Official 2015-2016 Help Me Rank Megathread

[buonassezia]

Pitt

Pitt or Wisconsin definitely. Be careful not to confuse Yale IM program with strong rep of undergrad or medical school it is not nearly on same level. If you have 2 other (stronger) options pick one of those.

While I do recognize that Yale's IM program isn't top-top reputation-wise, I do not think I am confusing it. I would not go so far as to say it is definitively a chasm below my other choices. While there are surely distinctions to be made between reputation 'tiers' within IM training, I still don't think the obvious line is between Wisconsin at the top and Yale far below it. Have you seen their stellar match list, awesome supportive PD, and great morning report? This seems an odd place to draw a line…

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[buonassezia]

Pitt resident here, I moved from Boston and I was pleasantly surprised by the options the city has to offer especially in the neighbors surrounding the hospitals. Regarding the need for a car, I would strongly recommend, but most of the residents live nearby and some of the people I know bike/walk to the hospital. Yale is a great program but I wasn't really excited about New Haven at all.

Thanks for the helpful input!

 

[imglory]

Hi everyone looking for help with ranking/ opinion of these programs. Am an IMG so dont know all the facts about strengths/ weaknesses of some of these programs. Really open to moving/ exploring a new city but obviously want to train at the best program possible at the same time to not limit myself moving forward. Interest in hospital medicine or ID so not very competitive fields. Currently thinking of ranking as follows, let me know what you think and thank!

1. MGH
2. Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland)
3. Loyola University Chicago
4. UPMC
5. Mayo (rochester)
6. Saint Lukes/Roosevelts NY
7. Montefiore Med Center (Moses and Weiler campus)
8. Lahey Clinic (Mass.)
9. UTSW
10. Pennsylvania Hospital
11. NYU Lutheran
12. Bridgeport/ Yale CT
13. Allegheny
14. Norwalk Hospital CT
15. University of Buffalo
16. Jacobi Med Center NY

 

[whoknows2012]

While I do recognize that Yale's IM program isn't top-top reputation-wise, I do not think I am confusing it. I would not go so far as to say it is definitively a chasm below my other choices. While there are surely distinctions to be made between reputation 'tiers' within IM training, I still don't think the obvious line is between Wisconsin at the top and Yale far below it. Have you seen their stellar match list, awesome supportive PD, and great morning report? This seems an odd place to draw a line…

Totally agree with you. Not sure where the other poster is getting his/her info but Yale is a very strong IM program with a great fellowship match (no I'm not a resident there). People don't like new haven that's true but the training at Yale is excellent. I actually think if anything Yale has a stronger reputation than Wisconsin or upmc but it's not a major difference.

 

[whoknows2012]

Hi everyone looking for help with ranking/ opinion of these programs. Am an IMG so dont know all the facts about strengths/ weaknesses of some of these programs. Really open to moving/ exploring a new city but obviously want to train at the best program possible at the same time to not limit myself moving forward. Interest in hospital medicine or ID so not very competitive fields. Currently thinking of ranking as follows, let me know what you think and thank!

1. MGH
2. Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland)
3. Loyola University Chicago
4. UPMC
5. Mayo (rochester)
6. Saint Lukes/Roosevelts NY
7. Montefiore Med Center (Moses and Weiler campus)
8. Lahey Clinic (Mass.)
9. UTSW
10. Pennsylvania Hospital
11. NYU Lutheran
12. Bridgeport/ Yale CT
13. Allegheny
14. Norwalk Hospital CT
15. University of Buffalo
16. Jacobi Med Center NY

By reputation alone (for IM residency);

1) MGH
2) UTSW (real UTSW? Why so low on your rank list)
3) Mayo
4) UPMC
5) Montefiore
6) Cleveland clinic (not nearly as high regarded an IM residency as the name suggests)
7) Loyola

Can't help with the other community programs other than to say st Luke's is way too high in your list. Solid community program but shouldn't be as high unless there's something you absolutely loved about it

 

[Mannyfresh718]

Hi everyone! I have a preference towards big cities and primary care programs. Help me rank please.

1) NYU Primary Care program
2) Cornell Primary Care Program
3) Yale Primary Care program
4) Mount Sinai Primary Care program
5) Einstein Primary Care program
6) NYU Categorical
7) Cornell Categorical
8) Northwestern
9) Temple
10) UNC
11) University of Maryland

 

[gutonc]

Thx! Would I be crazy to rank OSU above Wash U? Wash U.'s fellowship match list is awesome, but OSU has sent people to some good places in Heme/Onc over the past few years (NYU, Northwestern, U of Chicago).

IMHO, not really. WU has a great program and turns out some amazing folks. But I got a really bad vibe there and just didn't click with anybody (the fact that I'd already lived in St. Louis previously didn't help). If you liked tOSU better, you won't be risking anything by ranking it higher.

 

[imglory]

By reputation alone (for IM residency);

1) MGH
2) UTSW (real UTSW? Why so low on your rank list)
3) Mayo
4) UPMC
5) Montefiore
6) Cleveland clinic (not nearly as high regarded an IM residency as the name suggests)
7) Loyola

Can't help with the other community programs other than to say st Luke's is way too high in your list. Solid community program but shouldn't be as high unless there's something you absolutely loved about it

thanks a lot. Yes the UTSW in Dallas. Placed it so low as trying to arrange cities for options for my fiance to work and she wasnt that keen on dallas but I might have to reconsider where I place it. No real love for St. Lukes, just again thought options in NY and thought it was one of the better of the lower tier programs I had.

