I need to hear from residents at the following programs

[kaizen]

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Georgetown NRH
U. Mich
U. Colorado
U. Penn

What do you like about your program? What are its weaknesses? Would you do it there again? Boards passing rates? Feeling like you are being taught?

Post your response or PM me if you wold rather not post. I have very little information on these programs.

 

[fozzy40]

Have you checked the AAPMR Student Mentorship Program database? I've found residents that way too.
http://aapmr.org/medstu/mentorsearch.htm

 

[melancholy]

Georgetown NRH
U. Mich
U. Colorado
U. Penn

What do you like about your program? What are its weaknesses? Would you do it there again? Boards passing rates? Feeling like you are being taught?

Post your response or PM me if you wold rather not post. I have very little information on these programs.

Have you done the requisite searches on scutwork.com as well as the previous last few years of message threads in these PM&R SDN forums regarding peoples' experiences with these programs?

 

[kaizen]

During my information search, I found some info - most of it conflicting or outdated. For example, I learned that NRH pretty much sucks...from the SDN forum. But they also have a new PD since that time and I wondered if it had changed. After speaking to a few residents directly, the answer is "slightly, but it still sucks". With regard to these particular programs, there are a few information gaps that I wanted to fill. Thankfully, Stanford and UC-Davis have gotten plenty of reviews (mostly due to you and eddo) so I didn't need to add them to my initial list. It is difficult to get information about residency programs without being able to speak openly with current residents. Program brochures/websites are made to be appealing and ACGME requirements dictate the majority of your exposures. I'm just looking to get a grasp on some of the intangibles. I think most of us are.

 

[Finally M3]

Georgetown NRH
U. Mich
U. Colorado
U. Penn

What do you like about your program? What are its weaknesses? Would you do it there again? Boards passing rates? Feeling like you are being taught?

Post your response or PM me if you wold rather not post. I have very little information on these programs.

I replied but for some reason I don't see it up so I'll repost

Pros:
1) Inpatient: variety of patients: bread and butter to zebras. Graduates who come back consistently state that after training at UMich, you can manage any inpatient unit

2) Outpatient: continuity clinic provides great MSK experience, smorgasborg of different clinics to goto (adult spaticity, spinal cord, brachial plexus, orthotics and prosthetics)

3) Pain: own fluro suite, 2 dedicated months to pain on top of time during 2 outpatient clinic months and 2 elective months if you wish to do more (60+ procedures after one year)

4) EMG: training with PM&R as well as Neurology; see mononeuropathies on top of some of the zebras the Neurology folk see, 3 month block on top of 3 additional months as a PGY4, #s 250-300s

5) Atmosphere: very laid back with most attendings

Cons:

1) Inpatient: too many consult months, ancillary staff issues, can get too busy to actually learn about your patients

2) Pain: ACGME-lead changes to the pain fellowship means merger with Anesthesia...loss of PMR pain clinic time, addition of acute pain service, Gas fellows eating up fluro time for PMR residents

3) Parking: only getting worse, parking lots turning into new buildings

4) Sports medicine: not much of it, if you are interested: the sports injuries we see in clinic are more chronic than acute

Board pass rate:
100% last year from what I hear

Being taught:
What you make of it: obviously, lots of self-directed learning, but many attendings are willing to teach, some go through heroic lengths to teach. Scheduled didactics on Monday AM, THursday AM, EMG lectures PMR/Neuro Wed AM, random Friday AM lectures (very random), and sporadic evening activities (Gym Rounds, Cadaver Labs, Research/Journal clubs)

PM me if you have any other specific questions, pointers for interview, blah blah blah yaddah yaddah yaddah

 

[Ligament]

I'm a recent Umich grad this June. Now a pain fellow in an anesthesia run pain fellowship. I feel VERY HAPPY with my training at Umich. For the skills *I'm* interested in, such as spine, pain, msk, EMG, clinical exam, flouro guided spine procedures, how to become a clinician in continuity clnic, I truly feel I could not have had a better education anywhere. The teaching at Umich was outstanding.

I got hundreds of flouro spine procedures under my belt at Umich as a resident...not watching, but actually performing them. This really helped me when I started at my fellowship.

The only *relatively* weak areas to the strengths listed above are inpatient stroke rehab, sports medicine, and performing arts medicine.

I have to say our program director Dr. Catherine Spires is a wonderful woman both professionally and personally and as I look back on things she clearly put a lot of effort into providing the best education possible for my class.

So in short I don't think I would have had better training anywhere in the areas I'm concerned about.

 

[kaizen]

Thanks Finally M3 and Ligament for your info on U. Mich. Can someone PM me or post what they think about Colorado's program? Even if it were just from an interview last year, it would help. If you already posted this info, then I already read it. But if you have more to add, PM me.