Hi Newbie,
From a prestige/fellowship perspective, USC/Cedars have an edge over Harbor-UCLA & Scripps Green. If you're likely to apply for a fellowship (as seems to be the case) you'll be in slightly better shape from one of these two. Good luck.
Official 2015-2016 Help Me Rank Megathread
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Hi Newbie,
From a prestige/fellowship perspective, USC/Cedars have an edge over Harbor-UCLA & Scripps Green. If you're likely to apply for a fellowship (as seems to be the case) you'll be in slightly better shape from one of these two. Good luck.
Fair point--going to retry this. Hoping to get some input on the quality of clinical training to help with ranking.
MGH - Incredibly smart people, but Boston was quite cold when I was there. Got a taste of Northeast snobbery from some faculty there. A bit on the pricier side for what the city offered. Many great hospitals in the same area... diversity of patients?
Hopkins - Liked the attending rounds, but they didn't seem to have an intern report (impact on learning)? A lot of autonomy throughout residency. Much more affordable than other major cities on the East Coast.
Penn - Very impressed with the teaching and lunch lecture. Reportedly university-owned, so there is more emphasis on teaching? Faculty seemed very friendly and down to earth. Still using paper charts though with transition to EPIC during intern year.
Columbia - Liked the two-attending rounding system, but is it actually twice the learning vs. a gimmick selling point? The program director talked to us only briefly during the interview day (a sign of leadership?). Faculty seemed friendly though and there was a diverse patient population. Traffic was horrendous. New York system with nurses/ancillary staff possibly a problem?
UChicago - Residents seemed particularly happy there. Didn't see much teaching on rounds though (likely attending-dependent), and training only takes place in one hospital.
UWash - Residents seemed particularly happy there, but were spread out between the different sites. Seattle had a constant drizzle and seemed isolated from other major cities. Program director was very friendly (not sure how much of a factor that should play).
UCLA - Residents seemed particularly happy there. They seem to get a lot of autonomy throughout residency. Most/all are actively recruited back for fellowships/faculty as they are expanding. Traffic is horrendous.
Stanford - Residents seemed particularly happy there. Patient load seems to be lighter at Stanford, is it enough to impact clinical training? Patients population also seemed less diverse. Very expensive city to live in, but their higher salaries made it comparable to other programs.
UTSW - Lots of resident autonomy and program seemed supportive despite prior reputation of being malignant. Very affordable city to live in, though city seemed pretty isolated from other major cities.
Emory - Great vibe from residents and program seemed supportive. Lots of resident autonomy though I got the sense that this was a very "service-based" residency. Teaching rounds seemed decent. Very affordable city to live in, though city seemed pretty isolated from other major cities.
I got a great vibe at all of the places that I interviewed at, and residents seemed genuinely happy and supportive when I was there. Main differences were primarily location, though I could see myself living in any of these areas. Wanted to see if there was any discernible difference in clinical training and teaching (however small) to help guide my rank list. And whether any programs are known to be 'service-based' where residents work particularly long hours.
My current thoughts on only clinical training based on my one day there and their reputation are:
MGH = Columbia = Hopkins = Penn, slightly better than...
UWash = UTSW = UCLA, slightly better than...
Emory = UChicago = Stanford
How accurate is this assessment? Thanks again
Hi raxxer,
Nice list, all really good programs. If you have any geographic preferences at all, that should play a big part, as you're going to be in good shape applying for fellowship or a job coming out of any of these.
As far as your list goes, I would move Columbia down at least to the 2nd group (ancillary services are so poor that it can eat into what you're really there to learn) & move Stanford up to the first group. (The low patient load is a myth - the volume at Stanford has been high for years, and they're counting down the days until their new hospital opens because the current one is so full all the time.) Otherwise it looks similar to how I would list them.
But again, these are all great programs, and you're going to be well-trained & competitive coming out of any of them. Go with your feel of the place when you were there, how much you fit in with the residents/culture, and geography (if you have a preference).
Good luck!
I agree with the others. Penn is a bit more prestigious, but Pitt & Wash U are no slouches. It depends a bit where you want to end up. If you're hoping to go to a power-house academic fellowship program, you should probably give a slight edge to Penn all else being equal. Good luck.
Agree with gutonc that this is an unusual list! This shows why interviews are more than just a chance to make a good impression - programs feel different because they are different, and it's important to find the spots that fit you the best. It looks like you have a pretty good sense of which ones you fit into the best, and nothing strikes me as crazy about anything you wrote.
