Preferences in terms of living, education-style, recruitment packages etc. vary depending on your personality, but some very humble info I've gathered during this 2012-2013 season about some of the programs on the periphery of NY
1. Nassau University Medical Center - As someone mentioned before in some older post - this program has graduated quite a few current program directors. All the current residents there seem really happy. Its a county hospital where almost every patient on the internal medicine wards gets a PMR eval, so the consult service teaches you alot. Consistent with a lot of the NY programs outside Manhattan, its inpatient service can vary in terms of business, but the other really strong feature is the outpatient clinics. EMG seems to be a strong point there as well as Dr. Weiss the PD authored the book "Easy EMG." You also have LIJ PMR residents rotating through there for the purpose of EMG experience. It is a dually accredited Allo/Osteo program which is another rarity. The hospital as a whole has made tremendous improvements over the last three years and the renovations keep on coming. In terms of lectures, it seems to be a bit more self/resident driven although all the lectures that I have attended there especially by the TBI physician Dr. Cruz, have been phenomenal. The hospital of course offers health insurance and maybe some money for books, but in comparison to other institutions, the benefits package is probably one of the more frustrating aspects. While other institutions offer free food to residents, Nassau is just starting to develop in this area. The commute requires a car (vs. a subway system). Depending on your preference of suburban vs. urban, you may or may not like it. Overall, it is a wonderful program that affords a great residency experience.
2. Long Beach Osteopathic - The program director is a graduate of Nassau and is a very kind yet enthusiastic person. She is a visionary and an expansionist in terms of the quality of the program. It was my impression that common reviews had sold this program short. Strong points include working with the young, vibrant administrative staff who is all about resident feedback, as well as being given the privilege of working with not only the demographic of patients front long beach (plenty of old-timers), but also with the demographic of patients that Manhattan has to offer. Long beach is definitely a hidden gem for Osteo candidates. After recently noticing the re-do of their website, it was nice to see them proudly offer benefits of free food, parking, and the upfrontness regarding your ability to moonlight with special permission. Program is definitely on the rise.
3. Kingsbrook - desires over 600 on COMLEX to merit an interview. I'm guessing they really know what they want in a candidate.
4. Long Island Jewish - This is one of the programs that was sort of dismissed as lower tier in older threads. Although I don't have much info to offer, I do know that some of my collegues (stronger candidates that many who applied for PMR) are excited to go there. I figure this must be a testament to how this program may have revamped itself in more recent years. Dr. Schatzer (or however you spell his name) is said to be a great man and of course its worth mentioning that he authored the widely used Pocketpedia, so that's cool too.
5. NYMC/Metropolitan - When you walk into the lobby of this hospital located on the border of the upper east side and East harlem, you will notice right away that your work is going to be cut out for you, but if youre the type that likes to get your hands dirty right from the start, then you should certainly entertain this program. The inpatient unit seems to be newly renovated and is definitely one of the prettier areas of the hospital. One aspect I liked especially about this program was the overall personality of the program. Although admittedly not for everyone, the overall vibe I got from the staff was that of humility. In contrast to some of the other administrations I've seen, this staff appeared confident in being able to deliver a quality education to its residents, but without any of the pretentious self-exaltation that you're more likely to come across with some of the bigger name programs. The hustle and bustle of merely trying to enter the hospital in the midst of all that city renovations was an annoying turn off and made me realize I want a place where I can comfortably drive to and park at. Sometimes its the little things. 🙂
6. NYU - My knowledge of this program is limited to whatever SDN already has to say. SDN seems pretty up to speed insofar as originally labeling it as "malignant" to catching wind of Rusk being no more, to whatever else it has to say.
7. Stony Brook - Another program that probably deserves way more positive attention that it gets. In contrast to other county-hospital/warehouse type programs, the focus of this program seems unique in that the PD (also president of NYS society of PMR) is way more resident-focused than many other programs. She has taken such an exquisite approach to arming the program with the tools it needs to ensure only the highest quality of education. In my limited shadow experience at the program, I was able to appreciate the contrast between this program that emphasizes proper instruction from the beginning vs other programs that believe more in just jump in and learn on the fly approach. Where some people really place emphasis on learning through high volumes of patients, I've come to appreciate the concept that working in bulk doesn't guarantee proper education, but rather having the right number of patients, not being overworked so as to learn a procedure properly from the very first time is what should be the priority. That is the style of education Stonybrook appears to boast. VA experience is also a plus as it is always a consideration for any aspiring physiatrist. Also, all it takes is a few moments with the PD before you come to understand that she takes very seriously the formal lectures in a full curriculum that will repeat itself in its entirety 3 times during the duration of the residency. This pretty much guarantees strong scores and open doors for fellowship. Recruitment package was impressive too. All in all considering my personality and style of learning, this program is a favorite.
