Help me rank these 6 programs... I hope this will be useful for many others too!

[acrolentiginous]

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Hopkins
MGH
Brigham
Beth Israel
Stanford
Duke

My concerns:
-Reputation.
-Non-malignant, supportive environment.
-A good city in which to live & meet people (I'm single).

 

[rach4214]

I second this...and I'm gonna throw UCLA in there too.

 

[its1louder]

Throw UCSF and UPMC in there and that's what I'm choosing among.

Remembering that this is only what I took away as an interviewee, here are my 2 cents about the programs you listed:

Reputation: Toss up. None of those are going to hold you back from doing whatever you want. Some are better than others at certain things, but they're all top notch.

Environment: Hard to tell from the outside, but I came away with Brigham>BID>Stanford=Hopkins=Duke>MGH. That being said, all the residents I talked to at MGH loved it there and thought it wasn't malignant at all. Go figure. They used the word "intense" a lot, but when it really comes down to it, who the hell even knows what that means?

City: (SF)>Boston>Palo Alto>Baltimore>Durham

For me, it's probably going to shake down as:

(UCSF)
Stanford
Brigham
MGH
(UPMC)
BID
Duke
Hopkins


I loved Duke, but employment concerns for the SO put it lower on the list than it deserves based on program quality alone.

Seriously though, you can't go wrong with any of those. Don't sweat it too much, even if that's easier said than done.

 

[acrolentiginous]

Seriously though, you can't go wrong with any of those. Don't sweat it too much, even if that's easier said than done.

Nice to find other people facing this same decision. Good luck to you both in whatever you end up choosing. I did want to raise one specific point... I'm a huge fan of BID, but I've heard the opinion that it does not carry as much of a national reputation as the other two Harvard programs. Just wondering if anyone wanted to weigh in on this. Essentially, I want to be able to "go anywhere & do anything" in my career after residency. Vague, stupid-sounding statement... but you get what I mean.

 

[michigangirl]

As I always say, I can only comment on the programs I know well-- on this list, that is Hopkins. If you do well at Hopkins, you can go anywhere and do anything. Doors will open. Definitely a friendly non-malignant atmosphere. I love Baltimore, but debates abound on this forum and others about its fit for single people. That's all you. I started residency with five close friends were single-- went to all of their weddings in the last eight years.

It's called Charm City for a reason. Good luck.

 

[nycitygas]

As I always say, I can only comment on the programs I know well-- on this list, that is Hopkins. If you do well at Hopkins, you can go anywhere and do anything. Doors will open. Definitely a friendly non-malignant atmosphere. I love Baltimore, but debates abound on this forum and others about its fit for single people. That's all you. I started residency with five close friends were single-- went to all of their weddings in the last eight years.

It's called Charm City for a reason. Good luck.

Baltimore is a great city to meet people. People are very friendly and easy to talk to. Boston not as much but with the sheer number of residents in the city, I'm sure you could meet some.

I wouldn't think Durham or Palo Alto would offer the same social life (although I'm sure the training is excellent)

 

[Cathyran]

Nice to find other people facing this same decision. Good luck to you both in whatever you end up choosing. I did want to raise one specific point... I'm a huge fan of BID, but I've heard the opinion that it does not carry as much of a national reputation as the other two Harvard programs. Just wondering if anyone wanted to weigh in on this. Essentially, I want to be able to "go anywhere & do anything" in my career after residency. Vague, stupid-sounding statement... but you get what I mean.

I think that the difference is minimal, and I definitely wouldn't let this affect your decision. I agree with the above poster that these are all legitimately top-notch programs with very few weaknesses. I loved Duke, but Durham may not be the ideal place to be single. I ended up canceling MGH and Brigham, because I knew that I didn't want to live in Boston. That said, Boston is a really cool city to live in if you're single, but it's quite a bit more expensive than Baltimore. I don't know too much about Stanford.

Overall, I would base your decision entirely on where you want to live for 3-4 years. You literally cannot go wrong with these six programs.

 

[acrolentiginous]

Overall, I would base your decision entirely on where you want to live for 3-4 years. You literally cannot go wrong with these six programs.

Wow - I truly appreciate all of these helpful responses. When I cut to the chase, it's essentially a struggle between wanting to live in Boston (I really enjoy the city independent of the fact that I think it's a great place for a single person), and loving Hopkins Anesthesiology but being tentative about the single life there.

 

[beardpapa]

Nice to find other people facing this same decision. Good luck to you both in whatever you end up choosing. I did want to raise one specific point... I'm a huge fan of BID, but I've heard the opinion that it does not carry as much of a national reputation as the other two Harvard programs. Just wondering if anyone wanted to weigh in on this. Essentially, I want to be able to "go anywhere & do anything" in my career after residency. Vague, stupid-sounding statement... but you get what I mean.

Bump this. What does everyone think?

I have a feeling BID thinks there's no difference. But that MGH/Brigham do.
Would it be better to go to BID that has a Harvard name attached but is #3 in Boston vs. going to a Columbia or UW who are arguably the big boss in their region. Still, I think I got the best feeling from BI. They seemed happiest.