Good luck!
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Not sure what planet USC is considered a community program on...but whatever.
USC
Cedars/Scripps
Harbor
Especially if hem/onc is your future.
I have a huge range of programs to chose from. I have homes in both Chicago and NYC and would prefer to stay in a big city. Thinking GI or PCCM, but want to leave the door open to doing PC or hospital medicine. Am I nuts for putting NYU at the top?
1-2: NW vs NYU - Got along with the residents and the leadership was amazing at both these locations. Both are close to home and in locations I am familiar with. NW has a great match list and I felt that there is probably more research than NYU. I am worried about autonomy at NW. Also worried about ancillary staff at NYU and scheduling for the interns (starting 6+2 next year).
3. UPMC - Loved the PD and morning report. Location was alright.
4. Michigan - Was recovering from a bad cold when I went so I didn't get to interact with many people. Program felt a bit rigid. Ann Arbor was cute. I worry about the commute (I'm not a big fan of driving - last time I drove was when I got my license 10 yrs ago) and where I'm going to end up living
5/6 Einstein - Didn't get to interact with anyone besides the residents who took me on tour. Close enough to home with subsidized housing. Worried about it's past reputation for overworking residents.
5/6 UW Madison - Legendary PD. Morning report was great. Two interns showed up for the preinterview dinner (red flag?). Worried about living in Madison.
7-9: Hofstra, Brown, Tufts. Probably in that order. Didn't get a good vibe from Tufts and I worry about clinical exposure with low ED volume and MGH being so close. Hofstra seems to have all the new toys.
Thanks.
1-2: NW vs NYU - Got along with the residents and the leadership was amazing at both these locations. Both are close to home and in locations I am familiar with. NW has a great match list and I felt that there is probably more research than NYU. I am worried about autonomy at NW. Also worried about ancillary staff at NYU and scheduling for the interns (starting 6+2 next year).
3. UPMC - Loved the PD and morning report. Location was alright.
4. Michigan - Was recovering from a bad cold when I went so I didn't get to interact with many people. Program felt a bit rigid. Ann Arbor was cute. I worry about the commute (I'm not a big fan of driving - last time I drove was when I got my license 10 yrs ago) and where I'm going to end up living
5/6 Einstein - Didn't get to interact with anyone besides the residents who took me on tour. Close enough to home with subsidized housing. Worried about it's past reputation for overworking residents.
5/6 UW Madison - Legendary PD. Morning report was great. Two interns showed up for the preinterview dinner (red flag?). Worried about living in Madison.
7-9: Hofstra, Brown, Tufts. Probably in that order. Didn't get a good vibe from Tufts and I worry about clinical exposure with low ED volume and MGH being so close. Hofstra seems to have all the new toys.
Thanks.
D
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Thank you
. I have very little geographic preference, just want to move out of my town at least for a few years!IMO I would have NW above NYU, but you're certainly not wrong to rank them the other way if you liked NYU better. Re: the others it looks like location/setting was a big factor for you for U Mich which makes sense if that's your personal preference; otherwise I would consider moving it up. Good luck!
Hey y'all. I'm enjoying some of the discussion on this forum.
Longtime lurker here, newish account. Would appreciate thoughts on my rank list in terms of ability to come out as the strongest possible clinician, but defintely dont mind doing some research. I'm leaning towards pulmonary and critical care, but also enjoy oncology. Less likely is infectious disease and nephrology.
I have a strong preference for either NYC or Boston due to my significant other's job and family, although a bit of regional travel is fine.
I honestly have no idea how to compare these programs in terms of clinical training and autonomy. Also, I'd like to have fellowship opportunities in pulm crit and onc fully open to me. At the end of the day, I want to work really really hard and be proficient with basic and complex procedures, as well as treating complex patients with myriad diseases. I don't want to have to call consults. I also want to see a lot of complex cases and be in a rigorous academic environment, where I get pimped and pushed. Hard.
Okay, my list, in order.
- Columbia vs yale (prestige? Training?)
- BMC (loved the mission, feel, and autonomy)
- Johns Hopkins (top program but location is killing this for me. However, I'm willing to be worked to the bone right now, so that's a plus)
- Brown vs tufts?
- u rochester
- montefiore ? Didn't interview yet.
- temple
- north shore lij
- a few other smaller community programs as pure safety choices.
