Official 2015-2016 Help Me Rank Megathread

[theonjed]

Any thoughts on how to rank Minn, Iowa, Wisconsin, MCW, UIC, Rush, Loyola, Wayne State/DMC especially for strong GI interest? Thanks in advance!

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[gutonc]

Any thoughts on how to rank Minn, Iowa, Wisconsin, MCW, UIC, Rush, Loyola, Wayne State/DMC especially for strong GI interest? Thanks in advance!

Wisco
UMinn/Iowa
MCW/UIC/Wayne
Rush/Loyola

 

[Jerry.West]

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[californiaappli1]

Anyone have any info on this program ?
Is it mainly Filled with fmgs/DOs?

 

[busyboy87]

Based on program strength and reputation alone:
Emory
RWJ
Maryland
The others

emory at the top. i'd say maryland, rwj, and temple are all similar enough. rwj for onc. temple for gi. maryland for pulm crit

Just wondering is the difference between Emory and RWJ/Maryland huge? My SO is in NYC and we're trying to figure out if its worth it for my SO to leave his well established career in the city.

 

[fanc2234]

Interested in Cards, possibly academic. Things that matter to me include resident well-being and location (enjoy outdoors/mountains/skiing and west coast). However, I don't want to close doors in the future based on my residency choice either.

Please help me rank:
UCSF
Utah
U of Washington
Brigham
UCSD
Michigan
Wisconsin
Colorado
Minnesota
UChicago

 

[gutonc]

Just wondering is the difference between Emory and RWJ/Maryland huge? My SO is in NYC and we're trying to figure out if its worth it for my SO to leave his well established career in the city.

Yes, it is. But it really depends on what you want to be when you grow up.

If you really want cards, you ignore Emory at your peril. If you want ID (and totes want international health, despite apparently being wedded to the NYC area), the same is true.

If you just want some sort of fellowship that will get you a job when you're done, then you'll be fine wherever (more or less).

 

[buonassezia]

Interested in Cards, possibly academic. Things that matter to me include resident well-being and location (enjoy outdoors/mountains/skiing and west coast). However, I don't want to close doors in the future based on my residency choice either.

Please help me rank:
UCSF
Utah
U of Washington
Brigham
UCSD
Michigan
Wisconsin
Colorado
Minnesota
UChicago

Those are great. Is that the order you like them in, though, or just some totally arbitrary order?

 

[fanc2234]

Those are great. Is that the order you like them in, though, or just some totally arbitrary order?

Tried to be arbitrary but just the order they popped into my head so maybe that means something haha.

 

[buonassezia]

I think many of these are comparable in terms of ranking, or at least fall into only a few separate 'sub-tiers,' that won't limit your opportunities. You are the best one to guess how the feel of the program, location, and opportunities best fit your priorities, and how you want to arrange these priorities. Do you prefer San Diego to the mountains of Denver? What factors of those listed are more important to you, and which are you willing to compromise on? That is anyone's guess, so please try to arrange them how you like them, or even better, provide some explanation for what you do and don't like about each, because otherwise our input is meaningless.

 

[fanc2234]

I think many of these are comparable in terms of ranking, or at least fall into only a few separate 'sub-tiers,' that won't limit your opportunities.

That is good to hear but in other threads all I read is to make sure you pick the most prestigious residency you can get into if you're interested in keeping your options open in Cards. I only listed programs I liked and felt like would be good fit. I guess I would probably have the most fun outside of work at the mountain locations but don't want to be regretting passing up UCSF and Brigham if I am not getting the interviews I want for fellowship or being passed up for job offers in the future for other applicants with better pedigrees. So, I was hoping to see how other people would rank these choices in my situation and any other advice.

 

[IMreshopeful]

That is good to hear but in other threads all I read is to make sure you pick the most prestigious residency you can get into if you're interested in keeping your options open in Cards. I only listed programs I liked and felt like would be good fit. I guess I would probably have the most fun outside of work at the mountain locations but don't want to be regretting passing up UCSF and Brigham if I am not getting the interviews I want for fellowship or being passed up for job offers in the future for other applicants with better pedigrees. So, I was hoping to see how other people would rank these choices in my situation and any other advice.

