Mayo Clinic

[genHosp]

what are you thoughts on Mayo clinic IM residency program?
not only for fellowship placement, but first 3 years of training?
Thanks guys/gals.

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[dragonfly99]

The residents I met from there (on fellowship interview trail) seemed happy and they seemed like smart guys.

Their cards fellowship is well known for imaging/echo and for producting subspecialists.

I have heard the residency is not that "hands-on". Their interns also don't seem to carry many patients at once, which may make things cush but some subspecialty PD's may be concerned about your ability to step it up then for fellowships where you may be clinically busy. They seemed to have some system set up for people to get coverage for fellowship interviews (i.e. the PGY2 resident would not be hassled about being gone for a day for an interview...this was somewhat of an issue @my residency where the fellows on the consult services would b*tch if I had to be gone for an interview).

 

[EPADHA]

I agree completely with dragonfly. I think overall it is an excellent program with the quirks in training that she has alluded to. I am also not sure how hands-on their procedural fellowships are. Few of my friends there have also expressed concerns about their current residency administration ( but I guess that happens everywhere).

 

[IDforMe]

I agree completely with dragonfly. I think overall it is an excellent program with the quirks in training that she has alluded to. I am also not sure how hands-on their procedural fellowships are. Few of my friends there have also expressed concerns about their current residency administration ( but I guess that happens everywhere).

Just wondering if you could provide any more specifics on the concerns about the administration?

Thanks!

 

[EPADHA]

Just wondering if you could provide any more specifics on the concerns about the administration?

Thanks!

My friend went there thinking that their prior PD was going to stick around. The new program director ( and this is all hearsay) is a guy who is very harsh when it comes to judging residents. And residents who are not in his good books dont get any help when it comes to fellowships and career development. My friend is very frustrated with the residency program. My friend might be in a minority. However my friend is a very competent physician. So I am not sure where the mix up is. Another person I know is also not very happy there..

 

[BlackNDecker]

My friend went there thinking that their prior PD was going to stick around. The new program director ( and this is all hearsay) is a guy who is very harsh when it comes to judging residents. And residents who are not in his good books dont get any help when it comes to fellowships and career development

I am a current resident at Mayo. Hopefully I can provide some insight....

The average length of span for a PD here seems to be about 5 years...It was known for some time that the previous PD was going to step down so this should not have been a surprise to anyone.

I find it hard to understand your "friend's" complaints in terms of career development with respect to the PD. The Mayo IM dept is one of the largest in the country, it just isn't feasible for the PD to have a direct role in guiding each resident's career.

Having said that, every resident in the program is matched up in groups of 5 or so with 8-10 associate program directors (I'm not sure of the actual number of APDs). You meet once a month as a group with your APD for lunch and talk about research, networking within the subspecialty, CV advice, and how things are going overall.

I am amazed at the amount of clinical research residents have gotten involved in here. Honestly, it would be quite unbelievable if someone said they weren't able to find any research projects. Not infrequently, visiting med students are able to get involved with research projects during their rotations. Further, any night of call has the potential to provide a case/abstract for any national conference. I got at least one case for a national conference/abstract during EVERY one of my rotations intern year.

I have heard the residency is not that "hands-on".

This concern is raised every year. It is true, that overall procedures are fewer and further between here...

The corollary is that you can get a decent amount of procedures but you have to be willing to fight for them. I have done substantially more procedures than many of my classmates b/c I've stayed late and/or fought to do them (whether it be standing up to the fellows or the nursing staff).

Their interns also don't seem to carry many patients at once, which may make things cush but some subspecialty PD's may be concerned about your ability to step it up then for fellowships where you may be clinically busy.

In my experience, I admitted 5 (5+2 never happened while I was on) and the service capped >80% of my call nights. The average intern carries ~6 patients on hospital service.

I've never heard of a subspecialty PD question whether a Mayo grad could "step it up," or whatever that means. On the contrary, subspecialty PDs will be much more concerned with your ability to get involved with and publish research.

Further, "carrying" a greater number of patients doesn't translate into competence and it certainly doesn't equal "patient safety." I think this is an antiquated marker of "ability."

Lastly, "carrying a load" of patients has little to do with subspecialty practice work where the majority of your time is spent in the outpatient setting. With this in mind, Mayo is in the process of overhauling the curriculum to incorporate more continuity clinic days during outpatient rotations.

Having a busier service is a double edged sword. Carrying more patients means getting to work earlier and staying later into the night. This will rob you of personal time for research, reading, hobbies, exercise, etc. The balance here is perfect. There are +'s and -'s with every program, and it is important to visit a program in person to see how it "fits" you. I am truly happy at Mayo (save for the weather) and would choose this program again.

 

[IDforMe]

I am a current resident at Mayo. Hopefully I can provide some insight....

The average length of span for a PD here seems to be about 5 years...It was known for some time that the previous PD was going to step down so this should not have been a surprise to anyone.

I find it hard to understand your "friend's" complaints in terms of career development with respect to the PD. The Mayo IM dept is one of the largest in the country, it just isn't feasible for the PD to have a direct role in guiding each resident's career.

Having said that, every resident in the program is matched up in groups of 5 or so with 8-10 associate program directors (I'm not sure of the actual number of APDs). You meet once a month as a group with your APD for lunch and talk about research, networking within the subspecialty, CV advice, and how things are going overall.

I am amazed at the amount of clinical research residents have gotten involved in here. Honestly, it would be quite unbelievable if someone said they weren't able to find any research projects. Not infrequently, visiting med students are able to get involved with research projects during their rotations. Further, any night of call has the potential to provide a case/abstract for any national conference. I got at least one case for a national conference/abstract during EVERY one of my rotations intern year.


This concern is raised every year. It is true, that overall procedures are fewer and further between here...

The corollary is that you can get a decent amount of procedures but you have to be willing to fight for them. I have done substantially more procedures than many of my classmates b/c I've stayed late and/or fought to do them (whether it be standing up to the fellows or the nursing staff).


In my experience, I admitted 5 (5+2 never happened while I was on) and the service capped >80% of my call nights. The average intern carries ~6 patients on hospital service.

I've never heard of a subspecialty PD question whether a Mayo grad could "step it up," or whatever that means. On the contrary, subspecialty PDs will be much more concerned with your ability to get involved with and publish research.

Further, "carrying" a greater number of patients doesn't translate into competence and it certainly doesn't equal "patient safety." I think this is an antiquated marker of "ability."

Lastly, "carrying a load" of patients has little to do with subspecialty practice work where the majority of your time is spent in the outpatient setting. With this in mind, Mayo is in the process of overhauling the curriculum to incorporate more continuity clinic days during outpatient rotations.

