Ha! OK I'll qualify my statement.
Loved both of these programs. Due to location Kentucky is higher on my list. PD is so committed to resident education and well-being. Residents all seemed very happy.
UTHSCSA is much farther away from everything and everyone in my life, otherwise it would be much higher on my list. The people there were cool. The Chair seemed very down to earth. I think you do a lot of surgery in intern year though
Haha I'm glad to know it wasn't just me...
The chair and PD seemed distant and uninterested in resident education. Residents didn't seem happy. I feel like the program relies too much on the Columbia name. Program has subsidized housing, but most residents choose to live in better (and more expensive) areas like UWS. I'm more worried about fit than location or reputation.
Uic wins
I actually liked Beaumont a lot. It seems like the residents have a ton of opportunities to do career stuff outside of the OR, never work weekends and they have decent fellowship placement -- someone went to NW for ICU, Cleveland Clinic for ICU/cards a few years back. Ford is going to work you. Didn't interview at UIC.
It's mostly self-learning but that doesn't mean didactics aren't useful.
I'm afraid you are somewhat wrong about this. You will spend 70 hours/week in the hospital, another 55-70 sleeping, another 10 or so commuting and getting ready for work, another 5-10 reading, so it's not like you'll have so much time to enjoy the surroundings (which is not why you are there). You're there because you are supposed to be passionate about anesthesiology and you want to become better at it every day. You're not there for sightseeing, museums, going to the beach, skiing etc. You're there to regret every hour you spend not learning, because they will never come back. Also, for the next 30-40 years, you will reap the benefits of your efforts and sacrifices during your training (or the lack of the latter). Don't make the mistake many of us have made, of looking for a work-life balance during residency, of trying to enjoy life outside the hospital. Those training days never come back, don't waste them. It takes great will and sacrifice to be the ideal hard-working resident, but it's worth it, for your own good.
I'm afraid you are somewhat wrong about this. You will spend 70 hours/week in the hospital, another 55-70 sleeping, another 10 or so commuting and getting ready for work, another 5-10 reading, so it's not like you'll have so much time to enjoy the surroundings (which is not why you are there). You're there because you are supposed to be passionate about anesthesiology and you want to become better at it every day. You're not there for sightseeing, museums, going to the beach, skiing etc. You're there to regret every hour you spend not learning, because they will never come back. Also, for the next 30-40 years, you will reap the benefits of your efforts and sacrifices during your training (or the lack of the latter). Don't make the mistake many of us have made, of looking for a work-life balance during residency, of trying to enjoy life outside the hospital. Those training days never come back, don't waste them. It takes great will and sacrifice to be the ideal hard-working resident, but it's worth it, for your own good.
Again, I am talking about an otherwise fantastic program, which would be hindered only by location. A program that's worth those sacrifices. That's what will make you feel happy to wake up in the morning, not the surroundings. I did my fellowship in a non-touristy place, and I still remember the joy of being there, the spring in my step while walking to the hospital every single morning. It was not just the joy of practicing critical care, but also the joy of working in that hospital, with those people, learning all those things, in that friendly atmosphere. I can tell you that I did not feel that happiness for a good part of my residency, in a much better location. Both places had their pluses and minuses, by the way, but location shouldn't matter much, except for post-residency job leads.
You are also right, surroundings are important, such as a beautiful and modern hospital, maybe with some natural light in the ORs, because that's where you'll spend most of your waking hours.
Also, if you care about the "prime years" of your life, you chose the wrong occupation, friend. As a physician, your "prime years" start much-much later, around midlife, if you're lucky. Just wait and see how it is to be somebody'sbitchemployee, when you become an attending. There is just one thing worse than that: struggling at your job because your training was subpar. Get the best training you can, and everything else will fall into place.
Friend, please feel free to repeat my mistakes.
Friend, please feel free to repeat my mistakes.
I don't think there are more than 20 programs that produce a lot of "fantastic" anesthesiologists. They mostly produce average (i.e. good enough) anesthesiologists, some of which will grow further on their own, or during "fantastic" fellowships, which again are not many. Of course, we don't need all to be fantastic (I am definitely not) to do a decent job. But anybody who's passionate about the specialty, or who doesn't want to feel threatened by CRNAs ever, should strive to.
Btw, as a resident, you have a very subjective idea of how good your program is professionally. Only when you graduate and you're out on your own, you get to really see the pluses and minuses, what matters and what doesn't. I would argue that a cushy program could be worse for one's training than a malignant one. Not that I am arguing for either.
All I am saying is that lifestyle and location should not matter a lot for a program that has a proven history of producing outstanding graduates.