Longtime lurker here, newish account. Would appreciate thoughts on my rank list in terms of ability to come out as the strongest possible clinician, but defintely dont mind doing some research. I'm leaning towards pulmonary and critical care, but also enjoy oncology. Less likely is infectious disease and nephrology.
I have a strong preference for either NYC or Boston due to my significant other's job and family, although a bit of regional travel is fine.
I honestly have no idea how to compare these programs in terms of clinical training and autonomy. Also, I'd like to have fellowship opportunities in pulm crit and onc fully open to me. At the end of the day, I want to work really really hard and be proficient with basic and complex procedures, as well as treating complex patients with myriad diseases. I don't want to have to call consults. I also want to see a lot of complex cases and be in a rigorous academic environment, where I get pimped and pushed. Hard.
Okay, my list, in order.
- Columbia vs yale (prestige? Training?)
- BMC (loved the mission, feel, and autonomy)
- Johns Hopkins (top program but location is killing this for me. However, I'm willing to be worked to the bone right now, so that's a plus)
- Brown vs tufts?
- u rochester
- montefiore ? Didn't interview yet.
- temple
- north shore lij
- a few other smaller community programs as pure safety choices.
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Regarding Hopkins - Baltimore is closer to DC (45 minutes) than New Haven is to NYC (2 hours). If you're knocking it down that far due to location you may as well put Yale down there with it.
If your sig other absolutely can't get a job in DC it's understandable to put Hopkins 3rd or 4th otherwise with your interest in pulm/CC and onc it should be first as both those departments are quite stellar there.
With regards to yale: who'll be making the 2+ hour commute to/from NYC? It certainly can't be you. If matching here is going to come with a long commute and potential strife I would consider knocking it down to 3rd or 4th.
To be honest the onc department at BMC is average but the pulm/cc is fantastic and you'll get a great experience.
Tufts should be nowhere near the top of your list, I'd put it below monte which can arguably move up on your list depending on how much you value location over happiness.
Would be happy to weigh in further if you let me know how much of a role location (NYC/Boston) plays into this
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I'm thinking over spots 2-4 on my rank list. Interest in GI. In alphabetical order,
1. Univ. of Alabama. Thought the residents were friendliest there. Huge hospital complex; felt overwhelmed when touring. Family within driving distance. Great weather.
2. UPMC-Montefiore. Residents very impressed by their GI attendings. Everyone mentioned how the residents don't run codes, because the pulm-CC fellowship is huge and fellows run all the codes. Farthest from family. Liked the city the most.
3. Univ. of Wisconsin. Dr Vogelman's great, residents also quite friendly. Cold weather, rather unpleasantly so when I interviewed. Family within driving distance.
Any insight into the quality of the home GI programs, as well as residents' success matching into GI, would be greatly appreciated.
1. Univ. of Alabama. Thought the residents were friendliest there. Huge hospital complex; felt overwhelmed when touring. Family within driving distance. Great weather.
2. UPMC-Montefiore. Residents very impressed by their GI attendings. Everyone mentioned how the residents don't run codes, because the pulm-CC fellowship is huge and fellows run all the codes. Farthest from family. Liked the city the most.
3. Univ. of Wisconsin. Dr Vogelman's great, residents also quite friendly. Cold weather, rather unpleasantly so when I interviewed. Family within driving distance.
Any insight into the quality of the home GI programs, as well as residents' success matching into GI, would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks meattornado for your thoughtful reply.
I should have noted that my significant other will likely be able to find work in any place we go, and neither of us wants to commute. We have a strong preference to be in the northeast because of family and friends. Therefore, all of these programs are places we would be living in.
I'd like to know specifically if prioritizing this will really compromise the quality of my training down the line, or whether I can get great experience with top notch colleagues at any of these places in my desired two fields. I want to be ay a strong clinical training program where i still have access to top fellowships. I realize oncology may not be so strong at some programs, but I don't know how much the match list reflects program strength vs applicant preference, and its hard to get a sense of the oncology experience from interviews and websites, as much of this is often outpatient. Same goes for critical care -- its tough to know what the top programs are and get a sense of the culture from walking through a unit for 30 seconds.
I should have noted that my significant other will likely be able to find work in any place we go, and neither of us wants to commute. We have a strong preference to be in the northeast because of family and friends. Therefore, all of these programs are places we would be living in.
