Official 2014-2015 "Please help me rank these IM Programs" Megathread

[Instatewaiter]

Please help a friend rank these programs based on perceived reputation.

From interview experience is this, but want to go to a place that keep most doors open for competitive fellowships:

CCF
Cook County
Houston Methodist
UConn
UMass
University at Buffalo
Mt. Sinai/ St. Lukes Roosvelt SLR
Rutgers NJMS

I'm going to disagree with some others here. From a pure ability to get a strong fellowship, CCF is going to give you the best option hands down.

CCF
UCONN
UMASS
St Lukes
Methodist
Others

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[Instatewaiter]

Personally I think UVA over wisconsin in terms of national rep, location and fellowship opportunity but I am a bit biased with the mid-atlantic

 

[Yona33]

They are. Very different programs, but same tier and opportunities going forward.

Agree with this. Very much in the same tier reputation wise, and both overall very good programs. But Nashville & Chicago are very different places, so I'd use that to make your decision.

 

[Yona33]

I'm having a very difficult time putting the below programs in order. Do any of these stand out as being superior to the others? I'm considering either primary care or cardiology. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Northwestern
University of Chicago
UCLA
Mayo (Rochester)
University of Michigan
Stanford

Overall a very nice group of programs. Cardiology & primary care are pretty different ends of the spectrum with different places being stronger in one than the other, so if you're really split between those fields then it would probably be best to look at overall reputation & fellowship/job placements rather than how a place is specifically in one or the other. (Of course this is in addition to the other usual other factors like location, personal preference, etc.) For the places on this list, you're not actually going to go 'wrong.'

From a strict reputation/post-residency opportunity standpoint, again with the caveat that you're going to be in good shape coming out of any of these, I'd say Stanford would be tops, followed by the UCLA/Michigan/Northwestern group (all pretty similar), followed just behind by U. Chicago/Mayo Rochester. I know most of these programs well so feel free to message me with any specific questions, and good luck!

 

[Yona33]

Personally I think UVA over wisconsin in terms of national rep, location and fellowship opportunity but I am a bit biased with the mid-atlantic

I agree with this. It's not a huge difference, but UVA>Wisconsin.

 

[Yona33]

Need some advice regarding my list. Considering nephro or heme/onc as of now. Have ties to midwest, and would prefer a metropolitan area..

1.) Rush
2.) Ohio St.
3.) IU
4.) UMinn
5.) MCW
6.) Henry Ford
7.) Wake
8.) CCF
10.) VCU
11.) USoCal
12.) ULouisville

Not sure which program you mean with "IU" so will refrain comment from that. Minnesota seems a bit low - I would have above Rush & Ohio State. Otherwise given your geographical preferences this looks reasonable.

 

[vman51]

Hoping to get some input on primary care in NYC, uncertain how to rank the following:

Sinai - Great program, new PC track, but leadership seems very strong and supportive. I got along great with the residents here. Morning report was the most impressive of all the programs that I've seen. Seems like great training to be had here. Unsure how I feel about their clinic.

Cornell - Solid program. Old PC program, but much smaller than the others. Fellowship heavy program in general, but PC graduates have gone on to do some incredible things.

Monte - Well established, amazing program, great clinic. Liked the social medicine aspect, huge emphasis (maybe even too much?). Got along well with the residents, seem to be a little older than the categoricals. I didn't spend much time with the categoricals at all on the interview day, anyone have any insight there? Also most rigid program, least global health opps, and least amount of research. Scut is high in general on the floors from what I hear, and its the bronx..these things are whats keeping it back at the moment, but those aren't insurmountable flaws).

Bump, in case anyone has some insight

 

[MAZ09268]

@Yona33

 

[MAZ09268]

Not sure which program you mean with "IU" so will refrain comment from that. Minnesota seems a bit low - I would have above Rush & Ohio State. Otherwise given your geographical preferences this looks reasonable.

IU = Indiana University. Yeah, UMinn would have def been at the top except for sig other preference/job opportunities.

