How do you know...

[dr1day]

what's a good residency program? I would think that if you want to do EM, then obviously you'd want to be in a place that had alot of trauma, but if you want to do derm or FP, what would make a program good?

 

[AJM]

Between any given specialty it's highly variable as to which the "good" programs are. Usually you find out by asking other people in the specialty you're interested in. If you'd like to do derm for example, then talk with some derm attendings and residents about which programs they think are strong. They can also help you figure out what aspects of programs you should be looking for when you apply.

 

[Winged Scapula]

FYI:

Be aware that residency and practice patterns will differ from program to program. For example, we have a fair bit of trauma, but our EM residents are not significantly involved in them; the only time they are is the one month they rotate on Trauma. Otherwise, all traumas are managed by the surgical trauma team. However, other hospitals, especially those without in-house surgical residencies, have EM residents run the traumas.

 

[ears]

The key issue for you (regardless of the specialty) is what you want out of the program. Would you prefer a large or a small program? A community hospital, or in a university medical center? Research-oriented, or exclusively clinical? Someplace that really drives you, or someplace that lets you find your own way?

There are trade-offs associated with all of these. The only way to know what you'd prefer is to know yourself and how you work and learn best. You also need a coherent vision of where you're trying to get after your training. Then, when you talk to the residents at a given program, try to judge whether their styles and goals are like yours, and if they're happy in the program.

And then there are the geographic questions...

So the real questions are, What specifically do you want in a program? and Would this program offer that to me as a resident? And of course, those questions can be hard to answer. But knowing yourself and your goals is an important first step.

 

[Seaglass]

Otherwise, all traumas are managed by the surgical trauma team. However, other hospitals, especially those without in-house surgical residencies, have EM residents run the traumas.

Or even in hospitals WITH surgery residencies!

 

[docB]

The best advice I ever heard was to try to figure out where you will want to practice eventually. Big city, suburbs, moon, etc. then try to do a comparable residency. If you're going to do EM and you do a trauma heavy residency then you practice in a trauma light area you won't have spent as much time on the stuff you will actually use. Ditto derm and FP (if you're going to work the inner city with lice and scabies don't spend your residency doing chemical peels and if you're FP there's a big difference between the drug addicted teen mother crowd and the Sun City folks).
Now before everyone yells at me about the "well rounded" thing I'm saying that you need a broad experience. You can just try to weight your experience toward your goals.