Anyone know what this consists of?
Its nothing like that. Its a test on a powerpoint projection in a room full of the other applicants. They show pictures and give you multiple choice answers on sheets before hand and you choose the best answer on the sheets. Did it last year.
In a ring of fireYou also have to arm wrestle the other applicants.
I was there... about 2 years ago.. as a mid third year... so the test might have changed... I thought it was reasonable.. not really zebra stuff... but the stuff I didn't know was because I was a third year ... and just didn't know...
I didn't think it was trying to trick you... other co-residents of mine agree to this
however... I didn't get in.. thank god ...
i just thougth that it was not for me... to much scutwork... to long hours...
I did a fellowship that I signed out my own cases and I thought that was much more usefull...
but .. I would agree that there is something to be said about the sloan fellowship... but its a tough year..
Scutwork in a fellowship?! Like what? I'm a fellow this year (FP though) and there's minimal "scut" in my job, and it's the same scut attendings have to do as well, ie being polite and rinsing down my station for the autopsy techs after a case. That's disappointing, that such a high profile fellowship includes such menial work. I'd have thought that part of what makes a fellowship great is that you can truly focus on the cases and not have to be "moving the meat" as sometimes happens in residency.
I hear the fellows are grossing there until late into the night.
My friend finished their last year and she was grossing till midnight at times.
I don't know about MSK, but I interviewed at MDA and there's a 2 hour preview of the surgical pathology program where they explain you will gross 6 weeks out of the year... I have no idea what the hours are, but even if long, it seems like its hardly a worthless experience since you're grossing some specimens you may have never seen before. Contrary to popular belief, grossing is actually an important part of the specimen workup... The other 44 or so weeks you are signing out, half inside cases and half outside consults.
Keep in mind though that there are plenty of jobs out there where there is no PA, or the "PA" equivalent isn't certified
It is like I said before... there is a lot to be said about a place like sloan you see great cases and work with great people... from what I understand though the consults these people get are seen by the second year fellow not the first...
also the hours are very long.. so its a decision one has to make for himself...