I went to a mid upper tier academic residency and matched into an upper tier cards program. You make it sound like only going to Harvard or UCSF or Hopkins is the way to get into a good fellowship, which is just abject nonsense. The part about being passed up for jobs is also silly as that obviously has more to do with networking and what kind of job and where you are looking for. Obviously you should rank based on strength of a program and the more prestigious it is the better (to some degree) but it also matters how well YOU fit in otherwise it will be a miserable ass three years.

 

[Self]

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[gutonc]

Long Island showdown. Stony Brook vs. NSLIJ.

Also, are any of you guys putting a lot into whether programs let you moonlight or not? I'm bummed that RWJ has a policy against it for all residents.

Those 2 places are pretty equal honestly. Slight nod to NSLIJ on the clinical side (very) slight nod to SB on the research side if you care about that.

And no, you shouldn't care about moonlighting as a resident. It's 3 years. Get through it and move on. Sure, a little extra money is nice, but it's generally not worth it in the grand scheme of things. I did a few hospitalist shifts as an R3 but quit early on because it was just not worth it.

 

[sixtyminutes]

How would you rank the following to match into GI. Also in general are all of these places in the same tier?

Dartmouth, BU, Jefferson, Case, Baylor, Iowa, Utah

Bump. I am leaving the country for 6 weeks so I need to make my rank list in the next week or so. Thanks!

 

[downthedrain]

Bump. I am leaving the country for 6 weeks so I need to make my rank list in the next week or so. Thanks!

I feel like all those programs are fairly equivalent in terms of resources and clinical training. You're basically choosing based on location at this point. Personally, I'd pick BU, Jefferson or Baylor in my top, followed by Utah and Case with Dartmouth and Iowa rounding the bottom. Overall though, I don't think any of those places will steer you wrong.

 

[IMisBestMedicine]

Thoughts on this rank list order for clinical training and Heme/Onc fellowship potential?
OHSU
UMinnesota
Indiana
Georgetown
Loyola

 

[Self]

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[Thrombophlebitis]

Thanks very much for the answers so far. One final question. What's the overall feeling of Mount Sinai Beth Israel? Pertinent positives, negatives? How it stacks up against other NYC programs that aren't Presbies, NYU, or main Sinai?

I would also like to hear your thoughts about Mount sinai st Luke's too.

 

[buonassezia]

Thanks very much for the answers so far. One final question. What's the overall feeling of Mount Sinai Beth Israel? Pertinent positives, negatives? How it stacks up against other NYC programs that aren't Presbies, NYU, or main Sinai?

Although I don't have direct experience with this program, there are several people I know who had good experiences there. In New York, it is regarded as less academically rigorous/prestigious as those you listed plus Montefiore in the Bronx, but otherwise is considered one of the better and more academic programs of the remaining NYC residencies. Seems to have a strong educational environment. I've heard people referring to it as a community program that seems like/acts like a university program, but could be wrong about this.

St. Luke's is regarded as less prestigious than Beth Israel in NYC, but from what I hear is a pleasant and supportive, legit training program.

 

[medstudent2IM]

Any thoughts on UW-Madison vs. Uminn? Both seem like solid MW programs w/ more chill residents (ie not much ego) and it seems like it comes down more to geography when comparing them. Interested in pulm/crit if that makes any difference.

 

[IMrankhelp13]

Any thoughts on UW-Madison vs. Uminn? Both seem like solid MW programs w/ more chill residents (ie not much ego) and it seems like it comes down more to geography when comparing them. Interested in pulm/crit if that makes any difference.

UW > U of Minn. legendary PD + slightly better academic rep. Residents super cool at both places

 

[IMrankhelp13]

Thoughts on this rank list order for clinical training and Heme/Onc fellowship potential?
OHSU
UMinnesota
Indiana
Georgetown
Loyola

OHSU> U of minn= IU> Loyola= GT. Fine training at any of those, you will have no problems getting stellar hem/onc fellowship

 

[IMapplicant2016]

UAB vs. Emory vs. MUSC

I'm applying PSTP (physician-scientist training program) so I interviewed with the medicine dept as well as the hem/onc division at each place. I realize that I'll get great residency training at any of these options, but I'm most interested in how strong each program's hem/onc division is.

