New York Anesthesia

[Juice]

Anyone know anything about NYC anesthesia programs, specifically Columbia and Cornell. I ahve heard some good things about Columbia, but I am not familiar with its overall reputation as an anesthesia program. Thanks.

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[Yogi Patel]

There are 4 very solid programs in Manhattan: Columbia, Cornell, Mt. Sinai, and NYU. Which one is "best" depends on what you're looking for...

ACADEMIC PRESTIGE:
1) Columbia
2) Cornell
3) Sinai
4) NYU

DIVERSITY OF CASELOAD:
1) Columbia
2) Sinai
3) NYU
4) Cornell

PERKS:
1) Cornell (Subsidized housing)
2) Sinai (Subsidized housing, free lunches)
3) Columbia
4) NYU

Interestingly, I found that Mount Sinai seemed to have the smartest residents. Cornell and NYU had tons of FMGs, which isn't to say that they're bad programs, but nonetheless I was suprised to meet so many SGU And Ross grads.

I think that in terms of procuring competetive fellowship and job positions after residency, Columbia is by far your best bet.

 

[jester]

I think overall Mt. Sinai offers the most balanced experience. But, it does lack a national reputation. The PD is great and is very pro-resident. Getting free lunches everyday doesn't hurt either. It has a great caseload and the residents seem very happy. Columbia is very solid and has a tremendous caseload. Probably the best in NYC. However, I don't think the PD is as approachable as the PDs at Sinai and Cornell. In addition, housing is not as good as the other NYC programs. But, I would have been very happy there overall. Cornell's biggest asset is awesome housing in NYC. I don't think their caseload is as diverse, but with HSS and MSK you get some great experiences. They do have quite a few FMG (although most are Americans)but seemed to have more fun than other residents in NYC.
I ranked Sinai, Columbia and Cornell in that order. Yogi, I agree with your other posting regarding top anesthesia programs.

 

[Sevo]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Yogi Patel:
•There are 4 very solid programs in Manhattan: Columbia, Cornell, Mt. Sinai, and NYU. Which one is "best" depends on what you're looking for...
•••••I've been told that Sinai is simply the better program. A large proportion of the faculty are examiners, great hospital, and great residents. Columbia has had problems and is a shell of the program that it used to be ten years ago. Cornell is a work program - 'nuff said.

Also forgotten -- Although the Saint Vincent's program has a lot of problems with it, it has, by far, the best regional anesthesia program on the East Coast.

 

[eltray]

Go to Columbia. The only two programs that I ranked in NY are Columbia and Cornell.

 

[halothane]

hey guys almost all the name brand anesth. programs have FMGs in large nos. till now as few US grads showed interest in anesthesia in the 95-98 period. This year that there have been a little over 100 FMGs and the # is likely to fall next year. Considering the poor quality of the US grads who went into Anes. till recently FMGs who got into anesth. were above average. So that should simply not be a marker of the quality of a program.
Look at what potential it has, the faculty, the clinical material, perks etc. Why should the fact that there are FMGs make you run. Many programs prefer good FMG to below average US grads just to keep their board pass rates high. And remember a majority of FMG are not the offshore guys, they are the creme of crop from their countries who went to school there not cos. they could not get in here but because they were born there. Despite all this if the presence of FMGs turns you off, look for residencies in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississipi, Texas etc. these states in general have programs with very few FMGs.... <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> and you might also find folks who still carry the confederate flag.

 

[gassman]

Halothane--let me guess...you drove through some of the southern states you mentioned, or saw something on TV, and that's what you are basing your smugly uninformed opinion on? I've met just as many (if not more) idiot racists in the north and in south Florida-- they are just better at hiding it initially. Have you been to Bensonhurst, NY--they're VERY racially enlightened up there...just ask the African American men that were attacked and killed there approximately 12 years ago when they wandered into a neighborhood that didn't like the color of their skin. And there's NEVER any racial politics or tension in the north. Why, Al Sharpton is thinking of moving down south because the races get along so well in NYC that he feels there is no more work there for him to do.

Enlightened opinion, though. Really.