 

[PennDoc23]

Any advice on West Virginia University vs. Allegheny Health Network? Just wondering if anyone had any input. Both have all fellowships, both seem to take in house. Any reason one over the other?

 

[Thrombophlebitis]

For the love of God, UConn vs SLU? Which would you rank higher?

 

[Jerry.West]

Saddened to hear of the Georgetown PD Dr. Michael Adams passing. I read the posted obituary and he seemed to be a great guy heavily invested in his residents and patients. RIP.

Need help ranking these programs. I know things tend to work out, and none of this really matters in the big picture. @gutonc your input would be appreciated. Thank you for everyone who helped out on this forum.

I am doing GI after residency and took that into account when making the list.

1) Jefferson
2) Temple
3) RWJ
4/5 Montefiore/UMaryland
4/5 Montefiore/UMaryland
6) NSLIJ (Northwell)
7) Stony Brook
8) Drexel
9) Downstate
10) Lenox Hill
11) St. Lukes-Roosevelt

Let me know if you would rank otherwise. Any places moving up or down?

Good luck with the match ya'all. I hope you get your 1.

Maryland
RWJ/Jeff
Temple
Monte
Stony
NSLIJ
Drexel
the rest

 

[BB8m8]

UTSW vs. Mount Sinai? Interested in cards.

- UTSW: Great clinical training and lots of exposure to cards but a lot of ICU months compared to everywhere else. I also really liked the PD. Heard there isn't much to do in Dallas though.
- Mount Sinai: I enjoy visiting NYC but not sure how I feel about actually living there (I have never lived north of the Mason-Dixon line), but plenty of stuff to do in the city. I really liked the PD and their Healthcare Leadership Track.

 

[deleted392989]

For the love of God, UConn vs SLU? Which would you rank higher?

UCONN for sure.

 

[theimapplicant2016]

Totally agree with you. Not sure where the other poster is getting his/her info but Yale is a very strong IM program with a great fellowship match (no I'm not a resident there). People don't like new haven that's true but the training at Yale is excellent. I actually think if anything Yale has a stronger reputation than Wisconsin or upmc but it's not a major difference.

Lol it's not like I'm saying Yale is some horrible program. I'm just trying to offer my humble advice from my own interview there + research and talking to several faculty including PDs and department chairs that the Yale IM program is not up there with other prestigious academic institutions in terms of clinical training, reputation in academic medicine, or quality of life/happiness for residents. Sure there is good research there. Plus New Haven would NOT be the place you want to live particularly if you are an attractive female lol. Anyway everyone is free to make their own choices and I'm sure some people like it there, but if you have other great choices why not go with the less risky option where only great things are said about it? If you ask people who really know where they rank Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins, University of Chicago, Columbia, etc. top ranked university IM programs Yale would be below those. Just giving my own opinion, but really everyone has to use what information they have to do what makes them happy, that's what's most important.

 

[Animalcules]

Hi everyone looking for help with ranking/ opinion of these programs. Am an IMG so dont know all the facts about strengths/ weaknesses of some of these programs. Really open to moving/ exploring a new city but obviously want to train at the best program possible at the same time to not limit myself moving forward. Interest in hospital medicine or ID so not very competitive fields. Currently thinking of ranking as follows, let me know what you think and thank!

1. MGH
2. Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland)
3. Loyola University Chicago
4. UPMC
5. Mayo (rochester)
6. Saint Lukes/Roosevelts NY
7. Montefiore Med Center (Moses and Weiler campus)
8. Lahey Clinic (Mass.)
9. UTSW
10. Pennsylvania Hospital
11. NYU Lutheran
12. Bridgeport/ Yale CT
13. Allegheny
14. Norwalk Hospital CT
15. University of Buffalo
16. Jacobi Med Center NY

Classic spread for an IMG. Though this is even more extreme than what I am used to seeing.

MGH
UTSW
Mayo or UPMC
Montefiore or Cleveland Clinic
Loyola
Rest

I am not a fan of programs that push even the most talented IMGs into their small affiliated community programs (NYU Lutheran, SLR, Pennsylvania hospital), so I put them to the bottom. But that is my own bias. Do you have a visa preference? I assume you match in your top 6-8, so make sure you have that order down.

 

[Resin7]

Hi. Thanks for everybody on this board. Slight East Coast preference, but flexible. Like places with strong research (basic/translational). Any input is appreciated. My rank list looks like this so far:

1. MGH
2. Yale
3. JHH
4. Vanderbilt
5. BIDMC
6. UTSW
7. Wash U
8. Mayo

Thanks for your help.

 

[Thrombophlebitis]

UCONN for sure.

Thanks! The reason being?

 

[gutonc]

UTSW vs. Mount Sinai? Interested in cards.

- UTSW: Great clinical training and lots of exposure to cards but a lot of ICU months compared to everywhere else. I also really liked the PD. Heard there isn't much to do in Dallas though.
- Mount Sinai: I enjoy visiting NYC but not sure how I feel about actually living there (I have never lived north of the Mason-Dixon line), but plenty of stuff to do in the city. I really liked the PD and their Healthcare Leadership Track.

Look...I hate Texas more than just about anyone. But if you can't find something fun to do in Dallas, you're probably not going to find anything fun to do in NYC either.