Emory sounded most solid on paper, with their hem/onc being an independent department rather than a division of medicine. But the interview day was pretty unimpressive. Lots of hem, little to no solid tumor onc people represented despite having explicitly stated (prompted prior to the interview) that solid tumors are my interest. Loved UAB, both fellows and faculty. I only met with fellows at MUSC.

 

[IMrankhelp13]

UAB vs. Emory vs. MUSC

I'm applying PSTP (physician-scientist training program) so I interviewed with the medicine dept as well as the hem/onc division at each place. I realize that I'll get great residency training at any of these options, but I'm most interested in how strong each program's hem/onc division is.

Emory sounded most solid on paper, with their hem/onc being an independent department rather than a division of medicine. But the interview day was pretty unimpressive. Lots of hem, little to no solid tumor onc people represented despite having explicitly stated (prompted prior to the interview) that solid tumors are my interest. Loved UAB, both fellows and faculty. I only met with fellows at MUSC.

you're applying PSTP and didn't get to meet faculty? Anyway, you need to identify what kind of questions you want to ask as a scientist and see if these programs are a complimentary. Ideally you'll want to leave fellowship with at minimum a K award and doing research you're interested in is probably paramount over clinical training.

 

[IMapplicant2016]

you're applying PSTP and didn't get to meet faculty? Anyway, you need to identify what kind of questions you want to ask as a scientist and see if these programs are a complimentary. Ideally you'll want to leave fellowship with at minimum a K award and doing research you're interested in is probably paramount over clinical training.

Yeah, I didn't meet with any hem/onc faculty at MUSC... just the PSTP director. Their research track is a part of the categorical track, not a separate program. Nothing seems to be guaranteed there--your placement in the fellowship or the fact that you'll be allowed to fast track. It's based on your performance as a resident. This makes me nervous, but I was told no one has ever had problems with this method. I was invited to do a second look if I wanted to meet with the hem/onc faculty. I'm just too broke to take them up on it just yet.

As for picking based on research present, that feels a little tricky considering the normal flux of faculty. People come and go all the time. That's why I was asking about reputation. It's still definitely something I consider in evaluating each program.

 

[syd1988]

Good morning guys. I would appreciate your inputs about my program ranking, I am not from the USA so is not very easy to rank only according to 1 day IV. I plan to do fellowship in Pulm/CC. Thank you and good luck everyone!
Cleveland Clnic
Loyola
University of Miami - Jackson Memorial
Mount Sinai - St Lukes and Rooselvelt
Albert Einstein Philly
Montefiore - Jacobi
Cook County
University of Miami - West Palm Beach

 

[fantasty]

Yeah, I didn't meet with any hem/onc faculty at MUSC... just the PSTP director. Their research track is a part of the categorical track, not a separate program. Nothing seems to be guaranteed there--your placement in the fellowship or the fact that you'll be allowed to fast track. It's based on your performance as a resident. This makes me nervous, but I was told no one has ever had problems with this method. I was invited to do a second look if I wanted to meet with the hem/onc faculty. I'm just too broke to take them up on it just yet.

As for picking based on research present, that feels a little tricky considering the normal flux of faculty. People come and go all the time. That's why I was asking about reputation. It's still definitely something I consider in evaluating each program.

I still think you'd want to pick based on how successful you anticipate your research plan will be. Yes, there will be change in faculty over the years, but you should be able to gauge how the depth of the potential mentors in the department for what you're interested in. Also - $0.02 - I think UAB and Emory would be a different tier than MUSC in academic circles.

 

[aafisahar]

Good morning guys. I would appreciate your inputs about my program ranking, I am not from the USA so is not very easy to rank only according to 1 day IV. I plan to do fellowship in Pulm/CC. Thank you and good luck everyone!
Cleveland Clnic
Loyola
University of Miami - Jackson Memorial
Mount Sinai - St Lukes and Rooselvelt
Albert Einstein Philly
Montefiore - Jacobi
Cook County
University of Miami - West Palm Beach

hey I've one been at CCF and Loyola, so dunno about the rest, but my list would be

Loyola => CCF; rest based on location.

