I started reading this thread from the begining, and then i noticed its old. the program has never been unfilled, and i don't think anyone has left. there are residents who have gone to 3+3 programs; i.e plastics.
Loyola is a great program, very strong and well respected. good facilities, new ambulatory surgery center that has outpatient cases going all day. a lot of intern operating there. additional ORs coming in may08. the surgical volume is high and there are top notch surgeons that are nationally respected here; 5-7 in gen surg department i say that to say, there are people here that can get you where you want to go. as a resident, its a top heavy program, but interns do get to scrub 100-130 cases, and an occasional big case you weren't supposed to get but the other residents were busy. loyola has one of the highest accuity ratings in the country, that means there are a **** load of icu's and sick people. 12 or 13 individual units. so we get a lot of transfers ; patients that are all jacked up.. so, big on critical care here. surg onc is the busiest specialty service. some weeks, 2-4whipples a week, liver whacks all the time, very busy. often times, chiefs from other services will have to cover a huge case whipple, liver resection, because the chief on the service is scrubbed. CV is also huge, best heart program in the state; hands down; i hear their rank went down in 2007 because they started operating on sicker patients, but are still the best in the state, i think most hospitals recognize that. trauma/critical care is busy, mostly blunt, some penetrating, but mostly blunt. trauma/critical care is in charge of the SICU. you spend a lot of time in the icu as a surg resident, so if you don't like critical care, don't come. you will be smart as #$% and prepared to take care of any patient with any problem, but it is long and hard hours. as a pgy 4, you are the trauma chief, 6wks on the am service , then 6wks on pm service. also they have a course her called ATOM; advance trauma operative managment, basically they jack the a pig up and let you fix it. i don't know how they do the "jacking up" but i hear its really intense, excellent experience. only a few programs do that. burn; one of the busiest burn centers in the midwest, the director of the unit was the president of national burn society or whatever their national organization is.. the chief year is year 3, its just the chief and the attending, great operative experience. get transfers from everywhere all the time. nec fasc / fourniers cases are always fun, huge wacks!!!!, sad though. general surgery is good, a lot of complicated abdominal wall wounds, fistulas, dehesicance (sp) ect.. you'll get good exposure to bread and butter cases, fun times. peds surgery is cool, we just got a new attending ;for one attending and the chief (3rd year); its really busy. i have no interest in peds surgery, but i'm looking forward to doing the service; i'm sure i'll get 40 good cases out of it. endocrine is big here: you will do enough thyroids and parathyroids to do them in your sleep with your toes...lol.. i was on service for a month and there were 3 lap adrenals, 15-25 thyroid/parathyroids
transplant: a bit slow.. 8-9 kidneys a month, haven't done the service.
academics has been up and down in my experience. i've learned, the busier the service, the less learning you do. but there are resident conferences , grand rounds and m&m. the attnedings are good about pimping. i like that, it means you care enough to slow your day down and ask me a question and be patient with my fumbles.
one thing i really like, i've noticed the surgeons here a a bit fearless, sometimes maybe too fearless, but fearless. they have given folks a shot that nobody else would touch. a good percent make it. took a 96yr old back the other day...lol...he made it though.
weakness is laproscopic surgery, big weakness. slow on cultureal diversity, pay sucks ass.. cafeteria food suks and is expensive;
have 3 or 4 robots, but i think urology, obgyn and urogyn are the ones who use them.
affiliated programs are Hines Va which is one of the largest Va's in the country, i'm not sure what time of operative experience you get overthere. haven't gone yet, but i hear its good.. you do CV surgery there, it rocks. not sure if the fellows are over there, but there are so many heart cases, i'm sure they let you do some anastamosis.
Ressurection; is a community hospital in the northwest subburbs, get good operative expericne out there, havne't been out there either, but i heard good things.
