Official 2018/2019 "Help Me Rank" Megathread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
I think I need some advice.

Interested in academic programs with a strong interest in GI fellowship. I would prefer to be in the West, but strength of the program is more important to me.

1. UC San Diego

2. Vanderbilt

3. UChicago

4. Mount Sinai/Icahn

5. Cedars-Sinai

6. Baylor

7. NYU

8. UC Irvine

9. University of Utah

I feel strongly about 1-2, but the rest are mostly arbitrary based on how I felt during interview day.

If we're truly ignoring location: Vandy, Mt Sinai, UCSD, Uchicago, NYU, Baylor, Cedars, Utah, Irvine. But your list looks fine and if that's your gut feeling than that's the way to go.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Finished interviews last week, top of my list has been driving me crazy. Interested in GI and research heavy career. Home is in the midwest, have slight pref towards there (but obviously not binding).

1. Stanford - Had strongest gut feeling here, got along great with residents/faculty. COL is really biggest concern
2. Penn - Possibly the "strongest" program i visited. Love the city and they have ppl doing great research
3. Duke - Like 4+2, DCRI. Not sure Durham has what i'm looking for
4. Vandy - Love Nashville, really strong research infrastructure. Having to talk myself out of putting it higher
5. Northwestern - Close to home, strong GI network
6. UChicago
7. Michigan
8. Washu

Really interesting choices here, you pretty much colonized the 5th-15th cluster on those annual rankings.

Slight edge to Penn/Duke on fellowship prospects.
Stanford seems research heavy, if you're prioritizing that. And nice pun there, in bold.
Vandy +/- WashU give you something CLOSE ENOUGH to the Midwest to allow you to visit a lot, but far enough away to give you a unique experience.
Wild card is Michigan. If I recall, their PD of many years was a GI guy. That's gotta count for something.

Best of luck.
 
Goal is cardiology fellowship. This is my updated rank list...can someone let me know suggestions?
1. UIC
2. Indiana U
3. University of Florida
4. Lenox Hill Hospital
5. Medical College of Wisconsin
6. Houston Methodist
7. Cook County
8. UC Northshore
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I would probably put mt Sinai up higher and drop UCSD all the way behind Baylor if you’re talking GI. That is of course if we leave geography out of all this.

Yeah, I had that strong "gut feeling" at UCSD and Vandy, but being closer to family makes UCSD edge it out just a bit. I might switch UChicago and Mount Sinai because the latter's GI match list appears to be better in number/quality of programs on average, and Sinai seems to regularly send people to California (where I'm aiming to go, eventually).
 
LA Cedar Sinai vs Mayo vs Northwestern

I'm going for internal medicine and leaning towards a fellowship in Cardiology or GI - but, that can easily change.

I'm not sure how to go about ranking these - Almost all sites rank Mayo to be the highest in internal medicine and Mayo apparently holds #1 for both GI and cardiology while LA Cedar Sinai holds #3 for both GI and cardiology.

Pros of Cedar Sina: It's in LA. Great program. Sets up more opportunities in the West coast especially that there are many big names out there
Pros of Mayo: Fantastic program. Probably ranked one of the highest (but #1 vs #3 - how does it matter)
Cons of Mayo: ridiculous weather. Could kill my spirit - I really going out even if its just once/month or more.

Ultimate question - Would Mayo really open up fellowship opportunities that Cedar Sinai wouldn't?

Northwestern - I'm feeling it should be my third out of these 3 but I'm open to any suggestions/recommendations.

Mayo is probably the most reputed in the group. It will open far more doors for cardiology and GI across the country than Cedars. They have traditionally had a very good track record of setting residents up for research etc. Mayo tends to be very inbred for fellowships- may not suit everyone.

Northwestern is more competitive than Mayo (location); I dont think NW necessarily provides better training. Back in 2006 (when I applied for residency) it had a pretty cush reputation, but that may have changed. UChicago has traditionally been the top academic program in Chicago.
 
Hey everyone,

I'd love to see people's opinions about this list. I feel I always hear angles on here I don't hear anywhere else

I thought of going by it this way:

I would choose LA over anything but I feel the two programs (Cedars and USC) I got are greatly outweighed by he other names' institutions - or what do you think?

1. Northwestern
2. Mayo
3. Wash U (although better location than Mayo)
4. Ann Arbor
5. Baylor
6. Cedar
7. USC
 
Happy Holiday Season! Long time lurker as well here. I am a Non-US Need Visa IMG interested in Hem-Onc fellowship. I hope to do some research as an oncologist in the future.