Cook County should be at the bottom of your list IMO, but that's speaking from an american grad's perspective.

 

[HelpPleaseMD]

hey I've one been at CCF and Loyola, so dunno about the rest, but my list would be

Loyola => CCF; rest based on location.

Cook County should be at the bottom of your list IMO, but that's speaking from an american grad's perspective.

I actually think CCF > Loyola if your goal is fellowship. CCF has much more IMGS but they do have access to research, big names + interesting cases.

 

[gutonc]

OK, I give up. I was hoping we wouldn't need this one this year but apparently we do. Most posts from the "Program Specific Questions" thread have been moved, but not all.

 

[TheGauze]

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[thismedicinelife]

Hey, i'm listing my top 5 for completeness and if my descriptions help anyone, but my question is specifically Jeff vs Temple and if they got similar vibes as I did. Also, whether Maryland is so much stronger than RWJ in PulmCC that I should just rank it higher. Most important to me is strong culture, diversity, resident autonomy, and looking to do PulmCC.

1. BU - loved the mission (safety net underserved), lots of autonomy and diversity/challenging cases, PDs/aPDs were just awesome and personable
2. Temple - similar pros as BU, PD/aPDs seemed really involved and supportive, heard their PulmCC dept. is strong; only drawback to me was location and still have paper progress notes...but moving to EPIC
3. Jefferson - really liked the chiefs, chair of medicine seemed really great, PD was nice, residents were happy, but just got a funny read that there was not much diversity and less autonomy (heard there were private attendings that switch off every few days or week). No doubt it's a great program with awesome ppl, hence why I see it ranked high in these sdn forums, usually above temple...but would love to hear someone else's input, or if maybe I just got a weird read that day.
4. RWJ - residents seemed happy, middle-sized program, PD and aPDs again seemed really nice and supportive
5. Maryland - really liked it, facilities were beautiful, great pulmCC department, VA nextdoor, autonomy and diversity, residents were happy, would be higher on my list but prefer living in Bos/Philly/NJ due to family

Thanks. I will post in the match thread or you can definitely ban me gutonc!

 

[tryptophan321]

Any *significant* difference between University of Rochester and Wisconsin-Madison in terms of academic reputation and resident happiness?

 

[tryptophan321]

Hey, i'm listing my top 5 for completeness and if my descriptions help anyone, but my question is specifically Jeff vs Temple and if they got similar vibes as I did. Also, whether Maryland is so much stronger than RWJ in PulmCC that I should just rank it higher. Most important to me is strong culture, diversity, resident autonomy, and looking to do PulmCC.

1. BU - loved the mission (safety net underserved), lots of autonomy and diversity/challenging cases, PDs/aPDs were just awesome and personable
2. Temple - similar pros as BU, PD/aPDs seemed really involved and supportive, heard their PulmCC dept. is strong; only drawback to me was location and still have paper progress notes...but moving to EPIC
3. Jefferson - really liked the chiefs, chair of medicine seemed really great, PD was nice, residents were happy, but just got a funny read that there was not much diversity and less autonomy (heard there were private attendings that switch off every few days or week). No doubt it's a great program with awesome ppl, hence why I see it ranked high in these sdn forums, usually above temple...but would love to hear someone else's input, or if maybe I just got a weird read that day.
4. RWJ - residents seemed happy, middle-sized program, PD and aPDs again seemed really nice and supportive
5. Maryland - really liked it, facilities were beautiful, great pulmCC department, VA nextdoor, autonomy and diversity, residents were happy, would be higher on my list but prefer living in Bos/Philly/NJ due to family

Thanks. I will post in the match thread or you can definitely ban me gutonc!

Didn't interview at Temple or Jeff, but from what I've gathered from current students, Temple is the place to be if you value social mission and patient diversity.

 

[235009]

Hey, i'm listing my top 5 for completeness and if my descriptions help anyone, but my question is specifically Jeff vs Temple and if they got similar vibes as I did. Also, whether Maryland is so much stronger than RWJ in PulmCC that I should just rank it higher. Most important to me is strong culture, diversity, resident autonomy, and looking to do PulmCC.