Having a busier service is a double edged sword. Carrying more patients means getting to work earlier and staying later into the night. This will rob you of personal time for research, reading, hobbies, exercise, etc. The balance here is perfect. There are +'s and -'s with every program, and it is important to visit a program in person to see how it "fits" you. I am truly happy at Mayo (save for the weather) and would choose this program again.

Thanks so much BlackNDecker! I am crossing my fingers to open my envelope and find I'll be joining you at Mayo on March 18th.

 

[EPADHA]

I am a current resident at Mayo. Hopefully I can provide some insight....

The average length of span for a PD here seems to be about 5 years...It was known for some time that the previous PD was going to step down so this should not have been a surprise to anyone.

I find it hard to understand your "friend's" complaints in terms of career development with respect to the PD. The Mayo IM dept is one of the largest in the country, it just isn't feasible for the PD to have a direct role in guiding each resident's career.

Having said that, every resident in the program is matched up in groups of 5 or so with 8-10 associate program directors (I'm not sure of the actual number of APDs). You meet once a month as a group with your APD for lunch and talk about research, networking within the subspecialty, CV advice, and how things are going overall.

I am amazed at the amount of clinical research residents have gotten involved in here. Honestly, it would be quite unbelievable if someone said they weren't able to find any research projects. Not infrequently, visiting med students are able to get involved with research projects during their rotations. Further, any night of call has the potential to provide a case/abstract for any national conference. I got at least one case for a national conference/abstract during EVERY one of my rotations intern year.


This concern is raised every year. It is true, that overall procedures are fewer and further between here...

The corollary is that you can get a decent amount of procedures but you have to be willing to fight for them. I have done substantially more procedures than many of my classmates b/c I've stayed late and/or fought to do them (whether it be standing up to the fellows or the nursing staff).


In my experience, I admitted 5 (5+2 never happened while I was on) and the service capped >80% of my call nights. The average intern carries ~6 patients on hospital service.

I've never heard of a subspecialty PD question whether a Mayo grad could "step it up," or whatever that means. On the contrary, subspecialty PDs will be much more concerned with your ability to get involved with and publish research.

Further, "carrying" a greater number of patients doesn't translate into competence and it certainly doesn't equal "patient safety." I think this is an antiquated marker of "ability."

Lastly, "carrying a load" of patients has little to do with subspecialty practice work where the majority of your time is spent in the outpatient setting. With this in mind, Mayo is in the process of overhauling the curriculum to incorporate more continuity clinic days during outpatient rotations.

Having a busier service is a double edged sword. Carrying more patients means getting to work earlier and staying later into the night. This will rob you of personal time for research, reading, hobbies, exercise, etc. The balance here is perfect. There are +'s and -'s with every program, and it is important to visit a program in person to see how it "fits" you. I am truly happy at Mayo (save for the weather) and would choose this program again.

appreciate your thoughts.. I hope that my friend's case is one of those rare ones..
But I still echo the sentiment that dragonfly shared- can a Mayo grad really step it up??? I have to confess that my thoughts are based on my 2 interview days there ( for internal medicine and cardiology) and what my friends have told me.

 

[BlackNDecker]

LOL. I still don't know what that implies Step-up the reasearch? Step-up the scut work? Step-up the delegation of duties to mid-levels? Please...enlighten me.

I plan to go community practice hospitalist and have absolutely no concerns about my ability to "step it up."

There is a comfort level that comes only with experience. I felt comfortable formulating plans independently mid way through intern year. It takes some trainess a bit longer no matter where they train...I believe this is why some never leave the safety of "academic medicine."

To some people, residency is just about living and breathing in the hospital and spending hours on documentation to write the "perfect note." I hope you and "your friend" find that balance.

 

[Scaredshizzles]

LOL. I still don't know what that implies Step-up the reasearch? Step-up the scut work? Step-up the delegation of duties to mid-levels? Please...enlighten me.

I plan to go community practice hospitalist and have absolutely no concerns about my ability to "step it up."

There is a comfort level that comes only with experience. I felt comfortable formulating plans independently mid way through intern year. It takes some trainess a bit longer no matter where they train...I believe this is why some never leave the safety of "academic medicine."

To some people, residency is just about living and breathing in the hospital and spending hours on documentation to write the "perfect note." I hope you find you and "your friend" rolleyesfind a balance.

I think busy big city programs (i.e. a cardiology program in NYC) might wonder a little about a resident's ability to function in that kind of setting. That is not to say they question their clinical ability, rather their practical and psychological ability to cope with that kind of a crazy scene. There is an adjustment period there. That is not to say a Mayo resident would have no chance of matching in a big city fellowship, just that it might be one negative point considered.

But I agree overall, this concept that you learn how to be a better/more confident clinician in settings that work you to the bones and throw you to the wolves intern year is old fashioned and not really accurate. It is very individual based, how you learn best. But there are practical/coping skills that you do learn working at super busy centers that you don't learn in the more cush residencies.

 

[BlackNDecker]

Just curious, what first-hand experience do you have regarding the thought processes and/or concerns of busy big city programs (i.e Cardiology selection committee in NYC)?

It's funny you mention it, because we get lots of patients from those busy big city practices that throw their hands up and say, "we're sending you to Mayo." You see, we get people from both coasts and all continents. In case you were wondering, I adjusted just fine.

If you train busy...you think busy. Busy practice =/= good patient care. I don't understand why so many still buy into this idea. How is it good for your training if you carry twice the number of patients as a resident in another program?

You act as if you're learning a pearl of clinical wisdom from every patient on the sister service. The sad fact is, the larger your census the more you'll resort to just saying "ok" to all those late night pharmacy and nursing pages. That is dumbing down your training, in fact it's subordination to allied health.

A solid training program should balance clinical exposure with time for study and reflection. Ever wonder why you retain more after a night of sleep?

Just my thoughts. It's obvious you have some strong opinions on Mayo...I hope they were borne out of first hand experience and not heresay.

I almost didn't apply to Mayo because of comments on SDN...glad I strayed from the flock.

But there are practical/coping skills that you do learn working at super busy centers that you don't learn in the more cush residencies.

Following this logic...Orthopods and Neurosurgeons must have the greatest coping skills of all medical fields. Burn out is not a coping mechanism... just saying.

 

[Scaredshizzles]

Just curious, what first-hand experience do you have regarding the thought processes and/or concerns of busy big city programs (i.e Cardiology selection committee in NYC)?

It's funny you mention it, because we get lots of patients from those busy big city practices that throw their hands up and say, "we're sending you to Mayo." You see, we get people from both coasts and all continents. In case you were wondering, I adjusted just fine.