 

[OberynMartell]

Hi everyone! I'm having trouble with my #2-6 and would really appreciate some input. I ranked them on gut feelings but I don't want to make any gross mistakes. I'm really interested in pursuing a GI fellowship. Also of note, I'm engaged but will wait another 3+ yrs to have kids. Here goes...

#6 Univ of Utah - PROS: A strong chair and PD (of nearly 10 years!), a lot of NIH money, beautiful scenery, 3 GI spots/yr. CONS: Regarding my 3 days in the city, I felt like more of an outsider here than at anywhere else on this list. Why are only 7% of their residents from the med school? When the residents responded to questions about the population being too healthy, they only referenced trauma patients flown into the IMC :/

Thank you!

I actually wondered the same thing about Utah. Why are so few of their residents from the med school? Especially when I remember that to apply for med school you had to have some ties to the state, I'd think more people would want to stick around due to family reasons. Anyone have an answer to this?

 

[jdh71]

Need some advice regarding my list. Considering nephro or heme/onc as of now. Have ties to midwest, and would prefer a metropolitan area..

1.) Rush
2.) Ohio St.
3.) IU
4.) UMinn
5.) MCW
6.) Henry Ford
7.) Wake
8.) CCF
10.) VCU
11.) USoCal
12.) ULouisville

Put Minn and Ohio St up top. Probably USC next. The rest how you like them, though I personally like Wake and VCU, think they are great spots (but not terribly "metropolitan")

 

[Questionable 17]

Made a throwaway account for this. Any difference in MGH, BWH, Stanford, UCSF and Hopkins? Why did or would you pick one over the other?

 

[obiwan]

Made a throwaway account for this. Any difference in MGH, BWH, Stanford, UCSF and Hopkins? Why did or would you pick one over the other?

Hmmmm, thats a toughie.

I would pick UCSF only because I'm partial to the Bay Area but in all seriousness, if those are what you're deciding between then you have it good and don't need advice from us.

 

[MedcatHouse]

Made a throwaway account for this. Any difference in MGH, BWH, Stanford, UCSF and Hopkins? Why did or would you pick one over the other?

One will make your career and the other 4 will ruin it. Actually, all 5 will.

 

[Questionable 17]

One will make your career and the other 4 will ruin it. Actually, all 5 will.

I realize that these are strong programs. This is a ranking thread though. Someone has to have/had this decision before and I'm just curious how they came about deciding their final order.

 

[acouplegoodmen]

I realize that these are strong programs. This is a ranking thread though. Someone has to have/had this decision before and I'm just curious how they came about deciding their final order.

Gut feeling. Which residents did you feel most comfortable around? What city do you like the most? Do you want a program that is spread out all over a city (ie UCSF) or a single hospital (ie Hopkins)?

 

[Yona33]

Totally depends on what you're looking for - no way to answer this in a vacuum. Each is a great program with specific strengths. You need to tell us more about you (what you're looking for, what you hope to do at the end of the day, etc.) to differentiate between these 5. Feel free to message directly if you'd prefer.

 

[McSap]

Made a throwaway account for this. Any difference in MGH, BWH, Stanford, UCSF and Hopkins? Why did or would you pick one over the other?

It amazes me that sdn will be (at least a factor in) the answer to your predicament

 

[thehundredthone]

It amazes me that sdn will be (at least a factor in) the answer to your predicament

Gathering opinions is valuable regardless of the source. How one regards the information and what they do with it is a different story entirely.

 

[chahn85]

I am interested in GI fellowship and I need advice with my #2 and #3 programs... I am geographically bound to Southern California for personal reasons (my wife goes to school in LA), so UCLA is my #1. But I got my UCLA interview off their waitlist so I am not too optimistic about matching there although it would be the most ideal. My biggest problem now is deciding my #2 between Cedars-Sinai and UCSD. I got a very positive impression from UCSD on my interview day and really liked the PD and the residents. I imagine that clinical training would be better at UCSD given that it is a major academic institution, but Cedars also seems to have great research opportunities with big names and great fellowship match for GI (Yale, Michigan, UTSW, etc this year). A downside to UCSD would be that I have to be separated from my family for at least a year until my wife finishes her school in LA. UCSD also doesn't have a 4+1 system which I really want in a program. Are UCSD and Cedars pretty even in terms of their reputation/training? Or are they in completely different tiers? Would it be reasonable to rank Cedars above UCSD?

