Info on Wake Forest

[gaseous]

I had a meeting today with my program director discussing my interviews that I have received. I was suprised to find out that she didn't give Wake rave reviews. She was kind of +/- on whether to interview there. She thought way more highly of Hopkins, Michigan, UVA, UPENN, UAB, Wash U, Northwestern, etc...
She didn't go into great detail about what she had heard was wrong with the place but mentioned something about the patient population. (kind of vague) We kind of moved on with the discussion and it wasn't until after the meeting that I realized I wasn't real clear about her reasoning.

I was kind of disappointed by her words because I would enjoy living in North Carolina, but I don't want to sacrifice going to a great school just to live there. I was under the impression that Wake was arguably a top 10 school.

If anyone has any insight into the program from any angle; whether you've have heard from your program director, are a resident there or interviewed there last year; I love to hear more about the program. I am still definitely interviewing at Wake but I'm just wondering what I'm getting into.

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[UTSouthwestern]

I've always heard it was a great program. I also know that we plucked two of their cardiac/critical care guys to work here.

 

[sechen]

hi gaseous,

first of all, i want to congradulate you on the number of interview invites you have received thus far. i went to wake forest medical school, and i would highly encourage to interview at wake for your anesthesia spot. be honest with you, i dont think there is a perfect program, it really depends on what is/are important to you. the program at wake is ranked top ten for anestheisa and it is strong in many aspects. wake forest medical center itself covers the western part of the NC and parts of west VA, so there is enough patient population for surgical cases. the people at wake are wonderful and very approachable, even the patient population. i still miss the faculty there. the department chair, Dr. Roy is very nice and a strong resident advocate. he still spends at least 3 days in the OR to teach the residents. he was such a student advocate when i applied for residency last year and i dont think i could have gone this far without his support and letter. wake forest has plenty cases for general and regional anestheisa. i am not sure about the pain managment. the ICU experience is adequate (CT surgery, neurosurgery, PICU). so what are the cons. the truth is that there is no perfect program as i mentioned earlier. NC is a nice place to live, reasonable housing cost, nice people, and moderate climate. i dont know where you are doing your medical school or where you are from originally. being a californian from LA, living in winston-salem was a hard adjustment for me. i didnt have alot of luxury that i used to enjoy at home. also, winston-salem is not an ideal place to meet people, unless you are married. being a single, i wanted to head to a bigger city where i can work and meet people. also, wake forest is not strong in research, this is not to say they dont do research. i still miss wake from time to time, i dont think i would have enjoyed medical school as much as i did if i gone to a school in the inner city. i consider NC one of the places for my future employment. all the schools you have mentioned in your emails are good programs, i am not so sure about UPenn. my advice to you is, if your financial situation allows, go to those interviews and see for yourself. try to talk to as many people as you can during and after the interviews. hope this helps.

 

[gaseous]

sechen


Thank you for your in-depth response. It's funny; your cons were pros for my wife and I. She is from a smaller town and would love to move away from the big city. The traffic in Houston is terrible. I am definitely planning on making my way out to Wake to check it out. Thanks again.

 

[PiPhiDoc]

Don't they have a CRNA training program there?

If so, does that interfere with your training? Frankly, I would be really annoyed to have CRNA students getting better/more interesting/challenging cases then myself or my co-residents...

 

[Razorback]

I spoke with one of my attendings who trained at Wake and then got a fellowship in Boston for Peds. She said the CRNAs were actually a big help because they were relieved at 5 PM so as not to be stuck in a room. Also, they had the first pick of the cases before the CRNAs. I have heard nothing but praise when discussing this program.

I attended Wake as an undergrad and I loved Winston. The people are friendly, the area is beautiful, it is cheap to live and there are still some things to do as far as nightlife. You probably are not going to find the clubs of NY or Chicago etc...but there are places to hang out and enjoy your free time.

3 hours to the East is Wilmington and the beach. About 2 hours to the West is the Blue Ridge Parkway, hiking trails and rivers to raft. Charlotte is also really close for bigger sporting events and concerts.

Hope this helps.