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Anyone apply to this last year and get accepted? I'm curious about the applicant pool, stats-wise. Anyone insight on these programs would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
integrated vascular surgery
- Thread starter chit5384
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Response may be low because the integrated program is really new. As far as stats go, try looking at the match data tables on the NRMP website?
Maybe you can find more info here:
VascularWeb - Society for Vascular Surgery
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From my perspective the interview pool was very high caliber. Many of the applicants came from well known school with established vascular surgery divisions. I do believe that everyone who matched had well known vascular surgery programs at their home institution.
Several also had involvement in the SVS Student Section - I would recommend that anyone interested in applying to the integrated programs and have the means attend the SVS meeting in June in Boston - you will get the chance to have face time with attendings from mostly all of the programs as well as with the residents. (and they definitely will remember this!)
Many people that I interviewed with had done electives at one of the sites with integrated programs. Vascular Surgery is a very small close-knit world and most attendings know each other.
By the third interview or so most applicants knew each other at the interviews.
As far as interviews granted by each institution it ranged from just several people (especially if they had an internal candidate) to about 30. The average number was about 22-25 - each PD stated that they interviewed people who they thought would match at A vascular surgery position and there were 22 positions. However, I think they also assumed (as did I) that most applicants applied to all (or almost all) of the programs. I was amazed to find out that there were many applicants that applied to only a handful of programs.
If you would like any specifics on programs, feel free to PM me.
Several also had involvement in the SVS Student Section - I would recommend that anyone interested in applying to the integrated programs and have the means attend the SVS meeting in June in Boston - you will get the chance to have face time with attendings from mostly all of the programs as well as with the residents. (and they definitely will remember this!)
Many people that I interviewed with had done electives at one of the sites with integrated programs. Vascular Surgery is a very small close-knit world and most attendings know each other.
By the third interview or so most applicants knew each other at the interviews.
As far as interviews granted by each institution it ranged from just several people (especially if they had an internal candidate) to about 30. The average number was about 22-25 - each PD stated that they interviewed people who they thought would match at A vascular surgery position and there were 22 positions. However, I think they also assumed (as did I) that most applicants applied to all (or almost all) of the programs. I was amazed to find out that there were many applicants that applied to only a handful of programs.
If you would like any specifics on programs, feel free to PM me.
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To the OP: it's safe to say they were very competitive stats-wise. I would also venture a guess that all of them had letters from powerhouses in the field. For something this small, rocking step 1 and having good grades isn't enough. They want a letter from someone they know and have shared drinks with at ACS.
darjeeling14, you seem to know a lot about these programs. Did you match in one? I'm curious how a medical student gets a good enough feel about vascular surgery as a third year student to apply for the integrated program. What about vascular surgery attracted you to it so early on?
darjeeling14, you seem to know a lot about these programs. Did you match in one? I'm curious how a medical student gets a good enough feel about vascular surgery as a third year student to apply for the integrated program. What about vascular surgery attracted you to it so early on?
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Stanford presented the characteristics of their applicant pool many times.
Here is their abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20022205
Pubmed is your friend.
Here is their abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20022205
Pubmed is your friend.
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I think that an interest in vascular surgery is comparable to an interest in any other surgical subspecialty (i.e. ENT, ophtho etc) especially since the development of integrated vascular programs. I also think that since these programs have started more medical school institutions are exposing students to vascular surgery or providing it as an optional elective.
I was first exposed to vascular surgery during my 3rd year general surgery clerkship as our general surgeons did most of the vascular work (at my home program we don't have a dedicated vascular division). I followed that up with an elective in vascular surgery at another institution. Between these two experiences and talking with other vascular surgeons as well as general surgery residents interested in vascular I got a good feel for the field.
My interest in vascular surgery is very similar to the reasons cited in the study presented by Stanford. It was a combination of the patient population that I would like to take care of and the operative and medical management that a vascular surgeon can utilize to help their patients. The endovascular cases, complex open vascular cases and the hybrid cases are fascinating for me.
I was interested in the integrated programs because I felt that the integrated vascular programs provide a well-rounded approach to vascular disease that you may or may not get in general surgery training or a vascular fellowship. Many places included a month of cardiology, hematology, and/or vascular medicine to provide residents with a comprehensive yet thorough understanding of vascular medicine. Their general surgery rotations were also arranged in a fashion that allowed residents to learn the appropriate skill set for vascular surgery. They included endocrine surgery (to learn neck dissection), GI surgery months (to learn the skills for operating in the abdomen and prepare for any complications that may be necessary during a vascular case i.e. small bowel resection). They also excluded other electives that would not be pertinent to vascular surgery practice in the future (i.e. ortho, urology that many surgery programs incorporate). I liked that it was a very intensive curriculum that was set up at many places.
However, do realize that no one has completed an integrated program as of yet. I have heard rumors that there have been some places that have had some attrition as residents have found out that vascular surgery is not for them. But also these are just rumors and I have nothing that confirms this.
I was first exposed to vascular surgery during my 3rd year general surgery clerkship as our general surgeons did most of the vascular work (at my home program we don't have a dedicated vascular division). I followed that up with an elective in vascular surgery at another institution. Between these two experiences and talking with other vascular surgeons as well as general surgery residents interested in vascular I got a good feel for the field.
My interest in vascular surgery is very similar to the reasons cited in the study presented by Stanford. It was a combination of the patient population that I would like to take care of and the operative and medical management that a vascular surgeon can utilize to help their patients. The endovascular cases, complex open vascular cases and the hybrid cases are fascinating for me.
I was interested in the integrated programs because I felt that the integrated vascular programs provide a well-rounded approach to vascular disease that you may or may not get in general surgery training or a vascular fellowship. Many places included a month of cardiology, hematology, and/or vascular medicine to provide residents with a comprehensive yet thorough understanding of vascular medicine. Their general surgery rotations were also arranged in a fashion that allowed residents to learn the appropriate skill set for vascular surgery. They included endocrine surgery (to learn neck dissection), GI surgery months (to learn the skills for operating in the abdomen and prepare for any complications that may be necessary during a vascular case i.e. small bowel resection). They also excluded other electives that would not be pertinent to vascular surgery practice in the future (i.e. ortho, urology that many surgery programs incorporate). I liked that it was a very intensive curriculum that was set up at many places.
However, do realize that no one has completed an integrated program as of yet. I have heard rumors that there have been some places that have had some attrition as residents have found out that vascular surgery is not for them. But also these are just rumors and I have nothing that confirms this.
