Interview Experiences

[ShambhalaRed]

I know that some programs have now started interviewing - for example, New Mexico's first interview date was last week I believe - so if anyone has interviewed, do you mind posting a bit about your experience?

Specifically, what was the night before dinner like, what questions were you asked, how did the PD and chair seem, what were the residents like, facilities, strengths/weaknesses of the program, etc...

Thanks, and good luck on interviews!

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[neilc]

i will let you know how mine goes on monday.....

 

[lmh14]

i will let you know how mine goes on monday.....

Good luck!!

 

[neilc]

interview #1, grand rapids MI

well, this interview was a big surprise. i went with an open mind, not knowing anything about the program, city or what to expect from the interview....was very impressed on all counts.

but, for the interview experience...it was nice and comfortable. they made it clear that we were all good candidates in thier eyes, and that they were looking for a good fit. so, that made the interview more of a get to know you thing than a prove to us why we should rank you thing. very benign, lots of questions about how i got to where i am, why ob/gyn, what about living in grand rapids for four years. i was interviewd by the PD, the assoc. PD and two residents. all were comfortable and conversational.

they also had a dinner the night before, hosted by a resident at her home. good turnout by residents, one attending also. it was very nice and comfortable as well. everybody seemed to get along, and seemed to be genuinely interested in me, and how i would fit in. the program moved WAY up my list after the interview and visiting the city.

good luck to everyone!

 

[Diane L. Evans]

IU has not started interviewing yet but I look forard to those of you who come her let me know a few days before.
Diane [email protected]

Good luck.....

 

[Drlove9701]

I found this thread very helpful from last year's class, I'm using the following format only to help organize my thoughts.

1. Name of the program
2. Nite b/f thing
3. number and type of interviews
4. overall impression of the program - pros and cons

Univ of Maryland

Couldn't attend the nite b/f thing, got into town too late

This was a cattle call interview, about 20 people, therefore only about 1/2 the people got to interview with either the chairman or the PD, the other half got neither and were SOL. Each interview was 1 on 1. I interviewed with the PD and ?'s consisted basically of strength/weaknesses, discussions of my research and my questions regarding the program. The other interview was with the chair of MFM who asked questions in a very weird, roundabout sort of way. But he was very nice and the questions basically were getting at my motivations, my thoughts on being a team player, my background, etc.

Pros-The PD seemed to be a terrific resident advocate, willing to take the faculty to task for treating residents poorly. They emphasized education over service and I think that is important. A trauma mecca so get some great exposure to pregnant women after traumas. Protected didactics time, about 4-5 hours/week. Only go to two different hospitals, University and Mercy which is a private hospital about 5 mins away, this is a big plus to me. Good ancillary services at both hospitals. MFM is strong with Dr. Harman and a fellowship.

+/- facilities are ok...not pristine but not "county" either; Baltimore is a terrific city but I know to other people its too big/too small. Most residents go into private practice, occasional fellowships

Con-Adequate, but not impressive representation of subspecialties other than MFM, only a couple of REI's and one urogyn and one gyn onc. I just think the more faculty you have the better b/c this increases opportunities of research and you get a better variety of personalities. So another weakness is research opportunities.

Overall it is a solid University program with some recent turnover but seems quite stable, exposure to a private hospital, strong general gyn and high risk OB clinical training but weak on subspecialty gyn and research breadth. Fellowships are possible but the vast majority of graduates do not pursue them.

I think thats about it...I'm tired but stay tuned, many more to come.

 

[neilc]

i am going to add a couple more of my experiences, more will follow later.

interview no. 2
1. UCLA-harbor
2. no night before thing. in fact, i didn't get a confirmation or a schedule until the night before my interview, which was a bit disconcerting.
3. i was scheduled for 5 interviews throughout the day. 1 pgy 4, 1 intern, program director, dept chair and MFM director. the PD interview was great, informative, and she gave some great insight both into the program, and how i may fit in there. the rest of the interviewers were obviously busy, and likely didn't read my file until i got there. one of the interviewers actually was a no show, cancelled last minute. i was the only interviewee, which seems pretty typical for them this year, which also felt wierd.
4.overall, i was underwhelmed. this was a place i really hoped to love, and it didn't really work out that way. i felt like i was sort of an afterthought as an applicant. in general, however, the program itself seems to be on an upswing. the new PD is great, very proactive and involved in resident education. the OB numbers are low, however, which i had never heard of at any other program. they have lost quite a few deliveries over the last years. the residents were nice, and seemed happy with the choice. all in all, it seemed like an adequate program, with adequate training, that is really on the way up. not a great fit for me, but others seem to like it.