 

[bcat85]

Wow - I truly appreciate all of these helpful responses. When I cut to the chase, it's essentially a struggle between wanting to live in Boston (I really enjoy the city independent of the fact that I think it's a great place for a single person), and loving Hopkins Anesthesiology but being tentative about the single life there.

I don't think that Baltimore is a bad place to be single. I lived there for a couple of summers as an undergrad, and found the night life to be pretty solid overall. It's a big enough city that there are a lot of things to do around town pretty much year-round. If I weren't married, Hopkins would likely be at the top of my list. The program there is really deserving of its reputation.

 

[beardpapa]

I don't think that Baltimore is a bad place to be single. I lived there for a couple of summers as an undergrad, and found the night life to be pretty solid overall. It's a big enough city that there are a lot of things to do around town pretty much year-round. If I weren't married, Hopkins would likely be at the top of my list. The program there is really deserving of its reputation.

Can imagine the feeling of having the Hopkins name follow you around for the rest of your life? Win. 😎

 

[rach4214]

would anyone be willing to comment on how UCLA compares to these programs? Specifically, Stanford, Hopkins, & MGH?

 

[acrolentiginous]

Can imagine the feeling of having the Hopkins name follow you around for the rest of your life? Win. 😎

Is the name of the Brigham inferior to that of Hopkins?

Rach - not trying to ignore your post - I would have answered that, but I actually did not apply to UCLA.

 

[bcat85]

Can imagine the feeling of having the Hopkins name follow you around for the rest of your life? Win. 😎

Indeed. But, really. "I went to Duke/Brigham/Hopkins/MGH?" It's a toss-up really. The thing to remember here is that no matter your choice, you'll come out with absolutely sterling credentials compared to most other anesthesia grads. We're really splitting hairs when it comes to attempting to differentiate the programs that the OP originally listed, at least in terms of strength of training.

 

[spezimdoc]

Nice to find other people facing this same decision. Good luck to you both in whatever you end up choosing. I did want to raise one specific point... I'm a huge fan of BID, but I've heard the opinion that it does not carry as much of a national reputation as the other two Harvard programs. Just wondering if anyone wanted to weigh in on this. Essentially, I want to be able to "go anywhere & do anything" in my career after residency. Vague, stupid-sounding statement... but you get what I mean.

I completely understand and definitely have the same sentiments as I arrange my ROL. From what I gathered, it seems like all 3 Harvard programs have allowed their residents to do whatever and go wherever after residency. I highly doubt any of them will close any doors. I made sure to ask the residents at each how they decided on their program versus the other Harvards. Many talked about the different feel they got from each program and going with the one that fit them the best, which is essentially how I'm basing my ranking of the 3.

This is the same for the others mentioned. Like others have mentioned, all are phenomenal, top tier programs that have remarkable reputations/prestige with minimal differences. So, for me, it comes down to how I fit in with the program and the location.

 

[spezimdoc]

Bump this. What does everyone think?

I have a feeling BID thinks there's no difference. But that MGH/Brigham do.
Would it be better to go to BID that has a Harvard name attached but is #3 in Boston vs. going to a Columbia or UW who are arguably the big boss in their region. Still, I think I got the best feeling from BI. They seemed happiest.

I don't necessarily think that BID is "#3." All 3 have their different strengths and weaknesses and I don't see how they can really be ranked overall. It's like trying to rank all these other top tier programs.

 

[michigangirl]

Our Hopkins Anesthesia department/program is at such an exciting time-- Our chairman and residency program director are so motivated and supportive of everyone in the department and their individual interests and pursuits-- people are just happy here, and the reputation/connections are all the perks that come with the name, but outside of that, people here are down to earth-- and that's why I've stayed here for ten years through two residencies and two fellowships-- and now as faculty.

We are moving into a BEAUTIFUL new facility in two months with state of the art ORs, ICUS-- can't express enough what a great time it is to come to Hopkins if given the opportunity. I love Baltimore, and as others have said, if single life in Baltimore is the only thing holding you back-- then you have no reason to hold you back-- it's great. Good luck.

 

[acrolentiginous]

Michigangirl, your post was so helpful. The city atmosphere in Baltimore truly is my only reservation, and it's sounding less and less like Baltimore<<<Boston for singles in some people's opinions. I'm just still not sure about my own... Love Boston...

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

Personally, I think the RDU is a pretty awesome place to live. Beach, mountains, DC, Atlanta all within driving distance. Lots of young professionals around with Duke, UNC, State, the RTP, Raleigh. Consistently some city in the area (Apex, Cary, whatever) is ranked in the Top 10 places to live. Downtown Durham has been massively resuscitated in the last 10 years and is a pretty cool place.

That said, you certainly can't pick some random Tuesday and go "out" out. And you can't walk down the street to the Met or MSG or Central Park. Just depends on what your personality is.

Pick the place that fits your personality and will make you the happiest personally and professionally.