Need help with rank

[Sal1234]

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So I'm not the best candidate and need help ranking the top of my list.
Interested in IR

Maine, Drexel, NS-LIJ, Loma linda, BI-NY

Thanks!

 

[je355804]

you didn't get the memo? people only discuss top 10 programs on SDN.

 

[DoctorL2015]

That was a mean response!

I only interviewed at BI-NY of those, and I thought it was great! I was very impressed by their cardiac MR and how the residents matched for fellowship.

 

[DrBowtie]

That was a mean response!

I only interviewed at BI-NY of those, and I thought it was great! I was very impressed by their cardiac MR and how the residents matched for fellowship.

Cardiac MR is such a niche, I wouldn't use that as a factor in evaluating programs.

 

[Gadofosveset]

Cardiac MR is definitely a niche, but a better one as far as radiology niches go.

Not all cardiac MR is practiced equally well, but if the institution does a good job with cardiac MR, it's a marker for the adequacy of the cardiothoracic division and a marker for the overall adequacy of MRI.

As a med student, you're not going to know how to evaluate the adequacy of an institution's cardiac MR division on your own:
- ask a senior resident in the program, preferably one going into a cardiothoracic fellowship. Ask the senior resident if he or she is comfortable reading cardiac MRI on his or her own. Which indications?
- ask what kinds of cases their referring clinicians send and how many (the larger the number and the more indications, the better). How many day a week is cardiac MRI read (every other week = poor, every day = good)
- ask how many rads read cardiac MRI. There will probably be one dominant person, but make sure there are more people reading it
- Cardiac MRI should be research-heavy. Ask what projects they are working on.

Cardiac is currently a large (disproportionate?) part of the core exam, so having more of this as a resident won't hurt you. Also, if you can protocol and troubleshoot a cardiac study, you can handle any MR situation.

Cardiac MRI is a valuable bonus for a program, but poor cardiac MRI (or lack of it) shouldn't be a strike against it.

Fellowship match list is more or less meaningless unless the residents stay at their own institution, which is a positive sign.

 

[shark2000]

That was a mean response!

I only interviewed at BI-NY of those, and I thought it was great! I was very impressed by their cardiac MR and how the residents matched for fellowship.

Cardiac MRI is a niche and does not mean anything. There is more than 95% chance that you won't do it in the future unless you become an academic cardiothoracic imager after doing a chest fellowship. Anyway, cardiac MRI training in residency is almost useless. Make sure that a program has a comprehensive training in all CORE aspects of radiology; Neuro, MSK, Body, Chest, IR and mammo.

Fellowship match means almost nothing. In every program, there is somebody who is going for a fellowship to Hopkins or MGH or UCSF or ...

 

[Gadofosveset]

Cardiac MRI is a niche and does not mean anything. There is more than 95% chance that you won't do it in the future unless you become an academic cardiothoracic imager after doing a chest fellowship. Anyway, cardiac MRI training in residency is almost useless. ...

This is not actually quite accurate. Cardiac MRI (and cardiac imaging) is over-represented on the core exam. You didn't need it for the oral boards, but it helps new residents if they have some basic idea how it works. Certainly 95% of rads will never need to use it more than 5% of the time after taking the core exam, but it never hurts to know cardiac nucs or MRI.

I can't think of a situation where a program would have a strong cardiac MRI department and be weak in core aspects of radiology. A strong month or two rotation in cardiac is not a bad thing.

We also, as a group, have a bad habit of throwing away our cardiac imaging. It'd be nice not to do that again. I was at dinner with a cardiologist last month and he was asking me many technical details of how to set up an MRI suite. I politely evaded.

 

[Sal1234]

you didn't get the memo? people only discuss top 10 programs on SDN.

Wow, very helpful. Thanks

 

[JoshSt]

Wow, very helpful. Thanks

It's a joke. Sorry I can't answer your question, I didn't interview at any of those places.

 

[greg1184]

It's a joke. Sorry I can't answer your question, I didn't interview at any of those places.

I guess that type of sarcasm is only detected on auntminnie. 😉

 

[je355804]

Well it was only half a joke... notice how no one responded to any specifics about your question, the topic turned into a cardiac MR discussion. Seriously, no one talks about programs unless they are top tier...

Mind you, I am not at a top tier program - and therefore not being a snooty-two-shoes.

 

[DeucesHigh3]

Well it was only half a joke... notice how no one responded to any specifics about your question, the topic turned into a cardiac MR discussion. Seriously, no one talks about programs unless they are top tier...

Mind you, I am not at a top tier program - and therefore not being a snooty-two-shoes.

I know, it's somewhat unfortunate how little this forum talks about programs that aren't on the top of the pile.

I'm sure your list is in by now, but just in case: Drexel residents who are interested in IR get *tons* of procedure time. There are 2 rooms working at all times, and generally the senior resident is either running one of the rooms themself for routine stuff, or either first-assisting or doing the work with verbal supervision for the trickier business. Plus they do well for fellowship. Can't say that as a PGY-3 you'll be doing a TIPS or Y90 by yourself, but they definitely throw the residents in to do as much as they're capable and interested in doing.

 

[Gadofosveset]

If a resident is doing Y-90 by himself or herself, something has gone horribly wrong.

 

[vm26]

I know, it's somewhat unfortunate how little this forum talks about programs that aren't on the top of the pile.

I'm sure your list is in by now, but just in case: Drexel residents who are interested in IR get *tons* of procedure time. There are 2 rooms working at all times, and generally the senior resident is either running one of the rooms themself for routine stuff, or either first-assisting or doing the work with verbal supervision for the trickier business. Plus they do well for fellowship. Can't say that as a PGY-3 you'll be doing a TIPS or Y90 by yourself, but they definitely throw the residents in to do as much as they're capable and interested in doing.

Curious, what type of cases are the senior residents running solo?