No worries. It took me a while to figure it out too. Just click the +Quote link on the bottom right. Then start writing your post. There's a button at the bottom that asks if you want to insert a quote and you can select which one you want to insert. Best of luck in your decision.
Official 2016 Rank Order List & "Help Me Rank" Thread
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No worries. It took me a while to figure it out too. Just click the +Quote link on the bottom right. Then start writing your post. There's a button at the bottom that asks if you want to insert a quote and you can select which one you want to insert. Best of luck in your decision.
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Very, very true....
Quick question for Midwest oriented people. I realize I haven't posted any reviews (and I don't really plan to do a bunch of exhaustive ones but will rather post a bunch of brief summaries of impressions and key highlights). However I would be ever so grateful if people could weigh in on this -
UMich vs Northwestern for somebody interested in Psychosomatic medicine and a clinical track academic career (Chicago vs Ann Arbor not considered in the calculus)
UMich vs Northwestern for somebody interested in Psychosomatic medicine and a clinical track academic career (Chicago vs Ann Arbor not considered in the calculus)
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Hi guys,
At this point I'm 100% certain about the top 2 and bottom 2 in my rank list, but I have a lot of ambiguities about how to rank the programs in the middle. From the ones I'm looking at, I think they would all be fantastic programs in terms of training and co-residents. However, as a single male going into intern year I'm also worried about my dating prospects.
This is going to sound absolutely silly, but how would you guys rank Burlington VT, Portland ME, Providence RI, Ann Arbour MI, and Chicago IL in terms of dating scene?
At this point I'm 100% certain about the top 2 and bottom 2 in my rank list, but I have a lot of ambiguities about how to rank the programs in the middle. From the ones I'm looking at, I think they would all be fantastic programs in terms of training and co-residents. However, as a single male going into intern year I'm also worried about my dating prospects.
This is going to sound absolutely silly, but how would you guys rank Burlington VT, Portland ME, Providence RI, Ann Arbour MI, and Chicago IL in terms of dating scene?
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All of those look like they will have plenty of college co-eds and youthful entertainment. You should be fine, but I'm guessing Chicago> Ann Arbour > Providence.... Based mostly on size or size of school. The only objective data would be very non-PC like looking at states with the lowest obesity rates and such. Of course I would never suggest such a pig like methodology.
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I agree that Chicago has lots of quality ladies for you to choose from, especially since there are so many universities and big companies there. Ann Arbor would only have women streaming mostly from just one university.
Chicago definitely has more single night life too!
Chicago definitely has more single night life too!
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Chicago is probably best if you'd like options outside of academia/fellow medical people.
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I don't think either will hurt you at all. My knee jerk response would be Michigan, but that's just because I know more of their C/L folks. I'd bet that NWU has good faculty too. I think you do need to factor in the Chicago vs Ann Arbor calculus--different folks will prefer the big city vs small city/college town lifestyle, and I don't know which you are.
Thanks so much OPD. Your input is helpful. Regarding the big city vs college town lifestyle, I've experienced both and see the merits of each. Not sure if I prefer one or the other enough to have that make my decision. I had really good impressions of both Michigan and NWU, so maybe a simple coin toss will have to do.
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UofC is generally considered the best place for CL in Chicago, though NW has a good rep too. Not sure how you could go wrong with either place. I've lived in both places.
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My thoughts as follows: Chicago has everything and people of all ages, jobs, etc. Midwest feel but still big city and people of *all* types. Ann Arbour I know nothing about. Providence is mid sized New England city with several colleges. Great industry to attract post-grads? No, but good food scene, good arts, progressive and somewhat diverse. Burlington (and I'll assume Portland ME is similar): the dating scene will probably be small outside the UVM: most of the single, well educated people will be students at some level. Additionally, it's a *very* outdoors oriented city, so if don't you love hiking and skiing, it might be even harder to find a mate.
For dating in mid twenties to early 30s, I'd rank Chicago > Providence > Burlington > Ann Arbour > Portland with the caveats that I know almost nothing about Ann Arbour, and have never been to Portland ME. Burlington could possibly move ahead of Providence if and only if you're a real mountain man and looking for someone to go on adventures in the woods during your free time.
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I think Chicago is easily the best of the listed cities. My friend in Chicago gets way more dates than I do and that absolutely has to be the reason.