I'd like to know specifically if prioritizing this will really compromise the quality of my training down the line, or whether I can get great experience with top notch colleagues at any of these places in my desired two fields. I want to be ay a strong clinical training program where i still have access to top fellowships. I realize oncology may not be so strong at some programs, but I don't know how much the match list reflects program strength vs applicant preference, and its hard to get a sense of the oncology experience from interviews and websites, as much of this is often outpatient. Same goes for critical care -- its tough to know what the top programs are and get a sense of the culture from walking through a unit for 30 seconds.
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You can't go wrong here. Rank in the order you think you'll be the happiest. You'll be able to do whatever you want coming out of any of those places.
And honestly, unless you're planning on PCCM, who cares how many codes you get to run? Medical codes are like ED trauma activations. They look really cool when you're a med student. But after the 3rd or 4th one you're actually responsible for, you'll probably be looking for someone else to take over. There's nothing you're going to learn during codes that will in any way help you get a GI fellowship.
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Heme onc experience at BMC is weak because anything complex is sent to the Farber.
Hey everyone,
Haven't been too involved in posting on sdn before, but have been reading everyone's responses about ranking and I appreciate everyone's input! So... I was hoping to get some feedback as well!! I'm having trouble ranking my top 3 choices: UTSW, Northwestern and U of Michigan. I have roots both in Texas and the Midwest, and would like to be at a place that has a heavy focus on health disparities research, treating underserved populations, patient diversity (in regards to pathology, race, SES, rural/urban, etc),great teaching, and excellent records for matching into Heme/Onc. Above all, however, no matter where I train I want to be at a place where people work hard and have every opportunity to learn, but at the same time they don't stab each other in the backs/ scrape and claw their way through to get further in their career lol. So really, just in all a nice environment to work hard, play hard (when you can at least...). Any takers? I've had great experiences at all 3 in my IV, but was hoping to get an idea of what other people thought about these programs comparatively, in case I'm not getting the full picture...I hope this post isn't too redundant. Thanks guys!
Haven't been too involved in posting on sdn before, but have been reading everyone's responses about ranking and I appreciate everyone's input! So... I was hoping to get some feedback as well!! I'm having trouble ranking my top 3 choices: UTSW, Northwestern and U of Michigan. I have roots both in Texas and the Midwest, and would like to be at a place that has a heavy focus on health disparities research, treating underserved populations, patient diversity (in regards to pathology, race, SES, rural/urban, etc),great teaching, and excellent records for matching into Heme/Onc. Above all, however, no matter where I train I want to be at a place where people work hard and have every opportunity to learn, but at the same time they don't stab each other in the backs/ scrape and claw their way through to get further in their career lol. So really, just in all a nice environment to work hard, play hard (when you can at least...). Any takers? I've had great experiences at all 3 in my IV, but was hoping to get an idea of what other people thought about these programs comparatively, in case I'm not getting the full picture...I hope this post isn't too redundant. Thanks guys!
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Not sure if NW and Michigan are the best places for patient diversity and health disparities research...
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All are solid programs and you should do well getting into fellowship no matter your final selection!
Coming from UPMC, I can really only comment there - thought it was a very good training experience, plenty of research opportunities, has one of more respected GI fellowships (don't like the whole 'rank' stuff but people generally think it's one of the better ones), and residents match well into GI fellowships (all recent fellowship match data including this year is on the internal med website)
Plus like you said, Pittsburgh is a surprisingly great place to live (and I had never been there prior to the interview date)
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new help with rank list (edited from above) - cards hopeful
pitt, unc, uva, case western, brown, jefferson, ohio state, maryland, carolinas, vcu, tulane
pitt, unc, uva, case western, brown, jefferson, ohio state, maryland, carolinas, vcu, tulane
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pitt =uva = unc> case = osu > brown= jeff = mary>tulane = vcu
Hey guys, US IMG here. Wanted to know if anyone knows anything about these programs:
- Suny Downstate (NY)
- Lankenau (PA)
- Texas Health Presbyterian (TX)
I know there are some comments out there but they are old. Would appreciate more recent feedback.
Thanks in advance.
- Suny Downstate (NY)
- Lankenau (PA)
- Texas Health Presbyterian (TX)
I know there are some comments out there but they are old. Would appreciate more recent feedback.
Thanks in advance.
