G'town vs. GW psych residencies

Started by soo
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soo

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Hi there--I'm trying to get as much info as possible on how the Georgetown and George Washington psych residencies compare. I've read their program descriptions on their sites, but I still don't have a good feel for their unique characters.

If anyone out there has interviewed/rotated through these programs, would you please give me a read on their strong and weak areas, as well as their overall "gestalt"? This would help me very much in preparing for my interviews and weighing the question of where I'd fit in best.

Thanks!
-Soo
 
I interviewed in both places, these were some of my impressions:
GW has a small program (4 PGY1s), the PD seems to be a nice guy and most of the residents seem happy. The GW hospital has a very small psych service, residents rotate in different places in the DC area. The patient number and diversity is very limited, you will not see much variety of patients at GW.

G'town program is a bit latger (7 PGY1s I think). They work with the VA and have a larger a more varied patient population. The people are not as nice as in GW, or at least that was my impression.

If you are an IMG (like me): both GW and G'town don't seem to be much IMG-friendly. I didn't see any foreign resident in either place.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for your feedback, Carlos. Did you come away with a feeling that there was a difference in the quality/quantity/breadth of psychotherapy training? Also, when you say you got the impression that the folks weren't as nice at G'town, does that include the impression that there is more of a traditional heirarchical establishment there vs a more egalitarian, supportive attitude at GW?

I really appreciate your taking the time to discuss this with me...
-s
 
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Take this as just one guy's impression, you should go there and experience it yourself. I thought GW was stronger both in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. I felt an 'attitude' at G'town that I didn't like, but they do have a more complete patient population.

I also felt that both places were IMG-unfriendly.

Best of luck!
 
Your impression of some kind of disagreeable "attitude" agrees with that of another psych resident I talked to a couple of months ago, so there must be something to it. Thanks again!