 

[JP2740]

Lol it's not like I'm saying Yale is some horrible program. I'm just trying to offer my humble advice from my own interview there + research and talking to several faculty including PDs and department chairs that the Yale IM program is not up there with other prestigious academic institutions in terms of clinical training, reputation in academic medicine, or quality of life/happiness for residents. Sure there is good research there. Plus New Haven would NOT be the place you want to live particularly if you are an attractive female lol. Anyway everyone is free to make their own choices and I'm sure some people like it there, but if you have other great choices why not go with the less risky option where only great things are said about it? If you ask people who really know where they rank Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins, University of Chicago, Columbia, etc. top ranked university IM programs Yale would be below those. Just giving my own opinion, but really everyone has to use what information they have to do what makes them happy, that's what's most important.

Yale is a top 20 program. No one would be limited going there. The problem is that the faculty and residents are ****

 

[JP2740]

Hi. Thanks for everybody on this board. Slight East Coast preference, but flexible. Like places with strong research (basic/translational). Any input is appreciated. My rank list looks like this so far:

1. MGH
2. Yale
3. JHH
4. Vanderbilt
5. BIDMC
6. UTSW
7. Wash U
8. Mayo

Thanks for your help.

I would put 3-8 above Yale personally lol.

 

[serephina]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the thread so far, it's been awesome! I'd love to get some advice as well... I'm hoping to go into heme/onc (though I am open to everything ) and right now I'm having the hardest time deciding between my top 4. I've probably switched their order around every other day and still can't settle on a final list. I don't really have any geographic preference, though I am from the East coast.

Columbia: I really liked the aPD (who is basically the PD) there, and I love the 1:1 intern resident ratio. The front loading of the program scares me though, with so many ICU months and no block scheduling. Also I've never lived in NYC/big city before and don't know how I feel about that. I don't speak any spanish which may be a barrier

Duke: I loved the residents who I met and I had some great interviewers, but program also seem to work the residents REALLY hard. I'm not a fan of the iCompare 30 hr shifts either

UTSW: once again, I loved all the residents I met and the PD seemed really awesome. Program also has reputation for working residents really hard though, and the heme/onc match list seems worse than the other 3 programs

Stanford: I loved the program leadership and their emphasis on doing great physical exams (Stanford 25); program seemed really supportive of residents. However, it's the furthest away from my family, and it seems like everyone from there matches at Stanford for heme/onc, which I don't completely like. No block scheduling. Clinical training not as rigorous (?)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[theimapplicant2016]

Yale is a top 20 program. No one would be limited going there. The problem is that the faculty and residents are ****

lol my point exactly - do you want to go to a program no one can say anything good about, or go to lots of other programs like on resin7s list that are praised everywhere?

 

[Yona33]

UCONN for sure.

Agreed.

 

[Yona33]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the thread so far, it's been awesome! I'd love to get some advice as well... I'm hoping to go into heme/onc (though I am open to everything ) and right now I'm having the hardest time deciding between my top 4. I've probably switched their order around every other day and still can't settle on a final list. I don't really have any geographic preference, though I am from the East coast.

Columbia: I really liked the aPD (who is basically the PD) there, and I love the 1:1 intern resident ratio. The front loading of the program scares me though, with so many ICU months and no block scheduling. Also I've never lived in NYC/big city before and don't know how I feel about that. I don't speak any spanish which may be a barrier

Duke: I loved the residents who I met and I had some great interviewers, but program also seem to work the residents REALLY hard. I'm not a fan of the iCompare 30 hr shifts either

UTSW: once again, I loved all the residents I met and the PD seemed really awesome. Program also has reputation for working residents really hard though, and the heme/onc match list seems worse than the other 3 programs

Stanford: I loved the program leadership and their emphasis on doing great physical exams (Stanford 25); program seemed really supportive of residents. However, it's the furthest away from my family, and it seems like everyone from there matches at Stanford for heme/onc, which I don't completely like. No block scheduling. Clinical training not as rigorous (?)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

These are 4 really strong but different programs. I know each of these well so feel free to PM me if you wish.

Columbia/UTSW are both strong gritty programs but have less in the way of ancillary services. I think Stanford has a better mix, and probably will give you the best overall reputation for heme/Onc coming out, though you'll do very well from any of these.

Ask yourself in the end where you think you will look back on being happiest that you went there. Try to get away from the minutiae. Therein lies your answer.

 

[Yona33]

Hi. Thanks for everybody on this board. Slight East Coast preference, but flexible. Like places with strong research (basic/translational). Any input is appreciated. My rank list looks like this so far:

1. MGH
2. Yale
3. JHH
4. Vanderbilt
5. BIDMC
6. UTSW
7. Wash U
8. Mayo

Thanks for your help.

Agree with some others that I would put Yale lower. Not a bad program but in my mind lower than all on this list but Mayo. The rest looks good.

 

[buonassezia]

UTSW vs. Mount Sinai? Interested in cards.

- UTSW: Great clinical training and lots of exposure to cards but a lot of ICU months compared to everywhere else. I also really liked the PD. Heard there isn't much to do in Dallas though.
- Mount Sinai: I enjoy visiting NYC but not sure how I feel about actually living there (I have never lived north of the Mason-Dixon line), but plenty of stuff to do in the city. I really liked the PD and their Healthcare Leadership Track.