Goal: Hem-Onc fellowship and opportunity for research

1. Cook County: Inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship, decent alumni placement for a community hospital, got rid of much scut work these years. Not easy to get away rotation.
2. Houston Methodist: Inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship, strong faculty members, alumni mostly matched in Texas. No away rotation.
3. Albert Einstein Philly: Inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship. Great alumni placement. Merging with Thomas Jefferson Univ (not sure good or bad)
4. St. Luke's–Roosevelt: Great alumni placement, opportunity to rotate at MSKCC.
5. Jacobi: They want to start their own inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship. Matched 1~2 residents to Monte Hem-Onc. Flexible research elective time. Electives can only be done at Monte.
6. Staten Island Univ Hospital/Northwell Health: Inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship. Not a lot of people doing away electives.
7. Univ of Hawaii: Supportive to take away electives or attend conference in mainland US.
8. Midtown campus/University of Maryland: Many rotations done at Main Campus. Very easy to get away electives at prestigious institutes.
9. Mount Sinai Queens: Good fellowship placement (1~2 go to SUNY Downstate Hem-Onc). Seems supportive to do research so long as you are proactive.
10. Danbury: Hiring full-time scholars to help the residents for their research. Electives at their affiliated hospitals. Not many people matched to Hem-Onc.
11. Saint Peter's/Rutgers RWJ: Not many people matched to Hem-Onc.

I have glanced through several old threads regarding some programs that invited me. In terms of overall strength, probably all program are similar on this list. I may move Jacobi up to the top since a few successful alumni are from my home country. I appreciate your input and expertise!

I am IMG who is trying to rank some of the programs on your list too. Want to do Oncology. Anyone knows a thing or two about these programs? Thank you!
1. Jacobi/AECOM
2. Houston Methodist
3. Danbury/Yale
4. Akron/Cleveland Clinic
5. Bassett Medical Center
 
Hey guys, would appreciate some help with ranking. As background:Will likely pursue pulmcrit or cards later on - so research opportunities and contacts would be important; Would rather live in an extremely hot vs extremely cold weather. Looking for a reasonable work life balance . Not sure about private practice career vs academics, but right now I am leaning more towards PP

1 Houston Methodist - middle sized community program in a fancy, highly reputable, big private hospital (>2000 beds) in the TMC. They have all in house fellowships, faculty is very renowed and approachable. They reassured us that you have real autonomy despite being private. I really liked this program and I like Houston. Work life balance is great.

2. UTMB - middle sized univ program in an island city nearby Houston. They have a new fancy hospital completely resident run and the Texas Detention Center which provides hospital health care for almost all inmates in Texas. Extremely laid back environment. All in house fellowships and a good fellowship placement.

3 UCONN - big university program, 3 hospitals with different patient population in Hartford CT. Seems really academic regarding didactics and research and residents match very well. This one seems a lot more hardcore though and I didnt like the city that much.

Any thoughts?
 
Last edited:
Hey everyone,

I'd love to see people's opinions about this list. I feel I always hear angles on here I don't hear anywhere else

I thought of going by it this way:

I would choose LA over anything but I feel the two programs (Cedars and USC) I got are greatly outweighed by he other names' institutions - or what do you think?

1. Northwestern
2. Mayo
3. Wash U (although better location than Mayo)
4. Ann Arbor
5. Baylor
6. Cedar
7. USC
I like the list the way you've got it. I think you could put Baylor at the bottom if you wanted but those Top 4 are in a pretty good order.
 
Hey everyone,

I'd love to see people's opinions about this list. I feel I always hear angles on here I don't hear anywhere else

I thought of going by it this way:

I would choose LA over anything but I feel the two programs (Cedars and USC) I got are greatly outweighed by he other names' institutions - or what do you think?

1. Northwestern
2. Mayo
3. Wash U (although better location than Mayo)
4. Ann Arbor
5. Baylor
6. Cedar
7. USC

I see the pattern you have.
Best for you to keep both WashU and UMich in your Top 3 unless you truly hated either one.
 
Hi. Non US IMG from Pakistan here who requires a visa. Thinking of GI for fellowship. How would you guys recommend I rank the following?

MetroHealth Cleveland, MedStar Washington Medical Centre, University of Oklahoma, Westchester Medical Centre NYMC, LSU Shreveport

Thanks again!
 
IMG from the UK, thinking about Cards or Pulm/CC for fellowship. My list is not in order, and I am geographically flexible. In the end, I am hoping for a place where I am tight-knit with my fellow residents. I really appreciate the help and best wishes to you all.

- Mayo Rochester
- Mary Hitchcock/Dartmouth
- Montefiore Moses & Weiler
- University of Maryland
- UConn
- Jacobi
- Mount Sinai SLR
- Pennsylvania Hospital
- Mount Auburn Hospital
- Mayo Arizona
- Albany Medical Centre
- Lahey Clinic
- Umass Baystate
 
Hi. Non US IMG from Pakistan here who requires a visa. Thinking of GI for fellowship. How would you guys recommend I rank the following?

MetroHealth Cleveland, MedStar Washington Medical Centre, University of Oklahoma, Westchester Medical Centre NYMC, LSU Shreveport

Thanks again!