 

[neilc]

1. UCSF-Fresno
2. night before at the gyn onc attendings house, good turnout by residents and faculty. pleasant and informative evening.
3. 8 interviews of 15min each. speed dating. 2 residents, the education director and the rest were by faculty.
4. loved it. the program was great, faculty, staff and resident wise. nice people. strong numbers, strong sub specialty exposure. no fellows. new hospital and clinic facilities, almost ready for move in. great skills lab which is being further developed. smaller program (3 per year) but seems to have a reasonable workload. the trick to this program is living in fresno. most californians don't love the central valley, and most out of state applicants will be expecting something different from CA. but, if you like the town, this is a great program.

 

[neilc]

1. Univ of New Mexico
2. nice dinner at a local restaraunt the night before. mainly with residents, very casual and informative. good time to get the real story from current residents.
3. 4 or so interviews, with the PD, dept chair, faculty member and a resident.
4. a very nice uni program, with a community program feel. they had good numbers across the board. the people were great, very freindly. lots of outside work interests represented, and the people really enjoy New Mexico. it helps if you have a reason to be in NM, or a familiarity with the state. i felt like this program was great for a solid generalist training, and didn't shut the door on any fellowship. they do have urogyn fellowships avail. actually, if you want REI, this may not be the place for you, but otherwise solid. i really like this program as well.

 

[obgyn06]

1. Carolinas Medical Center
2. Night before at a PGY4's house. Catered. VERY good resident showing. Got to talk to all levels of residents.
3. 6 15 minute interviews. Most had read my file beforehand. Alot of basic interview questions - strengths & weaknesses, why should we want you, etc. Interviewed with the chairman, 4 faculty, and a chief resident. Seemed interesting that a chief resident ranks...seeing as that person is leaving. but eh, whatever.
4. overall impression of the program - extremely happy residents. tight-knit group. most of the residents are married and alot have kids. quite a few have them during residency. seems most of the residents and faculty are from the south. as much or as little research as you want. even though they *say* you could do a fellowship -- i doubt it. esp not gyn onc or REI. most/all go into private practice and mostly in the carolinas. no elective time. high volume. no interaction with privates -- only have to take care of the resident patients (which i think is a positive). not much surgical exposure as an intern. you do your first c/s as the primary surgeon during your pgy2 year. i think watching/assisting c/s for a whole year could get pretty darn boring. good laparoscopic training. conservative program as far as family planning. seems most residents opt out of terminations (which they only do for anomalies or maternal health risk anyway). lots of resident perks - free food, 1800/yr for a conference, 3 wks vacation, 5 months call free as an intern.
overall i liked it. might be a little too conservative for me. the group is so tightly knit that it seems you will either fit in or not. if you do - it would be a great 4 years, if not - it would suck. also the opportunity for fellowship doesn't really seem to be there.

 

[obgyn06]

1. Emory
2. Night before: In a banquet room at the hotel you stay at. Decent resident showing - maybe 8-10 residents (out of 36). not that much food, so don't go hungry! talked with an intern, some pgy3s and some chiefs.
3. number and type of interviews: 3 interviews approximately 20-30 minutes each. i interviewed with 2 attendings and a resident. very chill. typical interview questions - what are you looking for in a program, what is going to be difficult for you, etc. the time length, however, was a little longer than some of the other places. be prepared with questions
4. overall impression of the program - big program (9 residents/yr). lots of new faculty added recently. fabulous new chair. didn't get to spend much time with the PD. great opportunity for fellowship (last year - matched gyn onc at hopkins, this year - rei and mfm staying at emory). lots of research. i think this is a traditional big academic program. ancillary staff at grady and facilities not so nice. but lots of hands on training. a lot of surgical and ob experience as a pgy1. no real resident perks. good volume. get to train with some privates at crawford long. there is quite a bit of night float though as a pgy1 and pgy2. otherwise, residents don't seem overworked. avg 60hrs/wk as an intern. i know the program has a reputation as being "malignant" but i really don't think that it is. it has recently gone through some changes that are going to make the program better - but it seems that the malignant people are gone. i think this is just a reputation the program got some years ago that has stuck. everyone kept talking about how fabulous the new intern class is.

 

[Carbo/Taxol]

I guess I will give this a shot....

