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The one asking the unusual questions. If you interviewed with me.
Interview Review Thread: 2010-11
- Thread starter OldPsychDoc
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The one asking the unusual questions. If you interviewed with me.
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It's time to contribute to the board that helped me so much the past few years. This will be more of a piece-meal reveal throughout the weekend, but hopefully some will find it useful. Also, I appologize for lack of details, but I stopped taking notes after my 3rd interview when I quickly realized that my gut feeling during the interview day was driving my rank list more than specific details.
For some context, I'm interested in C/L psych (which I use interchangeably with psychosomatic medicine or PM), so I focused mainly on the off service medicine experience, C/L rotations/faculty, emergency psych opportunities, and psychotherapy. The PD/residents and formal teaching opportunities were also very important to me. Unless it struck me as way too much/little, I didn't really pay attention to the call schedule. This is basically stream of consciousness as I think about each place, so hope it's not too disorganized. I'm sure I left out a lot, so feel free to PM me for any additional info.
University of Washington
Pros: PD – Dr. Cowley is amazing and well respected by seemingly everyone that has ever come in contact with her. Every resident I spoke to mentioned her as a reason for choosing the program. Program has a number of informal interest tracks that can set you up early with faculty mentors. LOVED the 3 hospital system (University, VA, and Harborview (county)), which provides three very unique pt populations, especially from the C/L perspective. Also can spend time at the Hutch for psych-onc. Harborview is an amazing facility that's super busy, but you'll see the sickest pts in the area and the residents rave about the staff there. 4 months of Medicine (at the VA?) – expect to work hard, but will learn a ton – not an add-on that only gets the psych pts. PGY 2 - 4 mo of C/L during, 1 mo ER psych, and 2 mo selective that can be used for teaching/research, in addition to 1/2 day/wk outpt clinic.
UW is spearheading a lot of work looking at the collaborative care model between psych/primary care clinics. Tons of faculty and plenty of research opportunities. Brand new teaching scholars track that just started this month. Class is big (11 + 3 Boise track) and gets even bigger after adding a number of pgy2s –good and bad as plenty of people, but cohesion seems to suffer a bit. Residents seem to enjoy didactics. Excellent ER psych experience at Harborview. Psychotherapy exposure/training is excellent. Psych Dept is well respected within the UW med community. Plenty of rural psych opportunities in the WWAMI region. Location wise - few places are as beautiful as Seattle in the summer.
Cons: Seattle can be expensive and resident salaries haven't changed in 3 years. Biggest complaint from residents right now is being in the middle of the 6 month gray sky period. The downside to the 3 hospitals is transportation – expect to pay a lot (heard 150-200/month) if you're parking at Harborview or UW (VA is free). Residents definitely work hard here (probably harder than most), so that can be a con. Seemed to be a lot variability with regard to resident class cohesion with rumblings that some of the pgy2s weren't very helpful at the beginning of the year. One of the pgy4s had yet to do ECT – sounds like it's an elective experience with little exposure otherwise. Huge class as mentioned. Moonlighting almost appears to be frowned upon (no time vs no interest, I'm not sure?). The one opportunity that residents brought up was filling out disability evals.
Overall: Few programs have the resources/faculty/facilities that UW has to offer. Had 2 PDs at other programs rave about Dr. Cowley – she is well respected nationally and will do whatever it takes to help tailor your residency experience to your interests. A lot of flexibility within the program. If you have an interest in research/academic psych, UW seems like a great place to train. Program is very stable and will help you get where you want to go (no pressure to stay in academics), so you have to decide how hard you want to work and whether living in Seattle is your cup of tea. UW has every clinical fellowship you can think of, plus numerous research fellowship opportunities.
For some context, I'm interested in C/L psych (which I use interchangeably with psychosomatic medicine or PM), so I focused mainly on the off service medicine experience, C/L rotations/faculty, emergency psych opportunities, and psychotherapy. The PD/residents and formal teaching opportunities were also very important to me. Unless it struck me as way too much/little, I didn't really pay attention to the call schedule. This is basically stream of consciousness as I think about each place, so hope it's not too disorganized. I'm sure I left out a lot, so feel free to PM me for any additional info.
University of Washington
Pros: PD – Dr. Cowley is amazing and well respected by seemingly everyone that has ever come in contact with her. Every resident I spoke to mentioned her as a reason for choosing the program. Program has a number of informal interest tracks that can set you up early with faculty mentors. LOVED the 3 hospital system (University, VA, and Harborview (county)), which provides three very unique pt populations, especially from the C/L perspective. Also can spend time at the Hutch for psych-onc. Harborview is an amazing facility that's super busy, but you'll see the sickest pts in the area and the residents rave about the staff there. 4 months of Medicine (at the VA?) – expect to work hard, but will learn a ton – not an add-on that only gets the psych pts. PGY 2 - 4 mo of C/L during, 1 mo ER psych, and 2 mo selective that can be used for teaching/research, in addition to 1/2 day/wk outpt clinic.
UW is spearheading a lot of work looking at the collaborative care model between psych/primary care clinics. Tons of faculty and plenty of research opportunities. Brand new teaching scholars track that just started this month. Class is big (11 + 3 Boise track) and gets even bigger after adding a number of pgy2s –good and bad as plenty of people, but cohesion seems to suffer a bit. Residents seem to enjoy didactics. Excellent ER psych experience at Harborview. Psychotherapy exposure/training is excellent. Psych Dept is well respected within the UW med community. Plenty of rural psych opportunities in the WWAMI region. Location wise - few places are as beautiful as Seattle in the summer.
Cons: Seattle can be expensive and resident salaries haven't changed in 3 years. Biggest complaint from residents right now is being in the middle of the 6 month gray sky period. The downside to the 3 hospitals is transportation – expect to pay a lot (heard 150-200/month) if you're parking at Harborview or UW (VA is free). Residents definitely work hard here (probably harder than most), so that can be a con. Seemed to be a lot variability with regard to resident class cohesion with rumblings that some of the pgy2s weren't very helpful at the beginning of the year. One of the pgy4s had yet to do ECT – sounds like it's an elective experience with little exposure otherwise. Huge class as mentioned. Moonlighting almost appears to be frowned upon (no time vs no interest, I'm not sure?). The one opportunity that residents brought up was filling out disability evals.
Overall: Few programs have the resources/faculty/facilities that UW has to offer. Had 2 PDs at other programs rave about Dr. Cowley – she is well respected nationally and will do whatever it takes to help tailor your residency experience to your interests. A lot of flexibility within the program. If you have an interest in research/academic psych, UW seems like a great place to train. Program is very stable and will help you get where you want to go (no pressure to stay in academics), so you have to decide how hard you want to work and whether living in Seattle is your cup of tea. UW has every clinical fellowship you can think of, plus numerous research fellowship opportunities.
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Vanderbilt
Pros: Dr. Fuchs recently took over the head PD position late last year and per the residents, quickly made some important positive changes (based on what the residents felt should be improved). Could not have been more impressed by Dr. Heckers (Chair, brought in from MGH in 2006) and his vision for the program. Simply put, in the next 5 years, he wants Vandy to be considered the best program in the South and in 10 years, be in the discussion for one of the best nationally. Using the MGH model, his initial goal was to build up the C/L service (which had 1 faculty member at that time) and improve the Dept's rep within the Vandy med community. In addition to recruiting the current C/L fellowship director (a former MGH fellow), he brought in a number of other excellent faculty (per residents) including John Shuster (less than a yr ago, McLean trained, current APM president) and more on the way (Passik – palliative/psychonc from MKSCC). Beyond the growth in numbers, the dept's collaborative effort within the hospital has also increased, including work with Wes Ely's (CAM-ICU) delirium research group.
The Dept as a whole has been growing at an impressive rate over the last few years. To a (wo)man, everyone I spoke with has bought into Heckers' vision and feels that this is only the start. In addition to clinical growth, the research side should only improve, as Heckers is a big schizophrenia/neuroimaging researcher. Plenty of research opportunities during pgy3/4, especially if you're interested in Child (especially autism), neuroimaging, etc. Dr. Fuchs is very involved in undergrad med education, so there are plenty of opportunities to teach med students both in and out of the hospital. C/L opportunities are excellent and still improving. Pgy2 - 3 C/L months (1 child) and 3 months ER (including night float). Strong community MH presence. Residents that I met were all pleasant and very happy, especially with Dr. Fuchs as PD. Vanderbilt Psych Hospital (VPH) is a free standing building on campus that is currently being remodeled – a lot of the work has been completed and is pretty impressive. Residents noted the strong support staff at VPH and elsewhere. 4th year essentiall all electives (.3 mo of forensics). Free parking in the parking garage across the street from VPH. Coming from the Midwest, wasn't sure what to expect. Nashville seemed like a great place to live if you want great weather, really cheap cost of living, a good music scene (not just country) and all the amenities of a large city (pro sports, good food, arts, etc) but with a slower pace than Chicago/Boston/NYC and access to some great lakes/hiking/outdoor perks nearby. Also, Vandy apparently has one of the best EMRs in the history of the world (per Vandy folk) so that should be considered a big pro.
Cons: While Vandy is on the rise and has improved a lot in the last 5 years, it still has room to grow. My recollection was that there was only 1 primary geri-psych faculty member, though at least one more has been hired (starting in Spring). I didn't experience this, but a friend interviewed there on a night when none of the residents showed up for dinner for the first 45 min (until after a call was made) so he left wondering how invested the residents were in the program. Again, not my experience as we had more residents (interns/pgy2s) than applicants at my dinner and they all seemed happy. Didn't meet any pgy3/4s outside of the chief that I interviewed with, but he was pleased enough with his experience that he's staying for fellowship. This is probably a pro for most people, but as for disposition planning, it sounds like most of the work is done for you (unlike at Boston U, where you become a master of navigating any system). Nashville has a southern feel to it, which may not be your thing, but there are plenty of transplants there to keep you company.
Overall: As I've emphasized, the trajectory of the program is really impressive and exciting. Vandy as a whole really seems to be on the rise as a medical center (IM is top 5-10 in NIH funding and growing rapidly). With Child and C/L both built up, the focus now appears to be on developing other aspects of the dept (bringing in some more Geri folks soon). Clinical training seems to be strong. Vandy is the biggest name not only TN, but in the region, so patients come from all over -- you will see everything. If you have any interest at all in C/L, Vandy has rapidly become one of the best options out there. Everyone I met was really friendly and excited about the direction of the department. Nashville seems like a great place to live -- definitely enjoyed it more than I anticipated. Probably my biggest surprise on the trail and at worst will be #2 on my list.