UTSW is like a giant funnel into cards. Mount Sinai, sure, you can get there, but it's not the be-all and end-all of their program like Southwestern's seems to be. You'll be very competent coming out of both, and probably not have any trouble finding anything to do in either of the cities in your precious spare time. The question is really which city do you prefer, andwhat tone of a program do you want ? Southwestern and Sinai have very opposite "feels."

 

[JP2740]

lol my point exactly - do you want to go to a program no one can say anything good about, or go to lots of other programs like on resin7s list that are praised everywhere?

Nah I meant they're dinguses and malignant.

 

[Aequanimitatis]

Nah I meant they're dinguses and malignant.

8 months into internship here and this is the polar opposite of the truth. One of the *reasons* I chose Yale (above those places you quote above) was because I thought it was the most nurturing and cultivating program in the country at the present time. This has indeed proved to be true. I love my colleagues, my faculty, and the brilliant yet humble atmosphere here.

Several of you have messaged me on this thread with further questions re: Yale IM. Please feel free to continue to do so. I wouldn't haven chosen to be here above other fantastic places like JHH, Stanford, UW, Vandy (<3) if I didn't think it was one of the most well rounded programs in the country.

 

[manchester]

Hi Guys,
IMG want cards in the future. Help me rank these:
CCF
WSU
SUNY Downstate
Cook County
Michigan State Uni

your input is appreciated

 

[Thrombophlebitis]

Agreed.

Please elaborate.

 

[deleted392989]

Thanks! The reason being?

UCONN has a better reputation (but not significantly), more family-friendly city to live in (aka much less crime, seriously), residents seem pretty happy when I was there.

 

[lakeofirefun]

Created an account to get in on the Yale discussion and get some feedback on the rest of the list. I have a coastal bias (East > West) given spousal preferences and family ties. I will try to give detailed impressions of each program, less for justification of rank and more for those on the interview trail.

In incessantly fluctuating order:

Yale Trad--was pleasantly surprised with this program. Yes, it was a bit stuffier than its PC counterpart (Osler vs Gandhi references), but the residents overall seemed both smart and down-to-earth, and the PD was very warm and appeared responsive. My interviews were with bright, approachable faculty members who vocalized a commitment to working with each resident to individualize their experience. Also, LOVE the emphasis on humanities at Yale. I am well aware that it is not top 20 program and this is not an issue. I am not really a top 20 candidate. Conversely, I'm also not going to claim that reputation means nothing, ie I would be hesitant to give my #1 rank to a program that has a bad or mediocre reputation and I would like to have ample opportunities for fellowship (note, in non-competitive fields). The doom and gloom comments by a few on here do give me pause...My interests are in primary care and outpatient subspecialties and the thought of training at the place responsible for the Yale Office Based Medicine curriculum is very intriguing. Should I not find this attractive for some reason? New Haven and the concern that I'm being swayed, however subtly, by the Yale name are the biggest downsides and the primary reason for my vacillation in ranking.

UVa--liked the location (oh, the mild winter) and the feel of the program. Cost of living is also a bonus. A bit concerned about the comments on SDN regarding the PD, but the overwhelming happiness and jocularity of the residents on interview day mostly countered those concerns. The clinical training and opportunities for clinical research in my fields of interest were both strengths and I liked the ready access to rural communities. It seems like they offer rigorous training balanced with a more forgiving block schedule. I did not get as much of a feel for the subspecialty faculty here and would be interested in hearing from others on this point. I would also be interested to hear more about the politics of the region, ie. how conservative is the Hospital and Charlottesville in general? I could easily rank this #1 and have in the past few weeks.

OHSU--loved the vibe and location (other than the no sun thing), though on the lesser coast in terms of family preference. Really like the heavy VA presence, something UVa lacks. Loved the PD and most of the residents I encountered seemed smart and fun. Could see us staying in pacific NW if we relocated there for residency. So my big question for SDN is strength of training? Was less impressed by AM report here, but can't tell if this is the norm or an off day.

Yale PC: this is where it gets tricky. I'm interested in PC so should this be higher? I felt like I would mesh very well with the residents in this program, likely more so than those in the trad, but I also don't want to compromise on academics and a rigorous inpatient experience. I also feel like if I sacrifice QOL (new haven) I don't want to compromise on quality of training. This is a quirky program (not necessarily a bad thing) that I don't know how to rank.

UNC--strong reputation in generalist training despite not having a PC track. Loved the new PD and the chair of medicine was also incredible. See the subspecialty floor rotations as a huge plus. The trad schedule after intern year (adopting 3+1) is a con but not a huge one. NC is getting a little far south for me, but the strength of the program was unquestionable. No VA is a downside for me. Am I crazy to rank this below Yale PC???

UCLA--I know, I know. Strong program. Loved the PC track here and the west coast vibe: smiling, laid back residents, despite a reputation for hard work, who appeared super smart and confident. The residents raved about the program. Many appeared to come from SoCal, however, so location for them was not an issue. SoCal is not my favorite place, which is keeping UCLA this low. Again, crazy to not rank them higher/#1? Remember, not looking to go into GI/cards/heme-onc.