MedStar Washington > other ones

IMG from the UK, thinking about Cards or Pulm/CC for fellowship. My list is not in order, and I am geographically flexible. In the end, I am hoping for a place where I am tight-knit with my fellow residents. I really appreciate the help and best wishes to you all.

- Mayo Rochester
- Mary Hitchcock/Dartmouth
- Montefiore Moses & Weiler
- University of Maryland
- UConn
- Jacobi
- Mount Sinai SLR
- Pennsylvania Hospital
- Mount Auburn Hospital
- Mayo Arizona
- Albany Medical Centre
- Lahey Clinic
- Umass Baystate

Monte or Mayo Rochester (depending on where you want to live) > UMD > everything else. Personally I would favor Monte as I like the clinical rigor and NYC more but you have way more time for research at Mayo with a rather cush schedule which may help with your fellowship applications.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Struggling with #2 and #3, but the rest I feel very comfortable with rest. Looking to go into cardiology with an education focused career. Training and fellowship match are more important to me than location and "cushy-ness" of the program. Appreciate any/all input!

1. WashU
2. Emory
3. Michigan
4. UVA
5. Baylor
 
Hey everyone,

I'd love to see people's opinions about this list. I feel I always hear angles on here I don't hear anywhere else

I thought of going by it this way:

I would choose LA over anything but I feel the two programs (Cedars and USC) I got are greatly outweighed by he other names' institutions - or what do you think?

1. Northwestern
2. Mayo
3. Wash U (although better location than Mayo)
4. Ann Arbor
5. Baylor
6. Cedar
7. USC

I'd put Mayo #4, and baylor maybe ahead of LA programs but it doesn't greatly outweigh them like your top 4.

Struggling with #2 and #3, but the rest I feel very comfortable with rest. Looking to go into cardiology with an education focused career. Training and fellowship match are more important to me than location and "cushy-ness" of the program. Appreciate any/all input!

1. WashU
2. Emory
3. Michigan
4. UVA
5. Baylor

I'd flip emory with michigan.
 
IMG from the UK, thinking about Cards or Pulm/CC for fellowship. My list is not in order, and I am geographically flexible. In the end, I am hoping for a place where I am tight-knit with my fellow residents. I really appreciate the help and best wishes to you all.

- Mayo Rochester
- Mary Hitchcock/Dartmouth
- Montefiore Moses & Weiler
- University of Maryland
- UConn
- Jacobi
- Mount Sinai SLR
- Pennsylvania Hospital
- Mount Auburn Hospital
- Mayo Arizona
- Albany Medical Centre
- Lahey Clinic
- Umass Baystate
Please put it in order.
 
Goal is cardiology fellowship. This is my updated rank list...can someone let me know suggestions?
1. UIC
2. Indiana U
3. University of Florida
4. Lenox Hill Hospital
5. Medical College of Wisconsin
6. Houston Methodist
7. Cook County
8. UC Northshore

shameless bump?
 
So you'd go:
1. NW
2. Ann Arbor
3. Wash U
4. Mayo
?

I meant: NW, WashU, Michigan, Mayo, Baylor, Cedar, USC. IMO, the first 3 are all in the same tier and you can't go wrong, Mayo maybe is a smidge outside of that group. But go with your gut, if mayo felt good to you, better than the others, then go with it.
 
Happy Holiday Season! Long time lurker as well here. I am a Non-US Need Visa IMG interested in Hem-Onc fellowship. I hope to do some research as an oncologist in the future.

Goal: Hem-Onc fellowship and opportunity for research

1. Cook County: Inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship, decent alumni placement for a community hospital, got rid of much scut work these years. Not easy to get away rotation.
2. Houston Methodist: Inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship, strong faculty members, alumni mostly matched in Texas. No away rotation.
3. Albert Einstein Philly: Inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship. Great alumni placement. Merging with Thomas Jefferson Univ (not sure good or bad)
4. St. Luke's–Roosevelt: Great alumni placement, opportunity to rotate at MSKCC.
5. Jacobi: They want to start their own inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship. Matched 1~2 residents to Monte Hem-Onc. Flexible research elective time. Electives can only be done at Monte.
6. Staten Island Univ Hospital/Northwell Health: Inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship. Not a lot of people doing away electives.
7. Univ of Hawaii: Supportive to take away electives or attend conference in mainland US.
8. Midtown campus/University of Maryland: Many rotations done at Main Campus. Very easy to get away electives at prestigious institutes.
9. Mount Sinai Queens: Good fellowship placement (1~2 go to SUNY Downstate Hem-Onc). Seems supportive to do research so long as you are proactive.
10. Danbury: Hiring full-time scholars to help the residents for their research. Electives at their affiliated hospitals. Not many people matched to Hem-Onc.
11. Saint Peter's/Rutgers RWJ: Not many people matched to Hem-Onc.

I have glanced through several old threads regarding some programs that invited me. In terms of overall strength, probably all program are similar on this list. I may move Jacobi up to the top since a few successful alumni are from my home country. I appreciate your input and expertise!