All kidding aside, I think it does have a good dating scene.
I went to college in Providence, but that was long ago and college kind of has its own built in dating pool. So I can't speak to it, but it is a nice town. Boston is close.
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All kidding aside, I think it does have a good dating scene.
I went to college in Providence, but that was long ago and college kind of has its own built in dating pool. So I can't speak to it, but it is a nice town. Boston is close.
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Lol, along those lines...what's the rank order list for dating scenes in NYC vs. Boston vs. Providence vs. Philly vs. Pittsburgh? I'm hoping to meet someone during residency to settle down with. Sorry ladies, can't be a player forever. 
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Lol, along those lines...what's the rank order list for dating scenes in NYC vs. Boston vs. Providence vs. Philly vs. Pittsburgh? I'm hoping to meet someone during residency to settle down with. Sorry ladies, can't be a player forever.
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Cheers to that!
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Anyone have any thoughts on the quality of teaching/supervision at the Tucson, Arizona programs? I remember the residents at South Campus work a lot, but they also seemed bizarrely happier than the ones at the main campus.
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Sure beats another prestige query....Thanks guys, I didn't think there would be this much discussion on the topic haha!
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So I have my rank list set, except for the #1 and #2 spot. Currently Harbor-UCLA and Stanford are fighting for that #1 spot and I am extremely conflicted. To me these programs are at two opposite ends of the spectrums in terms of patient population, work/life balance, location in California, research, academia, and even salary and benefits.
First, I am 95% sure i'm going to fast track into C&A fellowship, however I would like the opportunity to do college mental health rotations to see if its just the younger, first break young adult population that I want to treat. I'm also not sure if or how much research I want to do and also if I would like to go into academia or not. Throughout medical school I have shown interests in both areas, but i'm not sure if that is something i'm capable of at a higher level ( a little imposter syndrome and low self-confidence). I think Stanford would be a great place for me to explore these options. I have spent most of my undergrad and throughout medical school caring for the underserved and underinsured and I feel like I would be giving that all up and even "selling out" if I ended up treating patients in Palo Alto as opposed to the greater LA county. Also in terms of psychotherapy you get that second year early exposure at Harbor, but I'm not sure if the quality of supervision and didactics compare to the greats they have up at Stanford.
I know this is probably all over the place but my mind has been ping ponging back and forth between the two programs now that i've had time to sit and think about my rank list. I'd love any and all feedback Thank you.
First, I am 95% sure i'm going to fast track into C&A fellowship, however I would like the opportunity to do college mental health rotations to see if its just the younger, first break young adult population that I want to treat. I'm also not sure if or how much research I want to do and also if I would like to go into academia or not. Throughout medical school I have shown interests in both areas, but i'm not sure if that is something i'm capable of at a higher level ( a little imposter syndrome and low self-confidence). I think Stanford would be a great place for me to explore these options. I have spent most of my undergrad and throughout medical school caring for the underserved and underinsured and I feel like I would be giving that all up and even "selling out" if I ended up treating patients in Palo Alto as opposed to the greater LA county. Also in terms of psychotherapy you get that second year early exposure at Harbor, but I'm not sure if the quality of supervision and didactics compare to the greats they have up at Stanford.
I know this is probably all over the place but my mind has been ping ponging back and forth between the two programs now that i've had time to sit and think about my rank list. I'd love any and all feedback
Thank you.
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Lol, along those lines...what's the rank order list for dating scenes in NYC vs. Boston vs. Providence vs. Philly vs. Pittsburgh? I'm hoping to meet someone during residency to settle down with. Sorry ladies, can't be a player forever.
I did med school and residency in Pittsburgh and practiced there for a few years afterward. Dating was . . . challenging. It's very insular in some ways and Yinzers are a special breed of folk who tend to prefer their own. Having said that, there are so may universities and residency programs that you are likely to meet people from all over the place. The 'Burgh is a great town. People are really nice. And if you learn to love the Steelers, you'll do okay.
Philly's not bad, especially if you're in the city. There's a nice concentration of young professionals in the Logan Square area. Having said that, after years away from my home turf I've discovered that I seemed to have turned into a Midwesterner. The NE is culturally different and I'm not used to it anymore. Things come off as rude to me now that I'm pretty sure are not intended that way. And all of the cities you list are culturally Northeastern, with the exception of Pittsburgh.
