How much does program name matter?

[RRTinCO]

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This is more a question for the anesthesiologists already in the real world.

How much weight does a top 5 program's name carry in a region that is not their own?

All else being equal, would it be better to train at a solid program in the region that I want to eventually end up in, or at a "brand name" across the country?

 

[loveumms]

In my opinion - it depends on what exactly you want to do. If you want to stay in a big name academic center, where you trained matters more then if you want to go into private practice.

If you want to be in a very competitive area (which in the current job market, everything is getting tighter), you should try and train at a place that is close to that desired job location.

 

[RRTinCO]

Thank you. You have solved my ROL problems.

 

[IlDestriero]

In my opinion - it depends on what exactly you want to do. If you want to stay in a big name academic center, where you trained matters more then if you want to go into private practice.

If you want to be in a very competitive area (which in the current job market, everything is getting tighter), you should try and train at a place that is close to that desired job location.

I agree with Love. A big name program will open doors for competitive fellowships and be recognized all over. Because they tend to be big programs they have a huge alumni network for you to work. However, if you're sure that you want to live in a particular region, you are likely better off going to a strong full service program in that region. That program should have a better regional network for you to tap into for local jobs.
I have been on the faculty of a couple big programs, right or wrong, in my experience, fellowship selection is heavily biased towards the name brand programs. Most of the faculty trained at them, we have experience with their residents, and we know the other faculty there. However, a >90th percentile superstar with uncommonly strong LORs will get an offer/ranked well.

 

[cowboy1020]

I agree with Love. A big name program will open doors for competitive fellowships and be recognized all over. Because they tend to be big programs they have a huge alumni network for you to work. However, if you're sure that you want to live in a particular region, you are likely better off going to a strong full service program in that region. That program should have a better regional network for you to tap into for local jobs.
I have been on the faculty of a couple big programs, right or wrong, in my experience, fellowship selection is heavily biased towards the name brand programs. Most of the faculty trained at them, we have experience with their residents, and we know the other faculty there. However, a >90th percentile superstar with uncommonly strong LORs will get an offer/ranked well.

And which ones exactly are these "name brand programs"?

 

[IlDestriero]

And which ones exactly are these "name brand programs"?

There are many posts here about which anesthesia programs have the best reputation.

 

[pjl]

Here is our small PP group's strategy when hiring:
1)Bring up the guys we know in town who are unhappy at the other groups
2) Bring up the guys from town that left other groups previously but now want to come back.
3) Look at our own alumni programs, contacting friends to see if they have anyone worth pursuing.
4) Contact peers elsewhere for their alumni programs
5) Advertise broadly

We have stopped at or before #3 the last 5 hires (including me). Your regional program will get you an interview at a group like mine if it is within 100 miles of my city, and you are a good person, and hard working (as judged by your staff). And guess what, even though you think your staff loves you, when we contact our friends at 5 programs we get maybe 3-4 people worth interviewing combined (in their own opinions). I have been told on multiple occasions that there is nobody in a class of 10-20 residents worth interviewing that year, but the next year might be good. That is why the regional training helps you and us. Once we get through those people we would look more broadly. At that point I know virtually nothing about an applicant but what some staff I dont know tells me, and my short interview (basically how some of our CRNAs have been found, which has taught us this method sucks). So I will pick a guy from a better program to interview first because I feel like that shows a degree of work ethic to get into that program, and you have to choose based on something. That said, I dont foresee us getting to #5 for a long time, we plan far ahead, and predict our needs fairly well.

 

[MalloryWeiss]

pjl - Thank you for that insight. Very good to know.

I would love to hear more perspectives on this. Do we have any other private practice guys that wouldn't mind shedding light on their group's hiring process?

 

[thethethe]

I have a question similar to this.

Since many residency programs are now pushing us to pursue a fellowship, and it seems like that is the smarter career choice for us to do as well, should we still choose the regional program over the brand name program? I feel like the brand name program will help us get into the fellowship of our choice (and location of our choice) over the regional smaller lesser known program.

 

[GasProspect]

I have a question similar to this.

Since many residency programs are now pushing us to pursue a fellowship, and it seems like that is the smarter career choice for us to do as well, should we still choose the regional program over the brand name program? I feel like the brand name program will help us get into the fellowship of our choice (and location of our choice) over the regional smaller lesser known program.

In my limited interview experience I've seen this not to be the case. I met residents from smaller, lesser known programs who got into prestigious fellowships.