Hey guys,
Long time lurker here and been reading sdn a lot throughout this cycle. Made an account because wanted advice on how to rank some of my programs. I'm interested in a fellowship in heme/onc. The programs I'm having trouble ranking include:
-- Scripps Green (CA)
-- Rutgers RWJ (NJ)
-- Hofstra NS/LIJ (NY)
-- USC (CA)
-- Wake Forest (NC)
-- StonyBrook (NY)
-- U of Rochester (NY)
-- Temple (PA)
-- U Florida Gainesville (FL)
I was looking for one with a good community feel and happy residents, but also not one in the middle of nowhere. I know Rochester and Wake both are strong programs esp in heme onc but I'm slightly worried about their location and would appreciate some feedback. Thanks for your help!
Long time lurker here and been reading sdn a lot throughout this cycle. Made an account because wanted advice on how to rank some of my programs. I'm interested in a fellowship in heme/onc. The programs I'm having trouble ranking include:
-- Scripps Green (CA)
-- Rutgers RWJ (NJ)
-- Hofstra NS/LIJ (NY)
-- USC (CA)
-- Wake Forest (NC)
-- StonyBrook (NY)
-- U of Rochester (NY)
-- Temple (PA)
-- U Florida Gainesville (FL)
I was looking for one with a good community feel and happy residents, but also not one in the middle of nowhere. I know Rochester and Wake both are strong programs esp in heme onc but I'm slightly worried about their location and would appreciate some feedback. Thanks for your help!
Hey everyone,
Interested in cards, pretty set on Brigham as #1 but really at a loss for how to rank the rest:
- Columbia: loved this place, don't mind the ancillary staff issues as they don't seem to be too bad (blood draws once every other month, have to follow up and make sure labs get done though), always wanted to live in NYC
- MGH: felt very cold, though could have been only the residents I met. Obviously an amazing program, but wasn't sure it was for me just based on the vibe, also got a lot of the "MGH ego" from the house staff I talked to. Match list is incredible though, and I know some of the cards faculty through research
- Hopkins: wasn't too excited about this interview as I'd heard bad things about Baltimore but really liked the program. I think the way rounds are conducted on the teaching teams can be overly pedantic and annoying after a while, though definitely great for learning. Baltimore wasn't the worst but not the nicest place to live either
- UCSF: love the 3 hospital system, probably the greatest patient diversity of any program. Really enjoy the Bay Area but not sure I can live in SF, it just seems too difficult. Also despite the IM reputation, pretty much all of the Northeast programs are better in terms of cardiology fellowships though I realize this shouldn't be that big of a consideration
- Stanford: actually liked this program more than UCSF, especially with the emphasis on mentorship. All the residents seemed like very fun and happy people, would love to go here but the concern is that in the past it has the reputation of not having the most rigorous clinical training.
- Penn: didn't get a good sense of the program while I was there but Philly is definitely a great city. 6+2 sounds kind of brutal, but I definitely like the flexibility of the second and third years to tailor the curriculum
I'm thinking:
1 - Brigham
2 - Columbia
3 - MGH vs. Hopkins (better reputation) vs. Stanford (loved this place the most) vs. Penn
4 - UCSF
Interested in cards, pretty set on Brigham as #1 but really at a loss for how to rank the rest:
- Columbia: loved this place, don't mind the ancillary staff issues as they don't seem to be too bad (blood draws once every other month, have to follow up and make sure labs get done though), always wanted to live in NYC
- MGH: felt very cold, though could have been only the residents I met. Obviously an amazing program, but wasn't sure it was for me just based on the vibe, also got a lot of the "MGH ego" from the house staff I talked to. Match list is incredible though, and I know some of the cards faculty through research
- Hopkins: wasn't too excited about this interview as I'd heard bad things about Baltimore but really liked the program. I think the way rounds are conducted on the teaching teams can be overly pedantic and annoying after a while, though definitely great for learning. Baltimore wasn't the worst but not the nicest place to live either
- UCSF: love the 3 hospital system, probably the greatest patient diversity of any program. Really enjoy the Bay Area but not sure I can live in SF, it just seems too difficult. Also despite the IM reputation, pretty much all of the Northeast programs are better in terms of cardiology fellowships though I realize this shouldn't be that big of a consideration
- Stanford: actually liked this program more than UCSF, especially with the emphasis on mentorship. All the residents seemed like very fun and happy people, would love to go here but the concern is that in the past it has the reputation of not having the most rigorous clinical training.
