Happy residents in happy programs

[Square Pants]

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Don't read the title as though I'm a softy, I just finished my PGY-1 year in internal medicine and I truly enjoyed it. Yep, it's true. I LIKED my internship.

Why? Friendly people, no arrogance, interesting pathology, wonderful P.D., little scut, cute nurses, hell I could go on and on...
They asked me to stay and I almost said yes. If I don't match in Rad-Onc I will be going back as a PGY-2 for sure.

But I am hoping to find a Rad-Onc program like this. I want to be happy for 4 years. I figure I have a 50/50 shot of matching (won't be at Harvard, but some place I'm fairly sure)

So, where are the friendly Rad-Onc residencies, where folks are happy and attendings aren't jerks?

I'll start:
Mallinckrodt sucked when Perez was there, now supposedly a little better.

 

[Thaiger75]

By and large, I'll venture out and say that the majority of residents are happy where they are. The more appropriate question should be which residents are unhappy or unsatisfied with their programs. And also which programs are about to undergo a big change soon (be it a change in chairmanship etc.)

Don't read the title as though I'm a softy, I just finished my PGY-1 year in internal medicine and I truly enjoyed it. Yep, it's true. I LIKED my internship.

Why? Friendly people, no arrogance, interesting pathology, wonderful P.D., little scut, cute nurses, hell I could go on and on...
They asked me to stay and I almost said yes. If I don't match in Rad-Onc I will be going back as a PGY-2 for sure.

But I am hoping to find a Rad-Onc program like this. I want to be happy for 4 years. I figure I have a 50/50 shot of matching (won't be at Harvard, but some place I'm fairly sure)

So, where are the friendly Rad-Onc residencies, where folks are happy and attendings aren't jerks?

I'll start:
Mallinckrodt sucked when Perez was there, now supposedly a little better.

 

[Kara]

I am not sure whether this is true or not but I actually heard that, while Wash U's program was thought to have turned a new leaf after the PD change, the memory of malignancy still remains. Any thoughts?

Also, Emory is supposed to acquire a new program director. Where do you think the program will be headed?

Any other programs that are either in transition, or dont have the friendliest reputation?

 

[Square Pants]

you hear all the scuttlebutt.

Didn't know about Emory's P.D. change.

I heard the Howard University's residents get turfed out to various Washington D.C. Hospitals where they get wailed on. I guess Howard doesn't really classify as malignant though... it is just a crappy program.

I heard Wisconsin is friendly though.

 

[Thaiger75]

I heard that Emory is supposed to get a new chariman. Not sure about PD position though.

UNC is soon to be getting a new chair.

I am not sure whether this is true or not but I actually heard that, while Wash U's program was thought to have turned a new leaf after the PD change, the memory of malignancy still remains. Any thoughts?

Also, Emory is supposed to acquire a new program director. Where do you think the program will be headed?

Any other programs that are either in transition, or dont have the friendliest reputation?

 

[Thaiger75]

I concur about the Wisconsin program, particularly the chairman.

Not sure if the overall program fits into the "malignant" category, but U of Chicago's morning conferences are Socratic style pimping sessions.

you hear all the scuttlebutt.

Didn't know about Emory's P.D. change.

I heard the Howard University's residents get turfed out to various Washington D.C. Hospitals where they get wailed on. I guess Howard doesn't really classify as malignant though... it is just a crappy program.

I heard Wisconsin is friendly though.

 

[COhiker]

Penn also has a new chair

People seemed really happy at Utah...

[The difficulty I see with this line of discussion is that often the personality of the program matching the personality of the residents leads to a "happy" appearing place. That everyone at Utah seemed happy may just be a result of good mathcing - if such a thing exists.]

 

[Ehrman]

I agree with COhiker's point about the importance of personality match. That said, here are some places I visited that I thought had happy residents:

MD Anderson - Intense place, but most seemed genuinely happy. Not the type of place you go if you don't want to be intense academically.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering - although they worked extremely hard, they seemed to enjoy the setting and the program. Definitely need a fast-paced, big-city personality to fit it here
Johns Hopkins
Maryland - very happy residents, possibly the most enjoyable group I met
Colorado - great place, enthusiastic young faculty, brand new facility- how could you not be happy here?
U of Washington - very laid back, which seemed to fit well with the personalities in the program
U of Florida - similar to Wisconsin... a great program, that is not pretentious. The residents were were productive, but did not appear stressed

 

[pikachu]

of all the places I interviewed, Maryland, Penn, and Miami seemed to have the happiest residents - the tone seemed to be set by open, friendly attendings at all of the above places.

 

[stephew]

Harvar'ds program is benign as all git-out.

 

[stephew]

U wisconsin: very happy campers.