Brown-friendly program in a decent city
BU-Boston is too expensive to rank this particular program higher
U of Colorado-did not love the multiple training sites and despite the residents stated outdoor interests, it didn't seem like they were keeping them very happy
U of Utah--not a great place for someone interested in outpatient medicine
Some great mid-western programs that are lower than they should be due to location

 

[bigbopper1]

Created an account to get in on the Yale discussion and get some feedback on the rest of the list. I have a coastal bias (East > West) given spousal preferences and family ties. I will try to give detailed impressions of each program, less for justification of rank and more for those on the interview trail.

In incessantly fluctuating order:

Yale Trad--was pleasantly surprised with this program. Yes, it was a bit stuffier than its PC counterpart (Osler vs Gandhi references), but the residents overall seemed both smart and down-to-earth, and the PD was very warm and appeared responsive. My interviews were with bright, approachable faculty members who vocalized a commitment to working with each resident to individualize their experience. Also, LOVE the emphasis on humanities at Yale. I am well aware that it is not top 20 program and this is not an issue. I am not really a top 20 candidate. Conversely, I'm also not going to claim that reputation means nothing, ie I would be hesitant to give my #1 rank to a program that has a bad or mediocre reputation and I would like to have ample opportunities for fellowship (note, in non-competitive fields). The doom and gloom comments by a few on here do give me pause...My interests are in primary care and outpatient subspecialties and the thought of training at the place responsible for the Yale Office Based Medicine curriculum is very intriguing. Should I not find this attractive for some reason? New Haven and the concern that I'm being swayed, however subtly, by the Yale name are the biggest downsides and the primary reason for my vacillation in ranking.

UVa--liked the location (oh, the mild winter) and the feel of the program. Cost of living is also a bonus. A bit concerned about the comments on SDN regarding the PD, but the overwhelming happiness and jocularity of the residents on interview day mostly countered those concerns. The clinical training and opportunities for clinical research in my fields of interest were both strengths and I liked the ready access to rural communities. It seems like they offer rigorous training balanced with a more forgiving block schedule. I did not get as much of a feel for the subspecialty faculty here and would be interested in hearing from others on this point. I would also be interested to hear more about the politics of the region, ie. how conservative is the Hospital and Charlottesville in general? I could easily rank this #1 and have in the past few weeks.

OHSU--loved the vibe and location (other than the no sun thing), though on the lesser coast in terms of family preference. Really like the heavy VA presence, something UVa lacks. Loved the PD and most of the residents I encountered seemed smart and fun. Could see us staying in pacific NW if we relocated there for residency. So my big question for SDN is strength of training? Was less impressed by AM report here, but can't tell if this is the norm or an off day.

Yale PC: this is where it gets tricky. I'm interested in PC so should this be higher? I felt like I would mesh very well with the residents in this program, likely more so than those in the trad, but I also don't want to compromise on academics and a rigorous inpatient experience. I also feel like if I sacrifice QOL (new haven) I don't want to compromise on quality of training. This is a quirky program (not necessarily a bad thing) that I don't know how to rank.

UNC--strong reputation in generalist training despite not having a PC track. Loved the new PD and the chair of medicine was also incredible. See the subspecialty floor rotations as a huge plus. The trad schedule after intern year (adopting 3+1) is a con but not a huge one. NC is getting a little far south for me, but the strength of the program was unquestionable. No VA is a downside for me. Am I crazy to rank this below Yale PC???

UCLA--I know, I know. Strong program. Loved the PC track here and the west coast vibe: smiling, laid back residents, despite a reputation for hard work, who appeared super smart and confident. The residents raved about the program. Many appeared to come from SoCal, however, so location for them was not an issue. SoCal is not my favorite place, which is keeping UCLA this low. Again, crazy to not rank them higher/#1? Remember, not looking to go into GI/cards/heme-onc.

Brown-friendly program in a decent city
BU-Boston is too expensive to rank this particular program higher
U of Colorado-did not love the multiple training sites and despite the residents stated outdoor interests, it didn't seem like they were keeping them very happy
U of Utah--not a great place for someone interested in outpatient medicine
Some great mid-western programs that are lower than they should be due to location

Personally if I were you my list would be
1. UVa
2. UNC
3. UCLA - would def put this #1 if you weren't preferential towards East Coast
4. OHSU - would put this #2 if not for East Coast preference
5. rest however you like them

I wouldn't rank Yale aka Caribbean's Harvard #1 (****ty rep and ****ty location), but to each their own.

 

[Thrombophlebitis]

UCONN has a better reputation (but not significantly), more family-friendly city to live in (aka much less crime, seriously), residents seem pretty happy when I was there.

Alright, now for the final question: SLU vs mount sinai st. Luke's, which would you rank higher?

 

[gottagetamynx]

Created an account to get in on the Yale discussion and get some feedback on the rest of the list. I have a coastal bias (East > West) given spousal preferences and family ties. I will try to give detailed impressions of each program, less for justification of rank and more for those on the interview trail.

In incessantly fluctuating order:

Yale Trad--was pleasantly surprised with this program. Yes, it was a bit stuffier than its PC counterpart (Osler vs Gandhi references), but the residents overall seemed both smart and down-to-earth, and the PD was very warm and appeared responsive. My interviews were with bright, approachable faculty members who vocalized a commitment to working with each resident to individualize their experience. Also, LOVE the emphasis on humanities at Yale. I am well aware that it is not top 20 program and this is not an issue. I am not really a top 20 candidate. Conversely, I'm also not going to claim that reputation means nothing, ie I would be hesitant to give my #1 rank to a program that has a bad or mediocre reputation and I would like to have ample opportunities for fellowship (note, in non-competitive fields). The doom and gloom comments by a few on here do give me pause...My interests are in primary care and outpatient subspecialties and the thought of training at the place responsible for the Yale Office Based Medicine curriculum is very intriguing. Should I not find this attractive for some reason? New Haven and the concern that I'm being swayed, however subtly, by the Yale name are the biggest downsides and the primary reason for my vacillation in ranking.