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Omg I'm colonial Williamsburg. It all makes sense now.
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splik gave input far more detailed and articulate than I could.
I will reiterate that if you're stuck between Stanford and Harbor-UCLA for the reasons you describe, I'm wondering if maybe there are programs you're overlooking on your match list due to being enamored with names like UCLA and Stanford. There are plenty of west coast programs that have great clinical training, good psychotherapy training, specialty clinics, and good county exposure. It seems like for the list you describe, you're looking at polar opposites and might be more prone to disappointment.
Have you considered other programs that have a more even balance of the stuff you're looking for, rather than programs that have LOTS of some of the features and very little of others? Just curious as an intellectual exercise.
If not, I would take a look at the list of things you are looking for in a program and prioritize them. That should shake out pretty easily which program is better for you, as Stanford and Harbor-UCLA are about as opposite as two psych programs on the west coast.
Good choices to have. Congratulations...
Hi all,
Having a hard time deciding whether to rank a significantly easier program vs multiple other programs with higher "prestige" --- the easier program (USC Palmetto) seems to have all of the opportunities I want but location isn't amazing (though cost of living is low) and part of me wonders if I'm giving up the opportunity to train at a stronger institution. That said, I have no interest in becoming an academic psychiatrist (likely going to do outpatient, possibly private practice) and don't really know if a brand name will have a significant impact after I graduate given how high demand is for psychiatry in general. Plan to stay in the SE for residency and beyond. Appreciate any thoughts!
Having a hard time deciding whether to rank a significantly easier program vs multiple other programs with higher "prestige" --- the easier program (USC Palmetto) seems to have all of the opportunities I want but location isn't amazing (though cost of living is low) and part of me wonders if I'm giving up the opportunity to train at a stronger institution. That said, I have no interest in becoming an academic psychiatrist (likely going to do outpatient, possibly private practice) and don't really know if a brand name will have a significant impact after I graduate given how high demand is for psychiatry in general. Plan to stay in the SE for residency and beyond. Appreciate any thoughts!
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Just a quick question to add...my last interview got postponed due to the big storm this past weekend. It's at a place I'm assuming will be in my top 3. Id like to email the other places onow the top of my list and specifically let my #1 know they're #1, but don't want to do it until after this interview in case that changes things. How late is too late to send an email? I know our deadline is Feb 24, but I thought I saw someone on here saying that at their place they finalize earlier. Any thoughts?
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Program deadlines are the same as yours, but most programs will settle on their rank list earlier (since it's usually a group decision--and meetings are an absolute pain to schedule...)
As to whether your post-interview contacts are necessary or even advisable...well, that's been discussed ad nauseam elsewhere.
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Are you planning to tell your #2 they are #2, or "ranked VERY high"?
What do you tell #3? "Close but no cigar...thanks for playing"?
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Chicago's dating scene is awesome. You have all the residents if that's your thing (I didnt think it was mine, but I just got engaged to a resident so I was clearly wrong). There are also a ton of people in finance, law, tech, etc. Also the different areas of town have very distinct night life so you can have a broad sorting just by where you choose to spend time and go out. There are plenty of over the top clubs, posh speakeasys, dirty/cheap dive bars, videogame bars, nerd bars, the list goes on and on.
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...But what if you're still waiting for a pesky Step 2 CS result which will be available anywhere between Feb 4-29? A couple programs asked me when I'm expecting it, but most didn't and rules vary as to whether said result is required to rank somebody.
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Just a heads up, someone in my home department told me that telling someone that they're "a top choice," "top three," or "top whatever" is not something you should do, because that'll just call attention to the fact that they're not a firm #1. I think you should just tell #1 that they're #1 and leave it at that this late in the game.
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I was planning on just telling number q they were number 1 I guess, but was afraid it will change after my last interview. But I guess the concensus is to not really do it at all? I searched some old stuff and I don't really wanna sound like a needy girlfriend or like I'm trying to play anyone. I communicated my interest pretty strongly while I was there so I guess I'll let it ride. I Def don't wanna do the "you're ranked highly" thing like you mentioned lol.
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Assuming it can have a positive effect (I don't believe it can), you need to send a #1 email well before you submit your rank list. If you do send the email, make damn sure it is your #1, and you put it #1 on your ROL and don't change it at the 11th hour...which you are entitled to do, by the way...better yet, don't tie yourself to a silly email love note in the first place and avoid all of the angst that comes from changing your mind.