Pros: Dr. Fuchs recently took over the head PD position late last year and per the residents, quickly made some important positive changes (based on what the residents felt should be improved). Could not have been more impressed by Dr. Heckers (Chair, brought in from MGH in 2006) and his vision for the program. Simply put, in the next 5 years, he wants Vandy to be considered the best program in the South and in 10 years, be in the discussion for one of the best nationally. Using the MGH model, his initial goal was to build up the C/L service (which had 1 faculty member at that time) and improve the Dept's rep within the Vandy med community. In addition to recruiting the current C/L fellowship director (a former MGH fellow), he brought in a number of other excellent faculty (per residents) including John Shuster (less than a yr ago, McLean trained, current APM president) and more on the way (Passik – palliative/psychonc from MKSCC). Beyond the growth in numbers, the dept's collaborative effort within the hospital has also increased, including work with Wes Ely's (CAM-ICU) delirium research group.
The Dept as a whole has been growing at an impressive rate over the last few years. To a (wo)man, everyone I spoke with has bought into Heckers' vision and feels that this is only the start. In addition to clinical growth, the research side should only improve, as Heckers is a big schizophrenia/neuroimaging researcher. Plenty of research opportunities during pgy3/4, especially if you're interested in Child (especially autism), neuroimaging, etc. Dr. Fuchs is very involved in undergrad med education, so there are plenty of opportunities to teach med students both in and out of the hospital. C/L opportunities are excellent and still improving. Pgy2 - 3 C/L months (1 child) and 3 months ER (including night float). Strong community MH presence. Residents that I met were all pleasant and very happy, especially with Dr. Fuchs as PD. Vanderbilt Psych Hospital (VPH) is a free standing building on campus that is currently being remodeled – a lot of the work has been completed and is pretty impressive. Residents noted the strong support staff at VPH and elsewhere. 4th year essentiall all electives (.3 mo of forensics). Free parking in the parking garage across the street from VPH. Coming from the Midwest, wasn't sure what to expect. Nashville seemed like a great place to live if you want great weather, really cheap cost of living, a good music scene (not just country) and all the amenities of a large city (pro sports, good food, arts, etc) but with a slower pace than Chicago/Boston/NYC and access to some great lakes/hiking/outdoor perks nearby. Also, Vandy apparently has one of the best EMRs in the history of the world (per Vandy folk) so that should be considered a big pro.
Cons: While Vandy is on the rise and has improved a lot in the last 5 years, it still has room to grow. My recollection was that there was only 1 primary geri-psych faculty member, though at least one more has been hired (starting in Spring). I didn't experience this, but a friend interviewed there on a night when none of the residents showed up for dinner for the first 45 min (until after a call was made) so he left wondering how invested the residents were in the program. Again, not my experience as we had more residents (interns/pgy2s) than applicants at my dinner and they all seemed happy. Didn't meet any pgy3/4s outside of the chief that I interviewed with, but he was pleased enough with his experience that he's staying for fellowship. This is probably a pro for most people, but as for disposition planning, it sounds like most of the work is done for you (unlike at Boston U, where you become a master of navigating any system). Nashville has a southern feel to it, which may not be your thing, but there are plenty of transplants there to keep you company.
Overall: As I've emphasized, the trajectory of the program is really impressive and exciting. Vandy as a whole really seems to be on the rise as a medical center (IM is top 5-10 in NIH funding and growing rapidly). With Child and C/L both built up, the focus now appears to be on developing other aspects of the dept (bringing in some more Geri folks soon). Clinical training seems to be strong. Vandy is the biggest name not only TN, but in the region, so patients come from all over -- you will see everything. If you have any interest at all in C/L, Vandy has rapidly become one of the best options out there. Everyone I met was really friendly and excited about the direction of the department. Nashville seems like a great place to live -- definitely enjoyed it more than I anticipated. Probably my biggest surprise on the trail and at worst will be #2 on my list.
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Thanks for your contribution, OH SYNAPSE. I have many friends at this program, and many friends who have gone through this program-- just wanted to add a comment here: it isn't that moonlighting is frowned upon, it just isn't part of the culture there. Certainly for people who want to moonlight, there is nothing keeping them from doing so. Many residents have weekend moonlighting gigs in underserved areas of central Washington that pay enough that you can fly there Friday night, stay in a hotel while taking care of your weekend Saturday & Sunday shifts, and fly back to Seattle -- and the net moonlighting rate is still comparable to or better than what you would get in the city.
-AT.
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Hey all,
I wanted to contribute somehow since I have been using this board for years. I interviewed at the following 15 programs. I will write a review of each one after match day, but if anyone wants my take on the program now, just PM me. Also as AT says, please give me your impression of the program in the PM so I know how to respond appropriately.
U of Rochester
Beth Israel
RUSH University
U of Cincinnati
Case Western
University of Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth University
Wake Forest
RWJ - Piscataway
RWJ - Camden
Washington University in St. Louis
SUNY Syracuse
Harvard Southshore
University of Connecticut
Ohio State University
I wanted to contribute somehow since I have been using this board for years. I interviewed at the following 15 programs. I will write a review of each one after match day, but if anyone wants my take on the program now, just PM me. Also as AT says, please give me your impression of the program in the PM so I know how to respond appropriately.
U of Rochester
Beth Israel
RUSH University
U of Cincinnati
Case Western
University of Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth University
Wake Forest
RWJ - Piscataway
RWJ - Camden
Washington University in St. Louis
SUNY Syracuse
Harvard Southshore
University of Connecticut
Ohio State University
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side note: I am using my wife's account, so that is why it says attending.
I interviewed at two places this year. One was New Mexico. It is a great place. I called Dr. Lewis this month and he told me that my chances were slim.
Then, yesterday, I went to my interview at Colton (Arrowhead). Arrowhead is an osteopathic program and I interviewed for a second year spot. (I am a licensed GP with one year of transitional internship under my belt). The vibe at Arrowhead was much better.
After I finished the interview, as I was driving home, I got a call from the program and I was accepted. I accepted right on the spot. We are signing a contract this week.
This would be a second year spot at Arrowhead (by comparison, the NM spot was for a full 4 year residency). So, overall, things worked out very well, as I will only need to do 3 years (assuming that the college of osteopathic psychitry board grants me the full advanced standing).
Arrowhead has a nice group of attendings. I interviewed with Dr. Gordon most of the morning and then at lunch time, the entire attending staff and a couple of residents came to lunch and did an informal question session where they asked me about my past experience and my past internship and work experience. It was a casual atmosphere and conversationsal. The residents seemed happy and friendly.
I felt very good about the program which was why I accepted the offer right on the phone on the way home.
cheers.
I interviewed at two places this year. One was New Mexico. It is a great place. I called Dr. Lewis this month and he told me that my chances were slim.
Then, yesterday, I went to my interview at Colton (Arrowhead). Arrowhead is an osteopathic program and I interviewed for a second year spot. (I am a licensed GP with one year of transitional internship under my belt). The vibe at Arrowhead was much better.
After I finished the interview, as I was driving home, I got a call from the program and I was accepted. I accepted right on the spot. We are signing a contract this week.
This would be a second year spot at Arrowhead (by comparison, the NM spot was for a full 4 year residency). So, overall, things worked out very well, as I will only need to do 3 years (assuming that the college of osteopathic psychitry board grants me the full advanced standing).
Arrowhead has a nice group of attendings. I interviewed with Dr. Gordon most of the morning and then at lunch time, the entire attending staff and a couple of residents came to lunch and did an informal question session where they asked me about my past experience and my past internship and work experience. It was a casual atmosphere and conversationsal. The residents seemed happy and friendly.
I felt very good about the program which was why I accepted the offer right on the phone on the way home.
cheers.
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So? Does anyone have any residency program reviews they'd like to post, now that it's post-Match and honest-to-God-they-can't-hurt-you-now?
With money being a finite thing, a lot of us relied on others opinions, thoughts, and threads like these to help decide between a few close horses when it came time to cough up for a flight.
With money being a finite thing, a lot of us relied on others opinions, thoughts, and threads like these to help decide between a few close horses when it came time to cough up for a flight.
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Touche, touche...Ohhh I'd say some are waiting to sign that contract before dishing it 🙄
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Sorry it took awhile. Just got back in town where I left all my interview season stuff.
University of Rochester
1. interview accommodations/food
The program paid for the hotel the night before the interview. The night before the interview, a van provided by the hotel, took all the applicants around Rochester to show off the city. After the tour, we were dropped off for dinner with 3 residents. Food was great and the residents were cool.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
A van from the hotel took all the applicants to Strong Memorial Hospital. We all settled in the conference room and coffee & water were provided. The day started with an introduction from Dr. Caine, who was funny, then other faculty did their intoductions. Next was a powerpoint presentation by Dr. Currier (Program Director) & Dr. Santos.
After the powerpoint presentation, the interviews started. Those that had an interview went to meet with their respective faculty. The applicants who had an empty slot waited in an applicant room where there was water, snacks, and 3 computers.
There were 4 interviews during the day, including one with the program director. Each interview was 30 minutes long. I had 3 interviews before lunch and 1 interview after lunch. The questions were standard, nothing tricky or hard. The first interviewer did ask some personal questions. I could tell he really read through my application. Was the only 1 of 4 interviewers who asked me questions for the majority of time. The other 3 asked me 2 or 3 questions and asked if I had any questions for them. All the interviewers were nice and pleasant to talk to.
Lunch was at 12. We met with many residents from PGY-1 to PGY-4. They provided sandwiches and ample time to talk to the residents. This was followed by a tour of the hospital from 1-2pm. Huge hospital = lots of walking. Very nice library.
The shuttle took us back to the hotel at 3:30.
3. Program overview
I lost this sheet. Sorry. Just use the website.
But this was the only program that I interviewed at without ANY overnight call. Residents worked until 12am on their "call" and didn't have to report back to the hospital until 10am. Apparently the system is set up so that the psych department is resident independent which minimizes scutwork and 80hr work week violations while providing a better focus on teaching.
4. Faculty
The residents raved about the faculty and how tremendously patient and knowledgeable they are. A lot of them are trained in Geri Psych from Yale. I got the sense that U of R would provide a supportive environment for me to grow as a psychiatrist.
5. Location, lifestyle, etc.
Rochester is a decent sized city, but I am used to being around much bigger cities so location was a negative for me. As well as the limited amount of things there are to do there in my free time. Not a huge factor, but still a negative.
6. Benefits
Don't remember.
7. Program strengths
- Strong teaching
- Supportive environment
- No overnight call
- Nice library
Friendly program with nice residents and nice faculty. Good psychotherapy training and great schedule. Fellowships in Child, Geri, and Forensics.
8. Potential weaknesses
- Small class (4 per year)
- Location
I liked this program. Just liked the ones I ranked higher better.
University of Rochester
1. interview accommodations/food
The program paid for the hotel the night before the interview. The night before the interview, a van provided by the hotel, took all the applicants around Rochester to show off the city. After the tour, we were dropped off for dinner with 3 residents. Food was great and the residents were cool.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
A van from the hotel took all the applicants to Strong Memorial Hospital. We all settled in the conference room and coffee & water were provided. The day started with an introduction from Dr. Caine, who was funny, then other faculty did their intoductions. Next was a powerpoint presentation by Dr. Currier (Program Director) & Dr. Santos.
After the powerpoint presentation, the interviews started. Those that had an interview went to meet with their respective faculty. The applicants who had an empty slot waited in an applicant room where there was water, snacks, and 3 computers.
