, the best jobs in north east go to graduates of big Boston programs and well reputable NY programs. Rank it high only if you are 100% sure that you want to do IR.

 

[RadioPaisano]

Thanks shark. Would you place Wisconsin over Washington in terms of academic rep?

 

[shark2000]

Thanks shark. Would you place Wisconsin over Washington in terms of academic rep?

I put Wisconsin over Washington (esp it has a very good reputation in midwest) but the difference is not significant. So go for location.

 

[Gadofosveset]

Thanks shark. Would you place Wisconsin over Washington in terms of academic rep?

UW MSK is no slouch + they have Harborview (for better or for worse). The two programs are on par on the MSK aspect of training. My personal take is that they are on par for body, too. UW gets the nod for cardiothoracic.
I'd have to agree with the earlier comment that their program "culture" either turns you on or turns you off. I'd make your gut check on that aspect of it a large part of your decision.

 

[RadioPaisano]

Gut check cause of weather is pulling me away from Wisc right now 😛. Any takes on Indy?

 

[Gadofosveset]

Unfortunately, I have zero idea what Indiana is like. People on this forum seem to like them.

 

[shark2000]

UW MSK is no slouch + they have Harborview (for better or for worse). The two programs are on par on the MSK aspect of training. My personal take is that they are on par for body, too. UW gets the nod for cardiothoracic.
I'd have to agree with the earlier comment that their program "culture" either turns you on or turns you off. I'd make your gut check on that aspect of it a large part of your decision.

As I mentioned, there is no significant difference between two programs. However, disagree with your statement about both MSK and Body. Wisconsin has better MSK and body departments. It weak link is probably its Neuro department.

Anyway, both are very good programs and the OP should choose based on location.

 

[Gadofosveset]

As I mentioned, there is no significant difference between two programs. However, disagree with your statement about both MSK and Body. Wisconsin has better MSK and body departments. It weak link is probably its Neuro department.

Anyway, both are very good programs and the OP should choose based on location.

Haha... did you train at Wisco? but no need to dispute... let's just put Felix Chew and Fred Lee in a room and they can battle it out for ye greatest department in ye lande. Lee probably has a slight edge with his microwave weapons.

 

[RadioPaisano]

Thanks guys, not considering body or MSK (I know things change once in, but still) but still nice to hear about specifics. It's quite hard to find out about these things, rads is an obscure world...pun intended.

 

[Gadofosveset]

Radiology training tends to make you really passionate about your training program and other programs -- for or against. I know I certainly am (I didn't go to any of the programs on this list, btw, although I interviewed at two of them... God, that seems like forever ago).

It's kind of nice in a way... people supporting their faves and their training team... a personal aspect in this huge impersonal machine of academic training. You're gonna end up knowing the faculty pretty well wherever you go by the time you finish training. If the faculty are remote, that's a bad sign; mentorship (either acknowledged or not) is a huge thing in this specialty. I think it's the only way to be better than an average rad. Reading can only take you so far.

 

[shark2000]

Haha... did you train at Wisco? but no need to dispute... let's just put Felix Chew and Fred Lee in a room and they can battle it out for ye greatest department in ye lande. Lee probably has a slight edge with his microwave weapons.

I did not train at any of these programs. I have done all my training in one of the big coastal cities. As an MSK and body radiologist (a fellowship and mini fellowship), I have heard Wisconsin more than Washington.

Anyway, no need to dispute. I think both of us agree that the difference is not significant and the OP should choose based on other factors.

 

[radiology_hopeful]

- Univ of Washington: I find it interesting that one of the other commenters said it felt stuffy, because I felt like UW was a really down-to-earth academic place. Seattle is amazing.

- Indiana Univ: No idea, but I've heard good things. Personally, I'd never so much as visit Indiana.

- Brown Univ: It has always confused me why Brown essentially as a rule is panned ("except for IR") on the forums. My understanding is that the department is actually very academically-minded. Regarding volume, it has the busiest ED in New England (lightyears busier than MGH, BWH, etc.), and among the busiest in the nation. Providence is a really cool and up-and-coming city with unlimited art/foodie attractions.

- Univ of Wisconsin: Didn't interview there, so I can't speak directly to it. But as others have said above in greater detail, great reputation, can't go wrong with this place. Mainly a location preference issue.

 

[RadioPaisano]

I hear ya, Indiana does feel quite sequestered. Regarding Brown, that was also the vibe that I got. Liked it quite a bit, my only concern was the big names less than 2 hours around it.

 

[elektroshok]

Honestly Indy is a pretty decent city. I had thought the same thing before I came here but there is quite a bit to do, living downtown is fun, and you're close to a ton of other fun cities for weekends if you need to get out. Worth at least thinking about.

 

[RadioPaisano]

I'm still considering Indy, mostly just because of the people that I met that day. Lois and Dr Heitkamp were great. The city itself I did not have that much of an opportunity to tour and I got in too late to make it to the pre-interview dinner. It's good to hear it's not what we think of when we hear "Indiana"

 

[radiology_hopeful]

Re: Brown, my impression is that they don't lose much pathology to the Boston programs because their catchment area extends to all of RI and eastern CT.

 

[RadioPaisano]

I know someone just posted on this earlier today, but what are your guys' thoughts on UTSW when compared to those programs above? Seemed like they had a bunch of cool new stuff going on.