1. Medical University of South Carolina

2. The pre-interview dinner was at a very nice restaurant/bar/hotel overlooking the water. Adequate amount of food. Good resident turnout ~ 10 of 30...including all levels. They all were very inviting and informative.

3. 6 total interviews...each 20 minutes long. One upper level resident, PD, Chair, and 3 other faculty members. Very easy-going. No really challenging questions...mostly why ob/gyn? why MUSC? why Charleston? You have ample time to ask questions and all of the faculty were very nice and seemed most interested in getting to know you as a person.

4. Overall Impression - good university program in a nice, historical city. The residents all seemed to get along and all seemed to be easy to get along with. The same goes for the faculty. There is a protected academics half-day were research projects are discussed as well as didactic lectures. The numbers were probably in the 50-60% percentile in the nation across the board. They are trending towards more laparascopic/minimally invasive cases which has been lowering their vaginal hyst cases, but this is not necessarily a con. Interns do primary C/S. 30 weeks of Gyn Onc over the 4 years! Free membership to a very nice fitness center. REI and urogyn seems to be the weakest areas (but still adequate and actually more than I have seen at other programs.
Cons - no books, parking not paid for.

 

[gynsurgeon]

1. Emory
2. Night before: In a banquet room at the hotel you stay at. Decent resident showing - maybe 8-10 residents (out of 36). not that much food, so don't go hungry! talked with an intern, some pgy3s and some chiefs.
3. number and type of interviews: 3 interviews approximately 20-30 minutes each. i interviewed with 2 attendings and a resident. very chill. typical interview questions - what are you looking for in a program, what is going to be difficult for you, etc. the time length, however, was a little longer than some of the other places. be prepared with questions
4. overall impression of the program - big program (9 residents/yr). lots of new faculty added recently. fabulous new chair. didn't get to spend much time with the PD. great opportunity for fellowship (last year - matched gyn onc at hopkins, this year - rei and mfm staying at emory). lots of research. i think this is a traditional big academic program. ancillary staff at grady and facilities not so nice. but lots of hands on training. a lot of surgical and ob experience as a pgy1. no real resident perks. good volume. get to train with some privates at crawford long. there is quite a bit of night float though as a pgy1 and pgy2. otherwise, residents don't seem overworked. avg 60hrs/wk as an intern. i know the program has a reputation as being "malignant" but i really don't think that it is. it has recently gone through some changes that are going to make the program better - but it seems that the malignant people are gone. i think this is just a reputation the program got some years ago that has stuck. everyone kept talking about how fabulous the new intern class is.

I also recently interviewed at Emory and really liked the program. Just curious if you heard something I didn't though...when I was there it was made pretty clear that the interns had limited surgical and ob experiences. For instance they (meaning the 4th year resident and 2 faculty members) told me that interns ONLY do primary sections and that even those sometimes went to second years. Also sounds pretty limited with other surgical cases you get to do as an intern...like pretty much just tubals. I think all in all you will be trained well as I think you eventually get it in the years to come but this program definitely sounds like they shelter their interns a bit. Also in terms of resident perks....FREE parking at all facilities is definitely a perk to me!!! They also have FREE food at all hospitals except Grady and a 2000 book allowance as well as 5 paid days of travel per year for conferences.

 

[snowinter]

ok I'll add some:

UVA in Charlottesville:

Night before: at a residents place-- the most cooking any program has done for applicants; one table of just desserts they had baked, one table of snacks/appettizers/ and one table of dinner. Pretty good resident turnout.

The residents seemed to really get along with each other and be very happy. Most were going into private practice. Although there is a research requirement -- it can be as big or small as you like.

The town is very southern -- and Thomas Jefferson is a big deal there.

The secretary and / or program director!! gave rides to and from the airport. I definatley felt like you would be taken care of in the program

cost of living: housing is a bit higher for a small university town -- maybe b/c it is close to DC? only 100 miles

They recently lost their REI to pp -- but are interviewing more. very family oriented -- 2 of the residents were out on maternity leave.

alright good luck everyone.

 

[ohbee gin]

I found this thread very helpful from last year's class, I'm using the following format only to help organize my thoughts.