There were 4 interviews during the day, including one with the program director. Each interview was 30 minutes long. I had 3 interviews before lunch and 1 interview after lunch. The questions were standard, nothing tricky or hard. The first interviewer did ask some personal questions. I could tell he really read through my application. Was the only 1 of 4 interviewers who asked me questions for the majority of time. The other 3 asked me 2 or 3 questions and asked if I had any questions for them. All the interviewers were nice and pleasant to talk to.
Lunch was at 12. We met with many residents from PGY-1 to PGY-4. They provided sandwiches and ample time to talk to the residents. This was followed by a tour of the hospital from 1-2pm. Huge hospital = lots of walking. Very nice library.
The shuttle took us back to the hotel at 3:30.
3. Program overview
I lost this sheet. Sorry. Just use the website.
But this was the only program that I interviewed at without ANY overnight call. Residents worked until 12am on their "call" and didn't have to report back to the hospital until 10am. Apparently the system is set up so that the psych department is resident independent which minimizes scutwork and 80hr work week violations while providing a better focus on teaching.
4. Faculty
The residents raved about the faculty and how tremendously patient and knowledgeable they are. A lot of them are trained in Geri Psych from Yale. I got the sense that U of R would provide a supportive environment for me to grow as a psychiatrist.
5. Location, lifestyle, etc.
Rochester is a decent sized city, but I am used to being around much bigger cities so location was a negative for me. As well as the limited amount of things there are to do there in my free time. Not a huge factor, but still a negative.
6. Benefits
Don't remember.
7. Program strengths
- Strong teaching
- Supportive environment
- No overnight call
- Nice library
Friendly program with nice residents and nice faculty. Good psychotherapy training and great schedule. Fellowships in Child, Geri, and Forensics.
8. Potential weaknesses
- Small class (4 per year)
- Location
I liked this program. Just liked the ones I ranked higher better.
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Looking over the list of residency reviews I already did, I left two out in the cold. This is not a reflection on my impressions of the program, just that I tossed up reviews in real-time and left a couple out.
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1. ACCOMMODATIONS/FOOD- No accommodations provided. The school provided lists of hotels (small, boutique) and B&Bs close to campus, but you might also just try searching for downtown hotels and taking the N-Judah MUNI line (think light rail) that gets you to UCSF in about 20 minutes. Lunch was catered on-site at Langley Porter (inpatient unit). There was an option to have an early dinner with the residents the night before, which I found extremely helpful, with about a 1:1 resident-to-applicant ratio. Very informative.
2. INTERVIEW DAY- Early start (8:00 a.m.) with an orientation by the program director, then 35 minute interviews with one resident and two faculty members. Also a 15 minute interview with the Program Director. The interviews were surprisingly low stress (disclosure- I was quite surprised to actually be getting this interview and may have felt a bit intimidated and therefore pleasantly surprised), with lots of questions about what I was looking for in a program then seemingly authentic feedback about whether I'd find what I wanted here. After lunch was a series of three tours that lasted about 4 hours in total due to transit times. There was a tour of the VA, which is a crowd-pleaser due mostly to having literally one of the best views in San Francisco. There is also a tour of San Francisco General Hospital, which is a great county-type environment with a long tradition as being the main acute care facility in the city. Lastly was a tour of Langley Porter, which was the inpatient psychiatry unit for the insured population. There was a final half-hour Q&A session with the Program Director and Interim Chair.
3. PROGRAM OVERVIEW- I have a longtime requited love for San Francisco and was desperately hoping to absolutely fall in love with the UCSF program. I found the program to be a strong one, but I didn't walk away as impressed as I thought I would be. I've been blown away by programs I didn't know what to expect when I applied there (OHSU and University of New Mexico being two) and blown away by programs that I had high expectations for (UCLA being one). With UCSF, I had extremely high expectations and walked away with a "strong work" impression: I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't totally blown away, like I thought I'd be. I talked to a lot of other applicants who shared this impression. Speaking to classmates who interviewed at other non-psych UCSF residency programs, they also experienced a similar feeling that many have attributed to a sort of subdued snobbines. I think a lot of my impression was shaped by the interview day being notably low on the "sales" factor and very little of a feel of being marketed to, which is a complete 180 from programs like UCLA. I realized that the impression I had of UCSF's interview day was a little like going on a long roadtrip in which you finally hit a state without billboards: much as you gripe about advertising, when it suddenly disappears, the landscape looks almost a little drab. With any residency programs, it helps to do lots of investigating beforehand, and this is particularly true with UCSF. It's a fantastic program with amazing offerings and wonderful faculty, but if you don't discover that yourself, it may not be conveyed to your liking during interview day.
UCSF as a whole is very strong in research and very well positioned for it, and this is reflected in the Psychiatry department. I think literally just about any research area you had in mind for psychiatry could be accommodated here. Probably the most opportunity on the west coast (though you could make a good argument that this should accolade should go to UCLA). Clinically, UCSF has a great reputation for working with the underserved and attention to issues of cultural psychiatry (though the culture-specific inpatient units are now changed to culture-specific teams due to budget). There is a lot of VA exposure with a lot of active research there as well. In short, research-minded folks would be in heaven here, but those with more clinically-based interests should find a lot to scratch their itch. The website has somewhat limited information about the clinics and clinical opportunities and I would suggest coming to the resident dinner and interview day armed with specific hopes and ideas. I did this and found that there was a lot more opportunities that I had been hoping for than was reflected on their website.
4. FACULTY- Hard to say, as I interviewed with only two faculty members. One was incredibly friendly and the interview was very conversation-based (though she did manage to hit all of the obvious talking points she was hoping to) while the other was slightly stilted (older faculty member who used the 8-second pause thing after each of my answers... ugh...). Residents raved about faculty as a whole, though some of them seemed to be more "impressed by" than "close to," if that makes sense. I didn't get the feeling that I'd be knocking back pints with faculty at my local after work.
5. LOCATION/LIFESTYLE- San Francisco is a very specific place. Most folks move here and end up loving it, though folks who don't usually end up really loathing it. As much as it self-identifies as being an antithesis of Los Angeles, it has its own pretentiousness (which is usually the pretention of being anti- whatever is considered cool by mass culture). As long as you can laugh off that aspect, it's a vibrant city with near unparalleled culture in terms of food, art, and the like, far more than a city of its small size has any rights to. Nearly everything is accessible by public transportation. The weather would be considered a plus by most folks outside of California or the southwest. Rent is frighteningly expensive, really ridiculously so, but this is supplemented by a fairly good-paying job economy if you have a professional or technical spouse. UCSF itself is in a residential area of the city that has a few blocks of life and is otherwise small apartments and flats with some houses. It's conveniently on a MUNI line with many buses ending up here. Great views of the city. As for lifestyle, I had somewhat mixed responses to this. Some off-service residents that we came across just looked tired, but most folks said the lifestyle was okay. UCSF has the reputation of working residents hard, as does UCLA and UW, which incidentally are also considered some of the best of the west coast programs. My personal contention is that the programs with the best reputations for producing great clinicians also have the reputation for working residents hard and I don't think that's incidental.
6. BENEFITS- Typical for California, but supplemented by a $640/month housing allowance, though I think you still have far more options in LA or San Diego with $48K than you have in San Francisco with $55K. One of the adjustments with living in San Francisco is coming to terms with the fact that you will be forever paying a larger-than-you-should portion of your pay to rent until you get a fantastic paying job and then will be paying a larger-than-you-should portion of your pay to a mortgage on a smaller-than-it-should-be house.
7. STRENGTHS- Research strengths in just about everything, particularly strong in anything bench. Other than that, there is a great diversity of clinical opportunities to you if you really look into it beyond the website. Any particular interest area you have will likely be accommodated. The fellow residents could be viewed as a big strength, as they seemed to be universally very bright. I was impressed with the residents, but with several people it was definitely in a top-of-the-class kind of way rather than a life-experience kind of way. Not sure if this is common in the top programs, as I didn't interview at many. San Francisco is a big, big plus for most people.
8. WEAKNESSES- They have gone something like three years without a Chair, though I've heard nothing but great things about their long-term interim one. This will not be a residency easy on the hours, but I haven't heard anyone who is in it or gone through it complain and everyone raves about their training. SF cost-of-living is a big weakness, even with the housing supplement, and it's a particularly tough town to raise a family in as the public schools are fairly atrocious, a sin in a town that considers itself so liberal.
2. INTERVIEW DAY- Early start (8:00 a.m.) with an orientation by the program director, then 35 minute interviews with one resident and two faculty members. Also a 15 minute interview with the Program Director. The interviews were surprisingly low stress (disclosure- I was quite surprised to actually be getting this interview and may have felt a bit intimidated and therefore pleasantly surprised), with lots of questions about what I was looking for in a program then seemingly authentic feedback about whether I'd find what I wanted here. After lunch was a series of three tours that lasted about 4 hours in total due to transit times. There was a tour of the VA, which is a crowd-pleaser due mostly to having literally one of the best views in San Francisco. There is also a tour of San Francisco General Hospital, which is a great county-type environment with a long tradition as being the main acute care facility in the city. Lastly was a tour of Langley Porter, which was the inpatient psychiatry unit for the insured population. There was a final half-hour Q&A session with the Program Director and Interim Chair.
3. PROGRAM OVERVIEW- I have a longtime requited love for San Francisco and was desperately hoping to absolutely fall in love with the UCSF program. I found the program to be a strong one, but I didn't walk away as impressed as I thought I would be. I've been blown away by programs I didn't know what to expect when I applied there (OHSU and University of New Mexico being two) and blown away by programs that I had high expectations for (UCLA being one). With UCSF, I had extremely high expectations and walked away with a "strong work" impression: I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't totally blown away, like I thought I'd be. I talked to a lot of other applicants who shared this impression. Speaking to classmates who interviewed at other non-psych UCSF residency programs, they also experienced a similar feeling that many have attributed to a sort of subdued snobbines. I think a lot of my impression was shaped by the interview day being notably low on the "sales" factor and very little of a feel of being marketed to, which is a complete 180 from programs like UCLA. I realized that the impression I had of UCSF's interview day was a little like going on a long roadtrip in which you finally hit a state without billboards: much as you gripe about advertising, when it suddenly disappears, the landscape looks almost a little drab. With any residency programs, it helps to do lots of investigating beforehand, and this is particularly true with UCSF. It's a fantastic program with amazing offerings and wonderful faculty, but if you don't discover that yourself, it may not be conveyed to your liking during interview day.
UCSF as a whole is very strong in research and very well positioned for it, and this is reflected in the Psychiatry department. I think literally just about any research area you had in mind for psychiatry could be accommodated here. Probably the most opportunity on the west coast (though you could make a good argument that this should accolade should go to UCLA). Clinically, UCSF has a great reputation for working with the underserved and attention to issues of cultural psychiatry (though the culture-specific inpatient units are now changed to culture-specific teams due to budget). There is a lot of VA exposure with a lot of active research there as well. In short, research-minded folks would be in heaven here, but those with more clinically-based interests should find a lot to scratch their itch. The website has somewhat limited information about the clinics and clinical opportunities and I would suggest coming to the resident dinner and interview day armed with specific hopes and ideas. I did this and found that there was a lot more opportunities that I had been hoping for than was reflected on their website.