If you train busy...you think busy. Busy practice =/= good patient care. I don't understand why so many still buy into this idea. How is it good for your training if you carry twice the number of patients as a resident in another program?

You act as if you're learning a pearl of clinical wisdom from every patient on the sister service. The sad fact is, the larger your census the more you'll resort to just saying "ok" to all those late night pharmacy and nursing pages. That is dumbing down your training, in fact it's subordination to allied health.

A solid training program should balance clinical exposure with time for study and reflection. Ever wonder why you retain more after a night of sleep?

Just my thoughts. It's obvious you have some strong opinions on Mayo...I hope they were borne out of first hand experience and not heresay.

I almost didn't apply to Mayo because of comments on SDN...glad I strayed from the flock.


Following this logic...Orthopods and Neurosurgeons must have the greatest coping skills of all medical fields. Burn out is not a coping mechanism... just saying.

You missed the point entirely. I'm not saying it makes one a better clinician, nor one who makes better decisions.

But if you want to bring up the surgical subspecialties, do you not think that they consider who can handle the work hours/load when picking residents. While perhaps this has changed in recent years, there has always been a bias in those fields against people who have a family or would make family a priority (i.e. women.)

 

[BlackNDecker]

You missed the point entirely.

Indeed, I addressed every statement you made. See below...

I'm not saying it makes one a better clinician, nor one who makes better decisions.

Were you really saying anything at all? You've made alot of assertions without any first hand-knowledge or attempt at proof.

Let me walk you through the conversation...

I think busy big city programs (i.e. a cardiology program in NYC) might wonder a little about a resident's ability to function in that kind of setting. That is not to say they question their clinical ability, rather their practical and psychological ability to cope with that kind of a crazy scene.

Just curious, what first-hand experience do you have regarding the thought processes and/or concerns of busy big city programs (i.e Cardiology selection committee in NYC)?

------------------------------------------------------------------

There is an adjustment period there.

In case you were wondering, I adjusted just fine.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

That is not to say a Mayo resident would have no chance of matching in a big city fellowship, just that it might be one negative point considered.

A random comment with no support or reason. I didn't address this for obvious reasons.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

But I agree overall, this concept that you learn how to be a better/more confident clinician in settings that work you to the bones and throw you to the wolves intern year is old fashioned and not really accurate. It is very individual based, how you learn best.

This was, in fact, my point. But thanks for paraphrasing me.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

But there are practical/coping skills that you do learn working at super busy centers that you don't learn in the more cush residencies.

Burn out is not a coping mechanism...just saying.

You can see, I didn't miss the point...you just never had one.


I quit logging onto to SDN awhile ago b/c there's far too many threads like this one where people make random comments without any first-hand experience and it's accepted as truth. I was hoping to offer some insight...instead, this degenerated into arguement.

 

[jbz24]

I think busy big city programs (i.e. a cardiology program in NYC) might wonder a little about a resident's ability to function in that kind of setting. That is not to say they question their clinical ability, rather their practical and psychological ability to cope with that kind of a crazy scene. There is an adjustment period there. That is not to say a Mayo resident would have no chance of matching in a big city fellowship, just that it might be one negative point considered.

But I agree overall, this concept that you learn how to be a better/more confident clinician in settings that work you to the bones and throw you to the wolves intern year is old fashioned and not really accurate. It is very individual based, how you learn best. But there are practical/coping skills that you do learn working at super busy centers that you don't learn in the more cush residencies.

I don't think that goes through the minds of program directors at all in my opinion. The reason why you don't see many Mayo grads in big city programs, like in NYC, really comes down to regional differences. Program directors in the same region all seem to know each other and getting a call from someone you know definitely helps more than from someone you don't know.

 

[Scaredshizzles]

First of all, you're an idiot. Second of all, I largely agreed with you and didn't put down Mayo in the least. (I imagine you come in with a chip on your shoulder because Mayo does tend to get a bad rap on SDN.) Third of all, my first hand experience is going to med school in a big city and doing away rotations within that city, and knowing what programs the fellows come from and knowing how different hospitals vary in terms of how busy the service is and how many hours fellows are putting in and how much said fellows are complaining about the hours they put in.

 

[BlackNDecker]

^This thread owns you.

 

[Scaredshizzles]

I don't think that goes through the minds of program directors at all in my opinion. The reason why you don't see many Mayo grads in big city programs, like in NYC, really comes down to regional differences. Program directors in the same region all seem to know each other and getting a call from someone you know definitely helps more than from someone you don't know.

Hard to say what goes through different PDs minds. Part of the regional preference in selecting fellows though might in part have something to do with selecting people used to working under similar working conditions and patient populations.

But many of the top fellowship programs appear to be more concerned with research than clinical abilities anyway, so I never suggested it was a big factor. That was simply a figment of blackndecker's overly sensitive imagination.

 

[BlackNDecker]

Hard to say what goes through different PDs minds.

Apparently not for you...

Part of.....though might in part have something to do with....

You're just making strings of random, noncommital words so you'll have something to post. Why?

But many of the top fellowship programs appear to be more concerned with research than clinical abilities anyway...

And from my very first post:

I've never heard of a subspecialty PD question whether a Mayo grad could "step it up," or whatever that means. On the contrary, subspecialty PDs will be much more concerned with your ability to get involved with and publish research.

You really haven't contributed anything to this thread. I imagine most of your posts are like this. This thread only deteriorated when you showed up.

That was simply a figment of blackndecker's overly sensitive imagination.

First of all, you're an idiot

Funny how you call me "overly sensitive", yet you're the only one who's made deprecating comments...

You haven't hurt my feelings fella...I just enjoy pointing out your transparent logic.

 

[Scaredshizzles]

You haven't hurt my feelings fella...I just enjoy pointing out your transparent logic.

I'm sure many people you come across in life are impressed with your abilities at doing so. You're a very mature person.

 

[jbz24]

Hard to say what goes through different PDs minds. Part of the regional preference in selecting fellows though might in part have something to do with selecting people used to working under similar working conditions and patient populations.

Maybe but unlikely. Even if you look at less cush and more prominent programs in the midwest, like WashU and Michigan, those programs also have a tough time matching into big cities like NYC, and when they do, it's of lower quality programs. They get the few MGH/BWH/JHU/UCSF matches but that's it. I'm sure a lot of it is self-selection, but who's to say that doesn't also happen with Mayo. Regionalism is huge, but more because everybody in the same region knows each other, calls or letters from people you know mean more, programs within the same region are more familiar with other programs in the same region, etc.