1. Name of the program
2. Nite b/f thing
3. number and type of interviews
4. overall impression of the program - pros and cons

Univ of Maryland

Couldn't attend the nite b/f thing, got into town too late

This was a cattle call interview, about 20 people, therefore only about 1/2 the people got to interview with either the chairman or the PD, the other half got neither and were SOL. Each interview was 1 on 1. I interviewed with the PD and ?'s consisted basically of strength/weaknesses, discussions of my research and my questions regarding the program. The other interview was with the chair of MFM who asked questions in a very weird, roundabout sort of way. But he was very nice and the questions basically were getting at my motivations, my thoughts on being a team player, my background, etc.

Pros-The PD seemed to be a terrific resident advocate, willing to take the faculty to task for treating residents poorly. They emphasized education over service and I think that is important. A trauma mecca so get some great exposure to pregnant women after traumas. Protected didactics time, about 4-5 hours/week. Only go to two different hospitals, University and Mercy which is a private hospital about 5 mins away, this is a big plus to me. Good ancillary services at both hospitals. MFM is strong with Dr. Harman and a fellowship.

+/- facilities are ok...not pristine but not "county" either; Baltimore is a terrific city but I know to other people its too big/too small. Most residents go into private practice, occasional fellowships

Con-Adequate, but not impressive representation of subspecialties other than MFM, only a couple of REI's and one urogyn and one gyn onc. I just think the more faculty you have the better b/c this increases opportunities of research and you get a better variety of personalities. So another weakness is research opportunities.

Overall it is a solid University program with some recent turnover but seems quite stable, exposure to a private hospital, strong general gyn and high risk OB clinical training but weak on subspecialty gyn and research breadth. Fellowships are possible but the vast majority of graduates do not pursue them.

I think thats about it...I'm tired but stay tuned, many more to come.

Con? Research opportunities? Are you kidding me? They rank top 10 for NIH dollars.

 

[Drlove9701]

Nope, not kidding about the research, I don't know nothin bout NIH funding, just looking at the reality. That is, that the larger the number of faculty the more opportunities for research since you have a wider array of interests and its easier to find a niche that interests you. The MFM department at Maryland seems the only strong area with Dr. Harman and a fellowship. But, I'm sure anyone can do anything anywhere. And how is it that it seems every place I visit is top 10 in NIH funding? Kind of like when I interviewed at med schools and each place was the 1st in something. Best of luck on the trail.

 

[kryptokal]

Con? Research opportunities? Are you kidding me? They rank top 10 for NIH dollars.

Top 10 for public institutions.

Ah, statistics....

And I agree with the above critique, especially of the interview day, which I thouht was completely inappropriate the way they completely shut out half the group from getting face time with the Chair, Director, and Chair of OB at Mercy...we all travel to these things and deserve some sort of even footing when it comes to meeting the higher-ups...

 

[daisyduke]

They also have FREE food at all hospitals except Grady

Keep in mind most of their time is spent at Grady (like the ENTIRE first year!)

 

[Drlove9701]

Duke U

Dinner the night before at a resident's house, well attended by residents of all years. They all seemed very friendly and open to honestly discussing the program.

There were about 20 applicants, everyone had an interview with an individual faculty member and then 3-4 applicants interviewed as a group with the PD and then with the chair. The group interviews were VERY low key and non stressful, questions included, "tell me about yourself," "y Duke," what did your mom say when you told her you were going into ob/gyn," strength/weaknesses etc.

Apparently this program has a malignant reputation, although I had not heard this, and all of the residents denied it. I expected a lot academically, and they definately delivered with the number of sub-specialists, research, and variety of interests amongst the faculty. They just brought in a new faculty member to develop the laparoscope program which seemed to be one of the only weakensses in training, but this should improve. The other very impressive thing was Dr. Valea, the PD, he was simply awesome. He seemed very open, personable, and willing to advocate for the residents. He has been there for less than a year and was very energetic.

+/- Rotate at a few hospitals, including a local community hospital but also one that is 80 miles away. The long distance rotation is for about 6 weeks in years 2-4. Location also depends on the eyes of the beholder.

Personally, location was a bit of a con. I also remember having a strange feeling about their clinic experience, I can 't remember specifics though. Also, althought the residents were very nice and friendly, I am just not sure how good of a fit I would be with them. I can't really think of any other significant negatives though.

Overall, strong program with a strong name with a terrific PD and chair.

