"Malignant Programs"

[chickensoupdr]

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I went to an interview for a program that was known for being "malignant." I came out of the interview day honestly really liking the program. However, during the whole day, many interviewees talked about how the program was "malignant." What exactly is a malignant program? Is it that the works hours are more rough? I'm worried I'm not seeing what others see. Any similar experiences?

 

[Telamir]

Malignant may mean a number of things not JUST hours being rough. It could mean being treated with disdain by faculty, or having a higher focus on workload than on teaching. It could mean a culture of abuse where you're treated like dirt by the administration, where you're encouraged to lie about duty hours, or that vacation/time off policies are very restrictive.

Others perhaps have more organized thoughts on the matter but that's what I think of as malignant in a nutshell.

 

[Shufflin]

Look for the hidden dungeon. You'll have to push around on some of the walls of the hospital to find the secret door.

 

[deathmerchant]

Also how many residents have been put on probation/'academic leave'/suspended under the current admin in the past 4 years.

 

[oopsy]

how supportive is the PD, etc, when issues come up (and they will come up)?

is your elective time also known as sick call, ie you get pulled all the time?

is it a tiny program with no buffer if someone gets sick/pregnant/drops out/etc?

 

[jd1031]

Malignant may mean a number of things not JUST hours being rough. It could mean being treated with disdain by faculty, or having a higher focus on workload than on teaching. It could mean a culture of abuse where you're treated like dirt by the administration, where you're encouraged to lie about duty hours, or that vacation/time off policies are very restrictive.

Others perhaps have more organized thoughts on the matter but that's what I think of as malignant in a nutshell.

This. 100% agree with this.

By it's nature, residency is already rigorous. It's supposed to be. There's no reason to make it harder unnecessarily. It's bad for your personal well-being and isn't good for learning. I'd also like to add that it's important to try to match into a place where you "click" with the faculty. Besides being important for your personal experience and education in residency, it could affect your future job prospects. I've been told that some employers call your PD and possibly other attendings directly and ask how you were as a resident. Imagine a PD you didn't click with for whatever reason getting that call. Having supportive faculty matters, for multiple reasons.

 

[NGTY1991]

This. 100% agree with this.

By it's nature, residency is already rigorous. It's supposed to be. There's no reason to make it harder unnecessarily. It's bad for your personal well-being and isn't good for learning. I'd also like to add that it's important to try to match into a place where you "click" with the faculty. Besides being important for your personal experience and education in residency, it could affect your future job prospects. I've been told that some employers call your PD and possibly other attendings directly and ask how you were as a resident. Imagine a PD you didn't click with for whatever reason getting that call. Having supportive faculty matters, for multiple reasons.

THIS. In my opinion, malignant programs are also defined this way. The balance between autonomy and support, active bedside teaching and staying active with regards to board exams, and the attitude of the residents. Any severe disconnect between all this, and it would be defined as malignant in my books