- Penn: didn't get a good sense of the program while I was there but Philly is definitely a great city. 6+2 sounds kind of brutal, but I definitely like the flexibility of the second and third years to tailor the curriculum
I'm thinking:
1 - Brigham
2 - Columbia
3 - MGH vs. Hopkins (better reputation) vs. Stanford (loved this place the most) vs. Penn
4 - UCSF
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USC, Wake, RWJ +/- Roch at the top, the rest how you like them.
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your right to rank Brigham first. you might have a tough time getting cards at those other places.
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Yea i dont think anyone has matched cards from MGH in the last 10 years. What a dump!
Hey guys,
Could use a little input. I have been able to put my programs in groups, but past that I am kind of lost right now (especially the top 3, I really liked all of them). I would appreciate any thoughts. Interested in Pulm/CC.
Group 1: University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Cincinnati, Virginia Commonwealth University
Group 2: Medical College of Wisconsin, Hennepin County
Group 3: University of Kansas-Kansas City, University of Nebraska, Creighton University, University of Missouri-Colombia, University of New Mexico
Group 4: University of Iowa-Des Moines, University of Chicago- NorthShore
Could use a little input. I have been able to put my programs in groups, but past that I am kind of lost right now (especially the top 3, I really liked all of them). I would appreciate any thoughts. Interested in Pulm/CC.
Group 1: University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Cincinnati, Virginia Commonwealth University
Group 2: Medical College of Wisconsin, Hennepin County
Group 3: University of Kansas-Kansas City, University of Nebraska, Creighton University, University of Missouri-Colombia, University of New Mexico
Group 4: University of Iowa-Des Moines, University of Chicago- NorthShore
Gotta love this forum, when did I ever say any of those would hurt me for cards? If you actually read my post you'd realize MGH sucks from a program culture/house staff standpoint.
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I don't see a problem with the way you have it (no one will). I really liked Columbia, and if cards is your aim and you are ready to get pushed to the edge of where uncomfortable meets unhappy (probably well past that line, actually) seeing as you'll be carved out of wood, I have no argument with Columbia being that high (it was #3 for me). If SF isn't for you and you didn't vibe with the housestaff there, then it's fine to have it lower (aside from the Brigham, I thought they were the coolest and friendliest I met). I'm doing cards and I did not think UCSF would in any way get in the way of me getting the fellowship I would want (none of these would, actually).
6+2 isn't brutal. We have 8 +2 and it's fine. I really liked Penn.
If I were you, I'd push UCSF to 2, Columbia to 3, Stanford 4 (because it seems you were smitten with this one), MGH 5, Penn, Hopkins. Or you can do what I did and go with the order in which you felt the happiest.
On last one would be random.org and have that thing spit out a rank list
Yeah I can see that about UCSF, the house staff seemed awesome during my interview day itself but I guess that was tainted with the fact I had 2 kind of weird ones at my table during the dinner. I think I'll move it up to 2. Thanks, may actually end up using random.org at some point haha
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To be honest your list is like the epitome of a first world problem. Not everyone has such a phenomenal set of places to "worry" about ranking. Rank it the way you want. None of them will prevent you from matching cardiology fellowship.
Agree that this is a first-world problem, though you do have to make a list at the end of the day. Bottom line is none of these will hurt you for fellowship match; the key is going to be on your performance, not the names of these institutions, which are all well respected.
So - I would make the list based on your feel at the programs and any geographic preferences you had. The cultures are different at each spot, including what your colleagues will be like. It isn't necessarily right and wrong, just that people click with certain types and not others. But you're talking about at least 3 years of your life and many, many hours with your colleagues so if given the choice go somewhere you fit in.
It sounds like you like Brigham the best - great, it's a great program, and go with it #1 if you like Boston. It sounds like you really liked Columbia - not my favorite due to the ancillary services issue and not wanting to live in NYC but if you clicked w/people and like the concept of living in NYC it's obviously a good spot. (Fellowship options will be good at any of these, though maybe the slightest bit less from here vs some of the others, at least outside NYC.) If you really liked Stanford and the culture there, great, go with that. Certainly a top Cardiology place, a great fellowship match list year after year, and the clinical training reputation is old news and certainly no longer true.
Anyway, good luck with the match and a lot of great options.
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Yes, this is totally a "first-world problem"-type help-me-rank, but give the guy/girl a break. Many of the other micro-differences we are all on here obsessing about are similarly silly, but we do it anyway. There's no rule that you should get to come here to chat and seek advice from similarly-neurotic people, but only if you prove your street cred and miss the top programs by a few hairs. Hard is hard, and laplace provided useful descriptions & information. Rank list love for everyone. Props to medcathouse for relevant advice.