 

[merp]

Hi everyone,

My rank list is a bit unorthodox because I'm in the couples match and thus will be ranking more by location rather than purely strength of program. For reference, I'm AMG, interested in doing a fellowship between pulm/CC and heme/onc.

UC Davis
(CPMC/SCVMC?)
Montefiore
Maryland - would be top 3 if not couples match
Loyola
Rush
USC - would be top 3 if not couples match
UCLA Olive View
Loma Linda
Tulane
NSLIJ

As you can see, there's a strong bias for the Bay Area but I'm hesitant to rank CPMC or SCVMC above Montefiore just to stay in the Bay Area. I've also struggled about whether UC Davis or CPMC should be the top for Bay Area. Finally, I loved Maryland and USC when I interviewed, and it's pretty sad to me that I'll have to put them lower because of how the couples match turned out. Looking at the spectrum of interviews that I got, would it be a mistake to put them so low, or should I see if there's a way for me to bump them higher?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[igmata052000]

I'm currently undecided between ranking Duke or UTSW #1. Interested in pursuing Hospital Medicine or Cardiology. I know I'll receive great clinical training and research opportunities at either program. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys and best of luck.

 

[gzer0]

I'm currently undecided between ranking Duke or UTSW #1. Interested in pursuing Hospital Medicine or Cardiology. I know I'll receive great clinical training and research opportunities at either program. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys and best of luck.

I loved both programs and will be ranking them highly. Have friends at both. UTSW and Duke will open any door to Cards and Hospital Medicine. They're in completely different parts of the country though. You should take location into account if you liked both program equally. Dallas and Durham are completely different vibes and even weather.

 

[jdh71]

Made a throwaway account for this. Any difference in MGH, BWH, Stanford, UCSF and Hopkins? Why did or would you pick one over the other?

This is why we can't have nice things.

 

[jdh71]

Hi everyone,

My rank list is a bit unorthodox because I'm in the couples match and thus will be ranking more by location rather than purely strength of program. For reference, I'm AMG, interested in doing a fellowship between pulm/CC and heme/onc.

UC Davis
(CPMC/SCVMC?)
Montefiore
Maryland - would be top 3 if not couples match
Loyola
Rush
USC - would be top 3 if not couples match
UCLA Olive View
Loma Linda
Tulane
NSLIJ

As you can see, there's a strong bias for the Bay Area but I'm hesitant to rank CPMC or SCVMC above Montefiore just to stay in the Bay Area. I've also struggled about whether UC Davis or CPMC should be the top for Bay Area. Finally, I loved Maryland and USC when I interviewed, and it's pretty sad to me that I'll have to put them lower because of how the couples match turned out. Looking at the spectrum of interviews that I got, would it be a mistake to put them so low, or should I see if there's a way for me to bump them higher?

Thanks for any advice!

I think you need to decide what is more important the couples match or your match.

 

[igmata052000]

I loved both programs and will be ranking them highly. Have friends at both. UTSW and Duke will open any door to Cards and Hospital Medicine. They're in completely different parts of the country though. You should take location into account if you liked both program equally. Dallas and Durham are completely different vibes and even weather.

Hey thanks for your response. For a while my deciding factor was the location; however, I recently had an opportunity to return and went out in Raleigh which was a ton of fun. I don't think living in the research triangle would be as bad as I initially thought. On the one hand that's good, but on the other it has made the decision all the more difficult. Haha.

 

[hellothereeverybody2]

I need some help with the middle of my rank list if anyone can please help. The ultimate goal is cardiology. Location isn't too important of a factor - I don't have any connections to the west coast and it would be nice to live in a big city, but I'd happily choose a program based on reputation and ability to get into a top cardiology fellowship over location. Here's my current order:

Michigan
Beth Israel
Mayo Clinic
Yale
Northwestern
UCLA

Do you have any suggestions on if I should modify my order? Thank you so much!