4. FACULTY- Hard to say, as I interviewed with only two faculty members. One was incredibly friendly and the interview was very conversation-based (though she did manage to hit all of the obvious talking points she was hoping to) while the other was slightly stilted (older faculty member who used the 8-second pause thing after each of my answers... ugh...). Residents raved about faculty as a whole, though some of them seemed to be more "impressed by" than "close to," if that makes sense. I didn't get the feeling that I'd be knocking back pints with faculty at my local after work.
5. LOCATION/LIFESTYLE- San Francisco is a very specific place. Most folks move here and end up loving it, though folks who don't usually end up really loathing it. As much as it self-identifies as being an antithesis of Los Angeles, it has its own pretentiousness (which is usually the pretention of being anti- whatever is considered cool by mass culture). As long as you can laugh off that aspect, it's a vibrant city with near unparalleled culture in terms of food, art, and the like, far more than a city of its small size has any rights to. Nearly everything is accessible by public transportation. The weather would be considered a plus by most folks outside of California or the southwest. Rent is frighteningly expensive, really ridiculously so, but this is supplemented by a fairly good-paying job economy if you have a professional or technical spouse. UCSF itself is in a residential area of the city that has a few blocks of life and is otherwise small apartments and flats with some houses. It's conveniently on a MUNI line with many buses ending up here. Great views of the city. As for lifestyle, I had somewhat mixed responses to this. Some off-service residents that we came across just looked tired, but most folks said the lifestyle was okay. UCSF has the reputation of working residents hard, as does UCLA and UW, which incidentally are also considered some of the best of the west coast programs. My personal contention is that the programs with the best reputations for producing great clinicians also have the reputation for working residents hard and I don't think that's incidental.
6. BENEFITS- Typical for California, but supplemented by a $640/month housing allowance, though I think you still have far more options in LA or San Diego with $48K than you have in San Francisco with $55K. One of the adjustments with living in San Francisco is coming to terms with the fact that you will be forever paying a larger-than-you-should portion of your pay to rent until you get a fantastic paying job and then will be paying a larger-than-you-should portion of your pay to a mortgage on a smaller-than-it-should-be house.
7. STRENGTHS- Research strengths in just about everything, particularly strong in anything bench. Other than that, there is a great diversity of clinical opportunities to you if you really look into it beyond the website. Any particular interest area you have will likely be accommodated. The fellow residents could be viewed as a big strength, as they seemed to be universally very bright. I was impressed with the residents, but with several people it was definitely in a top-of-the-class kind of way rather than a life-experience kind of way. Not sure if this is common in the top programs, as I didn't interview at many. San Francisco is a big, big plus for most people.
8. WEAKNESSES- They have gone something like three years without a Chair, though I've heard nothing but great things about their long-term interim one. This will not be a residency easy on the hours, but I haven't heard anyone who is in it or gone through it complain and everyone raves about their training. SF cost-of-living is a big weakness, even with the housing supplement, and it's a particularly tough town to raise a family in as the public schools are fairly atrocious, a sin in a town that considers itself so liberal.
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1. ACCOMMODATIONS/FOOD- No accommodations provided. The interview day was at the VA Medical Center in La Jolla, which has little in the way of accommodation. Personally, I think it's best off just staying in San Diego and exploring the area from there. The traffic isn't bad, and the interview start time is late enough that you miss most of it. The resident event was a reception at a bar/restaurant immediately after the interview. It was extremely well-attended and the residents were well able to let their hair down. That said, I think this event the night BEFORE interviews is usually a little more useful, though that's probably arguable.
2. INTERVIEW DAY- Deliciously late start (9:45 a.m.) with a light breakfast and powerpoint slideshow and orientation session that was a great overview of the program. This was followed by 2 half hour interviews with a faculty member and resident and 2 fifteen minute interviews with a chief resident and the Program Director. Lunch was held as a group, then a 90 minute tour of the VA facility followed by a 2 hour tour of Hillcrest in San Diego proper. Apparently their tour is famous for taking us down to La Jolla to look at sea lions and whatnot, but the weather didn't permit this on my day. A 5pm wrap-up session was followed by a reception at the restaurant/bar mentioned below.
3. PROGRAM OVERVIEW- One thing that I find very curious is how medical schools tend to inherit the reputation of their undergrad campuses and residency programs the reputation of their medical schools. This is certainly the case of UCSD, where I heard a lot from folks with no exposure to the program about how it was a "research-heavy" program. From interviewing there and asking around, while there's certainly a lot of research opportunities (particularly on the neuroscience and bench side), it doesn't lack in terms of clinical opportunities. I think the research reputation overshadows what is a well-developed and effective clinical training curriculum as well. The program also has a wonderful relationship with St. Vincent de Paul, a homeless "village" in which you rotate through to provide care to the indigent. There is also a large underserved population supported by Hillcrest, THE facility in San Diego proper. Lastly, you have a lot of good exposure at the VA in La Jolla. While UCSD also has the reputation for being very psychopharm-focused, they seem to have a good amount of psychotherapy exposure and didactic training. The research focus does filter down into the residency program to some degree, with having the opportunity to do an independent research project that sounds very intriguing. They also seem to have a robust research track, but this wasn't my gig, so I can't speak to it very much.
4. FACULTY- I only met with one faculty member, but he was friendly and approachable. I have to take a moment to rave about Dr. Zisook, the Program Director. If you go to med school in California and focus on psychiatry, it doesn't take much asking to hear about Dr. Zisook, who is very well respected and also has the reputation for being an incredibly nice guy. I was very impressed by his vision for the program and where he wants to take it and also what seems to be a legitimate focus on making sure the right people choose UCSD for the right reasons. I had follow-up questions about the program immediately post-interview and he was prompt and detailed with replying and offered to set-up follow-up discussions with relevant faculty members. Very impressed. Residents impressions of faculty were positive.
5. LOCATION/LIFESTYLE- Take a coastal strip of San Diego County that runs 1 mile inland and you've pretty much got what any non-Californian pictures of California. The weather is probably the most temperate and pleasant in the country. People are friendly. There's a big emphasis on fitness and exercise and pretty good outdoor opportunities. Hiking is decent in the hills just inland and anything to do with the water reigns supreme here. The two training facilities are about a 15 minute drive away. For folks raised in LA or Orange County, the traffic situation is pretty light. San Diego has lots of variety of housing, and the prices are surprisingly not too bad if you're used to the LA or SF area. It gets significantly cheaper once you start looking inland a ways, but inland San Diego County isn't high on any rational person's wish-list. San Diego as a city gives a mixed impression. While it's very pleasant, no one will confuse it with having the culture opportunities found in California cities both larger and smaller. While there's a vibrant gay population and a vocal liberal one, both are minorities and it's a much more conservative town than most of urban California. Residents here seemed very happy and while letting their hair down over beers seemed legitimately very comfortable with their training and lifestyle. The stats of the number of residents who end up staying in San Diego after finishing residency was very high, which isn't a reflection of lack of opportunity but for how San Diego has a habit of sucking people in. Again, very very pleasant.
6. BENEFITS- Typical University of California, which is $48K to start. If you're looking for a nice house with a yard and picket fence anywhere near the water, you'll be stretched thin, but you can find apartments with "personality" for an affordable rental price within a quick walk of the beach. San Diego has quite a few neighborhoods which radically change in demographic and price, so it would do well to research things a bit before considering a move. When selecting a neighborhood in L.A., you worry about gangs, in San Diego, you worry about SDSU kids.
7. STRENGTHS- UCSD walks the walk when it comes to providing to the underserved, though you don't hear much about this aspect of their training until you look. It also has very good V.A. exposure, exceeded only by UCLA and possibly UCSF. Research opportunities abound, and are especially strong with anything that has a bench component as UCSD's science PhD programs are well-regarded. The area is a big strength for most people, as is the easy-going SoCal lifestyle. The Program Director is a very strong selling point, as are the residents, who seem well-adjusted, well-rounded, and with active lives outside of residency.
8. WEAKNESSES- A bad choice of programs if you're allergic to the homeless, to veterans, or to Republicans. Otherwise, it's a solid program all around with no particular weakness areas that I'd worry about.
2. INTERVIEW DAY- Deliciously late start (9:45 a.m.) with a light breakfast and powerpoint slideshow and orientation session that was a great overview of the program. This was followed by 2 half hour interviews with a faculty member and resident and 2 fifteen minute interviews with a chief resident and the Program Director. Lunch was held as a group, then a 90 minute tour of the VA facility followed by a 2 hour tour of Hillcrest in San Diego proper. Apparently their tour is famous for taking us down to La Jolla to look at sea lions and whatnot, but the weather didn't permit this on my day. A 5pm wrap-up session was followed by a reception at the restaurant/bar mentioned below.
3. PROGRAM OVERVIEW- One thing that I find very curious is how medical schools tend to inherit the reputation of their undergrad campuses and residency programs the reputation of their medical schools. This is certainly the case of UCSD, where I heard a lot from folks with no exposure to the program about how it was a "research-heavy" program. From interviewing there and asking around, while there's certainly a lot of research opportunities (particularly on the neuroscience and bench side), it doesn't lack in terms of clinical opportunities. I think the research reputation overshadows what is a well-developed and effective clinical training curriculum as well. The program also has a wonderful relationship with St. Vincent de Paul, a homeless "village" in which you rotate through to provide care to the indigent. There is also a large underserved population supported by Hillcrest, THE facility in San Diego proper. Lastly, you have a lot of good exposure at the VA in La Jolla. While UCSD also has the reputation for being very psychopharm-focused, they seem to have a good amount of psychotherapy exposure and didactic training. The research focus does filter down into the residency program to some degree, with having the opportunity to do an independent research project that sounds very intriguing. They also seem to have a robust research track, but this wasn't my gig, so I can't speak to it very much.
4. FACULTY- I only met with one faculty member, but he was friendly and approachable. I have to take a moment to rave about Dr. Zisook, the Program Director. If you go to med school in California and focus on psychiatry, it doesn't take much asking to hear about Dr. Zisook, who is very well respected and also has the reputation for being an incredibly nice guy. I was very impressed by his vision for the program and where he wants to take it and also what seems to be a legitimate focus on making sure the right people choose UCSD for the right reasons. I had follow-up questions about the program immediately post-interview and he was prompt and detailed with replying and offered to set-up follow-up discussions with relevant faculty members. Very impressed. Residents impressions of faculty were positive.