 

[Kadyra]

i am going to add a couple more of my experiences, more will follow later.

interview no. 2
1. UCLA-harbor
2. no night before thing. in fact, i didn't get a confirmation or a schedule until the night before my interview, which was a bit disconcerting.
3. i was scheduled for 5 interviews throughout the day. 1 pgy 4, 1 intern, program director, dept chair and MFM director. the PD interview was great, informative, and she gave some great insight both into the program, and how i may fit in there. the rest of the interviewers were obviously busy, and likely didn't read my file until i got there. one of the interviewers actually was a no show, cancelled last minute. i was the only interviewee, which seems pretty typical for them this year, which also felt wierd.
4.overall, i was underwhelmed. this was a place i really hoped to love, and it didn't really work out that way. i felt like i was sort of an afterthought as an applicant. in general, however, the program itself seems to be on an upswing. the new PD is great, very proactive and involved in resident education. the OB numbers are low, however, which i had never heard of at any other program. they have lost quite a few deliveries over the last years. the residents were nice, and seemed happy with the choice. all in all, it seemed like an adequate program, with adequate training, that is really on the way up. not a great fit for me, but others seem to like it.

I interviewed here on the 21st and I have to agree. I was pretty underwhelmed. No night before thing, interview was never confirmed even though I called and bothered the coordinator a lot. They never seemed to be able to figure out how to e-mail me anything after I got the first e-mail. They didn't have any interviewers scheduled because they were all on vacation. I interviewed with 4 people they scraped together- the other 2 interviewees interviewed with 3 each and one was a joint interview for them. The numbers are low, but Kaiser Bellflower makes up for them. They don't do c-sections their first year!!! They;re only just starting to open and close skin and fascia. But Dr. Kjos is really enthusiastic. They do say not to go there if you want onc or REI as the faculty aren't nationally recognized. They have a fabulous basic science research center though.

Between the 3 of us interviewing that day, none of us walked away happy. I may have to go again for a second look to see if they can get it together, but from what Neil C says... I won't hold my breath.

 

[Kadyra]

1. UTHSC San Antonio

2. Didn't attend night before dinner due to family commitment. Apparently this is the only time you will meet with residents too.

3. 3 interviews. One on one. I interviewed with an onc guy, an MFM, and a generalist. All very nice.

4. Anyway, it's a very strong program. Accredited for 5 years (maximum). Very into teaching. Very nice faculty. Strong REI program. I got a horrible vibe when I was there though. The program director is very weird and very off-putting. It;s too bad I didn't get to meet with the residents, which may have altered my opinion. Um... Oh yeah, there's an abstinence education program there, which I found... I don't know, but they're doing research on abstinence there. I'm pretty into contraception and family planning, so this was rather off-putting to me as well. They have you sit through their noon lecture, which was pretty good. I am forgetting a lot because this was a month ago now. Anyway, if you have questions, PM me.

 

[Kadyra]

1. UT Houston LBJ

2. Night before thingy was at a very hard to find place called the Red Door. Pretty swanky though. Dinner was a little... sparse. It's a combined event for Hermann and LBJ applicants. When I got there, only Hermann residents were there and they weren't my type of people. I was really nervous until the LBJ folks started showing up. They were pretty cool, very talkative,

3. I had 5 interviews. This was also in mid-November so my memory is rusty. But there were definitely 3 resident and and 2 attending (one program director and one urogyn guy). There was also a break where I sat and drank oj.

4. They do vaginal breech deliveries here. This is the only program I've been to that still does these on purpose. I thought that was awesome. Anyway, they don't do electives unless you have some special interest in something and want more exposure in it. You do onc rotations at MD Anderson and another hospital. They rotate at 5 hospitals. They have a huge lounge with a fridge and a stove so you can bring in your own food if you are grossed out by hospital food. Apparently, they're getting a tv in there too. Salary is competitive. You get a ton of procedure starting in first year. But it's county, so if you don't want to speak Spanish, this is not the place for you. I really liked this place and will rank it.

They had an intern from Tulane there who wants to finish out her year there, so... She is pretty unbiased, has rotated through UTMB Galveston and another program I am forgetting. Anyway, PM if you have questions.

 

[Kadyra]

1. PIROG (Phoenix Integrated)

2. Night before thingy was at an attending's home. Very nice house. Wife was a fantastic cook, accommodated for vegetarians. Very low key considering the environment. Good turnout from residents. I had a fantastic interview group from here.

3. 4 interviews. You and two interviewers- 2 residents and then 2 attendings, one of which was the program director or assistant director depending on where you were. They drive you between the 2 hospitals for the interviews. 2 are at one and the other 2 at the other. Residents are accessible throughout the day.