 

[tja]

Need some advice regarding my list. Considering nephro or heme/onc as of now. Have ties to midwest, and would prefer a metropolitan area..

1.) Rush
2.) Ohio St.
3.) IU
4.) UMinn
5.) MCW
6.) Henry Ford
7.) Wake
8.) CCF
10.) VCU
11.) USoCal
12.) ULouisville

If wishing to stay midwest place Ohio and uMinn up top, otherwise stick USC and VCU up there as well.

 

[vman51]

I need some help with the middle of my rank list if anyone can please help. The ultimate goal is cardiology. Location isn't too important of a factor - I don't have any connections to the west coast and it would be nice to live in a big city, but I'd happily choose a program based on reputation and ability to get into a top cardiology fellowship over location. Here's my current order:

Michigan
Beth Israel
Mayo Clinic
Yale
Northwestern
UCLA

Do you have any suggestions on if I should modify my order? Thank you so much!

Fellow applicant, but I don't think you can't really go wrong with these in any order (esp considering this is the middle of your list)

By Beth Israel, I'm assuming you mean BID in Boston.

But purely on reputation, I agree with having Michigan at the top, regardless of Ann Arbor.
I'd bump UCLA below Michigan or BID.
If you want a big city, I'd move Mayo and Yale lower.

 

[gzer0]

Hey thanks for your response. For a while my deciding factor was the location; however, I recently had an opportunity to return and went out in Raleigh which was a ton of fun. I don't think living in the research triangle would be as bad as I initially thought. On the one hand that's good, but on the other it has made the decision all the more difficult. Haha.

Personally, I ranked UTSW higher because I want to end up on the west coast (although I think no geographic area is closed to me if I go to either program). I found both programs to have happy residents and fantastic clinical training--able to handle anything. They also both seem to have this past reputation of "malignancy" due to work hour violations, but that certainly seems irrelevant now with the new PDs and in talking with the interns on interview day. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I also remember both programs moving to a block system, which will be great for us.

While Raleigh and the overall triangle is awesome to live in, Raleigh is still ~40 minutes away from Durham. Most Duke residents actually seem to live in the Durham-Chapel Hill area rather than Raleigh proper. By comparison, Dallas seems to have more of that city-feel with city-amenities--if you're okay with Texas that is. Go wherever you're happy and congratulations to be in an awesome predicament.

 

[matchbox]

Hey everybody, would you please help me with the middle of my rank list? My end goal is cardiology fellowship, and the most important factor for me is to have the best options for that (programwise and locationwise=coasts). Rep, collegiality and city come next.

UPMC- Pros: super friendly, nice 4+4 structure, good cards fellowship matches; Cons: Pitts? (cold and grey, and not much to do?)

Tufts- Pros: smaller size program, block structure, top notch faculty, Boston as a city and because faculty seem to have solid connections in the area, which might explain their impressive fellowship placements on the east coast; Cons: Reputation? smaller program means less flexibility

Case Western- Pros: super friendly, block structure, great fellowship matches; Cons: Cleveland (cold and grey and not much to do)

CCF- Pros: reputation, top notch faculty, block structure, cards fellowship matches is very divided with some awesome places but also lots of unheard of places, anything on that? Cons: lack of collegiality? don't take their own residents into cards

Emory- Pros: very good cards program and they take their own residents, Atlanta; Cons: no block program, many sites and continuity clinic may actually be at a different site from where your ward is, huge program and people didn't seem to really know each other

U of Maryland- Pros: friendly, good in house cards program, I actually liked Baltimore; Cons: no block structure, average cards fellowship matches (besides 1 chief that went to Hopkins)

Thanks a lot!

 

[obiwan]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I also remember both programs moving to a block system, which will be great for us.