 

[halothane]

Actually my opinion comes from living in Texas for a couple of years, from my wife being born and raised there and the difference we have felt when we would visit relatives in the North, California etc. Just visit Texas....say for eg.Galveston. You will see many homes proudly displaying the confed. flag like they are do not know what it represented. There are isolated incidents up north but by and large people up there and in calif. are a lil more open to diversity. See as in my own case. I had a very strong application. Very strong board scores and I am an IMG and though I got interviews from some of the best programs in the country in the north....the only places I got interviews from down south were from new orleans and Miami. I had applied every program in TX(my home state) and did not get called to interview even in one. Well in the end its just a matter of opinion. So this was my opinion. The north is just more open to equal opportunity irrespective of race, national origin etc. and so you have more FMG up north and sometimes even in very good programs.

 

[Juice]

Hey kiddos, how about a little help with my question??????
PS, Elrik, if i go to columbia does that mean i am stuck doing my residency with U???

 

[Jubal]

Lots of good programs in NYC. I would go to rank Mt Sinai FIRST. Second would go Cornell, and only third Columbia, despite the incredible case load. It takes more than the case-load to put a program on top. And since when was Columbia even number one in NYC Anesthesia? Cornell was ans still is the better program of the two by any measure.
I would rank fourth a very promising program, that went from almost nothing to be where it is now, right after Columbia, cornell and Sinai: St Lukes Roosevelt.
NYU comes thereafter...

actually the new Match 2002 article is available online at <a href="http://www.grogono.com/nrmp/index.html" target="_blank">Dr. Grogono's web page.</a>

 

[mustafalop]

Where can i find a program with some diversity in there, are there any minorities going into anesthesia????

 

[halothane]

Diversity.....I know one for sure. U Miami. Very very diverse crowd. Great place, good hospital (they do about 25000 surgeries a year in the main hospital itself which is like a 1600 bed hosptal, tremendous case diversity). I did get interviews from the nations finest but I kinda fell in love with Miami and the program. Best of Luck.

 

[Sandpaper]

Columbia is a work program, so if you want to cruise, don't go there. Mt. Sinai treats its residents better. Cornell has decent housing. Don't know much about other NY programs.

 

[zman]

The only NYC programs I would seriously consider are Cornell, Sinai, and Columbia in that order.

Columbia was great many years ago, but has faded since. You spend up to two hours per day babysitting patients in the or when the case is done because the pacu is full, etc. (inner city hospital issues). None of this wasted time at the other two programs which translates into same caseload but better hours. Also the atmosphere at Columbia isn't that great. Residents don't spend much time together, nursing isn't the best, not much teaching, and collegiality with attendings could be better. I had just heard too many complaints from residents, and too many comments from program directors about Columbia losing it's edge, to rank this program highly.

Sinai rocks, but lacks a national reputation. This makes you less competitive for fellowships and out of state jobs. Otherwise the atmosphere is great, mostly because of the program director. Perks are good as well, free lunches every day and if lucky you can get semi-subsidized housing (still expensive and not guaranteed). Diverse caseload (biggest weakness is pain) and probably the best didactics of the three. Trauma rotation is done at a hospital in Queens and pain is at the Bronx VA.

Cornell has it all in my opinion. Contrary to what has been posted, the caseload is extremely diverse. Like Columbia, minimal trauma. And yes, Sinai has liver transplants (New York Hospital does have a transplant program, just not livers). But an integral part of the program involves two of the best specialty hospitals in the country-HSS and Sloan Kettering. These places do surgeries that other hospitals in the country won't do. Not to mention the great caseload at NY Hospital. You have exposure to the spectrum of anesthetic techniques, amazing regional and pain, and the reputation to boot. Didactics are very good, but probably not as good as Sinai, definitely better than Columbia. Also, the residents are extremely happy. I would be too if I got to live on the Upper East Side in sweet apartments at a fraction of the retail cost. And the best part of it all, call from home. That means that when your last case is done when you are on call, you go home and only come back in if needed. It's a beautiful thing.
I ranked Cornell first but didn't match there (happy with Stanford, number two).

 

[soolimon]

Agree with above, Cornell and Sinai are very similar. Cornell with the national reputation, great perks, and three awesome hospitals.
Sinai a close second.
Columbia has great cases, like the other two, but is otherwise miserable.
NYU, same as Columbia but better location and worse reputation (although still a pretty good rep).
Didn't interview at St Luke's but I've heard some good things about the program. Probably only good if you definitely want to stay in the area given how competitive anesthesiology is getting.
Heard Einstein and SUNY Downstate are also OK, but again, don't know much about these programs.

 

[soolimon]

...btw, just heard from several peeps that job/fellowship-wise, the staff at cornell is very well connected and you get hooked up big time.