1. BU - loved the mission (safety net underserved), lots of autonomy and diversity/challenging cases, PDs/aPDs were just awesome and personable
2. Temple - similar pros as BU, PD/aPDs seemed really involved and supportive, heard their PulmCC dept. is strong; only drawback to me was location and still have paper progress notes...but moving to EPIC
3. Jefferson - really liked the chiefs, chair of medicine seemed really great, PD was nice, residents were happy, but just got a funny read that there was not much diversity and less autonomy (heard there were private attendings that switch off every few days or week). No doubt it's a great program with awesome ppl, hence why I see it ranked high in these sdn forums, usually above temple...but would love to hear someone else's input, or if maybe I just got a weird read that day.
4. RWJ - residents seemed happy, middle-sized program, PD and aPDs again seemed really nice and supportive
5. Maryland - really liked it, facilities were beautiful, great pulmCC department, VA nextdoor, autonomy and diversity, residents were happy, would be higher on my list but prefer living in Bos/Philly/NJ due to family

Thanks. I will post in the match thread or you can definitely ban me gutonc!

I'm not sure how serious your location consideration is but Maryland should be second on your list. They have as much of a social mission and undeserved population as BU and Temple. The pulm/CC department is strong (and extremely friendly) and their micu is active and has lots of sick pts. You should look at the match lists for pulm/CC as another data point too. For the record BU and Maryland are the only two I thought were worth interviewing at for pulm/CC. Declined invites from the philly programs and didn't even apply to RWJ.

As for temple vs Jefferson: I ranked Jefferson way higher when I was interviewing. The temple PD rubbed me the wrong way. She was obsessed with the applicants from Tulane (I guess one of her favorite residents was from there) and was greeting them so much to the point that she didn't have time to greet all the applicants. Definitely didn't want to be somewhere where the PD outwardly displays favoritism like that. The location was also one where I genuinely felt unsafe and that's saying a lot coming from me.

PM me if you have more questions or need more input.

 

[UofM527]

Agree w Maryland - having also just completed the fellowship app process, it is the only one of that group I applied to/considered, and is a very solid PCCM program, and also a strong residency program...obviously many other factors are invoked in this decision, but if you are set on that career path I would probably consider it higher (and even if not, would just personally have it higher just for IM training)

 

[gutonc]

Any *significant* difference between University of Rochester and Wisconsin-Madison in terms of academic reputation and resident happiness?

Can't comment on resident happiness but Madison wins by a landslide in both academic reputation and location.

 

[IMRules]

Comments on the following ranks (Heme/Onc hopeful): Penn, Pitt, Wash U.

 

[UofM527]

Comments on the following ranks (Heme/Onc hopeful): Penn, Pitt, Wash U.

Maybe Penn is seen as a bit more prestigious but not by much? I think when it comes to residency training, research opportunities within your stated field, and positioning for great fellowship positions, I honestly would not differentiate btw these three - all will grant you basically the same advantages, so just pick the program/city you prefer!

 

[deleted715759]

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[Animalcules]

Would appreciate advice on how to rank these programs based on the quality of their clinical training and teaching. Open to many different fellowships, so I am looking for broad exposure and training. Also, which ones are known to be 'service-based' where residents tend to work longer hours? Thanks.

MGH, Hopkins, Penn, Columbia, UChicago, UWash, UCLA, Stanford, UTSW, Emory

They are all relatively decent. City and gut feeling go a long way. If you are undifferentiated re: fellowship, it is hard to make a point for any specific program over the other. I actually loved UTSW regarding balance of teaching and autonomy, without depression scales though the roof.

 

[gutonc]

Comments on the following ranks (Heme/Onc hopeful): Penn, Pitt, Wash U.

You can't go wrong honestly. I'd personally put Pitt highest as it matched my personality better. It's also a slightly more humble place overall (at least that's my take on it) and attracts fewer straight up gunners than WashU and Penn. But choose the one you liked best, any of those places will allow you to set yourself up for anything you want in the future.

 

[gottagetamynx]

Hey guys,

Finished up interviews and trying to rank programs. I feel like any of these programs will be fine for my future career and fellowship. Not sure where I want to live most, could be talked into anywhere. So I'm looking more at which have reputations for having lower work hours with nice, chill residents and faculty, good camaraderie and an overall positive environment; which ones are fun places to work with cool people? So if anyone else has input based on past experience or the vibe they got from interviewing or whatever, I would really appreciate it!