UTSW has been 4 + 1 system for past couple of years. I would give a slight advantage to Duke when it comes to overall national brand name recognition if you are dead set on applying to coastal areas for fellowship but if you wanna do something like hospital medicine, then really all it comes down to is do you wanna live in Dallas vs Durham

 

[redpanda]

UPMC- Pros: super friendly, nice 4+4 structure, good cards fellowship matches; Cons: Pitts? (cold and grey, and not much to do?)

Having been in Pittsburgh for 4 years now, the cold and grey in January part is right, but there is a lot of fun stuff to do here and it's cheap to live here. If Pittsburgh were closer to the NYC/Philly/DC, it would be Baltimore's cool cousin.

 

[GTV]

I need some help with the middle of my rank list if anyone can please help. The ultimate goal is cardiology. Location isn't too important of a factor - I don't have any connections to the west coast and it would be nice to live in a big city, but I'd happily choose a program based on reputation and ability to get into a top cardiology fellowship over location. Here's my current order:

Michigan
Beth Israel
Mayo Clinic
Yale
Northwestern
UCLA

Do you have any suggestions on if I should modify my order? Thank you so much!

As a current PGY-1 at Michigan, I can tell you that both the clinical training and research opportunities are top-notch. I am continually amazed by the degree of excellence of the senior residents with whom I work, and the faculty are simply outstanding. One thing that set the program apart from several others for me, however, was how "down-to-earth" everyone is here. Everyone just helps each other out, that's just how it is here. You do have to be able to tolerate living in a small-city environment area, as well as (extremely) cold weather, however. If you can accept these things, you'll love it. The other programs on your list are incredibly solid (I interviewed at all of them but Mayo), and while I will admit that I ranked UCLA above Michigan (primarily for location), I currently couldn't be happier with where I ended up. Go with your gut, but I'm sure you'll be happy with wherever you match. Best of luck.

 

[gubernaculum_ballzdrop]

Hey guys, I am interested in pursuing fellowship in GI. I would really appreciate any help to rank below programs. My current ROL according to "gut" feeling is
1) Univ of Louisville
2) UT Houston
3) Mt. Sinai-Beth Israel
4) Univ of Kentucky
5) Cleveland Clinic-Florida
6) Univ of Mississippi
7) Univ of Tennessee
8) Univ of Connecticut

Thanks everyone!

 

[GoRavens234]

Can anyone chime in on UIC vs Temple? Interested in Cardiology.

 

[thehundredthone]

Hey everybody, would you please help me with the middle of my rank list? My end goal is cardiology fellowship, and the most important factor for me is to have the best options for that (programwise and locationwise=coasts). Rep, collegiality and city come next.

UPMC- Pros: super friendly, nice 4+4 structure, good cards fellowship matches; Cons: Pitts? (cold and grey, and not much to do?)

Tufts- Pros: smaller size program, block structure, top notch faculty, Boston as a city and because faculty seem to have solid connections in the area, which might explain their impressive fellowship placements on the east coast; Cons: Reputation? smaller program means less flexibility

Case Western- Pros: super friendly, block structure, great fellowship matches; Cons: Cleveland (cold and grey and not much to do)

CCF- Pros: reputation, top notch faculty, block structure, cards fellowship matches is very divided with some awesome places but also lots of unheard of places, anything on that? Cons: lack of collegiality? don't take their own residents into cards

Emory- Pros: very good cards program and they take their own residents, Atlanta; Cons: no block program, many sites and continuity clinic may actually be at a different site from where your ward is, huge program and people didn't seem to really know each other

U of Maryland- Pros: friendly, good in house cards program, I actually liked Baltimore; Cons: no block structure, average cards fellowship matches (besides 1 chief that went to Hopkins)

Thanks a lot!

Cardiology match notwithstanding, because you've already seen the match lists for each place: UPMC>=Emory>Case/UMD>Tufts/CCF. But you will want to put the places that match better higher, like CCF. The unheard of places from CCF probably stems from the fact that there are IMGs applying to fellowship who don't always get into the big programs.

I don't know if I'm confused but I was under the impression that UPMC alternates wards with non call blocks and the non call blocks have 1 full clinic day per week, is that considered 4+4? It's not 4 straight weeks of clinic/ambulatory.