5. LOCATION/LIFESTYLE- Take a coastal strip of San Diego County that runs 1 mile inland and you've pretty much got what any non-Californian pictures of California. The weather is probably the most temperate and pleasant in the country. People are friendly. There's a big emphasis on fitness and exercise and pretty good outdoor opportunities. Hiking is decent in the hills just inland and anything to do with the water reigns supreme here. The two training facilities are about a 15 minute drive away. For folks raised in LA or Orange County, the traffic situation is pretty light. San Diego has lots of variety of housing, and the prices are surprisingly not too bad if you're used to the LA or SF area. It gets significantly cheaper once you start looking inland a ways, but inland San Diego County isn't high on any rational person's wish-list. San Diego as a city gives a mixed impression. While it's very pleasant, no one will confuse it with having the culture opportunities found in California cities both larger and smaller. While there's a vibrant gay population and a vocal liberal one, both are minorities and it's a much more conservative town than most of urban California. Residents here seemed very happy and while letting their hair down over beers seemed legitimately very comfortable with their training and lifestyle. The stats of the number of residents who end up staying in San Diego after finishing residency was very high, which isn't a reflection of lack of opportunity but for how San Diego has a habit of sucking people in. Again, very very pleasant.
6. BENEFITS- Typical University of California, which is $48K to start. If you're looking for a nice house with a yard and picket fence anywhere near the water, you'll be stretched thin, but you can find apartments with "personality" for an affordable rental price within a quick walk of the beach. San Diego has quite a few neighborhoods which radically change in demographic and price, so it would do well to research things a bit before considering a move. When selecting a neighborhood in L.A., you worry about gangs, in San Diego, you worry about SDSU kids.
7. STRENGTHS- UCSD walks the walk when it comes to providing to the underserved, though you don't hear much about this aspect of their training until you look. It also has very good V.A. exposure, exceeded only by UCLA and possibly UCSF. Research opportunities abound, and are especially strong with anything that has a bench component as UCSD's science PhD programs are well-regarded. The area is a big strength for most people, as is the easy-going SoCal lifestyle. The Program Director is a very strong selling point, as are the residents, who seem well-adjusted, well-rounded, and with active lives outside of residency.
8. WEAKNESSES- A bad choice of programs if you're allergic to the homeless, to veterans, or to Republicans. Otherwise, it's a solid program all around with no particular weakness areas that I'd worry about.
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Number of people posting about where they matched on the Official Match Results 2011 thread: 23
Number of people posting information on this one to help out their younger colleagues try to Match: 11
C'mon, folks... If you're enough of a community member to bother bragging about that great Match slot you nailed, aren't you enough of a community member to help your fellow SDNers try to nail their own next year? The participation is pretty anemic this year...
Number of people posting information on this one to help out their younger colleagues try to Match: 11
C'mon, folks... If you're enough of a community member to bother bragging about that great Match slot you nailed, aren't you enough of a community member to help your fellow SDNers try to nail their own next year? The participation is pretty anemic this year...
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FWIW, thanks for coming back to post additional reviews.
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Yes, we 2011-2012 psych applicants would love to hear from other people. Maybe get some variety in there with reviews of some non-west coast or Ivy League programs. But thanks to those who already have posted reviews.
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guys I can be of some help when it comes to giving opinion about non-ivy league programs!!! coz I am an IMG with stellar scores but still..an IMG!!🙂
DuKe- well, the best PD I met on my interview trail, Dr Thrall is renowned nationally and is the back bone of the program.... she personally gives a phone call to all the to -be interviewed candidates and asks about your interests specifically and I found that all of us were interviewed by faculty members related to the field we expressed our interest in and making the whole experience so useful. Typical interview day began with a home baked cake from her, 2 faculty interviews, attending a class (any of the PGY ones), attending the rounds on the inpatient unit, and yes....the best day to interview is a Thursday where you get to attend the family studies program in the evening that provides couples therapy, family therapy for adolescents , parent management training, marital therapy, and general family therapy ).
there is a lot of emphasis on research and you can select the research track...which i beleive was nicely outlined....you can do a masters too....)
The only thing i noticed that residents did complain of being overworked somehow but still cherished the education and training they are receiving....
North shore LIJ(zucker hill side)- well, a huge program 17 residents per year, The PD seems to be a reasonable person, really makes you understand the match algorithm!!I felt drawn to the program by the big names like Dr John kane but i think despite LIJ being a biggg research hub, as a resident one does not have time to really make use of that, since its new york, patient load is huge and you practically see everything! one of the few programs where psychotherapy is actually practiced not just superficially talked about..there is a lot of renovation work going on zucker hill side hospital which is nice but was an eye sore !! I m told that its one of the few new york programs that makes money...!residents were a happy lot...its affiliated to Hofstra university and will get its own medical students this fall...i dont know how it will impact the residency training though!
DuKe- well, the best PD I met on my interview trail, Dr Thrall is renowned nationally and is the back bone of the program.... she personally gives a phone call to all the to -be interviewed candidates and asks about your interests specifically and I found that all of us were interviewed by faculty members related to the field we expressed our interest in and making the whole experience so useful. Typical interview day began with a home baked cake from her, 2 faculty interviews, attending a class (any of the PGY ones), attending the rounds on the inpatient unit, and yes....the best day to interview is a Thursday where you get to attend the family studies program in the evening that provides couples therapy, family therapy for adolescents , parent management training, marital therapy, and general family therapy ).
there is a lot of emphasis on research and you can select the research track...which i beleive was nicely outlined....you can do a masters too....)
The only thing i noticed that residents did complain of being overworked somehow but still cherished the education and training they are receiving....
North shore LIJ(zucker hill side)- well, a huge program 17 residents per year, The PD seems to be a reasonable person, really makes you understand the match algorithm!!I felt drawn to the program by the big names like Dr John kane but i think despite LIJ being a biggg research hub, as a resident one does not have time to really make use of that, since its new york, patient load is huge and you practically see everything! one of the few programs where psychotherapy is actually practiced not just superficially talked about..there is a lot of renovation work going on zucker hill side hospital which is nice but was an eye sore !! I m told that its one of the few new york programs that makes money...!residents were a happy lot...its affiliated to Hofstra university and will get its own medical students this fall...i dont know how it will impact the residency training though!
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.Beth Israel.
.1. interview accommodations/food
No dinner the night before. I was in the city so took the subway over. Breakfast was coffee and orange juice.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Had a powerpoint presentation about psychiatry, the program, and it's location. Then I had 2 interviews. One with the Child psych attending and the other one I forgot. The interview with the child psych attending was great, but the other 2 were just okay/ not that great. Too many basic questions/ not sure if they really read my file etc…
Afterwards, we took a tour of the hospital. It's a lot bigger than it seems. This was followed by lunch with the residents (pizza). After lunch, every applicant met with the program director (or chairman I forgot) 1 on 1 for about 5 minutes.
Shortest day of interviewing compared to the other 14 places I visited.
3. Faculty
I didn't get the vibe that the faculty and residents were really close. In fact, none of the residents seemed really excited about the program. They seemed more excited about the fact that they were living in NYC. They also seemed overworked. None of the residents said, "Oh my god, you have to talk to Dr. X, he is the greatest psychiatrist ever". I heard that said about at least 1 attending at every other program.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
NYC is NYC. I'm local, but if your not, you should know it's very expensive housing for a closet sized apt. The location of the hospital is great thou. Since St. Vincent's (?) closed, it's only Beth Israel and NYU down there so they see a lot of pathology. One thing about working in NYC is the amount of drug/ EtOH abuse you encounter in all types of psych patients.
5. Benefits
Don't remember.
6. Program strengths
- Strong psychotherapy
- Some brain imaging research
- Diverse patient population
- New CPEP
- Strong family therapy
- Financially stable
7. Potential weaknesses
- Poor psychopharmacology: Had a resident tell me this. She said it's something they struggle with on boards.
- No set didactic schedule. Classes occur at different times on different days.
- Avg/ Below avg teaching
- No board prep - students teach themselves/ in groups
- Minimal specialty clinics.
- No CA units
- Location: realized very quickly it was not for me and declined/ canceled 2 of my other NYC interviews..
.1. interview accommodations/food
No dinner the night before. I was in the city so took the subway over. Breakfast was coffee and orange juice.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Had a powerpoint presentation about psychiatry, the program, and it's location. Then I had 2 interviews. One with the Child psych attending and the other one I forgot. The interview with the child psych attending was great, but the other 2 were just okay/ not that great. Too many basic questions/ not sure if they really read my file etc…
Afterwards, we took a tour of the hospital. It's a lot bigger than it seems. This was followed by lunch with the residents (pizza). After lunch, every applicant met with the program director (or chairman I forgot) 1 on 1 for about 5 minutes.
Shortest day of interviewing compared to the other 14 places I visited.
3. Faculty
I didn't get the vibe that the faculty and residents were really close. In fact, none of the residents seemed really excited about the program. They seemed more excited about the fact that they were living in NYC. They also seemed overworked. None of the residents said, "Oh my god, you have to talk to Dr. X, he is the greatest psychiatrist ever". I heard that said about at least 1 attending at every other program.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
NYC is NYC. I'm local, but if your not, you should know it's very expensive housing for a closet sized apt. The location of the hospital is great thou. Since St. Vincent's (?) closed, it's only Beth Israel and NYU down there so they see a lot of pathology. One thing about working in NYC is the amount of drug/ EtOH abuse you encounter in all types of psych patients.
5. Benefits
Don't remember.
6. Program strengths
- Strong psychotherapy
- Some brain imaging research
- Diverse patient population
- New CPEP
- Strong family therapy
- Financially stable
7. Potential weaknesses
- Poor psychopharmacology: Had a resident tell me this. She said it's something they struggle with on boards.
- No set didactic schedule. Classes occur at different times on different days.
- Avg/ Below avg teaching
- No board prep - students teach themselves/ in groups
- Minimal specialty clinics.
- No CA units
- Location: realized very quickly it was not for me and declined/ canceled 2 of my other NYC interviews..
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2009
- Messages
- 56
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 4,531
- Medical Student
.Rush University .
.
1. interview accommodations/food
Got a discount for being a Rush applicant at the hotel. I believe I paid around $100 for the night. The night before the interview, met up with some residents at an Asian restaurant. Great food, very good company. The residents were chill, the other applicants were also cool.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
The day started with 1.5 hr psychodynamic case conference with Dr. Goldberg (all the residents and applicants were in the room). Good stuff. After that, I had 1 interview for 30 minutes which was alright. Good conversation. He had clearly read my application. This was followed by a group meeting with a lot of the key faculty in the same room talking to all the applicants. Next was a 30 minute interview with the chairman who 100% had not even glanced at my application and the program director. Finished up with a 30 minute interview with the program director. This was followed by a lunch at the fancy cafeteria and a tour of the hospital. .
.
3. Faculty
The residents seemed happy with the attendings and the program. Dr. Janicak is great for psychopharm. He publishes one of the most well known books on the subject. The residents say he is awesome, but definitely likes things done his way. Some other big names there as well.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
It was my first time in Chicago. I think the location definitely makes the program more competitive. There were no DO residents and only 1 FMG resident. Many of the residents were from local medical schools like University of Illnois, Rosalind Franklin, etc I dont know why, but people LOVE chicago. All the residents raved about the city from culture to entertainment to food etc
5. Program strengths
- Strong teaching
- Supportive environment
- Good class size (6 per year).