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You are “ranked very highly” makes us either feel like chop liver, or makes us say “of course we are”. “You are ranked number 1!” isn’t to be trusted anyway. The more pleasantly surprised we are, the less likely it will end up being true. Just be quiet and enjoy the slow dance, sometimes talk can ruin the moment anyway. This high stakes game can be exciting unless you let your anxiety take away all of the fun.
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I'm getting all hot and bothered just thinking about March 18th, baby.
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March 17 is the real fun!
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When I have the options I do (Emory, Harvard South Shore, UCSD, Miami, Montefiore, UVa, Cincinnati, Case Western, U Mass, Utah), would it be foolish for me to rank University of Louisville first?
I'm interested in research, forensics, and LGBT health, which they aren't known particularly well for.... but the more I think about it, the more distressed I become about the idea of spending 4 more years unable to see my family more than 1-2x a year. My parents aren't in great health, and I have 3 grandparents in their 80's. I am getting really mixed advice from my friends.
I'm interested in research, forensics, and LGBT health, which they aren't known particularly well for.... but the more I think about it, the more distressed I become about the idea of spending 4 more years unable to see my family more than 1-2x a year. My parents aren't in great health, and I have 3 grandparents in their 80's. I am getting really mixed advice from my friends.
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I know next to nothing about these programs but I've picked up a bit during my 30+ years about life in general, and my advice is to trust your gut. Don't let your head get in the way too much. Odds are you know the answer already.
I wish there was a way to erase past communications. Hope I didn't shoot myself in the foot stating this to my top programs (as recommended by my resident friends). This forum is more and more useful...wish I'd lurked sooner.
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Really and truly, no one will much care or pay attention…
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There is no harm in saying you are #1. It just doesn't help any.
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If you think the relationship is unilateral, perhaps. ;-)
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Nah, just st. patty's day.
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You all make good points and I'm glad I didn't send any emails. Thanks for the advice...I guess I was caught in the "increase my chances!!!!" mindset. Thanks everyone and good luck!
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After doing some thinking I feel like training at Stanford would be like training to be my imaginary "perfect psychiatrist"- good training, publishing papers, networking with some of the greats in the field. On the other hand, my imaginary "perfect DuskPhilosophy psychiatrist" does not fit into that type of training program.
If i'm being honest with myself Emory probably embodies the patient population that I would like to train with, while having the academics and research that I could pursue if so inclined. However with Emory being allllll the way in ATL, that causes a problem since I have some factors keeping me on the west coast. In terms of places I interviewed that might offer the best of both worlds on the west coast, USC was a really good fit. I really enjoyed my interview there, admin and residents were all extremely friendly and open and I left feeling like I could definitely drink the Trojan kool-aid. For a while had a time deciding if I liked it more than Harbor, but in the end Harbor won that battle.
Even in medical school I've been the type of student to seek out projects, committees and teaching opportunities, and I don't think is something that will change in residency. If there is something I want to accomplish at Harbor, i'll get scrappy and go through the obstacles to get it set up.
If you do end up doing a child fellowship perhaps you can have the best of both worlds and attend do wildly different programs to get a more diverse experience?
And who knows, this might be the path that I go down. Now just to wait until March 18th and open whatever themed envelopes our school comes up with and see where I end up.
Thank you @notdeadyet and @splik for the internet guidance and for all of the work you both put in on this entire forum. I know I speak for many when I say it is greatly appreciated.
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Could you elaborate on that, splik? Thanks.
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And I don't think you'll find Harbor-UCLA unreceptive to that or stifling. The only limitation will be that in most of residency, you will not have access to the same demographic you will at Stanford. But if the county population as your target demographic, Harbor will give you some of the best exposure you can find to learn clinical skills, program development, advocacy, and community health research with your peeps.
You can always do child at Stanford. It's child program is one of the best around, and actually has a community-focus track.
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I'm not sure what exactly is going on at USC, but this isn't the first time that I've heard other residents talking about "USC going down the drain." This was brought up at a few pre interview dinners I attended but no one ever went into detail and I did not dig since I was trying to be a good applicant.
From the interview day at USC you would never know Paris was burning. The residents were happy and unconcerned about their search for a new chair.