MGH
Columbia
Yale
UAB
Colorado
Utah
UCSD
Stanford
UCLA
UW

Thanks!

 

[235009]

Surprised @gutonc hasn't done this yet but to lay down some ground rules: don't just dump your list in "random order", show us how you plan on ranking and we'll give you input if we have any. See post #83 for an example of someone who did it correctly.

 

[gutonc]

Hey guys,

Finished up interviews and trying to rank programs. I feel like any of these programs will be fine for my future career and fellowship. Not sure where I want to live most, could be talked into anywhere. So I'm looking more at which have reputations for having lower work hours with nice, chill residents and faculty, good camaraderie and an overall positive environment; which ones are fun places to work with cool people? So if anyone else has input based on past experience or the vibe they got from interviewing or whatever, I would really appreciate it!

MGH - honestly don't think i want to change or save the world enough to go here, probably wouldn't match anyway
Columbia - don't really want to go there, actually
Yale - got a good vibe on interview day, liked the residents, but New Haven doesn't seem like the coolest place in the world to live.
UAB - don't love the location but residents seemed happy and training seemed good.
Colorado - got a bad vibe on interview day
Utah - had a great feeling there, but the least "competitive" program
UCSD - seemed like they worked really hard but San Diego is beautiful
UCLA - got a good vibe, residents seemed to have fun, not sure if I'm sold on L.A.
UW - was where I thought I wanted to go before interviews. i loved Seattle and the PD but residents seemed overworked, hospitals spread out lots of gray skies.

Anyway, these were my impressions, I was wondering if anyone else had impressions or "vibes" from these different places to share, or how others would rank this list. Thanks!

Did you like anywhere that you interviewed?

Also, this may be the strangest list I've ever seen. MGH, Columbia and Yale make sense from a prestige perspective. You clearly have a West Coast bias. And perhaps you got no love from Stanford and UCSF (as is the custom). But UAB?! And no OHSU? Or Mt Sinai (my favorite of the NE programs by far outside of Dartmouth).

But I completely understand where you're coming from. Prior to interviewing, I was planning on Cornell (back in the day when it was it's own program without a complicated name) and UWash as 1 and 2. They wound up 4 and 8 on my list. I applied to my #1 on a whim. My 2 and 3 aren't on your list but really should have been.

So if working with fun, cool people is your goal, Utah and UCSD should be at the top. Pick the rest as you like them. Recognize that, with a list like this, you will be the only thing limiting your fellowship and career goals.

 

[deleted715759]

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[Animalcules]

MGH = Columbia = Hopkins = Penn, slightly better than...
UWash = UTSW = UCLA, slightly better than...
Emory = UChicago = Stanford

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, very helpful. I'm not sure if your list really reflects clinical training at the end of the day, it looks more like Doximity to me (I find myself inadvertently biased by these rankings as well, even though I try to avoid it as much as I can). For me, the local research in my area of interest makes a huge difference. Can't comment on the last three, but I do not think there are measurable differences in your training when you leave any of these places. Prestige and happiness is a different question.

 

[deleted715759]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, very helpful. I'm not sure if your list really reflects clinical training at the end of the day, it looks more like Doximity to me (I find myself inadvertently biased by these rankings as well, even though I try to avoid it as much as I can). For me, the local research in my area of interest makes a huge difference. Can't comment on the last three, but I do not think there are measurable differences in your training when you leave any of these places. Prestige and happiness is a different question.

Thanks for your thoughts too. I agree, it's hard to parse out strength of clinical training vs. Doximity popularity especially at my early stage of training.

There were some faculty who mentioned that their institution did not provide the 'best' clinical training, though I see that as a sign of honesty more than a black mark against those programs. Ultimately, both training and happiness will factor into my ranking, but I wanted to see how others thought these programs ranked based only on training.

 

[ShuperNewbie]

Heya guys! I'm having a ton of trouble ranking these 4 Cali community programs. Future career plans yet to be determined but looking at heme onc.

Scripps Green, Cedars Sinai, USC, Harbor-UCLA.

Thanks in advance.