 

[BlackNDecker]

^Agree with above.

Additionally, though it may be hard to believe, many residents simply don't want to go to BWH, BID, MGH, JHU, or UCSF.

I've spoken with several residents who interviewed at the premier Boston programs and acutally chose southern and midwest locations because of a more relaxed fellowship lifestyle.

Fact, MGH/BWH Nephrology fellowship is 4 years The last three years are research years The fourth year, you are paid a research assistant stipend Remember...by this time those loans are getting pretty long in the tooth.

I was in a similar situation my 4th year...I was neurotic about going to a prestigious institution. Fortunately, I found the best of both worlds.

 

[PSTPer]

Additionally, though it may be hard to believe, many residents simply don't want to go to BWH, BID, MGH, JHU, or UCSF.

It isn't that hard to believe for people who were born and raised in the middle of the country. None of the AOA/260 or MD/PhD/260 folks from my school had any interest in moving to the coasts.

When I was interviewing at Penn, the residents acted bewildered that I hadn't bothered applying to NYC programs. (I wouldn't live in NYC if someone tripled my resident salary.) Then the Penn residents proceeded to sell Philly by bragging about the cost of living, saying that I could purchase a tiny 1-bedroom apartment for 1500 dollars a month in Philadelphia. First of all, I'd like to have kids at some point, and I'd rather have more than one bedroom. Secondly, living in the middle of the country has major advantages. I didn't bother telling the Penn residents that I was able to completely pay off a 3br/2.5bth 2000-square-foot condo on an MSTP stipend while they were sharing a crappy studio apartment with a roommate on the coast.

The moral of the story is that many Americans don't regard the coasts as appealing places to live (although I must admit that I love San Diego and San Francisco). Furthermore, an institution's reputation is only one part of the puzzle. Reputation matters, but less than people think. What you do is more important than where you do it, and institutions like Wash U, Vanderbilt, Mayo, and U of Michigan often attract people who wouldn't apply to the "bigger" names because they don't want to live in expensive cities.

 

[Scaredshizzles]

It isn't that hard to believe for people who were born and raised in the middle of the country. None of the AOA/260 or MD/PhD/260 folks from my school had any interest in moving to the coasts.

When I was interviewing at Penn, the residents acted bewildered that I hadn't bothered applying to NYC programs. (I wouldn't live in NYC if someone tripled my resident salary.) Then the Penn residents proceeded to sell Philly by bragging about the cost of living, saying that I could purchase a tiny 1-bedroom apartment for 1500 dollars a month in Philadelphia. First of all, I'd like to have kids at some point, and I'd rather have more than one bedroom. Secondly, living in the middle of the country has major advantages. I didn't bother telling the Penn residents that I was able to completely pay off a 3br/2.5bth 2000-square-foot condo on an MSTP stipend while they were sharing a crappy studio apartment with a roommate on the coast.

The moral of the story is that many Americans don't regard the coasts as appealing places to live (although I must admit that I love San Diego and San Francisco). Furthermore, an institution's reputation is only one part of the puzzle. Reputation matters, but less than people think. What you do is more important than where you do it, and institutions like Wash U, Vanderbilt, Mayo, and U of Michigan often attract people who wouldn't apply to the "bigger" names because they don't want to live in expensive cities.

Just how many 260+ MSTPers do you have at your program going into IM? There were a total of 58 people with over 260 who matched into IM last year. Assuming you're at a big name midwest school like Wash U or Michigan, maybe 2-3 or so of those 60 are at your school. (Wash U has a very high board score average (and MCAT average), so maybe upwards of 4 of the people with over 260s who went into IM came from Wash U. Now how many of those will be MSTPers? 1? You make it sound like there were several candidates like that at your school, lol.

 

[BlackNDecker]

Just how many 260+ MSTPers do you have at your program going into IM? There were a total of 58 people with over 260 who matched into IM last year. Assuming you're at a big name midwest school like Wash U or Michigan, maybe 2-3 or so of those 60 are at your school. (Wash U has a very high board score average (and MCAT average), so maybe upwards of 4 of the people with over 260s who went into IM came from Wash U. Now how many of those will be MSTPers? 1? You make it sound like there were several candidates like that at your school, lol.

LOL. Why must you be so annoying...

He never said everyone at his school with 260+ were applying for IM. You my friend,

You missed the point entirely.

Notice what I did there?

 

[BlackNDecker]

^^Couldn't have said it better myself...

What you do is more important than where you do it

 

[Scaredshizzles]

LOL. Why must you be so annoying...

He never said everyone at his school with 260+ were applying for IM. You my friend,

Notice what I did there?

That's true. But the more competitive specialties are so ridiculously competitive that it would be hard to get to a Harvard program for it unless you were at Harvard...and even then it would be tough. So it isn't so much a 'choice' anymore. In medicine you can say it is a choice because a 260/MSTPer from a strong midwest program would be able to go wherever they wanted.

 

[BlackNDecker]

I don't even understand what you're arguing for or against anymore

 

[reventon2]

other than the location, can anyone summarize what the drawbacks to training at Mayo for IM. Also, does anyone (current resident/alumni) have a good idea about fellowship placemement? the 10 year sheet with a bunch of names doesn't help too much. I get a sense that if you're not staying at Mayo then its tough to match at other competitive places even w/ a regional bias. While there are some good places and some mediocre places, its tough to figure out how much of it is Mayo and how much is the resident's own previous accomplishments (dual degrees, research, AOA, etc)

 

[Dextrocardia]

Besides this thread, which mainly consists of two people arguing back and forth, I can't find many details about Mayo Clinic Rochester for IM residency training.

I am wondering why, considering it is one of the top hospitals in the world, that it is not considered to have one of the top IM training programs. I applied there and hope to interview and would really appreciate any information.

Thanks.

 

[VikingsFan1165]

I did an away rotation at the Rochester Mayo in August and can easily say it was the worst experience of medical school so far. Where to begin...

1) If you don't want an inflexible, highly structured program then this is not the place for you. Way too many rules and asinine "traditions" that waste time. Wearing a suit every day is a pain in the ass. Many instruments are left handed because the Mayo Brothers are left handed. Don't be caught outside of the hospital in scrubs or someone might turn you in. Everything must be done the Mayo way which is usually more complicated than medicine anywhere else. I got yelled at for sending a text message while we were just sitting around doing nothing on a call night. Even got yelled at for looking up something on Epocrates because "someone might think you are texting". Image is everything...one resident described how he was not allowed to wear a knee brace because patients would be concerned. There are three EMR's and different information must be accessed and entered in to each one. It is incredibly frustrating to navigate between systems and often leads to mistakes when you inevitably have different patients opened in different windows. Their computer system easily adds 20-30 minutes of unnecessary work per patient. Not to mention what happens when it crashes! One day the part of the system where orders and scripts are entered crashed. There is not a single script pad in the hospital and nobody knew where the forms for hand written orders were.