Also, everyone says Pittsburgh is up and coming and 'most liveable' but I didn't really get that feeling. Maybe @redpanda can help? How's the local music scene? Do they really not have cabs/transport at night?

 

[matchbox]

Cardiology match notwithstanding, because you've already seen the match lists for each place: UPMC>=Emory>Case/UMD>Tufts/CCF. But you will want to put the places that match better higher, like CCF. The unheard of places from CCF probably stems from the fact that there are IMGs applying to fellowship who don't always get into the big programs.

I don't know if I'm confused but I was under the impression that UPMC alternates wards with non call blocks and the non call blocks have 1 full clinic day per week, is that considered 4+4? It's not 4 straight weeks of clinic/ambulatory.

Also, everyone says Pittsburgh is up and coming and 'most liveable' but I didn't really get that feeling. Maybe @redpanda can help? How's the local music scene? Do they really not have cabs/transport at night?

This is exactly what UPMC means by the 4+4...no 2 call blocks in a row, which is awesome. I spent a week end in Pitts and went out in the dowtown and oakland areas. Downtown was almost desert (maybe because of the cold?) Oakland (where UPMC is) had a bigger crowd and lots of bars and eateries, but it caters mostly for undergrads, which can be a plus or a minus depending on what you're looking for. Pitts might be livable (relatively cheap and not crowded) but it certainly does not equal bigger cities like Boston, DC or Chicago in terms of options. It might be closer to Baltimore in terms of amenities as redpanda mentioned...

In terms of cards fellowship matches, Tufts does the best for east coast, sending to PENN, Hopkins, BID and MS. For me the question is: would it be crazy to rank Tufts higher than UPMC because I like Boston better than Pitt, and because my goal for fellowship is to be on the coast???

 

[thehundredthone]

This is exactly what UPMC means by the 4+4...no 2 call blocks in a row, which is awesome. I spent a week end in Pitts and went out in the dowtown and oakland areas. Downtown was almost desert (maybe because of the cold?) Oakland (where UPMC is) had a bigger crowd and lots of bars and eateries, but it caters mostly for undergrads, which can be a plus or a minus depending on what you're looking for. Pitts might be livable (relatively cheap and not crowded) but it certainly does not equal bigger cities like Boston, DC or Chicago in terms of options. It might be closer to Baltimore in terms of amenities as redpanda mentioned...

In terms of cards fellowship matches, Tufts does the best for east coast, sending to PENN, Hopkins, BID and MS. For me the question is: would it be crazy to rank Tufts higher than UPMC because I like Boston better than Pitt, and because my goal for fellowship is to be on the coast???

You're echoing my dilemma with Pittsburgh vs. Boston ha. I've been to Pittsburgh 3 times this interview season and most of it seemed deserted, not just Downtown (vs. Boston where establishments and even some streets had plenty of activity in similar weather). Assuming you liked both programs equally, if you find the fellowship match to be comparable and you like the city more, then there's no harm in going with Tufts. UPMC as a program is definitely considered a tier/certain magnitude above Tufts though.

 

[redpanda]

Cardiology match notwithstanding, because you've already seen the match lists for each place: UPMC>=Emory>Case/UMD>Tufts/CCF. But you will want to put the places that match better higher, like CCF. The unheard of places from CCF probably stems from the fact that there are IMGs applying to fellowship who don't always get into the big programs.

I don't know if I'm confused but I was under the impression that UPMC alternates wards with non call blocks and the non call blocks have 1 full clinic day per week, is that considered 4+4? It's not 4 straight weeks of clinic/ambulatory.

Also, everyone says Pittsburgh is up and coming and 'most liveable' but I didn't really get that feeling. Maybe @redpanda can help? How's the local music scene? Do they really not have cabs/transport at night?

