Looking for program suggestions

[psychguy5]

Hello all,

I am looking for advice or suggestions on how to research programs for a best fit.

I will be dual applying this cycle due to red flags/poor academic performance.

Interested in programs with limited ob/surg (I believe this referred to as opposed?) and programs with lgbqt and trans medicine exposure.

Thank you in advance!

 

[MedicineZ0Z]

Seek out programs that are inpatient heavy & strong at it. Programs that are weak on inpatient tend to be weak in their outpatient too. Make sure it's somewhere that FM manages very complex patients and not just IM. Again, this is for both inpatient and outpatient.

If you want LGBT & trans medicine - you will *probably* need to pursue an academic center. In which case I'd avoid ones in the northeast where FM tends to be weaker (in big centers). Midwest/West & some parts of the south have big centers where FM is dominant.

As for ob, that's just something you'll have to research through. Strong programs will usually have solid Ob but not necessarily be heavy in Ob.
Surgery? Probably won't have to worry about that in most places lol.

Opposed = other residencies in the hospital (so academic centers are hugely opposed)
Unopposed = no other residencies, just FM.

Opposed can be good or bad. If FM has a good culture there, then it can be very nice and you will do a lot. Can train you really well for most things including hospitalist, complex outpatient management (especially since big centers have more complex patients), etc. But if it's a weak program, FM will be 2nd class and not do much of anything.

Unopposed programs though usually will make up the best programs if they have the "run the hospital" culture. However, some are also quite weak so it can go both ways.

Program culture is literally everything.

 

[AMEHigh]

Hmm that’s interesting that you recommend avoiding the NE for transgender medicine. I live in the NE and I think a lot of my colleagues got good training throughout the NE in that area. There are a lot of community programs around. I don’t know exactly where all of them trained. I can try to make a list for OP. Interesting that you’ve had a different experience.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Hmm that’s interesting that you recommend avoiding the NE for transgender medicine. I live in the NE and I think a lot of my colleagues got good training throughout the NE in that area. There are a lot of community programs around. I don’t know exactly where all of them trained. I can try to make a list for OP. Interesting that you’ve had a different experience.

I think it was a more general "avoid weaker FM programs" which, right or wrong, the NE has a reputation for having.

If LGBT is what you really want to pursue, I'd find a program near to areas that have lots of clinics that do work in that area. Fenway Clinic in Boston being the main one I'm familiar with, they even have an HIV for Primary Care fellowship program.

 

[MedicineZ0Z]

Hmm that’s interesting that you recommend avoiding the NE for transgender medicine. I live in the NE and I think a lot of my colleagues got good training throughout the NE in that area. There are a lot of community programs around. I don’t know exactly where all of them trained. I can try to make a list for OP. Interesting that you’ve had a different experience.

I said to avoid NE academic centers in general due to weaker all-around training. They may be strong in transgender med but lack significantly in other areas.

 

[teconmanzanilla]

I am in Boston area now in a very reputable FM academic program where it has an extremely strong inpatient training as well as outpatient training. Also trains people well to pursue OB in their future career. Our presence is very well respected in many areas of the hospital, which may not be common in other academic hospitals.

Additionally, so many people in the program are actively making this program a better fit for people who are interested in racial and social equity/advocacy, LGBTQ health, refugee and immigrant health, addiction medicine, women's health...etc. Appreciate messages if you have further questions!