MCW Surgery

[ap4uga]

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I was wondering if anyone had any insight into MCW's (Medical College Of Wisconsin) general surgery residency program? I'm getting my list of possible programs together and am trying to gather some info. I'm primarily interested in things like the quality of operative experience, emphasis on teaching, and the dynamic between residents, attendings, etc.

Also, I'm thinking I may want to go on and do a peds surgery fellowship after residency, so I want to train at a program that would help me make that option a possibility. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[JackADeli]

I was wondering if anyone had any insight into MCW's (Medical College Of Wisconsin) general surgery residency program? ...Also, I'm thinking I may want to go on and do a peds surgery fellowship after residency, so I want to train at a program that would help me make that option a possibility...

I don't know anything about that specific program.
However as for pediatric surgery or any other competitive fellowship, I think you need to closely look at each individual program's history & success in getting grads into said fellowships. A program that does not have a track record of placing grads into specific competitive fellowships is likely to not have knowledge/experience/or connections necessary to help you achieve your goal.

JAD

 

[dig dug]

JAD or others,

Would you say that something like 2-4 placements/ 10 yrs would be a good indication for a residency program in a field as small as peds surg? Kind of like w/ med school match lists, you can't really know what residents at a particular program were interested in...

dig dug

 

[JackADeli]

...Would you say that something like 2-4 placements/ 10 yrs would be a good indication for a residency program in a field as small as peds surg?...

It all depends. First 10 years is a long time. You need to look at how that "2-4" was spaced over that 10 years. Were they mostly in the last 3-4 years? Was it around 1 fellowship match every other year? If so, probably a good track record. Also, maybe a few years that residents just didn't want to go into that particular competitive subspecialty... but did they succeed in getting into other ~equally competitive fellowships? That gives you a sense of the caliber of the program... and residents in general.

Second, you need to determine what if any major changes have occurred in the program in the last 3-4 years? Are the primary academics in the subspecialty still there, active, and motivated in getting folks into the sub-specialty? Is there an environment conducive to academic work in that subspecialty? etc....

You really need to just look at the program. A program that has put someone into a competitive fellowship a decade ago, whose faculty have all retired, complete division turn-over, and man-power has replaced any academic focus and/or research opportunities.... well not likely to be your springboard. In general, a new PD will take around five years or more to fully implement their vision for a program.... so a program with a new PD or frequently changing PDs is fairly unstable and hard to predict. Look at the program/s and be leary about programs focused on distant past glories achieved under a completely different cadre of attending staff.

JAD

 

[dig dug]

Very useful... thank you.

//Hijack over.

 

[ap4uga]

Thanks JAD....In that same vein, I was hoping somebody on here would have some recent insight or experience with MCW's Department of Surgery, as I know that they recently got a new Chair, Dr. Evans.

 

[twood]

Dr. Evans gave a visiting professor lecture at my program a few months ago. He is an incredible surgeon and I (and my PD) believe that you would get great training under him.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

http://www.mcw.edu/surgicaleducation/residencyprograms/gsresidencyprogram/beyondresidency.htm

Looks like 1 ped surg fellowship placement since 2004...

 

[JackADeli]

http://www.mcw.edu/surgicaleducation/residencyprograms/gsresidencyprogram/beyondresidency.htm

Looks like 1 ped surg fellowship placement since 2004...

if I'm reading that page correctly, that is NOT a pediatric surgery fellowship, rather a critical care fellowship. Those are not uncommon choices for folks interested in pediatric surgery but do not match. I have also seen folks do "pediatric minimally invassive surgery fellowships". Again, not the same thing as an accredited pediatric surgery fellowship. They are often similar to a prelim year in surgery in which you might be able to springboard into a accredited pediatric surgical fellowship.

JAD

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

if I'm reading that page correctly, that is NOT a pediatric surgery fellowship, rather a critical care fellowship. Those are not uncommon choices for folks interested in pediatric surgery but do not match. It is often a similar to a prelim year in surgery in which you might be able to springboard into a accredited pediatric surgical fellowship.

JAD

Right - I didn't count that...I counted the 2007 Peds surg placement at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Edit: That is good to know about the critical care fellowships - I didn't realize they were used as an attempted springboard like that.

 

[JackADeli]

Right - I didn't count that...I counted the 2007 Peds surg placement at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Thanks, I see the one your talking about now; looks like they stayed and trained in the MCW program.

 

[Amgen1]

Doug evans the new chair at MCW is a giant in the field of surg onc. He just can from MDA. He is a technical wiz and a very smart, hard working guy. At MDA he was doing 3-5 whipples/ week at times. He will help elevate MCW to a higher level. I think he makes that a very attractive program. That being said, I don' t know much about the program its self