.- Child fellowship available.
.
.
. 6. Potential weaknesses
- Older units .
.- Poor cafeteria. Poor access to food when on call. .
.- Change in chairman (someone correct me if I am wrong on this one).
.- Only Child fellowship available
I thought this was one of my stronger performances during the interview season, but there was just something about the program that I thought didnt fit me well. However, did seem like a good program overall. ...
.
1. interview accommodations/food
Got a discount for being a Rush applicant at the hotel. I believe I paid around $100 for the night. The night before the interview, met up with some residents at an Asian restaurant. Great food, very good company. The residents were chill, the other applicants were also cool.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
The day started with 1.5 hr psychodynamic case conference with Dr. Goldberg (all the residents and applicants were in the room). Good stuff. After that, I had 1 interview for 30 minutes which was alright. Good conversation. He had clearly read my application. This was followed by a group meeting with a lot of the key faculty in the same room talking to all the applicants. Next was a 30 minute interview with the chairman who 100% had not even glanced at my application and the program director. Finished up with a 30 minute interview with the program director. This was followed by a lunch at the fancy cafeteria and a tour of the hospital. .
.
3. Faculty
The residents seemed happy with the attendings and the program. Dr. Janicak is great for psychopharm. He publishes one of the most well known books on the subject. The residents say he is awesome, but definitely likes things done his way. Some other big names there as well.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
It was my first time in Chicago. I think the location definitely makes the program more competitive. There were no DO residents and only 1 FMG resident. Many of the residents were from local medical schools like University of Illnois, Rosalind Franklin, etc I dont know why, but people LOVE chicago. All the residents raved about the city from culture to entertainment to food etc
5. Program strengths
- Strong teaching
- Supportive environment
- Good class size (6 per year).
.- Child fellowship available.
.
.
. 6. Potential weaknesses
- Older units .
.- Poor cafeteria. Poor access to food when on call. .
.- Change in chairman (someone correct me if I am wrong on this one).
.- Only Child fellowship available
I thought this was one of my stronger performances during the interview season, but there was just something about the program that I thought didnt fit me well. However, did seem like a good program overall. ...
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2009
- Messages
- 56
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 4,531
- Medical Student
.University of Cincinnati ..
1. interview accommodations/food
Got a discount for being a UCincinnati applicant at the hotel right near campus. It was still kind of expensive even with the discount. Future applicants might want to check out other hotels nearby. The night before the interview, went out to dinner with a few residents and all the applicants in northern Kentucky. It was about 10-15 min from the hospital. The area we ate at seemed like a really cool place to hang out when not working.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Before I talk about the interview day, I want to warn you guys/ gals to walk over to the interview building the night before. I normally did this except for Ucincinnati because I got into the city too late. Anyway, it is located right next to Chiptole. When I say next to, I mean if you see the Chipotle building, go inside and you will be able to find your way to the interview. .
. .
.My day started with a 30 minute interview with Dr. Bennett who is the program director. I thought she was amazing. Very caring, listened intently, knew everything about my application, great conversation. Easily one of the top 3 program directors I met all interview season. .
. .
.After that, Dr. Bennett gave a powerpoint presentation to all the applicants about the program and the city of Cincinnati. Informative. I enjoyed it. This was followed by 3 other interviews which were okay, but not as good as the interview with Dr. Bennett. .
. .
.After the interviews, we had lunch (sandwiches) with the residents and a tour of the facilities. I have to say that I was a little let down by the inpatient units. They seemed pretty crowded, old, and work space seemed minimal. However, I think they are in the process of moving the psych beds out of the hospital (I believe by 2012, not 100% sure thou).
3. Faculty
Residents seem to love the faculty. They had a lot of very nice things to say. Some big time researchers.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
Im big into sports so I was excited to check out Cincinnati. It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be and there are definitely certain parts of the city you do not want to get lost in. Aside from that, they have a beautiful undergrad campus and decent amount of arts and entertainment. Some residents wished the city was bigger (they complained about being bored when not at work), and other residents loved the size of the city.
5. Program strengths
- Very strong in research
- Access to Psychoanalytic Institute
- Fellowships available in Child (strong Childrens hospital), Forensics, and Addiction .
.- Great cafeteria at the Childrens Hospital
6. Potential weaknesses .
.
- Older units
- Location
I was very excited when I got the interview for this program. I think this program allows one to become the best psychiatrist they can. If your okay living in a smaller city and working more than in a typical psychiatry program, this would be a great fit. The inpatient units did kind of bother me and caused me to put them a little lower on my rank list. .
1. interview accommodations/food
Got a discount for being a UCincinnati applicant at the hotel right near campus. It was still kind of expensive even with the discount. Future applicants might want to check out other hotels nearby. The night before the interview, went out to dinner with a few residents and all the applicants in northern Kentucky. It was about 10-15 min from the hospital. The area we ate at seemed like a really cool place to hang out when not working.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Before I talk about the interview day, I want to warn you guys/ gals to walk over to the interview building the night before. I normally did this except for Ucincinnati because I got into the city too late. Anyway, it is located right next to Chiptole. When I say next to, I mean if you see the Chipotle building, go inside and you will be able to find your way to the interview. .
. .
.My day started with a 30 minute interview with Dr. Bennett who is the program director. I thought she was amazing. Very caring, listened intently, knew everything about my application, great conversation. Easily one of the top 3 program directors I met all interview season. .
. .
.After that, Dr. Bennett gave a powerpoint presentation to all the applicants about the program and the city of Cincinnati. Informative. I enjoyed it. This was followed by 3 other interviews which were okay, but not as good as the interview with Dr. Bennett. .
. .
.After the interviews, we had lunch (sandwiches) with the residents and a tour of the facilities. I have to say that I was a little let down by the inpatient units. They seemed pretty crowded, old, and work space seemed minimal. However, I think they are in the process of moving the psych beds out of the hospital (I believe by 2012, not 100% sure thou).
3. Faculty
Residents seem to love the faculty. They had a lot of very nice things to say. Some big time researchers.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
Im big into sports so I was excited to check out Cincinnati. It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be and there are definitely certain parts of the city you do not want to get lost in. Aside from that, they have a beautiful undergrad campus and decent amount of arts and entertainment. Some residents wished the city was bigger (they complained about being bored when not at work), and other residents loved the size of the city.
5. Program strengths
- Very strong in research
- Access to Psychoanalytic Institute
- Fellowships available in Child (strong Childrens hospital), Forensics, and Addiction .
.- Great cafeteria at the Childrens Hospital
6. Potential weaknesses .
.
- Older units
- Location
I was very excited when I got the interview for this program. I think this program allows one to become the best psychiatrist they can. If your okay living in a smaller city and working more than in a typical psychiatry program, this would be a great fit. The inpatient units did kind of bother me and caused me to put them a little lower on my rank list. .
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2009
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- 56
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 4,531
- Medical Student
.Case Western Reserve University ..
1. interview accommodations/food
Cost for 1 night at the hotel was $50 (Case paid the rest). I met with residents and other applicants for dinner at a pizzeria. Really enjoyed the conversation and felt more comfortable with the residents than at any other interview. Breakfast was juice and coffee, cant remember if there was anything else.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
The interview day started with an orientation and overview with Dr. Stagno who is the program director. This was followed by 4 interviews each 25 minutes long. Did not interview with the chairman, but he came in during the orientation and introduced himself. This was one of my favorite programs because the interviewers were great. Dr. Stagno asked me some great questions from my file and personal statement and one of the chief residents asked me some tough questions regarding the practice of psychiatry. Nothing crazy and I liked it because it wasnt the same generic questions followed by 20 mintues of what questions I had. This was followed by lunch with the residents and a tour of the facilities.
.
.
3. Faculty
Residents raved about the faculty. Really stressed the teaching was very strong. The residents pointed out that there is a fellowship in every field available so that you were being taught by someone who was well qualified in each discipline.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
Cleveland is a decent sized city. Not too small, not too big. All major sports available, arts & entertainment, good food, low cost of living, etc Residents said there are plenty of things to do including a good night life. I think the weather is the major/ only negative for a lot of the residents.
5. Program strengths
- Very strong teaching
- All fellowships available (Child, Forensic, Geriatric, Addiction, Psychosomatic).
.- Great cafeteria.
.- 2 electives PGY-2 yr in interesting fields like VA gambling program, womens health, sexual martial health, etc..
.- Strong research in Mood Disorders headed by Dr. Calabrese .
.- Great forensics (Dr. Resnick) and Child (Rainbow Babies) .
.- Residents seemed to genuinely love the program and each others company .
.- Didactics same time, same day every week.
.- New inpatient units (moved outside the hospital to Richmond Heights). Huge positive for me (having newer units makes a big difference to me), might be negative for others.
6. Potential weaknesses .
.
- Location
Really loved this program. From the residents to the Dr. Stagno, I thought this program was fantastic. Got a chance to round with the team to see how strong the teaching was and I was pleasantly surprised. Felt this program could prepare me to be the best psychiatrist I can be. Outside of location, couldnt really find any faults. .
1. interview accommodations/food
Cost for 1 night at the hotel was $50 (Case paid the rest). I met with residents and other applicants for dinner at a pizzeria. Really enjoyed the conversation and felt more comfortable with the residents than at any other interview. Breakfast was juice and coffee, cant remember if there was anything else.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
The interview day started with an orientation and overview with Dr. Stagno who is the program director. This was followed by 4 interviews each 25 minutes long. Did not interview with the chairman, but he came in during the orientation and introduced himself. This was one of my favorite programs because the interviewers were great. Dr. Stagno asked me some great questions from my file and personal statement and one of the chief residents asked me some tough questions regarding the practice of psychiatry. Nothing crazy and I liked it because it wasnt the same generic questions followed by 20 mintues of what questions I had. This was followed by lunch with the residents and a tour of the facilities.
.
.
3. Faculty
Residents raved about the faculty. Really stressed the teaching was very strong. The residents pointed out that there is a fellowship in every field available so that you were being taught by someone who was well qualified in each discipline.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
Cleveland is a decent sized city. Not too small, not too big. All major sports available, arts & entertainment, good food, low cost of living, etc Residents said there are plenty of things to do including a good night life. I think the weather is the major/ only negative for a lot of the residents.
5. Program strengths
- Very strong teaching
- All fellowships available (Child, Forensic, Geriatric, Addiction, Psychosomatic).
.- Great cafeteria.
.- 2 electives PGY-2 yr in interesting fields like VA gambling program, womens health, sexual martial health, etc..
.- Strong research in Mood Disorders headed by Dr. Calabrese .
.- Great forensics (Dr. Resnick) and Child (Rainbow Babies) .
.- Residents seemed to genuinely love the program and each others company .
.- Didactics same time, same day every week.
.- New inpatient units (moved outside the hospital to Richmond Heights). Huge positive for me (having newer units makes a big difference to me), might be negative for others.
