Interview Assessment - Drexel, Philly

[Cecil's]

Drexel (MCP/ Hahnemann) ? Philadelphia PA

1. Training: * * * : Vast number of sites provides a broad exposure to pathologies and patient populations. Program has a very good reputation and graduates seem to be dispersed in academia and private practice. ICU experience here seems particularly educational.

2. Didactics: * * * : Very interactive with very good participation. Many residents and faculty present. Facilities are relatively cramped for the number of people present.

3. Research: * * * : Research at this institution does not appear to be a high priority. Program appears to concentrate on producing excellent clinicians.

4. Curriculum: * * * : No floor months. Unit months are geared toward EM residents and as such, they perform many procedures and get relevant training. With the closing of MCP and the reduction of program size, the curriculum is being re-evaluated.

5. ED: We were not shown an ED on the interview day. I really don?t understand how you can interview for an Emergency Medicine residency and never be shown an ED?? Makes me a little skeptical about ranking this program. Hahnemann is currently constructing a new 30 (maybe 40) bed ED. All charting is by hand. Program does not appear to be technology savvy.

6. Hospital: Again, was not shown any of the hospitals other than MCP which will be closing early this year.

7. Location: Hahnemann is in an excellent area of center city. This is the proposed location for the EM offices once MCP is closed..

8. Salary: ???

9. Residents: * * * *: Residents here seemed exceptionally friendly and honest. A little rough on each other during lecture, but overall appear to interact very well.

10. Faculty: * * * : There is a very big mix here. Some of the faculty were EXTREMELY warm and friendly while others were cold. In fact, some of the nicest faculty I have met are here. PD and Coordinator are very friendly.

11. Interview Food: * * * : Very good lunch with not so impressive breakfast.

12. Other Comments: MCP (owned and operated by Tenet) is currently shutting down. This is the current location of the EM office space. Program is being reduced from 17 to 14 interns. Unfortunately, Tenet also owns Hahnemann ? hope they do a better job there. Supposedly, trauma at Hahnemann has been shut down recently due to internal problems. Program ensures this will be worked out soon. Excellent ultrasound program. Resident?s do not appear to be very involved in making program changes. Not sure if PD makes many changes based on the residents' input.


Program Type: 1,2,3
Openings: 14
University Affiliation: Yes
Medical Student Interactions: Yes
Moonlighting: ??

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[Scrubbs]

Just figured I'd fill in some of the holes you came across...

1. Didactics... we currently have 2 days of conference (switching to 1 day - 5 hrs - in March). We do 2 hours of oral board cases, where an intern is presented a case and has to work through it with upper year "consults" as needed. May seem a little intimidating, but is actually sort of fun and really good practice. The other 3 hours a week are grand rounds - in a large lecture hall. When MCP closes, we'll move lectures to either the med school or Hahnemann.

2. Research... may not be as high a priority as at some programs, but we do have ample opportunity/time for it. We get a full 3 weeks each year with no clinical responsibilities to work on our research projects. Ultrasound research is HUGE at our program (we currently have about 10 studies in various stages). Tox is also a big area. Residents are encouraged to find their own area of interest, not just jump onto a faculty member's project.

3. Curriculum... with MCP closing things will change a little bit, but the intern class shouldn't feel the difference. Over 3 years, we only spent 6 months there. We will have a smaller class next year, and they will just spend more time at Hahnemann... electives are also be added to the curriculum. We will still see a great variety of patients/environments with our other 4 hospitals. And - still NO FLOOR MONTHS!

4. ED... I agree that its a shame you didn't get to see one of our ED's. MCP closing came as a surprise in December, and our offices have always been based out of that hospital. We stopped showing the candidates the ED, since we knew they would never work in it. We've had many candidates come down to Hahnemann and Mercy to check things out... sorry you didn't get a chance to come down.

5. Salary... above average PGY-1 for Philly. If you want specifics, PM me.

6. Other Comments... Trauma at Hahnemann has been closed for about 2 months because our trauma surgeon left to go into research. We've hired a few people, and the latest word is that we will reopen this coming Monday as a Level 1 Trauma Center. And lastly... residents are definately involved in changing the program. Our PD and chair are VERY pro-resident. We have state-of-the-union meetings with the chair 4-5 times a year (more often this year with the MCP issues), and our concerns are generally addressed quickly. Our PD is always looking for input on how things could be improved, and my experience has been that he takes our suggestions seriously.

Whew... sorry for rambling! Any other questions, feel free to post or PM me!