UVa--liked the location (oh, the mild winter) and the feel of the program. Cost of living is also a bonus. A bit concerned about the comments on SDN regarding the PD, but the overwhelming happiness and jocularity of the residents on interview day mostly countered those concerns. The clinical training and opportunities for clinical research in my fields of interest were both strengths and I liked the ready access to rural communities. It seems like they offer rigorous training balanced with a more forgiving block schedule. I did not get as much of a feel for the subspecialty faculty here and would be interested in hearing from others on this point. I would also be interested to hear more about the politics of the region, ie. how conservative is the Hospital and Charlottesville in general? I could easily rank this #1 and have in the past few weeks.

OHSU--loved the vibe and location (other than the no sun thing), though on the lesser coast in terms of family preference. Really like the heavy VA presence, something UVa lacks. Loved the PD and most of the residents I encountered seemed smart and fun. Could see us staying in pacific NW if we relocated there for residency. So my big question for SDN is strength of training? Was less impressed by AM report here, but can't tell if this is the norm or an off day.

Yale PC: this is where it gets tricky. I'm interested in PC so should this be higher? I felt like I would mesh very well with the residents in this program, likely more so than those in the trad, but I also don't want to compromise on academics and a rigorous inpatient experience. I also feel like if I sacrifice QOL (new haven) I don't want to compromise on quality of training. This is a quirky program (not necessarily a bad thing) that I don't know how to rank.

UNC--strong reputation in generalist training despite not having a PC track. Loved the new PD and the chair of medicine was also incredible. See the subspecialty floor rotations as a huge plus. The trad schedule after intern year (adopting 3+1) is a con but not a huge one. NC is getting a little far south for me, but the strength of the program was unquestionable. No VA is a downside for me. Am I crazy to rank this below Yale PC???

UCLA--I know, I know. Strong program. Loved the PC track here and the west coast vibe: smiling, laid back residents, despite a reputation for hard work, who appeared super smart and confident. The residents raved about the program. Many appeared to come from SoCal, however, so location for them was not an issue. SoCal is not my favorite place, which is keeping UCLA this low. Again, crazy to not rank them higher/#1? Remember, not looking to go into GI/cards/heme-onc.

Brown-friendly program in a decent city
BU-Boston is too expensive to rank this particular program higher
U of Colorado-did not love the multiple training sites and despite the residents stated outdoor interests, it didn't seem like they were keeping them very happy
U of Utah--not a great place for someone interested in outpatient medicine
Some great mid-western programs that are lower than they should be due to location

Hey lakeofirefun, just a fellow applicant but I had a great experience at Yale. To follow it up I watched the webinar their residents put on, messaged a few current residents, and spoke to a couple of faculty members who had done some training at my home school. All of them have had only good things to say. I think it seems like a supportive environment with lots of opportunities, and if you want to know about how it will set you up for your career just look at it's recent match lists. I would argue their match is as strong if not stronger than other programs on your list (particularly if you look at their most recent match list, residents matched at great programs in all different fellowships). New Haven is not a major city granted, but at least it has a low CoL and is relatively close to NYC and Boston; outdoor activities are important to me personally and I was surprised that there are some decent opportunities for hiking, kayaking, and biking nearby. You can also afford a nice apartment (in a nice neighborhood, like East Rock or Wooster Square) within a few minutes drive or even walk from Yale-New Haven Hospital as well as the VA. The pt population is quite diverse with some very affluent patients as well as lots of underserved. It's debatable whether or not it's a top 20 program. From my research it's not in the league of the super elites and not top 10 probably, but it falls right in line with the other #10-#30 type programs (UCLA, Northwestern, Stanford, UPMC, Mt. Sinai, BID, UNC, whatever other random programs people like to throw in).

Anyway I am still not sure on my rank list but I am going to rank Yale highly, possibly even above MGH, Columbia, UW, UCLA, still making up my mind, but my point is that if you want to really know about it, talk to people who are actually residents or former residents or faculty there, not just random strangers on the internet who may be just repeating the SDN party line or may be trolls, you never know. You can PM me if you want to talk more about it.

 

[lakeofirefun]

Hey lakeofirefun, just a fellow applicant but I had a great experience at Yale. To follow it up I watched the webinar their residents put on, messaged a few current residents, and spoke to a couple of faculty members who had done some training at my home school. All of them have had only good things to say. I think it seems like a supportive environment with lots of opportunities, and if you want to know about how it will set you up for your career just look at it's recent match lists. I would argue their match is as strong if not stronger than other programs on your list (particularly if you look at their most recent match list, residents matched at great programs in all different fellowships). New Haven is not a major city granted, but at least it has a low CoL and is relatively close to NYC and Boston; outdoor activities are important to me personally and I was surprised that there are some decent opportunities for hiking, kayaking, and biking nearby. You can also afford a nice apartment (in a nice neighborhood, like East Rock or Wooster Square) within a few minutes drive or even walk from Yale-New Haven Hospital as well as the VA. The pt population is quite diverse with some very affluent patients as well as lots of underserved. It's debatable whether or not it's a top 20 program. From my research it's not in the league of the super elites and not top 10 probably, but it falls right in line with the other #10-#30 type programs (UCLA, Northwestern, Stanford, UPMC, Mt. Sinai, BID, UNC, whatever other random programs people like to throw in).