2) The residents were pricks. Everyone seems to have some complex where they believe they are better than anyone by virtue of being at the Mayo Clinic. At some point I think everyone drinks the Kool-Aid and buys in to the system...or just gets treated like ****. The residents were always in competition with one another and wouldn't hesitate to throw each other under the bus.

3) Terrible learning environment. It's great for tertiary care and complicated cases but not enough bread and butter. With everyone being so specialized, its seemed like all you did was consult everyone out. It is very hands off and rather than thinking through each presentation, residents simply follow the Mayo guidelines. The whole system is so different that it does not prepare you to practice medicine anywhere outside of Mayo. All of the consultants I spoke with said that they ultimately came back to Mayo because they didn't feel prepared to practice anywhere else.

4) Rochester is terrible. The whole town is centered around the clinic and there is NOTHING to do. The grocery stores have low quality food and that's only worsened by the fact that there are only about 5 good, non-chain restaurants. Nothing to do in the city. Housing is expensive as well. Also, the food in the hospital is absolute ****. The patients get their own separate, nice cafeteria while staff are left picking through their cafeteria trying to find something that looks barely edible.

5) The patients are beyond annoying. Every one of them seemed to feel some sense of entitlement because they were being treated at Mayo. It's ridiculous having to cater to the every whim of these people at the expense of your own sanity.

6) Terrible employment benefits. Your health insurance is actually through Mayo itself. Residents told me that this makes it way too expensive to get care anywhere else. One resident told me that he tore his ACL and wanted to go home to have it rehabilitated; however, Mayo wouldn't cover any care outside of the clinic.

In the end, such a waste of a month. The only good thing was a good LOR from the PD. However, I am not even going to apply there. There is no way I could survive three years in such a desolate **** hole

 

[Team Zissou]

 

[jdh71]

I miss Scaredshizzles



That guy was always getting owned

 

[jdh71]

I did an away rotation at the Rochester Mayo in August and can easily say it was the worst experience of medical school so far. Where to begin...

1) If you don't want an inflexible, highly structured program then this is not the place for you. Way too many rules and asinine "traditions" that waste time. Wearing a suit every day is a pain in the ass. Many instruments are left handed because the Mayo Brothers are left handed. Don't be caught outside of the hospital in scrubs or someone might turn you in. Everything must be done the Mayo way which is usually more complicated than medicine anywhere else. I got yelled at for sending a text message while we were just sitting around doing nothing on a call night. Even got yelled at for looking up something on Epocrates because "someone might think you are texting". Image is everything...one resident described how he was not allowed to wear a knee brace because patients would be concerned. There are three EMR's and different information must be accessed and entered in to each one. It is incredibly frustrating to navigate between systems and often leads to mistakes when you inevitably have different patients opened in different windows. Their computer system easily adds 20-30 minutes of unnecessary work per patient. Not to mention what happens when it crashes! One day the part of the system where orders and scripts are entered crashed. There is not a single script pad in the hospital and nobody knew where the forms for hand written orders were.

2) The residents were pricks. Everyone seems to have some complex where they believe they are better than anyone by virtue of being at the Mayo Clinic. At some point I think everyone drinks the Kool-Aid and buys in to the system...or just gets treated like ****. The residents were always in competition with one another and wouldn't hesitate to throw each other under the bus.

3) Terrible learning environment. It's great for tertiary care and complicated cases but not enough bread and butter. With everyone being so specialized, its seemed like all you did was consult everyone out. It is very hands off and rather than thinking through each presentation, residents simply follow the Mayo guidelines. The whole system is so different that it does not prepare you to practice medicine anywhere outside of Mayo. All of the consultants I spoke with said that they ultimately came back to Mayo because they didn't feel prepared to practice anywhere else.

4) Rochester is terrible. The whole town is centered around the clinic and there is NOTHING to do. The grocery stores have low quality food and that's only worsened by the fact that there are only about 5 good, non-chain restaurants. Nothing to do in the city. Housing is expensive as well. Also, the food in the hospital is absolute ****. The patients get their own separate, nice cafeteria while staff are left picking through their cafeteria trying to find something that looks barely edible.

5) The patients are beyond annoying. Every one of them seemed to feel some sense of entitlement because they were being treated at Mayo. It's ridiculous having to cater to the every whim of these people at the expense of your own sanity.

6) Terrible employment benefits. Your health insurance is actually through Mayo itself. Residents told me that this makes it way too expensive to get care anywhere else. One resident told me that he tore his ACL and wanted to go home to have it rehabilitated; however, Mayo wouldn't cover any care outside of the clinic.

In the end, such a waste of a month. The only good thing was a good LOR from the PD. However, I am not even going to apply there. There is no way I could survive three years in such a desolate **** hole

Quality!

As an aside I will post, anonymously, ANY bad reviews anyone has on any program if they ever want them posted. I love this stuff.

 

[majahops]

This is so huge. Thank you so much for this. I applied there, but I just can't see how I could be happy there, if what you write is true.

1. I need a group of forward thinking, open-minded physicians training me.
2. How can the rent be expensive when they are in the middle of nowhere?
3. With such an insulated hospital/medical system, what is their excuse for not having a singular EMR system (or at least several with one GUI)?
4. If you're at Mayo, you're going to get into a decent fellowship in whatever you want. Why would they want to be pricks? Why not work together and make it a happy place?
5. I see what you mean about the consulting a specialist on every patient. It's recently occured to me that this is the double-edged sword of strong academic programs. On the one hand, they are more likely to have the resources and reputation you'll need to "get places," but on the other hand you won't have to think and ACT for yourself enough... so in a way it could cripple you.

Anyway, I'm rambling... but thank you so much for taking the time to post your experience.

I did an away rotation at the Rochester Mayo in August and can easily say it was the worst experience of medical school so far. Where to begin...

1) If you don't want an inflexible, highly structured program then this is not the place for you. Way too many rules and asinine "traditions" that waste time. Wearing a suit every day is a pain in the ass. Many instruments are left handed because the Mayo Brothers are left handed. Don't be caught outside of the hospital in scrubs or someone might turn you in. Everything must be done the Mayo way which is usually more complicated than medicine anywhere else. I got yelled at for sending a text message while we were just sitting around doing nothing on a call night. Even got yelled at for looking up something on Epocrates because "someone might think you are texting". Image is everything...one resident described how he was not allowed to wear a knee brace because patients would be concerned. There are three EMR's and different information must be accessed and entered in to each one. It is incredibly frustrating to navigate between systems and often leads to mistakes when you inevitably have different patients opened in different windows. Their computer system easily adds 20-30 minutes of unnecessary work per patient. Not to mention what happens when it crashes! One day the part of the system where orders and scripts are entered crashed. There is not a single script pad in the hospital and nobody knew where the forms for hand written orders were.