Did you arrange this list in the order of ranking?
I would put Jacobi, Albert Einstein Philly, and SLR on top, probably followed by Staten Island and Houston Methodist for the inhouse fellowship.
 
Last edited:
Happy Holiday Season! Long time lurker as well here. I am a Non-US Need Visa IMG interested in Hem-Onc fellowship. I hope to do some research as an oncologist in the future.

Goal: Hem-Onc fellowship and opportunity for research

1. Cook County: Inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship, decent alumni placement for a community hospital, got rid of much scut work these years. Not easy to get away rotation.
2. Houston Methodist: Inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship, strong faculty members, alumni mostly matched in Texas. No away rotation.
3. Albert Einstein Philly: Inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship. Great alumni placement. Merging with Thomas Jefferson Univ (not sure good or bad)
4. St. Luke's–Roosevelt: Great alumni placement, opportunity to rotate at MSKCC.
5. Jacobi: They want to start their own inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship. Matched 1~2 residents to Monte Hem-Onc. Flexible research elective time. Electives can only be done at Monte.
6. Staten Island Univ Hospital/Northwell Health: Inhouse Hem-Onc fellowship. Not a lot of people doing away electives.
7. Univ of Hawaii: Supportive to take away electives or attend conference in mainland US.
8. Midtown campus/University of Maryland: Many rotations done at Main Campus. Very easy to get away electives at prestigious institutes.
9. Mount Sinai Queens: Good fellowship placement (1~2 go to SUNY Downstate Hem-Onc). Seems supportive to do research so long as you are proactive.
10. Danbury: Hiring full-time scholars to help the residents for their research. Electives at their affiliated hospitals. Not many people matched to Hem-Onc.
11. Saint Peter's/Rutgers RWJ: Not many people matched to Hem-Onc.

I have glanced through several old threads regarding some programs that invited me. In terms of overall strength, probably all program are similar on this list. I may move Jacobi up to the top since a few successful alumni are from my home country. I appreciate your input and expertise!

Did you arrange this list in the order of ranking?
I would put Jacobi, Albert Einstein Philly, and SLR on top, probably followed by Staten Island and Houston Methodist for the inhouse fellowship.

Thank you for your response. I put them in the preference ranking order. I wonder why moving Methodist down since I found Hem-Onc match of Houston Methodist is quite impressive. Also, regarding the general reputation, what's your opinion upon these community programs?
 
Thank you for your response. I put them in the preference ranking order. I wonder why moving Methodist down since I found Hem-Onc match of Houston Methodist is quite impressive. Also, regarding the general reputation, what's your opinion upon these community programs?

I am not familiar with Houston Methodist. But I do know Jacobi, Albert Einstein, and SLR are all great programs. The plus for these three programs is that they are in the east coast. So whomever you rotate with or do research with during residency might know someone in the nearby hospitals, which means you will have access to more connection. If I were you, I would take that into consideration. That is also why I put Cook County further down the list. But it also depends on where you want to live I guess.
 
IMG from the UK, thinking about Cards or Pulm/CC for fellowship. My list is not in order, and I am geographically flexible. In the end, I am hoping for a place where I am tight-knit with my fellow residents. I really appreciate the help and best wishes to you all.

- Mayo Rochester
- Mary Hitchcock/Dartmouth
- Montefiore Moses & Weiler
- University of Maryland
- UConn
- Jacobi
- Mount Sinai SLR
- Pennsylvania Hospital
- Mount Auburn Hospital
- Mayo Arizona
- Albany Medical Centre
- Lahey Clinic
- Umass Baystate
I think your list looks perfect.
 
I would like to do cardiology and I’m trying to decide whether I should rank Wake Forest or MUSC as my top choice. I’m not sure if one is any better than the other? If anyone has any insight it would be much appreciated!
 
I would like to do cardiology and I’m trying to decide whether I should rank Wake Forest or MUSC as my top choice. I’m not sure if one is any better than the other? If anyone has any insight it would be much appreciated!

MUSC has a phenomenal cardiology program. Will really help with letters research connections etc
 
I'll give this a go. I have my number 1. My 2-6 looks something like:

Penn State
UTMB-Galveston
Virginia Tech
UT-Knoxville
MCOG

Aspirations are possibly critical care, possibly working in academics. Thoughts? I think Roanoke and Knoxville are my fave locations but the reputation of Penn State and UTMB put them above the others. Hershey and Galveston are growing on me, but I think they would both be semi-tough places to be single in my late-20s. Thoughts?
 
I'll give this a go. I have my number 1. My 2-6 looks something like:

Penn State
UTMB-Galveston
Virginia Tech
UT-Knoxville
MCOG

Aspirations are possibly critical care, possibly working in academics. Thoughts? I think Roanoke and Knoxville are my fave locations but the reputation of Penn State and UTMB put them above the others. Hershey and Galveston are growing on me, but I think they would both be semi-tough places to be single in my late-20s. Thoughts?