I can't really comment on the music scene from personal experience, but other people have said they like it. Pittsburgh has never really had a big cab system, but there is Uber and there are various jitney-type services as well. I think when people say liveable, they're referring to things to do, nice/cool places to live, ease of getting around, and affordability, all of which are things that Pittsburgh has. If you want to buy as house and have the funds that would allow you to do it in many (not mega urban areas) of the country, you can do very well in Pittsburgh. As a resident, you can live where you want comfortably on your salary and I don't think you're going to be bored in your free time. I have met exactly one medical student in 4 years who didn't like living here.

Also, this whole deserted Pittsburgh thing I'm puzzled by. Maybe you were here while CMU and Pitt's students weren't around? Maybe you didn't make it to Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, or Lawrenceville where a lot of the residents live? Downtown has always been pretty much business only. Nobody actually lives there.

 

[disorder]

I am interested in GI fellowship and I need advice with my #2 and #3 programs... I am geographically bound to Southern California for personal reasons (my wife goes to school in LA), so UCLA is my #1. But I got my UCLA interview off their waitlist so I am not too optimistic about matching there although it would be the most ideal. My biggest problem now is deciding my #2 between Cedars-Sinai and UCSD. I got a very positive impression from UCSD on my interview day and really liked the PD and the residents. I imagine that clinical training would be better at UCSD given that it is a major academic institution, but Cedars also seems to have great research opportunities with big names and great fellowship match for GI (Yale, Michigan, UTSW, etc this year). A downside to UCSD would be that I have to be separated from my family for at least a year until my wife finishes her school in LA. UCSD also doesn't have a 4+1 system which I really want in a program. Are UCSD and Cedars pretty even in terms of their reputation/training? Or are they in completely different tiers? Would it be reasonable to rank Cedars above UCSD?

Interviewed at both Cedars and UCSD last year, and felt the training at UCSD was superior. Being separated from your wife is not a small thing, but you'll be busy enough intern year regardless.

 

[Handsome88]

I need some help with the middle of my rank list if anyone can please help. The ultimate goal is cardiology. Location isn't too important of a factor - I don't have any connections to the west coast and it would be nice to live in a big city, but I'd happily choose a program based on reputation and ability to get into a top cardiology fellowship over location. Here's my current order:

Michigan
Beth Israel
Mayo Clinic
Yale
Northwestern
UCLA

Do you have any suggestions on if I should modify my order? Thank you so much!

Mayo is not in a big city...
I think Yale and Northwestern should be higher...but you'll get cardiology from any of these so pick based on location.

 

[DrPerrla]

.

 

[GoRavens234]

Jefferson vs Georgetown?

 

[legendaryjon2413]

Jefferson vs Georgetown?

1. Location - J>GT
2. Fellowship - J>GT

 

[applicant33]

Hello everyone,
Any input on my rank list would be appreciated. Prefer moderate-big cities, goal is general academic medicine or geriatrics.
My number 1 is set but I have trouble with the rest, mostly the middle. I don't really have a geographic restriction..

2. University of Maryland
3. Baylor (Houston)
4. UIC
5. UAB
6. Utah
7. USC
8. Temple
9. Wake Forest
10. Tulane
11. Medical college of Georgia
12. University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

This is from gut feeling but I am still deciding 2-8. How would you rank based on clinical training/reputation?

 

[thehundredthone]

UAB could be above the rest of them, but maybe it's location that's bringing it down for you.

 

[applicant33]

Well UAB is my home school and want to go to other place if possible. Do you think it would make enough difference to consider it higher?

 

[DoctwoB]

Hey all, MS-4 who finished interviewing a month ago. Just wanted to jot down a few thoughts on my top 4 and would appreciate any input. I’m leaning towards ID or Cards after residency. Resident autonomy is important to me so any knowledge regarding that (degree of fellow involvement/doing procedures/hand-holding) would be appreciated. Although I’m originally from Colorado and go to school in New York, location isn’t a factor for me. Here’s the list:

1-2) UPitt vs BID (leaning towards Pitt)
3-4) Yale vs NYU (leaning towards Yale)

UPitt

Pros: The only big name in town with a monopoly over the area (unlike Boston). Awesome resident autonomy on general wards (majority of rounds run without attending), awesome critical care training, extremely sick patients, great PD. Fellowship match seems decent (lots of residents seem to stay at Pitt). Plenty of funding/opportunities for research.