2) The residents were pricks. Everyone seems to have some complex where they believe they are better than anyone by virtue of being at the Mayo Clinic. At some point I think everyone drinks the Kool-Aid and buys in to the system...or just gets treated like ****. The residents were always in competition with one another and wouldn't hesitate to throw each other under the bus.

3) Terrible learning environment. It's great for tertiary care and complicated cases but not enough bread and butter. With everyone being so specialized, its seemed like all you did was consult everyone out. It is very hands off and rather than thinking through each presentation, residents simply follow the Mayo guidelines. The whole system is so different that it does not prepare you to practice medicine anywhere outside of Mayo. All of the consultants I spoke with said that they ultimately came back to Mayo because they didn't feel prepared to practice anywhere else.

4) Rochester is terrible. The whole town is centered around the clinic and there is NOTHING to do. The grocery stores have low quality food and that's only worsened by the fact that there are only about 5 good, non-chain restaurants. Nothing to do in the city. Housing is expensive as well. Also, the food in the hospital is absolute ****. The patients get their own separate, nice cafeteria while staff are left picking through their cafeteria trying to find something that looks barely edible.

5) The patients are beyond annoying. Every one of them seemed to feel some sense of entitlement because they were being treated at Mayo. It's ridiculous having to cater to the every whim of these people at the expense of your own sanity.

6) Terrible employment benefits. Your health insurance is actually through Mayo itself. Residents told me that this makes it way too expensive to get care anywhere else. One resident told me that he tore his ACL and wanted to go home to have it rehabilitated; however, Mayo wouldn't cover any care outside of the clinic.

In the end, such a waste of a month. The only good thing was a good LOR from the PD. However, I am not even going to apply there. There is no way I could survive three years in such a desolate **** hole

 

[Nellysju]

I am a current resident at Mayo and I can honestly say that none of this is true. Vikingsfan it sounds like you had a bad month that did not represent the Mayo IM department.
1. OK we do have to wear suits, so if that is a big deal don't apply here. But not when you are on call or on any of the ICU months so it does not amount to that much time in a suit.
Our EMR is not that hard to use once you learn it.
I have my phone and ipad out all the time. People know that our EMR is available on mobile devices, so I doubt anyone would care if you were on your phone.
2. Every resident I have worked with in my 2 plus years here has been nice. We all work together and try to help each other out. I have never seen anyone get "thrown under the bus". This place is far from that. People want you to succeed.
3. Not sure how to comment on this one. There is plenty of bread and butter. Also I usually present however I want and have never had complaints, not sure what Mayo guidelines you are talking about.
4. Rochester is definitely not that exciting, but I have friends in all walks of life that seem to be enjoying there lives here. Housing in Rochester is incredibly cheap. The cafeteria food is the same as every other hospital in this country, including the patient cafeteria at Mayo.
5. There are a few patients that may act entitled, but most people are very appreciative to your service.
6. I know for a fact we have phenomenal benefits. Our insurance is really affordable. I am not sure how having to stay in the Mayo Network is a negative.

I am on the interview trail currently. Everywhere I go is excited to talk about Mayo and are happy to interview our applicants. My collegues are getting an abundance of interviews. Research is so easy to get here, you end up having to turn projects down because of all the opportunities.

We have great associate PDs that really care about your success.

If you think you can stand the cold, you should come check out Mayo yourself before listening to a visiting student who unfortunately did not get a good view of our program.

 

[Nellysju]

Some evidence about the amount of research done:
http://www.im.org/Publications/APMPerspectives/Documents/oct11perspectives.pdf

 

[jdh71]

I am a current resident at Mayo and I can honestly say that none of this is true. Vikingsfan it sounds like you had a bad month that did not represent the Mayo IM department.
1. OK we do have to wear suits, so if that is a big deal don't apply here. But not when you are on call or on any of the ICU months so it does not amount to that much time in a suit.
Our EMR is not that hard to use once you learn it.
I have my phone and ipad out all the time. People know that our EMR is available on mobile devices, so I doubt anyone would care if you were on your phone.
2. Every resident I have worked with in my 2 plus years here has been nice. We all work together and try to help each other out. I have never seen anyone get "thrown under the bus". This place is far from that. People want you to succeed.
3. Not sure how to comment on this one. There is plenty of bread and butter. Also I usually present however I want and have never had complaints, not sure what Mayo guidelines you are talking about.
4. Rochester is definitely not that exciting, but I have friends in all walks of life that seem to be enjoying there lives here. Housing in Rochester is incredibly cheap. The cafeteria food is the same as every other hospital in this country, including the patient cafeteria at Mayo.
5. There are a few patients that may act entitled, but most people are very appreciative to your service.
6. I know for a fact we have phenomenal benefits. Our insurance is really affordable. I am not sure how having to stay in the Mayo Network is a negative.

I am on the interview trail currently. Everywhere I go is excited to talk about Mayo and are happy to interview our applicants. My collegues are getting an abundance of interviews. Research is so easy to get here, you end up having to turn projects down because of all the opportunities.

We have great associate PDs that really care about your success.

If you think you can stand the cold, you should come check out Mayo yourself before listening to a visiting student who unfortunately did not get a good view of our program.

6 hours.

Might be a new rebuttal record.

I'll have to go back and look at the vandy thread though.

 

[EPADHA]

I did an away rotation at the Rochester Mayo in August and can easily say it was the worst experience of medical school so far. Where to begin...

1) If you don't want an inflexible, highly structured program then this is not the place for you. Way too many rules and asinine "traditions" that waste time. Wearing a suit every day is a pain in the ass. Many instruments are left handed because the Mayo Brothers are left handed. Don't be caught outside of the hospital in scrubs or someone might turn you in. Everything must be done the Mayo way which is usually more complicated than medicine anywhere else. I got yelled at for sending a text message while we were just sitting around doing nothing on a call night. Even got yelled at for looking up something on Epocrates because "someone might think you are texting". Image is everything...one resident described how he was not allowed to wear a knee brace because patients would be concerned. There are three EMR's and different information must be accessed and entered in to each one. It is incredibly frustrating to navigate between systems and often leads to mistakes when you inevitably have different patients opened in different windows. Their computer system easily adds 20-30 minutes of unnecessary work per patient. Not to mention what happens when it crashes! One day the part of the system where orders and scripts are entered crashed. There is not a single script pad in the hospital and nobody knew where the forms for hand written orders were.

