Help me decide my fate!

[Kawasaki]

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Who wants to play with my future? I'm pounding out that darn rank list and have the enviable (I suppose) problem of liking ALL of the programs I've interviewed with. Pediatricians are just so NICE! I'd be happy at just about any one of these, but I have to send something off. Since we only get a one shot visit, I'd love some viewpoints, both good and bad, from others. Geographically they are all fine and equidistant from family. And I'm single, so I can go anywhere! I'm also considering a fellowship (Heme/Onc maybe?).

Baylor
Brown
CHOP
DC Children's
Duke
Hopkins
UNC-Chapel Hill

Comments and suggestions are welcome.

 

[jdog]

My advice, if you truely did like all of them and would be equally happy at all places, than if I were in your shoes and I was interested in Hem-Onc I would go to the place that gave me the best shot of placing well into a hem-onc fellowship. That is a very research heavy field so as long as you are at a place where there is a lot of exposure to this than you will be fine. I don't know the nuts and bolts about Hem-Onc so I would talk to people in the field. Remember, you need to apply for fellowships pretty early in 2nd year for hem-onc.

 

[Kawasaki]

I'm not positive I want to do Heme/Onc. I also like ID and Renal. I'm just looking for a well respected program that will give me a good pediatrics education and opportunities for a fellowship, there or elsewhere.

 

[CardinalW]

If you like all of the program exactly the same (which can't be true, right? you must like one program slightly more or less than another), and geography isn't an issue, I would taken into account things like cost of living, quality of living (like weather, night life since you're single, traffic). Finally, reputation can be another consideration. If you come out of CHOP or Boston, people will assume you're great and that may help open doors that another program may not. Again, all of these factors are relatively minor, but it seems like in your situation, these little things will be the deciding factor.

Not to hijack the thread, but my significant other is interested in Peds ID, where are the good fellowships?

-C

 

[Blessedone]

Imagine yourself opening the envelope. There has to be one that would make you happier than the others. If not, think about location and how you felt you fit in with the residents. Hope this helps.

 

[jamie]

Have you considered doing a second-look at one or two of these places? I've heard several residents tell them it helped them decide between their first and second choices.

 

[jamie]

I'll give my two-cents, but please keep in mind that, of the below, I've only interviewed at CHOP:

Baylor -- huge program; do you want to live in Texas?
Brown
CHOP -- top of the line; notoriously "fellow-run" (for what that's worth).
DC Children's -- high cost of living
Duke -- smaller program, not a free-standing children's hospital,
Hopkins -- I've heard the facilities are less-than-new (to be PC)
UNC-Chapel Hill -- smaller program (?), 2 of the sites are close to an hour drive.

I think they're all top-notch programs. I say, all things being equal, pick based on location -- you've got a wide-variety of locales from which to choose.