How important is going to a Residency with a free standing children’s hospital?

[PediatricMan]

my number one doesn’t have one and everyone seems to make such a big deal of having one...how much does it matter?

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[michigangirl]

Nope. I'm biased because I am at one of those large academic centers that is not free-standing, but the reason I trained here and personally stayed here is the immense number of resources available-- we have all the pediatric specific stuff with adjacent and immediately available adult resources for clinical and research. Love it.

There are obviously benefits to free standing hospitals but there are also advantages to the other setup so please don't let that get in the way of ranking your number 1.

Good luck.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Having done residency at a freestanding children's hospital, and now doing fellowship at a "hospital in a hospital," I don't think it matters that much. Go to the program that you like in a location that works for you, details like this shouldn't be dealbreakers.

 

[Stitch]

I've been at both. No big deal for training purposes. Go with the place you like that will support you and has people you seem to get along with. That's most important.

 

[Bean_Bunny]

The one great thing about being at a free-standing is that EVERYONE is there to work with children from the security to the cafeteria workers to the custodial staff. It makes everything more kid focused and makes the entire experience very kid centered during their stay. For training, I found it made my experience more enjoyable.

 

[oldbearprofessor]

Agree - for residency it's a draw with some pros and cons to each. Later on it's trickier and depends on the nature of the health care system in which they are embedded.

 

[GonnaBeADoc2222]

My wife did not. She destroyed her USMLEs, Peds boards and is now a fellow at a premier childrens' hospital.

 

[shepardsun]

Volume and clinical capabilities are more important than the additional presence of adult services. There is a positive correlation between the former and freestanding children's hospitals, but I'm sure there are university centers with higher volumes and more developed specialty services than some of the smaller freestanding hospitals. It depends on your career goals as well- for outpatient and related subspecialties, likely less important than if you were planning on being a hospitalist. Of course, the proliferation of fellowships (including hospitalist) makes residency location less important, as it is unlikely you would do a fellowship not at either a large academic or a freestanding children's hospital. But if you're interested in, for example, PICU or NICU and all of the sickest kids get shipped from your center to the bigger places in town, it may deprive you from that educational exposure.