Longwood

[Jspev]

Just wondering what people's thoughts are on Longwood as the end of the application process is upon us. Do you think it is in the shadow of Mass Gen as I had one faculty at my school say? Just looking for people's thoughts after interviewing there...Also if anyone has thoughts on how it compares to some other places like Penn, Cornell that might be a good discussion (read: help me compare these places)

 

[ratched]

Is Cornell in Columbia's shadow? Is NYU in Cornell's shadow? If so, under who's shadow is Mt. Sinai?

The point being that it's possible to have more than one great residency program in the same city, even if they share the same university affiliation. Those who know Boston medicine - and Harvard, in particular - know that there is a tremendous pool of talent and resources that could not possibly exist under one roof.

Unfortunately, there's not a clear pecking order - it all comes down to personal preference. We have people in my class at Longwood who were heavily recruited at MGH but didn't want that experience, and I'm sure the inverse (?converse) is true. Perhaps a career in research / high-powered administration is better served at MGH, but at the same time, many of our current leaders in psychiatry trained at Mass Mental Health Center (one of the Longwood institutions) in the previous generation.

Bottom line: I'd be very skeptical of any attending who summarily dismisses ANY of the more competitive programs (not just my own).

I'll let others comment on the specifics of Penn and Cornell, though I imagine you could not go wrong with either of them...

 

[ElJimador]

The three Harvard programs are all amazing (most of us do not count South Shore)- it all comes down to personal fit ... it is more important to find a place that you feel at home in than base your choice strictly on "reputation." The fact is the repuation of all three couldn't be better- Longwood and Cambridge focus more on clinical skills than research, however both have many research opportunities. MGH is always looked upon as the greatest in the world, blah blah blah ... and they are great, with some amazing attendings, but my opinion is that the residents and attendings from MGH are the most likely to say "we are the best," - and I tend to respect those that are not so insecure that they need to say this. The truth is that after 4 years of any of the three you can write your own ticket to just about any fellowship in the world.

 

[homeobox_genes]

Why don't you count South Shore, ElJimador? And when you say most of "us", who are "us"?

Just wondering....

 

[grace o'malley]

Was thinking the same thing--if it wasn't a good program, I'm sure Harvard would not attach its name to it.

If it's an issue of the veteran's health care system not being as academically prestigious as the bigger name Boston hospitals, well, I can only ask you, in the most respectul terms, to consider that these are patients who were putting their safety on the line while we were all comfortably hunched over our medical school books...if they don't deserve the best care, nobody does.

Not to mention that some of the most interesting work in the PTSD and addiction fields has been done within the VA system. So, if you can see beyond the lack of wood panelling, tweed jackets, and club chairs, I think you have to acknowledge that this is indeed a strong program.

 

[Doc Samson]

So, if you can see beyond the lack of wood panelling, tweed jackets, and club chairs

You've clearly never set foot in Cambridge Hospital, Mass Mental, or Beth-Israel Deaconess.