Hershey more tough to be in than Roanoke?? At least Hershey is in close proximity to Philly. Roanoke is 4-5 hours away from any major city and nested inside Appalachia.
 
Goal is cardiology fellowship. This is my updated rank list...can someone let me know suggestions?
1. UIC
2. Indiana U
3. University of Florida
4. Lenox Hill Hospital
5. Medical College of Wisconsin
6. Houston Methodist
7. Cook County
8. UC Northshore

Any thoughts?
 
Hershey more tough to be in than Roanoke?? At least Hershey is in close proximity to Philly. Roanoke is 4-5 hours away from any major city and nested inside Appalachia.
I think so. Hershey is basically Harrisburg which isn't awful, but it's like 2.5 from Philly and DC which is a weekend trip, to do anything. I liked roanoke a good bit more than Harrisburg. Yeah it would suck not having any major sports teams and stuff like that in Roanoke but I think I'd find enough to do in the city.
 
Any thoughts?

I think that both IU and UF are stronger than UIC, albeit marginally. If you really want to be in Chicago I think it won't hold you back too much to go to UIC over these two
 
US IMG, average applicant, thinking about heme/onc, family in Sol-Cal

1. cedars sinai
2 Kaiser - fontana
3 eisenhower medical center
4 LSU - baton rouge
5 Legacy emanuel
6 methodist dallas
7 ochsner
8 texas tech el paso
9 st mary long beach
10 st agnes fresno
11 LSU lafayette
12 montefiore new rochelle
 
Lehigh Valley vs St Luke's Bethlehem vs Geisinger vs Hofstra Staten Island? Mostly curious if my superficial sense of training quality is fair.

1. Hofstra SI (interview had a sweatshop vibe tbh but location is best and training seems decent)
2. St Luke's Bethlehem (possibly the weakest training of the 4 but that's a superficial/unfair judgement bases on # of DOs and Caribbean grads, but I just liked the vibe and residents seemed happy)
3. Geisinger: painful location in many respects but strongest training and resources, no contest in my mind.
4. Lehigh Valley: training maybe just slightly better than St Luke's (again superficial, just basing on high rate of inhouse fellowship match and what seems like a very thoughtfully designed curriculum) but just didn't like the vibe.
 
I am interested in a residency with good ID/global health opportunities, with goal of a top ID fellowship. Ideally, would not like to live in a city with a high COL. #'s 8-14 are challenging me a lot.

1 Michigan: Location is ideal.
2 Wash U
3 Emory
4 Mayo- Rochester
5 UPMC
6 BIDMC
7 UVA
8 UAB
9 Case Western: Amazing ID research.
10 Rochester: Love the people and Rochester, NY.
11 Wisconsin
12 Minnesota
13 Colorado
14 BMC: Love the ID opportunities. However, don't want to live in Boston.
15 Ohio State: Interviewer violated rules (i.e. asking where I was applying, put down another program), which left a very bad impression.
16 Cleveland Clinic
 
I think that both IU and UF are stronger than UIC, albeit marginally. If you really want to be in Chicago I think it won't hold you back too much to go to UIC over these two

How do you think MCW, Houston Methodist, and Lenox Hill compare?
 
I am interested in a residency with good ID/global health opportunities, with goal of a top ID fellowship. Ideally, would not like to live in a city with a high COL. #'s 8-14 are challenging me a lot.

1 Michigan: Location is ideal.
2 Wash U
3 Emory
4 Mayo- Rochester
5 UPMC
6 BIDMC
7 UVA
8 UAB
9 Case Western: Amazing ID research.
10 Rochester: Love the people and Rochester, NY.
11 Wisconsin
12 Minnesota
13 Colorado
14 BMC: Love the ID opportunities. However, don't want to live in Boston.
15 Ohio State: Interviewer violated rules (i.e. asking where I was applying, put down another program), which left a very bad impression.
16 Cleveland Clinic

What's the reason you don't want to live in Boston or HCOL? I think you're selling yourself short by putting BIDMC and BMC so low.
 
Trying to figure out the top half of my list. My priorities include trying to live in a bigger city and choosing a program with a tight-knit culture where the residents are all very close and the faculty/leadership are very approachable and invested in the residents. I'm trying to balance those goals with wanting to train at a program that will prepare me well for post-residency and put me in a good position for fellowship (currently planning on heme/onc). I'm also interested in med ed and appreciate programs that have pre-existing med-ed opportunities within the residency. Current list as follows:

1. Northwestern -- love Chicago, have a few friends/family in the area, plan to stay in the midwest post-residency, loved the PD and felt like the residents were all really satisfied with their choice. My only major complaint was no X+Y scheduling, but I also think night-float is better for me than 24 hr call, so the lack of overnight call might be worth it.
2. Duke -- the most well-regarded program on my list. I really liked the culture that was promoted during interview day and the PD and my interviewers were great, but I also didn't click with a few of the residents I met throughout the dinner and the day of. Durham is a smaller city than I'd like, but I have ties there and the weather/good COL are appealing.
3. Vanderbilt -- found the residents easy to get along with, great PD, lots to do in Nashville.
4. WashU -- had a great interview day, the scheduling seems more relaxed than some of the other top programs. Spent a lot of time with the chiefs so didn't get a good sense of how close the rest of the class was. Thought the PD didn't seem as involved as others I encountered. Would be disappointed to have to live in St Louis.
5. BIDMC -- loved Boston and all the interactions with residents. Everyone seemed really happy with their choice. I have multiple friends in the area. Wish it could be higher but when trying to balance location/vibe with strength of the program/future fellowship opportunities I find myself putting it lower. Considering switching this with #4.
6. UChicago -- love Chicago but the program seemed needlessly intense to me.
7. Michigan -- I feel weird putting Michigan this low, but when I think of living in Ann Arbor my heart sinks a little bit.

If anyone has insights into the satisfaction of residents at some of these programs that'd be awesome. Also trying to get a sense of what programs are close enough in training quality/opportunities that location and gut feeling can be the deciding factor. My impression was that it's Duke > Northwestern, Michigan, WashU, Vanderbilt > BIDMC, U Chicago where the ones grouped by commas are similar enough. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Last edited:
Trying to figure out the top half of my list. My priorities include trying to live in a bigger city and choosing a program with a tight-knit culture where the residents are all very close and the faculty/leadership are very approachable and invested in the residents. I'm trying to balance those goals with wanting to train at a program that will prepare me well for post-residency and put me in a good position for fellowship (currently planning on heme/onc). I'm also interested in med ed and appreciate programs that have pre-existing med-ed opportunities within the residency. Current list as follows:

1. Northwestern -- love Chicago, have a few friends/family in the area, plan to stay in the midwest post-residency, loved the PD and felt like the residents were all really satisfied with their choice. My only major complaint was no X+Y scheduling, but I also think night-float is better for me than 24 hr call, so the lack of overnight call might be worth it.
2. Duke -- the most well-regarded program on my list. I really liked the culture that was promoted during interview day and the PD and my interviewers were great, but I also didn't click with a few of the residents I met throughout the dinner and the day of. Durham is a smaller city than I'd like, but I have ties there and the weather/good COL are appealing.
3. Vanderbilt -- found the residents easy to get along with, great PD, lots to do in Nashville.
4. WashU -- had a great interview day, the scheduling seems more relaxed than some of the other top programs. Spent a lot of time with the chiefs so didn't get a good sense of how close the rest of the class was. Thought the PD didn't seem as involved as others I encountered. Would be disappointed to have to live in St Louis.
5. BIDMC -- loved Boston and all the interactions with residents. Everyone seemed really happy with their choice. I have multiple friends in the area. Wish it could be higher but when trying to balance location/vibe with strength of the program/future fellowship opportunities I find myself putting it lower. Considering switching this with #4.
6. UChicago -- love Chicago but the program seemed needlessly intense to me.
7. Michigan -- I feel weird putting Michigan this low, but when I think of living in Ann Arbor my heart sinks a little bit.

If anyone has insights into the satisfaction of residents at some of these programs that'd be awesome. Also trying to get a sense of what programs are close enough in training quality/opportunities that location and gut feeling can be the deciding factor. My impression was that it's Duke > Northwestern, Michigan, WashU, Vanderbilt > BIDMC, U Chicago where the ones grouped by commas are similar enough. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
Hey, I'm a fellow applicant and interviewed at all of those programs as well. I agree with your tiered ranking but would just add that I felt that the fellowship match at BIDMC was as good if not better than UM/WashU/Vandy. So, I don't really think you'd be hurting yourself in any meaningful way by ranking BIDMC over WashU if you have a real preference for Boston over STL. Good luck!
 
What's the reason you don't want to live in Boston or HCOL? I think you're selling yourself short by putting BIDMC and BMC so low.

I received similar advice from my advisor. I am just having trouble comparing Emory (with the CDC, amazing ID/global health, HIV pathway, etc.) with BIDMC (great global health, wonderful public health research, Harvard connections).

Also, comparing BMC to midwest programs (Wisc., Case, etc.).

In regards to Boston, the COL is just intense. My husband and I would like to ideally get a dog in residency.
 