2) The residents were pricks. Everyone seems to have some complex where they believe they are better than anyone by virtue of being at the Mayo Clinic. At some point I think everyone drinks the Kool-Aid and buys in to the system...or just gets treated like ****. The residents were always in competition with one another and wouldn't hesitate to throw each other under the bus.

3) Terrible learning environment. It's great for tertiary care and complicated cases but not enough bread and butter. With everyone being so specialized, its seemed like all you did was consult everyone out. It is very hands off and rather than thinking through each presentation, residents simply follow the Mayo guidelines. The whole system is so different that it does not prepare you to practice medicine anywhere outside of Mayo. All of the consultants I spoke with said that they ultimately came back to Mayo because they didn't feel prepared to practice anywhere else.

4) Rochester is terrible. The whole town is centered around the clinic and there is NOTHING to do. The grocery stores have low quality food and that's only worsened by the fact that there are only about 5 good, non-chain restaurants. Nothing to do in the city. Housing is expensive as well. Also, the food in the hospital is absolute ****. The patients get their own separate, nice cafeteria while staff are left picking through their cafeteria trying to find something that looks barely edible.

5) The patients are beyond annoying. Every one of them seemed to feel some sense of entitlement because they were being treated at Mayo. It's ridiculous having to cater to the every whim of these people at the expense of your own sanity.

6) Terrible employment benefits. Your health insurance is actually through Mayo itself. Residents told me that this makes it way too expensive to get care anywhere else. One resident told me that he tore his ACL and wanted to go home to have it rehabilitated; however, Mayo wouldn't cover any care outside of the clinic.

In the end, such a waste of a month. The only good thing was a good LOR from the PD. However, I am not even going to apply there. There is no way I could survive three years in such a desolate **** hole

Very interesting..
I am a current cards fellow in southeast, and almost went there for residency. Did an away elective as a student. I thought the residents were actually very strong (stronger than the ones where I am which is supposedly a top '15' program located in south or what ever it means). Granted Mayo has its own way of doing things, and change is TOUGH there. The last thing they want is a resident trying to change things. The whole atmosphere is also very conservative there (midwestern nice with a splattering of Minnesota nice); but overall I thought most of attendings (except for a few gen med APDs) were nice people. I have had few friends go through Mayo for residency and fellowship, and there experiences have been varied (SEE POSTS ABOVE). Joe kolars was very instrumental is many constructive changes there in IM program (I almost went there because of him), but he has moved to Michigan.
Granted they do use residents as guinea pigs for research. Apparently they have to fill out some lengthy well being survey every so often, and everything is watched all the time (big brother style)..
Overall it is an outstanding program with its great reputation, academic atmosphere, and somewhat conservative. Location knocks it down.. And certainly not for everyone.. If you are independent thinker who is a little abrasive and blunt.. may not bode well for you.

 

[C5toC9]

Any current interns or residents who can give a review of the program?

 

[Deferoxamine]

This.

 

[wyme84]

Any experience with Mayo Scottsdale?

 

[cardiotruth]

Anyone have any experience or thoughts on the Clinical Investigator Training Program?

 

[dd128]

I am a current resident at Mayo and I can honestly say that none of this is true. Vikingsfan it sounds like you had a bad month that did not represent the Mayo IM department.
1. OK we do have to wear suits, so if that is a big deal don't apply here. But not when you are on call or on any of the ICU months so it does not amount to that much time in a suit.
Our EMR is not that hard to use once you learn it.
I have my phone and ipad out all the time. People know that our EMR is available on mobile devices, so I doubt anyone would care if you were on your phone.
2. Every resident I have worked with in my 2 plus years here has been nice. We all work together and try to help each other out. I have never seen anyone get "thrown under the bus". This place is far from that. People want you to succeed.
3. Not sure how to comment on this one. There is plenty of bread and butter. Also I usually present however I want and have never had complaints, not sure what Mayo guidelines you are talking about.
4. Rochester is definitely not that exciting, but I have friends in all walks of life that seem to be enjoying there lives here. Housing in Rochester is incredibly cheap. The cafeteria food is the same as every other hospital in this country, including the patient cafeteria at Mayo.
5. There are a few patients that may act entitled, but most people are very appreciative to your service.
6. I know for a fact we have phenomenal benefits. Our insurance is really affordable. I am not sure how having to stay in the Mayo Network is a negative.

I am on the interview trail currently. Everywhere I go is excited to talk about Mayo and are happy to interview our applicants. My collegues are getting an abundance of interviews. Research is so easy to get here, you end up having to turn projects down because of all the opportunities.

We have great associate PDs that really care about your success.

If you think you can stand the cold, you should come check out Mayo yourself before listening to a visiting student who unfortunately did not get a good view of our program.

I'd agree whole heartedly...also a mayo resident here. I suppose I could have already been drinking the "kool-aid" but as an intern I suppose I wouldn't have had that much.

My view of the bullet points: suits do blow sometimes, but you get over it. Never worked with a bad resident either, the IM ones are great, nobody has any desire to throw anyone under the bus. Nobody cares about iphones, and they actually give us all ipads. Benefits are great, salary is extremely good for the cost of living around here, lunch every day, and something like $1K for our meal card to be used for the year, free parking everywhere, etc. Agree with the bread and butter cases (and anyway you only need so many chest pain rule outs, what's the point of going to a place where you get 4 of those a night???). I would agree that our patient load may be a tad lighter than some places, but we are able to actually LEARN from our patients because of this. Rochester is boring sometimes, agree to this. Overall I'm extremely happy, I ranked the program #1 last year and would totally do it again.

 

[BlackNDecker]

This thread still brings the LOLs after all these years. Many of yall still put more worth in the rare negative feedback from visiting students than from people who have done a full "tour of duty" here.

 

[ask2013]

I went through and read a lot of what was posted on this site. I was initially very interested in Mayo for IM and am now kind of on the fence with what I have read and so was hoping to hear from some current residents. Weather/suits/food are the least of my worries because I can get over all of those. My biggest concerns are:

1. How much flexibility/independence do you have as a resident? Are the PDs pretty much set in their ways or are they open to resident feedback? I'm very concerned about programs that are so set in their ways that they are not receptive to feedback...
2. Diversity among residents/attending/patients?
3. Good fellowship outcomes?
4. Procedural training? I don't mind having to "fight for the procedures" as long as the nursing staff/fellows are not so adament about doing the procedures themselves...
5. Mentorship?
6. Any major changes coming up?
7. Gunners? I want to leave those people behind so if residents are throwing each other under the bus that is a major red flag for me...

