Help with ranking these residency programs

Sorry. I've never been to any of these places. To my knowledge, I've never worked with anyone from these places. Also, you gotta give it more than a day. Traffic around here isn't that voluminous.

 

I can really only comment on Albert Einstein Montefiore and NSLIJ to a limited degree.

I don't consider AE Monte to be in the lowest tier of programs. From what I understand it is a decent program all-around with good faculty both clinically and academically and gets a good number of US med grads. If you go there, you can get a good fellowship and can go on to an academic career if you wish. It is not an easy program and you will work hard, including doing some "scut work". Its in the Bronx and is only 20 minutes from Manhattan by public transit. The neighborhood around the hospital isn't dangerous per-se but its not great. The hospital serves a large number of Medicaid patients as well.

I didn't personally rotate or interview at NSLIJ. Medical students that did go there said the residents seemed smart and they had some good cases. The program is probably less academic than Montefiore but the hospital is expanding and will be joining with a new medical school. Faculty at my medical school seemed to regard NSLIJ as being best for people who want to go into private practice in the local area. They implied that the attendings tend to micro-manage, so residents may get less responsibility and autonomy.

If you do your residency in either place, you will be close to NYC and can take advantage of the city in your off time. However, the cost of living is high.

 

Do you have a specific sub-specialty interest? For example, Henry Ford is good for trauma, LIJ has a good epilepsy program director, WSU has a well-known PET imaging researcher, Iowa historically had a good behavioral neurology division (not sure about current status), U Arizona just recruited a big stroke researcher, etc. I know of a few people who trained at Drexel. They were bright and well-trained, and received impressive fellowships and faculty positions.

 

Of the three programs on your list I interviewed at (SUNY Upstate, Drexel, Albert Einstein) I'd choose Einstein--if you're only including those three I know; the rest I have no idea about so cannot comment on.

Einstein to me seemed incredibly friendly, PD was nice and interactive with us, strong in MS, they have a movement disorders person which is impressive (a lot of programs I interviewed at just said we're "actively recruiting one"), the faculty at Einstein seemed really supportive and humble, and I spoke to a Einstein med student also interviewing who was very happy there. Not from NYC so Bronx would take some getting used to, that to me would be a culture shock but doable. They just seem to have a very thoughtful and supportive approach to residency training (i.e. they told us something about hiring PA's to reduce the night float burden on residents? --going off of messy handwritten notes so don't quote me on this one).

Drexel- was OK but not particularly impressive to me. Seemed to have a lot of great research but they also seemed to extraordinarily busy, and a lot of hospitals around to compete with for cases (Thomas Jefferson, etc), also no neurosurg residency, no dedicated neuro ICU. Wasn't quite convinced that people were as happy as they purported to be. I guess in writing this it seems a little hard to articulate what it was I didn't quite like, but the overall feel of the program was "just OK"

SUNY Upstate - was really friendly overall, PD was down to earth, permanently linked to prelim so basically it's a categorical program (the above 2 are advanced), residents seemed to be really genuinely happy. I don't remember many of the specifics about the faculty so forgive me for not elaborating further. I had a good impression of this program though.

(Above is just my opinion though--not trying to make the decision for you but I'd go 1. Einstein, 2. Upstate, 3. Drexel--if I were only considering the three I know). I don't know much about the others. I know NSLIJ came highly recommended from other residents (friendly, good pay/benefits, happy residents, housing) but I had to decline the interview due to excessive absences.

Hope this helps!