Trying to figure out the top half of my list. My priorities include trying to live in a bigger city and choosing a program with a tight-knit culture where the residents are all very close and the faculty/leadership are very approachable and invested in the residents. I'm trying to balance those goals with wanting to train at a program that will prepare me well for post-residency and put me in a good position for fellowship (currently planning on heme/onc). I'm also interested in med ed and appreciate programs that have pre-existing med-ed opportunities within the residency. Current list as follows:

1. Northwestern -- love Chicago, have a few friends/family in the area, plan to stay in the midwest post-residency, loved the PD and felt like the residents were all really satisfied with their choice. My only major complaint was no X+Y scheduling, but I also think night-float is better for me than 24 hr call, so the lack of overnight call might be worth it.
2. Duke -- the most well-regarded program on my list. I really liked the culture that was promoted during interview day and the PD and my interviewers were great, but I also didn't click with a few of the residents I met throughout the dinner and the day of. Durham is a smaller city than I'd like, but I have ties there and the weather/good COL are appealing.
3. Vanderbilt -- found the residents easy to get along with, great PD, lots to do in Nashville.
4. WashU -- had a great interview day, the scheduling seems more relaxed than some of the other top programs. Spent a lot of time with the chiefs so didn't get a good sense of how close the rest of the class was. Thought the PD didn't seem as involved as others I encountered. Would be disappointed to have to live in St Louis.
5. BIDMC -- loved Boston and all the interactions with residents. Everyone seemed really happy with their choice. I have multiple friends in the area. Wish it could be higher but when trying to balance location/vibe with strength of the program/future fellowship opportunities I find myself putting it lower. Considering switching this with #4.
6. UChicago -- love Chicago but the program seemed needlessly intense to me.
7. Michigan -- I feel weird putting Michigan this low, but when I think of living in Ann Arbor my heart sinks a little bit.

If anyone has insights into the satisfaction of residents at some of these programs that'd be awesome. Also trying to get a sense of what programs are close enough in training quality/opportunities that location and gut feeling can be the deciding factor. My impression was that it's Duke > Northwestern, Michigan, WashU, Vanderbilt > BIDMC, U Chicago where the ones grouped by commas are similar enough. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

BIDMC is certainly in the same category as NW, Mich, WashU and Vandy, anyone who thinks or says differently doesn't know what they're talking about. UChicago maybe is a slight tick below, if at all.

I received similar advice from my advisor. I am just having trouble comparing Emory (with the CDC, amazing ID/global health, HIV pathway, etc.) with BIDMC (great global health, wonderful public health research, Harvard connections).

Also, comparing BMC to midwest programs (Wisc., Case, etc.).

In regards to Boston, the COL is just intense. My husband and I would like to ideally get a dog in residency.

On rep alone I'd put BIDMC up there with Mich and WashU, but your interest in Emory is fine as well. BMC I'd put in the 7/8 range on your list. COL in boston is do-able, not sure how much you plan on spending for a dog, but plenty of folks get by fine in Boston on resident salary.
 
Trying to figure out the top half of my list. My priorities include trying to live in a bigger city and choosing a program with a tight-knit culture where the residents are all very close and the faculty/leadership are very approachable and invested in the residents. I'm trying to balance those goals with wanting to train at a program that will prepare me well for post-residency and put me in a good position for fellowship (currently planning on heme/onc). I'm also interested in med ed and appreciate programs that have pre-existing med-ed opportunities within the residency. Current list as follows:

1. Northwestern -- love Chicago, have a few friends/family in the area, plan to stay in the midwest post-residency, loved the PD and felt like the residents were all really satisfied with their choice. My only major complaint was no X+Y scheduling, but I also think night-float is better for me than 24 hr call, so the lack of overnight call might be worth it.
2. Duke -- the most well-regarded program on my list. I really liked the culture that was promoted during interview day and the PD and my interviewers were great, but I also didn't click with a few of the residents I met throughout the dinner and the day of. Durham is a smaller city than I'd like, but I have ties there and the weather/good COL are appealing.
3. Vanderbilt -- found the residents easy to get along with, great PD, lots to do in Nashville.
4. WashU -- had a great interview day, the scheduling seems more relaxed than some of the other top programs. Spent a lot of time with the chiefs so didn't get a good sense of how close the rest of the class was. Thought the PD didn't seem as involved as others I encountered. Would be disappointed to have to live in St Louis.
5. BIDMC -- loved Boston and all the interactions with residents. Everyone seemed really happy with their choice. I have multiple friends in the area. Wish it could be higher but when trying to balance location/vibe with strength of the program/future fellowship opportunities I find myself putting it lower. Considering switching this with #4.
6. UChicago -- love Chicago but the program seemed needlessly intense to me.
7. Michigan -- I feel weird putting Michigan this low, but when I think of living in Ann Arbor my heart sinks a little bit.

If anyone has insights into the satisfaction of residents at some of these programs that'd be awesome. Also trying to get a sense of what programs are close enough in training quality/opportunities that location and gut feeling can be the deciding factor. My impression was that it's Duke > Northwestern, Michigan, WashU, Vanderbilt > BIDMC, U Chicago where the ones grouped by commas are similar enough. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

There's no way BIDMC is inferior to those programs above it. Incredible research as well as fellowship match (stronger clinical research and school of public health than all those above it, which are more basic sci powerhouses)
 
There's no way BIDMC is inferior to those programs above it. Incredible research as well as fellowship match (stronger clinical research and school of public health than all those above it, which are more basic sci powerhouses)
I agree with you but if anyone is a basic science powerhouse it's the Harvard system - even more reason
 
BIDMC is certainly in the same category as NW, Mich, WashU and Vandy, anyone who thinks or says differently doesn't know what they're talking about. UChicago maybe is a slight tick below, if at all.



