As a current resident at LSU-NO in general surgery I can assure you that this program is not malignant, in fact it is almost the complete opposite. The Attending/Resident relationship here is quite pleasant for most and promotes an excellent learning environment. Residents are treated as well, "people" not someone to do their work. We are given a lot of autonomy that is hardly seen anymore in Surgery training programs these days. However staff does make the final decision. In the OR we are doing the case with Staff assistance which is unlike many other instituitions where the resident is the assistant. I have friends at other places who are in their 2nd and 3rd years of GS and are still "holding stick" in many cases. Our residents finish with more than enough numbers and those who chose to continue their training get top fellowships. As far as the dirty south comment, yes this is New Orleans and we have a reputation as does any other large metropolitan/urban area and Charity hospital is old and outdated but its not the facilities that count, it is the patients walking thru the doors that makes a residency program great. Of which we see a broad range of pathology everyday.
As far as your friend who matched here, if he didn't want to come here then he shouldn't have ranked it. But I do look foward to working with him come July 1st.