Anyway I am still not sure on my rank list but I am going to rank Yale highly, possibly even above MGH, Columbia, UW, UCLA, still making up my mind, but my point is that if you want to really know about it, talk to people who are actually residents or former residents or faculty there, not just random strangers on the internet who may be just repeating the SDN party line or may be trolls, you never know. You can PM me if you want to talk more about it.

Thanks, gottagetamynx for the thoughtful reply. I, too, watched the webinar, reached out to a few residents and kept in contact with one of the faculty I met during interview day and I've liked what I've heard across the board. I can't convince myself that the location is better than it is--I'm very familiar with New England so I'm evaluating it with eyes wide open. Where I'm lacking is any advice from my home program regarding Yale--no recent grads have gone to Yale in many years.

Personally if I were you my list would be
1. UVa
2. UNC
3. UCLA - would def put this #1 if you weren't preferential towards East Coast
4. OHSU - would put this #2 if not for East Coast preference
5. rest however you like them

I wouldn't rank Yale aka Caribbean's Harvard #1 (****ty rep and ****ty location), but to each their own.

Haha, the Harvard of the Caribbean. If New Haven had St. George's weather I'd move there right now.
Could you comment on your placement of OHSU in #2? (forgetting about the Ivy of the Islands and coastal bias). What do you like about OHSU that you would rank it above UVa and UNC? Thanks.

 

[bigbopper1]

Thanks, gottagetamynx for the thoughtful reply. I, too, watched the webinar, reached out to a few residents and kept in contact with one of the faculty I met during interview day and I've liked what I've heard across the board. I can't convince myself that the location is better than it is--I'm very familiar with New England so I'm evaluating it with eyes wide open. Where I'm lacking is any advice from my home program regarding Yale--no recent grads have gone to Yale in many years.



Haha, the Harvard of the Caribbean. If New Haven had St. George's weather I'd move there right now.
Could you comment on your placement of OHSU in #2? (forgetting about the Ivy of the Islands and coastal bias). What do you like about OHSU that you would rank it above UVa and UNC? Thanks.

Cool people, 3+1 schedule, Portland is a great place to live

 

[manchester]

Hi Guys,
Applying for IM and interested in cards in the future.Please Help me rank these:

CCF
WSU
SUNY Downstate
Cook County
Michigan State Uni

your input is appreciated

 

[manysea]

Hello, could anyone compare and contrast Rush and Northshore LIJ for me with regard to reputation and clinical strength?
I am interested in cards and liked both programs on the interview trail.
Thanks for the help!

 

[PalmarisUseless]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if you could help out organizing these places into tiers.
Interested in Pulm/CC. Not sure if I want to do academia, as I'm not terribly interested in making research a major part of my career post-fellowship. I am really interested in medical education, though I'm not sure that there are many academic positions where you can mainly teach instead of doing research.

As far as location preference, New England = PNW > CA > NYC > everywhere else, but this is flexible depending on which programs are better.

BI Deaconess
BU
Tufts
Brown
UMass
OHSU
UW
UCLA
USC
UCSD
Georgetown
Mt. Sinai
U of Colorado

 

[EPADHA]

UTSW vs. Mount Sinai? Interested in cards.

- UTSW: Great clinical training and lots of exposure to cards but a lot of ICU months compared to everywhere else. I also really liked the PD. Heard there isn't much to do in Dallas though.
- Mount Sinai: I enjoy visiting NYC but not sure how I feel about actually living there (I have never lived north of the Mason-Dixon line), but plenty of stuff to do in the city. I really liked the PD and their Healthcare Leadership Track.

As of now Mount Sinai has a bigger and more reputed division in cardiology than UTSW- UTSW's cardiology division is more of a research powerhouse. UTSW may be reputed than Mount Sinai for IM training; but you may have a wider choice of faculty you could work with. Both programs are excellent.

 

[EPADHA]

Hi. Thanks for everybody on this board. Slight East Coast preference, but flexible. Like places with strong research (basic/translational). Any input is appreciated. My rank list looks like this so far:

1. MGH
2. Yale
3. JHH
4. Vanderbilt
5. BIDMC
6. UTSW
7. Wash U
8. Mayo

Thanks for your help.

Wd look at cl

Hi everyone looking for help with ranking/ opinion of these programs. Am an IMG so dont know all the facts about strengths/ weaknesses of some of these programs. Really open to moving/ exploring a new city but obviously want to train at the best program possible at the same time to not limit myself moving forward. Interest in hospital medicine or ID so not very competitive fields. Currently thinking of ranking as follows, let me know what you think and thank!