4. I liked this program. They've had some problems. They've had a couple new PD's in the past few years. The old one had a falling out with some politicians and was forced out because of the abortion issue. The faculty currently take you off site so you can learn to do elective terminations, as it's a county/Catholic program and the state is very conservative. They expect to have their accreditation renewed for 3-4 years the next go around (in another 2 years). There is talk of starting MFM, genetics, and laparoscopic fellowships in the next few years. Each hospital has 10,000+ SVD's. Onc #'s are low, but they are adding some new OR's at St. Joe's that will just be for gyn cases, so that will resolve itself. Residents seem pretty happy. I am doing a sub-I here in February to see how high I will rank this place. PM me with questions.

 

[Kadyra]

1. Banner Good Samaritan

2. Night before thingy was at one of my favorite restaurants here in Phoenix. Oregano's! Great pasta and pizza. Great beer. Good resident turnout. NO attendings present.

3. 3 interviews. One with a resident. I happened to get the only resident I hadn't met on my sub-i there, which was kind of funny. 2 attending interviews, one of whom I'd worked with so it was very informal. And one exit interview you do with the program director, another interviewee was present for this.

4. This is a very nice program. They really ease you into your responsibilities as an intern. You spend 2 weeks rotating through all the ob and gyn dept's when you first get there so you can meet everyone and know where everything is. You do only NSVD's at first and then they add a new high risk thing every month. A1DM, A2DM, PTL, PIH, etc. Attendings are excellent teachers. The lectures are great. MFM experience is fantastic. However, they don't do everything by the ACOG cookbook esp with respect to MFM stuff. Research is supported, elective time is geared toward your research project. Resident morale is high. The chiefs next year will be awesome. I will rank this one highly. PM with questions.

 

[Kadyra]

1. UTMB Austin

2. Night before thingy was weird. I was the only one to show up, so it was me and one resident. I tried to pick her brain about the program, but she has already done an FP residency with OB fellowship and been in practice for 5 years. Her FP residency was also brand new, so it's normal for her.

3. 4 interviews. One resident, 2 faculty, and PD. One interviewer was late so my last interviewer got pushed into lunch so it ended up being really informal as we stuffed our faces.

4. They are aware of their problems as a new program. They address this early on. They are supported by UTMB, which has been sending residents up there since the 70's and UTH has sent students and residents there as well. They operate out of oen hospital with 2 L&D's. One L&D is UTMB run where they do lower risk deliveries and their BTL's. The other L&D, like the rest of the hospital, is run by Seton. Seton is a Catholic organization so they don't do BTL's on that floor. They also do their extreme preemie deliveries there. The interns look tired, but they're supported by 5 FP-OB fellows who run the Seton floor. They get to do all of their own surgeries without being pre-empted by senior residents. Faculty are very supportive. They are all dedicated teachers and all want to see the program succeed. Interns are pretty diverse people, but they all get along very well. Morale seems high. PM me with quesitions.

 

[Drlove9701]

U of Rochester

Dinner was at a resident's house, great turn-out by residents with every one being very very friendly.

There were 4 interviews. Everyone met individually with the chair, PD, or assistant PD, a full time faculty member, a part time faculty member, and a resident. Very laid back, mostly what do you want to know about the program.

Pros-everyone, from the Chair and PD on down, were very very friendly. I had a great time at the dinner and lunch just hanging out with the residents. The residents also indicated that the PD is a great advocate in that if they believe something is non-educational it will replaced. You spend about 40% of time at a community hospital doing part of your OB, gyn, and all of the Onco experience. Everyone agreed that was a definite plus and the privates were great teachers. Well represented sub-specialties, they have an MFM fellowship, with seniors going into REI and MFM, but they've sent people into others as well. Internationally known faculty member in the field of pelvic pain. 4 weeks vacation plus the one week off during the dec. holidays so really a total of 5. Many of the generalists and specialists are involved in research, with a separate research division as part of the department.

+/-The night float rotation is a bit different than other programs in that you do a 24hour shift on sunday and then (I think though my memory may have failed me) get the post call day off so you don't go back till Tuesday night. They just implemented this at the community hospital as well, it used to be straight Q4 I think, but have recently changed this. This really depends on personal preference, I don't think a 24 hour call with the following day off is such a bad thing.

Con-location and everyone there knows it b/c they definately played up how much there is to do. I've been to the city several times and it is small and the weather definately leaves something to be desired.

Overall, a strong academic program that is very friendly.