6. Potential weaknesses .
.
- Location
Really loved this program. From the residents to the Dr. Stagno, I thought this program was fantastic. Got a chance to round with the team to see how strong the teaching was and I was pleasantly surprised. Felt this program could prepare me to be the best psychiatrist I can be. Outside of location, couldnt really find any faults. .
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2009
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- 56
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 4,531
- Medical Student
.VCU ..
1. interview accommodations/food
Hotel discount for VCU applicants. I paid $39 for the night, VCU paid the other $50. Met up with residents the night before for a nice dinner. Residents seemed very happy with the program. Very open about their experiences. Did say they worked hard, but noted that it was quality hours, not scutwork.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Day started with an orientation from the program director. He gave background information about Richmond and the program. He does this one on one so it's informative and relaxing. This was followed by 4 interviews, each 45 minutes long. Standard questions. Although one faculty member had the phone go off during our interview and picked up the call and was on the phone for ~10 minutes. After the interviews, I had lunch with the residents. Again I got the similar vibe. Worked hard, lots of therapy (tv monitoring), but well worth it. This was followed by a tour of the facilities. I was not impressed with their facilities..
.
3. Faculty
Residents liked the faculty. I wouldn't say they were as excited about them as the residents at Case, WashU, or SUNY Syracuse, but they had a lot positive things to say.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
Richmond is small, but big by southern standards. Besides, it is very close to DC for the weekends. Lots of nice areas and lots of not so nice areas. Decent nightlife, but definitely lacking compared to some of the other cities I visited.
5. Program strengths
- I liked their adult inpatient teams. There was a team for schizophrenia, mood disorders, etc…Interesting way to do things. I thought it was a positive and the residents seem to love it..
.- Strong therapy (they get a lot of patient hours).
.- Supportive atmosphere.
.- Very good match list for fellowships
6. Potential weaknesses .
.
- Old facilities .
.- Location
.
.- Something about their didactics but I don't remember now (sorry!).
.
.
.
Solid program. Liked it more than I thought I would..
1. interview accommodations/food
Hotel discount for VCU applicants. I paid $39 for the night, VCU paid the other $50. Met up with residents the night before for a nice dinner. Residents seemed very happy with the program. Very open about their experiences. Did say they worked hard, but noted that it was quality hours, not scutwork.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Day started with an orientation from the program director. He gave background information about Richmond and the program. He does this one on one so it's informative and relaxing. This was followed by 4 interviews, each 45 minutes long. Standard questions. Although one faculty member had the phone go off during our interview and picked up the call and was on the phone for ~10 minutes. After the interviews, I had lunch with the residents. Again I got the similar vibe. Worked hard, lots of therapy (tv monitoring), but well worth it. This was followed by a tour of the facilities. I was not impressed with their facilities..
.
3. Faculty
Residents liked the faculty. I wouldn't say they were as excited about them as the residents at Case, WashU, or SUNY Syracuse, but they had a lot positive things to say.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
Richmond is small, but big by southern standards. Besides, it is very close to DC for the weekends. Lots of nice areas and lots of not so nice areas. Decent nightlife, but definitely lacking compared to some of the other cities I visited.
5. Program strengths
- I liked their adult inpatient teams. There was a team for schizophrenia, mood disorders, etc…Interesting way to do things. I thought it was a positive and the residents seem to love it..
.- Strong therapy (they get a lot of patient hours).
.- Supportive atmosphere.
.- Very good match list for fellowships
6. Potential weaknesses .
.
- Old facilities .
.- Location
.
.- Something about their didactics but I don't remember now (sorry!).
.
.
.
Solid program. Liked it more than I thought I would..
Last edited:
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- Medical Student
Of course. If anyone thinks I should add something let me know. Benefits and curriculum are both something anyone can find by visiting the program's website so I'm not including it in my reviews.
.University of Virginia.
.1. interview accommodations/food
No discount for applicants, but applicants should stay at the Red Roof Inn near campus. I think I paid somewhere around $65. Its a 5 minute walk to the interview so very convenient. The night before the interview, met up with the other applicants and residents for dinner at an interesting restaurant (tapas). The residents were very cheerful, they loved the program and were easy to talk to.This made a huge positive impression on me. One of the main things I looked for during the interview season was how passionate the residents were about their programs and UVa residents were just as passionate as Syracuse and Case Western residents.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Day started with an orientation from the program director. He gave background information about UVa and where the program is headed. This was followed by 3 interviews, each 30 minutes long. Great interviews. I really enjoyed talking to each faculty member and the program director. They asked all sorts of interesting questions from my application and personal statement. After the interviews, we had lunch with the residents and got a tour of the facilities which I liked. This was followed by one more 30 minute interview.
3. Faculty
Residents spoke every highly of the faculty. Every resident had something positive to say.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
Charlottesville is pretty small. There is minimal night life, but offers a lot of things common to a college town. Great variety of foods, lots of nature stuff if you like that, big wine country, etc A single person who no longer enjoys the college atmosphere might not like the area much, but I think it offers something for everyone else.
5. Program strengths
- Strong teaching
- Specialized tracks offered (neuroscience, psychotherapy, public & community psychiatry)
- Supportive atmosphere
- Happy residents .
.- Interesting research.
.- Nice inpatient units
.
.- Very nice cafeteria
6. Potential weaknesses
- Lack of diverse pathology
Loved this program. Just had a great feel for the program and felt I would be very comfortable at UVa. .
.University of Virginia.
.1. interview accommodations/food
No discount for applicants, but applicants should stay at the Red Roof Inn near campus. I think I paid somewhere around $65. Its a 5 minute walk to the interview so very convenient. The night before the interview, met up with the other applicants and residents for dinner at an interesting restaurant (tapas). The residents were very cheerful, they loved the program and were easy to talk to.This made a huge positive impression on me. One of the main things I looked for during the interview season was how passionate the residents were about their programs and UVa residents were just as passionate as Syracuse and Case Western residents.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Day started with an orientation from the program director. He gave background information about UVa and where the program is headed. This was followed by 3 interviews, each 30 minutes long. Great interviews. I really enjoyed talking to each faculty member and the program director. They asked all sorts of interesting questions from my application and personal statement. After the interviews, we had lunch with the residents and got a tour of the facilities which I liked. This was followed by one more 30 minute interview.
3. Faculty
Residents spoke every highly of the faculty. Every resident had something positive to say.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
Charlottesville is pretty small. There is minimal night life, but offers a lot of things common to a college town. Great variety of foods, lots of nature stuff if you like that, big wine country, etc A single person who no longer enjoys the college atmosphere might not like the area much, but I think it offers something for everyone else.
5. Program strengths
- Strong teaching
- Specialized tracks offered (neuroscience, psychotherapy, public & community psychiatry)
- Supportive atmosphere
- Happy residents .
.- Interesting research.
.- Nice inpatient units
.
.- Very nice cafeteria
6. Potential weaknesses
- Lack of diverse pathology
Loved this program. Just had a great feel for the program and felt I would be very comfortable at UVa. .
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2002
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- Location
- from the ministry of information
- Attending Physician
Totally! Anybody else want to jump in and share. DocHolliday is also sharing reviews on lots of programs that have not been reviewed here recently, which is especially awesome. Thanks!
- Joined
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- Attending Physician
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- Location
- from the ministry of information
- Attending Physician
Hey, that stuff's important. You got to know you can get decent food when on call at 3 am.
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- Resident [Any Field]
Good review of UVa. I especially agree with the Charlottesville being a classic college town which has upsides and downsides to it. Certainly the campus is amazing but any big city stuff seemed to be a minimum hour away (I could never live that far from an IMAX movie theater.
Some other things I would add was that I remember them talking about having some change over in one of their hospitals (being shut down or something along those lines). I know they had a plan in place for it but it seemed to be something that was noteworthy. I also remember something about one of their teaching sites being around a 40 minute drive from the city.
One big positive I remember from the program was how you could get involved with some already created degree tracks or even reach out on your own to create one if you wanted. I forget what all was available but I believe they had a MPH.
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- Medical Student
.You better believe the cafeteria was important to me!.
.Good additions Daftrage. I believe the driving was for the Child rotation...and yea it was roughly 40 minutes.
.
.
.
.RWJ – New Brunswick .
.1. interview accommodations/food
Local so I just drove to my interview (there was no dinner the night before).
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Day started with a powerpoint presentation of the program. Well put together presentation. I should mention here that RWJ had a 100% board pass rate. The only other program I remember that had a 100% board pass rate was University of Rochester. All other programs were above 80% except one.
.
.After the powerpoint presentation, I had 3 interviews. One was with the chief resident who was very open and gave me good insight into the program and another was with the program director Dr. Palmeri. She was also refreshingly very open about the program. ..
.
.After the interviews, we headed over to the Piscataway campus where we had lunch with the residents and went on a tour of the facilities. Units are older, but I liked them. The residents were a cool bunch.
3. Faculty
Heard positive and negative things about the faculty. More questionable than some of the other programs I interviewed at. Tough to say from a one day interview.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
New Brunswick is a cool city. Home to Rutgers, it is a typical college town, but with quick access to NYC. There are a lot of things to do in New Brunswick and nearby areas. Good nightlife, good food, great entertainment, diverse population, outdoor activities, casinos, beach…
5. Program strengths
- Very friendly attendings .
.- Multiple rotation sites so lots of driving, but I like this. .
. - Location
- Supportive atmosphere
- Happy residents .
.- Didactics same time same day every week (entire day for didactics) .
.- Great balance between work and free time
6. Potential weaknesses
- Questionable teaching (however they do have 100% board pass rate).
.- Unsure about the strength of the psychotherapy curriculum
- Awful cafeteria (at main adult and child inpatient units - University Behavioral Healthcare)
I ranked them very high so I obviously felt comfortable with the program.
I skipped Wake Forest and Camden. If anyone wants any specific information on those programs, just PM me.
.
.Good additions Daftrage. I believe the driving was for the Child rotation...and yea it was roughly 40 minutes.
.
.
.
.RWJ – New Brunswick .
.1. interview accommodations/food
Local so I just drove to my interview (there was no dinner the night before).
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Day started with a powerpoint presentation of the program. Well put together presentation. I should mention here that RWJ had a 100% board pass rate. The only other program I remember that had a 100% board pass rate was University of Rochester. All other programs were above 80% except one.
.
.After the powerpoint presentation, I had 3 interviews. One was with the chief resident who was very open and gave me good insight into the program and another was with the program director Dr. Palmeri. She was also refreshingly very open about the program. ..
.
.After the interviews, we headed over to the Piscataway campus where we had lunch with the residents and went on a tour of the facilities. Units are older, but I liked them. The residents were a cool bunch.
3. Faculty
Heard positive and negative things about the faculty. More questionable than some of the other programs I interviewed at. Tough to say from a one day interview.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
New Brunswick is a cool city. Home to Rutgers, it is a typical college town, but with quick access to NYC. There are a lot of things to do in New Brunswick and nearby areas. Good nightlife, good food, great entertainment, diverse population, outdoor activities, casinos, beach…
5. Program strengths
- Very friendly attendings .