1. MGH
2. Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland)
3. Loyola University Chicago
4. UPMC
5. Mayo (rochester)
6. Saint Lukes/Roosevelts NY
7. Montefiore Med Center (Moses and Weiler campus)
8. Lahey Clinic (Mass.)
9. UTSW
10. Pennsylvania Hospital
11. NYU Lutheran
12. Bridgeport/ Yale CT
13. Allegheny
14. Norwalk Hospital CT
15. University of Buffalo
16. Jacobi Med Center NY

A lot of it depends on which visa you are looking for and how easy it would be to get waiver etc. MGH, Mayo Rochester and UTSW are the best programs on your list. UPMC is excellent as well, but not in the same league as the other 3. ID at Mayo is phenomenal, and boasts several leaders in the country. The only negative may be not too many HIV patients. For hospital medicine, MGH and Mayo would be preferable as the exposure to quality improvement and systems based practice etc would be great.

 

[DRHEON1]

Hey guys, using a temp account but was wondering if anyone could help me rank my programs. DO interested in fellowship (cards, GI, or Hem/onc)

Any suggestions?

Current list:
RWJ
Stony Brook
Winthrop
Greenwich Hospital
NS Staten Island
Albany Medical
Saint Barnabas NJ
NYP Queens
Lutheran
SUNY Downstate

 

[235009]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if you could help out organizing these places into tiers.
Interested in Pulm/CC. Not sure if I want to do academia, as I'm not terribly interested in making research a major part of my career post-fellowship. I am really interested in medical education, though I'm not sure that there are many academic positions where you can mainly teach instead of doing research.

As far as location preference, New England = PNW > CA > NYC > everywhere else, but this is flexible depending on which programs are better.

BI Deaconess
BU
Tufts
Brown
UMass
OHSU
UW
UCLA
USC
UCSD
Georgetown
Mt. Sinai
U of Colorado

For PCCM you should prioritize BI, BU, brown, UW, UCSD, UColorado and maybe UCLA.

If New England and the Pacific NW are equal then I would definitely recommend dropping Tufts and UMass below UW and OHSU.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[obiwan]

Look...I hate Texas more than just about anyone. But if you can't find something fun to do in Dallas, you're probably not going to find anything fun to do in NYC either.

smartest thing written on this thread so far

 

[MegMurry]

@gutonc (and anyone else) I'm looking at a career in academic hemonc, and am fine with leaving CA to pursue the best training/experience possible. Had positive vibes/fit at every single one of these:

1. Baylor
2. USC
3. UIC
4. Hopkins Bayview
5/6. Harbor UCLA / UCLA Olive View
7. Yale Waterbury (the Yale affiliation is nice but it seemed to have a lot of FMGs, I don't know how this should affect how I view it)

Thanks!

OMIGOOOOOOOD MEGMURRY

hey there @tantacles how's it going?

Bump - could really use help with this middle section of my rank list. Thanks!

 

[fasteddie911]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if you could help out organizing these places into tiers.
Interested in Pulm/CC. Not sure if I want to do academia, as I'm not terribly interested in making research a major part of my career post-fellowship. I am really interested in medical education, though I'm not sure that there are many academic positions where you can mainly teach instead of doing research.

As far as location preference, New England = PNW > CA > NYC > everywhere else, but this is flexible depending on which programs are better.

BI Deaconess
BU
Tufts
Brown
UMass
OHSU
UW
UCLA
USC
UCSD
Georgetown
Mt. Sinai
U of Colorado

In terms of reputation, BID, UW and UCLA are at the top followed by the rest with maybe Umass, USC and Georgetown near the bottom. I would put OHSU above the other NE programs too, based on your location preferences. Consider where you may want to end up for fellowship. Of those programs, BID probably gives you the best shot at anywhere across the country, Cali programs will give you the leg up on Cali fellowships.

 

[almostdoctor16]

Hey everyone,

I'm a med student in the southeast, no AOA, interested in GI. I was wondering if I could get helping with ranking in terms of reputation, and best place for GI fellowship match. Thanks!

1. Wake
2. UIC
3. MUSC
4. OSU - though a great program, the residents during my interview seemed not too happy, which bumped it down my list.
5. MCG

 

[vman51]

Hi everyone! I have a preference towards big cities and primary care programs. Help me rank please.

1) NYU Primary Care program
2) Cornell Primary Care Program
3) Yale Primary Care program
4) Mount Sinai Primary Care program
5) Einstein Primary Care program
6) NYU Categorical
7) Cornell Categorical
8) Northwestern
9) Temple
10) UNC
11) University of Maryland

I applied/interviewed at most of these places.
I like the way you ranked it. UNC should be higher than temple, but you prob wont be going down that far on your list.

I'll speak on the NYC programs, particularly for primary care, since that information seems to be lacking. Monte and NYU have the oldest PC programs of those on your lists, and IMO the strongest. Yale also has a strong program, but the PC program seems more seperated from the IM program, which may/may not be an issue. Cornell's program is decent, their clinic is in LIC if I remember correctly. All of these have more structure than Mt. Sinai's PC program, which, to be fair, is the youngest. They have new, young PDs, which seem to be really making changes and improving.

All in all, you can't go wrong. Go with your gut. You're going to get great training at pretty much all those places, they each have small pluses/minuses, and that depends on your personal preference.

 

[dontrunwithscissors]

Please help me make sure I'm not making a major mistake. Interested in competitive fellowship (CV,GI,H/O) but doesn't have to be super academic. Would rather stay on east coast but are any of the bottom programs that much better than the first 2 on my list? Thank you.

BU
Brown
OHSU
Dartmouth
Tufts
UCSD
Maryland
Wisconsin
Case Western