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Happy 2016 everyone. And agree with buonassezia. MedcatHouse the man. And yes, nothing wrong with having Stanford (a fantastic program!) above Penn and Hopkins. Most on SDN spend time nitpicking through theoretical small differences in fellowship opportunities coming from top program X versus Y where in fact the most important decision maker should be which top place will you be happy at (this includes geography and proximity to friends/family if that's important to you). Why? Because being happy matters, it's 3 years after medical school and possibly longer for fellowship/chief/working at that institution. And because any fellowship opportunities will come down to your clinical acumen and research productivity -> both are easier to achieve when you feel like you are where you should be and have a good support system.
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This worthless nitpicking is exactly why we were making fun of the question. Many have said before that when it comes to these top places you just need to rank them the way you like them.
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this + 1. If you don't like the vibe at the "best place" you interviewed at, don't rank it #1. If you are fortunate enough to receive IVs at all the top spots rank them how you like them (location, residents, research, attractiveness of other housestaff). Just don't post a "woe is me" tale and expect universal sympathy.
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To be fair to the OP, there was no "woe is me" attitude. We must be kind to any/all questions on these boards. Don't understand why physicians have to bring each other down at every opportunity. Either answer their question like MedcatHouse did or ignore. Everything else is wasted space.
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I'm have friends at all these programs and based on their experiences (can expand if anyone is interested), I would go as follows after your #1:
1) UCSF
2) MGH vs Penn
4) Stanford
5) Hopkins vs Columbia
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I would give an edge to places that have a lot of Heme/Onc research and would sponsor you an H1b visa, Heme/Onc is all about research and H1b gives you the flexibility of working for a couple of years and applying with a GC vs. if you're in a rush to go to fellowships you can always go back to J1 (although very few people would choose this path). Hence, I would put CCF at the top of my list. There, your clinical training might not be stelar and Cleveland is Cleveland, but on the other hand they sponsor H1b, they have tons of research and a great fellowship placement. I'm not sure about which other programs would sponsor you an H1b visa, but, disregarding that, my rank would be the following:
1) CCF
2) DHMC (if this is Dartmouth)
3) SLR (rotations at MSKCC along w/ pips from Cornell which would be a golden opportunity to engage in some serious research) ==> Problem is NYC which might be a +/- to you
4) Houston Methodist (Same problem as CCF, fancy hospital w/ suboptimal resident autonomy, but close to MD Anderson where you might find great research mentors)
5) UTSA=Arkansas
6) Jacobi = AE Philly (decent clinical training, terrible location for both, nothing really stands out)
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deleted715759
Please share these details, I'm curious
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Thanks again, man! Your input is really a life saver! One quick extra question, would you still keep 1 and 2 in that order if I planned to do fellowship right away? Any extra help/comments from hem/onc people or anybody in general are much appreciated.
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That's one of those things that will totally depend on how you felt at each place, including the location (as they are all very different).
I'd personally do UofC slightly> Vandy (mostly due to location) > Mayo (due to culture and location). But that's only my personal opinion and rational arguments could be made for any order of those programs. None of those places will stand in your way going forward.
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From my understanding, Case and Minnesota have a comparable reputation, correct? If I already have Case scheduled and have the opportunity to nab a last minute Minn IV - thus having to scramble and change my travel plans, miss Case's dinner, and spend a few extra hundred $$$ on flights - should I take it?
I'm interested in fellowship and academics. I don't have many interviews otherwise. <8 including both.
I'm interested in fellowship and academics. I don't have many interviews otherwise. <8 including both.
I have little expertise to comment on relative reputation (from what I've read MN is a solid mid-tier, comparable to Ohio State, Brown; and prob also to Case), but I would do MN in any case. 7 interviews (or 6?) without MN is skimpy.
Yes, missing the dinner would mean that you miss out on getting a better feel for the Case culture, but IMO it's more important to do the extra interview. And the extra few hundred $$ is nothing compared to the pain if you do not match - or even the anxiety you may feel before matching as to whether you have a sufficient number of programs on your ROL.
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Nope. Put them in the order you liked them. Then we'll help.
(But Wisconsin and Indy should be 1 and 2 no matter how you felt about them.)
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Is there a significant difference in regional or national reputation between Indy and Case, UIC and Kansas? If one is thinking fellowship, wants research opportunities and academics in the future.
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