.- Multiple rotation sites so lots of driving, but I like this. .
. - Location
- Supportive atmosphere
- Happy residents .
.- Didactics same time same day every week (entire day for didactics) .
.- Great balance between work and free time
6. Potential weaknesses
- Questionable teaching (however they do have 100% board pass rate).
.- Unsure about the strength of the psychotherapy curriculum
- Awful cafeteria (at main adult and child inpatient units - University Behavioral Healthcare)
I ranked them very high so I obviously felt comfortable with the program.
I skipped Wake Forest and Camden. If anyone wants any specific information on those programs, just PM me.
.
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Haven't interviewed (yet), but have some info about the hospital that was shutting down.
UVA psych has been renting a floor for psych wards from Martha Jefferson Hospital, the local community hospital (nice place, btw). MJH has built a fancy new hospital (all private patient rooms, hardwood floors, granite countertops, $$$) and is moving over there in August. They sold MJH hospital to someone (I think it's going to be a nursing home or something like that) and UVA is losing their space there. Basically, their lease is up...
I'm not sure where they're going, and I'm sure they have a plan, but that's the deal. It's not a UVA issue, it's more of a MJH issue.
That being said, the UVA residents do a lot of work with a variety of "community" psych services (Region 10, State Psych Facilities, etc). I actually like this, but some could see it as a drawback that not everything is in house. Also, it can involve a hefty commute if you have to drive to Staunton for a few months here and there.
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- Medical Student
.SUNY Syracuse.
....
. 1. interview accommodations/food
Free hotel right near campus. Very nice hotel. Went to dinner with other applicants and residents to a Thai restaurant. Best food of the interview season. Residents were honest about their experiences including the terrible weather in Syracuse.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Day started with an orientation and powerpoint from Dr. Manring who is the program director. This was followed by 4 interviews each 1 hr long give or take 10 minutes. 2 of the interviews were with Dr. Manring (who is awesome!) and Dr. Dewan who is the most down to earth, caring, thoughtful, insightful, amazing chairman I met during the interview season. I am not going to talk about how they conduct their interviews because they like to keep it a secret (or so I believe). I will say that each person who interviewed me knew more about my file than any other program.
3. Faculty
Residents raved about the faculty. They stressed how strong the teaching was and how they had 0% scutwork.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
Okay so here is the bummer part about the program. Its in Syracuse. I had a buddy who grew up there and he hated it. Snows a lot. Lot of dark days. At least you have college basketball and football. I asked Whopper for some insight into Syracuse as well because he knows firsthand.
5. Program strengths
- Strong teaching
- Multiple specialized tracks offered (check out their website, lots of great information there)
- Supportive atmosphere.
.- Great psychotherapy .
.- MPA offered (you must get into that program independently apparently its the #1 program in the country for a MPA)
- Happy residents
- Majority of the residents publish .
.- Fellowships in Child, Forensic, Psychosomatic .
.- Strong research: 2nd most funded research in the medical center (> 4million/ yr)
6. Potential weaknesses
- Unable to see the inpatient units .
.- Location.
.- Location.
.- Location
Aside from the location (weather), I really dont have anything bad to say about this program. I spoke with multiple applicants on the interview trail from SUNY Syracuse and asked them about the program and they ALL had great things to say. The only reason they didnt want to stick around was upstate NY weather. All the residents love it, definitely has the warm and supportive atmosphere feel, and also has a phenomenal chairman and program director. I had a tough time ranking this program. I shuffled them all the way up to #1 and down to #4 during the ranking process.
.
....
. 1. interview accommodations/food
Free hotel right near campus. Very nice hotel. Went to dinner with other applicants and residents to a Thai restaurant. Best food of the interview season. Residents were honest about their experiences including the terrible weather in Syracuse.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Day started with an orientation and powerpoint from Dr. Manring who is the program director. This was followed by 4 interviews each 1 hr long give or take 10 minutes. 2 of the interviews were with Dr. Manring (who is awesome!) and Dr. Dewan who is the most down to earth, caring, thoughtful, insightful, amazing chairman I met during the interview season. I am not going to talk about how they conduct their interviews because they like to keep it a secret (or so I believe). I will say that each person who interviewed me knew more about my file than any other program.
3. Faculty
Residents raved about the faculty. They stressed how strong the teaching was and how they had 0% scutwork.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
Okay so here is the bummer part about the program. Its in Syracuse. I had a buddy who grew up there and he hated it. Snows a lot. Lot of dark days. At least you have college basketball and football. I asked Whopper for some insight into Syracuse as well because he knows firsthand.
5. Program strengths
- Strong teaching
- Multiple specialized tracks offered (check out their website, lots of great information there)
- Supportive atmosphere.
.- Great psychotherapy .
.- MPA offered (you must get into that program independently apparently its the #1 program in the country for a MPA)
- Happy residents
- Majority of the residents publish .
.- Fellowships in Child, Forensic, Psychosomatic .
.- Strong research: 2nd most funded research in the medical center (> 4million/ yr)
6. Potential weaknesses
- Unable to see the inpatient units .
.- Location.
.- Location.
.- Location
Aside from the location (weather), I really dont have anything bad to say about this program. I spoke with multiple applicants on the interview trail from SUNY Syracuse and asked them about the program and they ALL had great things to say. The only reason they didnt want to stick around was upstate NY weather. All the residents love it, definitely has the warm and supportive atmosphere feel, and also has a phenomenal chairman and program director. I had a tough time ranking this program. I shuffled them all the way up to #1 and down to #4 during the ranking process.
.
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.WashU has been reviewed here plenty of times. For the most part I agree with previous posters about the program so I'm not going to write one. Barnes Jewish hospital is an amazing medical center and should be considered second to none. Not the warm cozy atmosphere you get at a lot of psych programs, but truly a gem of a program.
.
.
.
.I lost my information on University of Connecticut. If someone REALLY needs to know, I guess I could dig around my house for it. The program was a lot smaller than what I was looking for in a residency program. .
.Harvard Southshore.
.
.
.1. interview accommodations/food
No dinner the night before. No hotel accommodations.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Day started with a meeting with the program director. She seemed nice for the most part, but when I asked if any residents had been dismissed from the program in the last 5 or so years, she said two were, but said she wouldn't elaborate on that answer. It was a standard question I asked during my interviews. Aside from that, the interview with her went well. After that, I had 3 more interviews. 2 with faculty members and 1 with the chief resident. Then had lunch with the residents who were awesome. They spoke very highly of the program. After lunch, we got a tour of the facilities. Nice units. Definitely a different feel considering it's a VA hospital.
3. Faculty
Residents liked the faculty a lot and stressed that while you get a lot of exposure to VA patients, the training is well rounded. They said the number of rotations that you do at other hospitals like Metro-West, Beth Israel Deaconess, McLean, and Cambridge Health Alliance makes you feel comfortable dealing with the non VA population. I asked every resident I saw the same question (whether they felt they were getting a well rounded education). I didn't have one resident tell me they wished they had more exposure to a certain type of pathology that they weren't seeing. In addition, they stressed the didactics (same time, same day every week) are very strong.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
.
.I didn't ask many lifestyle/ location questions on this one. Brockton is apparently not that nice an area, but Boston is about 30 min away.
5. Program strengths
- Harvard faculty/ strong didactics.
.- Psychopharmacology algorithm project (main reason I applied to the program).
. - didiactics same time, same day every week (entire day dedicated to didactics).
.- cool/ happy residents.
.
6. Potential weaknesses
- Mostly VA (has to be a negative, even if only a small negative).
.- Multiple sites (which I normally didn't mind, but Boston traffic is different).
.
Good program. Better than some people on SDN believe, not as good as some of the other programs I interviewed at. .
.
.
.
.I lost my information on University of Connecticut. If someone REALLY needs to know, I guess I could dig around my house for it. The program was a lot smaller than what I was looking for in a residency program. .
.Harvard Southshore.
.
.
.1. interview accommodations/food
No dinner the night before. No hotel accommodations.
2. interview day -- (e.g. schedule, interview types, unusual questions/experiences...etc. )
Day started with a meeting with the program director. She seemed nice for the most part, but when I asked if any residents had been dismissed from the program in the last 5 or so years, she said two were, but said she wouldn't elaborate on that answer. It was a standard question I asked during my interviews. Aside from that, the interview with her went well. After that, I had 3 more interviews. 2 with faculty members and 1 with the chief resident. Then had lunch with the residents who were awesome. They spoke very highly of the program. After lunch, we got a tour of the facilities. Nice units. Definitely a different feel considering it's a VA hospital.
3. Faculty
Residents liked the faculty a lot and stressed that while you get a lot of exposure to VA patients, the training is well rounded. They said the number of rotations that you do at other hospitals like Metro-West, Beth Israel Deaconess, McLean, and Cambridge Health Alliance makes you feel comfortable dealing with the non VA population. I asked every resident I saw the same question (whether they felt they were getting a well rounded education). I didn't have one resident tell me they wished they had more exposure to a certain type of pathology that they weren't seeing. In addition, they stressed the didactics (same time, same day every week) are very strong.
4. Location, lifestyle, etc.
.
.I didn't ask many lifestyle/ location questions on this one. Brockton is apparently not that nice an area, but Boston is about 30 min away.
5. Program strengths
- Harvard faculty/ strong didactics.
.- Psychopharmacology algorithm project (main reason I applied to the program).
. - didiactics same time, same day every week (entire day dedicated to didactics).
.- cool/ happy residents.
.
6. Potential weaknesses
- Mostly VA (has to be a negative, even if only a small negative).
.- Multiple sites (which I normally didn't mind, but Boston traffic is different).
.
Good program. Better than some people on SDN believe, not as good as some of the other programs I interviewed at. .
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I think that's it boys and girls. There is plenty of information on Ohio State so I'm not writing a review...especially considering that Messerschmitts did a fantastic job writing one up last year. Not much more I could add to that. My main purpose was to get some reviews out there about programs that aren't typically reviewed on here.
In the end I would rank:
Strongest programs (in alphabetical order)
Case Western Reserve
SUNY Syracuse
University of Cincinnati
Washington University in St. Louis
Best Fit (in alphabetical order)
Case Western Reserve
RWJ - New Brunswick
SUNY Syracuse
University of Virginia
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/member.php?u=77587
In the end I would rank:
Strongest programs (in alphabetical order)
Case Western Reserve
SUNY Syracuse
University of Cincinnati
Washington University in St. Louis
Best Fit (in alphabetical order)
Case Western Reserve
RWJ - New Brunswick
SUNY Syracuse
University of Virginia
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/member.php?u=77587
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- Attending Physician
Thanks for the contribution, DocHoliday.
In past years, this thread was pretty east-coast dominated. This year had more than the norm west coast reviews. Glad you were able to balance things out a bit.
In past years, this thread was pretty east-coast dominated. This year had more than the norm west coast reviews. Glad you were able to balance things out a bit.