Would love to hear peoples thoughts. Thanks!!

 

[tokada11]

I did an away rotation at the Rochester Mayo in August and can easily say it was the worst experience of medical school so far. Where to begin...

1) If you don't want an inflexible, highly structured program then this is not the place for you. Way too many rules and asinine "traditions" that waste time. Wearing a suit every day is a pain in the ass. Many instruments are left handed because the Mayo Brothers are left handed. Don't be caught outside of the hospital in scrubs or someone might turn you in. Everything must be done the Mayo way which is usually more complicated than medicine anywhere else. I got yelled at for sending a text message while we were just sitting around doing nothing on a call night. Even got yelled at for looking up something on Epocrates because "someone might think you are texting". Image is everything...one resident described how he was not allowed to wear a knee brace because patients would be concerned. There are three EMR's and different information must be accessed and entered in to each one. It is incredibly frustrating to navigate between systems and often leads to mistakes when you inevitably have different patients opened in different windows. Their computer system easily adds 20-30 minutes of unnecessary work per patient. Not to mention what happens when it crashes! One day the part of the system where orders and scripts are entered crashed. There is not a single script pad in the hospital and nobody knew where the forms for hand written orders were.

2) The residents were pricks. Everyone seems to have some complex where they believe they are better than anyone by virtue of being at the Mayo Clinic. At some point I think everyone drinks the Kool-Aid and buys in to the system...or just gets treated like ****. The residents were always in competition with one another and wouldn't hesitate to throw each other under the bus.

3) Terrible learning environment. It's great for tertiary care and complicated cases but not enough bread and butter. With everyone being so specialized, its seemed like all you did was consult everyone out. It is very hands off and rather than thinking through each presentation, residents simply follow the Mayo guidelines. The whole system is so different that it does not prepare you to practice medicine anywhere outside of Mayo. All of the consultants I spoke with said that they ultimately came back to Mayo because they didn't feel prepared to practice anywhere else.

4) Rochester is terrible. The whole town is centered around the clinic and there is NOTHING to do. The grocery stores have low quality food and that's only worsened by the fact that there are only about 5 good, non-chain restaurants. Nothing to do in the city. Housing is expensive as well. Also, the food in the hospital is absolute ****. The patients get their own separate, nice cafeteria while staff are left picking through their cafeteria trying to find something that looks barely edible.

5) The patients are beyond annoying. Every one of them seemed to feel some sense of entitlement because they were being treated at Mayo. It's ridiculous having to cater to the every whim of these people at the expense of your own sanity.

6) Terrible employment benefits. Your health insurance is actually through Mayo itself. Residents told me that this makes it way too expensive to get care anywhere else. One resident told me that he tore his ACL and wanted to go home to have it rehabilitated; however, Mayo wouldn't cover any care outside of the clinic.

In the end, such a waste of a month. The only good thing was a good LOR from the PD. However, I am not even going to apply there. There is no way I could survive three years in such a desolate **** hole

I interviewed at Mayo recently for IM. I came away with a very good impression. I expect to rank it high.

 

[SpasticNerfBag]

I did an away rotation at the Rochester Mayo in August and can easily say it was the worst experience of medical school so far. Where to begin...

1) If you don't want an inflexible, highly structured program then this is not the place for you. Way too many rules and asinine "traditions" that waste time. Wearing a suit every day is a pain in the ass. Many instruments are left handed because the Mayo Brothers are left handed. Don't be caught outside of the hospital in scrubs or someone might turn you in. Everything must be done the Mayo way which is usually more complicated than medicine anywhere else. I got yelled at for sending a text message while we were just sitting around doing nothing on a call night. Even got yelled at for looking up something on Epocrates because "someone might think you are texting". Image is everything...one resident described how he was not allowed to wear a knee brace because patients would be concerned. There are three EMR's and different information must be accessed and entered in to each one. It is incredibly frustrating to navigate between systems and often leads to mistakes when you inevitably have different patients opened in different windows. Their computer system easily adds 20-30 minutes of unnecessary work per patient. Not to mention what happens when it crashes! One day the part of the system where orders and scripts are entered crashed. There is not a single script pad in the hospital and nobody knew where the forms for hand written orders were.

2) The residents were pricks. Everyone seems to have some complex where they believe they are better than anyone by virtue of being at the Mayo Clinic. At some point I think everyone drinks the Kool-Aid and buys in to the system...or just gets treated like ****. The residents were always in competition with one another and wouldn't hesitate to throw each other under the bus.

3) Terrible learning environment. It's great for tertiary care and complicated cases but not enough bread and butter. With everyone being so specialized, its seemed like all you did was consult everyone out. It is very hands off and rather than thinking through each presentation, residents simply follow the Mayo guidelines. The whole system is so different that it does not prepare you to practice medicine anywhere outside of Mayo. All of the consultants I spoke with said that they ultimately came back to Mayo because they didn't feel prepared to practice anywhere else.

4) Rochester is terrible. The whole town is centered around the clinic and there is NOTHING to do. The grocery stores have low quality food and that's only worsened by the fact that there are only about 5 good, non-chain restaurants. Nothing to do in the city. Housing is expensive as well. Also, the food in the hospital is absolute ****. The patients get their own separate, nice cafeteria while staff are left picking through their cafeteria trying to find something that looks barely edible.

5) The patients are beyond annoying. Every one of them seemed to feel some sense of entitlement because they were being treated at Mayo. It's ridiculous having to cater to the every whim of these people at the expense of your own sanity.

6) Terrible employment benefits. Your health insurance is actually through Mayo itself. Residents told me that this makes it way too expensive to get care anywhere else. One resident told me that he tore his ACL and wanted to go home to have it rehabilitated; however, Mayo wouldn't cover any care outside of the clinic.

In the end, such a waste of a month. The only good thing was a good LOR from the PD. However, I am not even going to apply there. There is no way I could survive three years in such a desolate **** hole

FWIW, met a co-applicant that had done an away at Mayo a couple of times on the interview trail and (s)he reported how wonderful it was on more than one occasion?!?!

 

[govikings10]

Current resident, agree with nellysju & dd128.

Don't let Vikingfan scare you off.

 

[LovelyBRass]

Current resident, agree with nellysju & dd128.

Don't let Vikingfan scare you off.

In that case, you should update your status

 

[govikings10]

In that case, you should update your status

Whoops...teaches me for not logging on for a few years.