Cons: Have heard (via rumors and SDN) that Pitt has a tendency to be fellow-run, especially with running codes in the ICU (see related threads: Link 1, Link 2 ). Don’t know whether that’s true or even if it is, does it matter? With one of the best surgery programs in the country, I also wanted to find out whether IM residents get overshadowed by the surgery department when it came to turfing patients/doing procedures/other aspects of patient management.

Unknowns: Although their PCC and GI departments are phenomenal, how is their cards department?

Pitt resident (not IM) here, so while I clearly can't comment on the other programs, I can address a few things about Pitt.

First about the "turfing" surgical patients to medical services. That can and does happen, often for good reasons (e.g. you really don't want the orthopedist managing complex medical issues). The good news is that these patients get turfed to attending run services, not the teaching services. The volume is high enough that there is more then enough pure medicine patients for the residents, and the overflow, like surgical cases, goes to the attending service. I have even heard of cases where if the patients are interesting and medically complex they will transfer from the A-service to the teaching service for higher level care.

Secondly about being "fellow run." I'm not exactly sure what that means. We certainly do have our share of fellows (as most big sub-specialty centers do), but the system is well run and fellows usually add to the education, not take away. For example, on my ICU block the fellow and I would split the unit in half and we'd each take half the patients. Sometimes we'd round with the attending, other times it would just be the two of us rounding and he would run plans by the attending later. Most fellows did a lot of teaching and I learned a ton from them. If my patient needed a procedure, I did it, no question. If his patient needed a procedure, sometimes I would still do it with him supervising, as they had all met their numbers early on and were happy to teach.

I can't tell you too much about cards unfortunately. I know we have very high clinical volumes, but don't have the familiarity with the department to say how academically strong they are

 

[Yah?]

How's this order? I'm planning on an academic career, unsure if in general IM or whether to subspecilize. Personal preferences: I'm all about large cities, would prefer warm weather but would exchange weather for good public transportation/urban density/walkability...

1/2. UCLA vs Sinai
I think quality wise these two programs are excellent, but have pros and cons about both.

Loved sinai for the diversity of the patient population, PD, morning report format and the possibility to do a month+ of home visits. New York is awesome but I'm apprehensive about living in a subsidized walk up and dealing with the winters.

UCLA- I love the culture of the program, the research opportunities, the weather and generally quality of life. I'm less sure that I'd get the diversity of patient population here, and am very apprehensive about the traffic situation in LA.

3/4. Emory vs UTSW
I've trained at Emory and think it's a seriously underrated program. I have close friends who are now R3s/chiefs/recent graduates here and I've never had the impression as a med student or from my friends that there's any malignancy in the program. Yes Grady is intense but I love the Grady patients. They are interesting and challenging and generally really grateful to be there. I also loved every attending I've worked with in my medicine months, so really unsure why SDN is so apprehensive about Emory. Am I drinking the Kool Aid? Downside- no block scheduling, because there's nothing I hate as much as the idea of rounding in the VA then driving to continuity clinic at Grady then going back to the VA in the PM. I have also been here for 8 years so would welcome a new perspective.

I like UTSW for the same reasons that I like Emory- parkland population and the promise of a great clinical experience. I do think Atlanta is a better place to live than Dallas- while uptown is similar to buckhead, I think atlanta offers a more diverse cultural experience overall.

5. U. Miami
Loved Jackson and the population (I'm really into grungy county hospitals that serve he population at large). Love Miami. Concerned about the culture of the program here, and also the low board pass rate.

6. UC Denver.
Loved the program. Loved the residents. But I just can't envision living in Denver. I'm also less sure of the patient population here.

I threw out the word love a lot but it's not for lack of vocab... I do think I'd be honored and excited to be at any of those programs, but would love any insight on whether I'm overlooking anything or if I'm delusional with any of my thoughts here. Would love any input!