If your GS program is conducive for raising a family.. Please List it here

[nne97080]

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i know this is kind of a long shot but ur program is good for young women with children please list it here... It would be most helpful to a lot of people

 

[Pilot Doc]

i know this is kind of a long shot but ur program is good for young women with children please list it here... It would be most helpful to a lot of people

1) any program in a city where you have supportive family

I'd also consider programs that have PD's who are moms a good bet.

Try networking through the AWS if you haven't already.

 

[sponch]

1) any program in a city where you have supportive family

I'd also consider programs that have PD's who are moms a good bet.

Try networking through the AWS if you haven't already.

when u interview check out the # of females in a particular program. it's a good surrogate marker. i won't name names here.

 

[drtx]

You can get cues from the program- like are they comfortable bragging about their attention to the schedule. Regardless of how grueling a schedule gets, if it is predictable (meaning they have a set, established system they use for call) it helps you with your kids and spouse.

This way, you will at least know when you can spend devoted time or schedule something special with then.

 

[46&2]

Scott & White in Temple, TX comes readily to mind. A lot of married residents, good amount of home call. Look at community programs.

I don't know if # of women residents is a good marker. I'd go with 1) amount of trauma 2) call schedule (home vs in-house- although home call can be deceptive) 3) amount of residents with families and 4) away rotations (you can go far away for extended periods for transplant, burns, Level I trauma, peds).

 

[Winged Scapula]

While the number of female residents might seem like a good indicator, it only is IF those female residents are married with families. My program was rife with females but very few had children; and those that did, did so during their lab years and with husbands that could stay home with the children. Thus, I would not have necessarily called it family friendly.

As noted above, the things you want to look for are:

- number of away rotations (ie, if you have to go someplace 2 or more hours away for 4-8 weeks, that's not family friendly)
- number of home call rotations; although this can be a double edged sword. if you are on home call, you still need to make sure that you have someone who can cover for you with the children at a moment's notice. Home call does not mean you don't go in to the hospital
- night float
- adherence to schedules

The hardest thing about surgery is not the hours but the unpredictability. A program that has no sense of predictable hours (ie, when you will be home, when you will be off, etc.) is not conducive to family unless you have a very understanding partner who can take care of the children when you can't pick them up. As said above, having family in town is probably also key, or at the least a sitter who doesn't charge you overtime (my partner's daycare charges $15 for each MINUTE you are late).

 

[kaos]

As said above, having family in town is probably also key, or at the least a sitter who doesn't charge you overtime (my partner's daycare charges $15 for each MINUTE you are late).

I had no idea babysitting was so lucrative! 😱

I have to agree with Dr. Cox. There are plenty of programs out there who have a majority of residents with families, but that doesn't make them family-friendly. If it's a place where people are apt to avoid talking about their kids or pretend they don't exist, then it's probably safe to say it's not that family-friendly.

 

[Plastikos]

Scott & White is very family friendly. Lots of married residents, kids galore, there is even some playgroup/alliance type thing. Im not sure any surgery residency is conducive though. Everyone has the desireable attitude towards it, but you still work really hard. Temple is also a great family town.

 

[DrDre311]

Scott & White is very family friendly. Lots of married residents, kids galore, there is even some playgroup/alliance type thing. Im not sure any surgery residency is conducive though. Everyone has the desireable attitude towards it, but you still work really hard. Temple is also a great family town.

I know I was ragging on Temple for being small in another thread but I have to say that I LOVED my interview there. It was one of the few interviews I went to where the residents and faculty actually seemed like a cohesive family. It was a really, really great program in a good place.

The only reason I didn't rank it higher personally was specialty consideration for my significant other, and it was a source of contention when we were making my rank list. S & W is a really unique place and I was very impressed.

 

[jubb]

If you are a female planning on having kids during residency I would suggest that you look at residency's that graduate a fair amount of residents per year. Now matter how lifestyle friendly a residency is if it only takes 2 residents a year it's going to throw a big wrench in the works to try to work out maternity leave. I interviewed at lots of programs with easier lifestyles still giving great training.

I'm planning on staying married and having kids in residency and a lot of them seemed conducive and had 30-40% residents with kids. I don't know if there would be a difference between female or male resident family friendly programs but PM me and I'll give you a list of places I really liked as far as lifestyle.

 

[Plastikos]

I know I was ragging on Temple for being small in another thread but I have to say that I LOVED my interview there. It was one of the few interviews I went to where the residents and faculty actually seemed like a cohesive family. It was a really, really great program in a good place.

The only reason I didn't rank it higher personally was specialty consideration for my significant other, and it was a source of contention when we were making my rank list. S & W is a really unique place and I was very impressed.

It is a unique place. The way the faculty and us interact is unreal, and you tend to forget how abnormal it is. Not to mention the operative experience is amazing and very well rounded (except CMF in plastics). I certainly am happy about the choice. Its so damn cheap its mindblowing (came from LA).
The size has its benefits and drawbacks. Great for families, not so much for single people. Austin is really close though, close enough where I will catch a concert midweek, Dallas isnt very far either, and both are fun towns.

 

[Danbo1957]

Ditto Scott & White - and for residency as well. On our hospital staff here in Austin we have four females doctors that did their residencies at S&W, each with young children at the time.

At a big-stage trend setter, John Hopkins Hospital has in-house daycare facilities for staff and fellows.

 

[BlondeDocteur]

Yeah, but Hopkins looks at the ACGME mandate for the 80 work week and laughingly wipes their collective arse with it.

 

[VanDiemen]

I think a community hospital program might be a little more family friendly, like Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. I've also heard good things about Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

 

[...to_the_OR!]

The Michigan State Program in Grand Rapids. Tons of residents are married and lots have kids. There is a spouses group that meets regularly, and there is a kids/families group that gets together ~once a month. Lots of the families socialize, and the attending's regularly have get togethers at their homes for everyone.

Besides that, the volume is huge. ~275 cases as an intern - hernias, choles, trachs, breast.

For seniors - Whipples, esoph's, Lap distal panc's, Lap colons, parathyroids, etc...

Also work hrs are a priority. No university politics/BS, and good fellowships - vascular, transplant, Surg Onc, MIS.

Love it.

 

[JackADeli]

The Michigan State Program in Grand Rapids. Tons of residents are married and lots have kids. There is a spouses group that meets regularly, and there is a kids/families group that gets together ~once a month...

I didn't train there...is that the Spectrum Health program? If so, I interviewed there.....maybe 8 years ago. Even back then, it seemed like they leaned towards a more family balanced program.