On rep alone I'd put BIDMC up there with Mich and WashU, but your interest in Emory is fine as well. BMC I'd put in the 7/8 range on your list. COL in boston is do-able, not sure how much you plan on spending for a dog, but plenty of folks get by fine in Boston on resident salary.

Thanks! BIDMC vs Emory is def the tough decision for me.
 
I'm having a difficult time decided some lower ranks on my list and was hoping for some insight. I interviewed at both UMass and Mt Auburn; they will likely end up 6 and 7 in my list. After the interview days, I feel that UMass will give me better clinical training, but that it is a workhorse program without much time to conduct research necessary for fellowship. They claim to match to the Boston programs, but it doesn't seem to have happened in a couple years. On the other hand, Mt Auburn seems to regularly match people into a couple of the Boston programs, including Heme/Onc at BIDMC. My goal at either would be to match Heme/Onc in one of the Boston programs, so it seems Mt Auburn may actually be the better choice despite the less robust clinical experience. Is that sound reasoning or am I missing something?
 
Has anyone ever written a letter of intent to a residency program?

I had an interview who suggested I could email saying I am ranking this program as my #1. I just wanted to see people's views on this.
 
Has anyone ever written a letter of intent to a residency program?

I had an interview who suggested I could email saying I am ranking this program as my #1. I just wanted to see people's views on this.

I would do this. I would be honest regarding any emails you send. If you say you're ranking it #1 then rank it number one. Otherwise just say you're very interested and liked the program for xy&z reasons and could see yourself very happy there.

I don't know if this is going to change their ranking but if you match there it will buy you some credibility within the program. Programs like to be liked and know they're getting people that want to be there.
 
I have a bunch of CA community programs and have a hard time deciding how to rank these. There are several other academic and community programs I did not list here but I have already decided how to rank those.

Interested in fellowship. Cards would be the most competitive for me, but I'm open to more lifestyle-oriented subspecialties as well e.g. primary care, ID, rheum, endocrine. At the moment, location (anywhere in CA that has good amount of social and recreational activities as well as good selection of food) is most important to me.

This is the current rank order list based on gut feel and perceived reputation. Suggestions are appreciated!
1. Kaiser LA
-at the top because of in-house cards fellowship
2. Kaiser Oakland
-not sure whether to rank this higher than Kaiser LA as it is more established
3. Santa Clara Valley Med Center
-unfortunately didn't have a chance to talk to the residents because the way they schedule the availability of the pre-interview dinner is odd)
4. St. Mary's SF
-many IMGs but the PD used to be the PD at UCSF for many years, also they are getting more UCSF physicians to work at the hospital and getting more UCSF patients transferred there
5. Alameda-Highland
-current chief residents matched into competitive fellowships like cards at CPMC and Pulm/Crit at the actual UCSF; however not too keen on working with underserved patient population, though this hospital is famous for two documentaries!
6. Kaiser Santa Clara
-good history of matching residents into Pulm/Crit like SCVMC but not too interested in this subspecialty at the moment
7. Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
-one recent grad matched into cards at Kaiser SF
8. UCSF-Fresno
-their fellowship match doesn't seem too bad, but I am not a fan of the area. After interview day during the daylight, one random stranger came up to me asking for directions to an address that didn't remotely seem to be nearby which was sketch. Another gentlemen who walked by saw this interaction and asked me if I was okay. Also there isn't as much to do or see compared to the Bay Area and LA...sorry Fresno!
 
I'm interested in cardiology. My first choice is a no-brainer for me. But I'm curious if my 3-5 ranked programs would lower my chances of cards fellowship compared to the rest of my list. Are my 6-12 ranked programs significantly better than those AZ programs? From what I gather, the programs I have in the 6-12 spots are all solid mid-tier programs (UAB maybe a step above), whereas the AZ programs (3-5) maybe considered lower tier university programs. AZ happens to be a geographic preference, but I'm ok with living elsewhere for 3 years.

Side note: I had board scores of 257/269 coming from a well-reputed US MD school...I am shocked how competitive it is at the top of IM. Getting top interviews is really not about step scores, trust me. I know a lot of people scoring in the 230s that got a bunch of top tier interviews.

1) UTSW
2) UVA
3) U Arizona Tucson
4) Mayo AZ
5) U Arizona Phx
6) Wisconsin
7) UAB
8) UF
9) OSU
10) Indiana
11) Minnesota
12) UMD
If this were my list, I'd do:

UTSW
UVA/UAB
Wisconsin/OSU/Minnesota
UMD/UF/Indiana
Mayo AZ/U Arizona Tucson
U Arizona Phx

I actually think the AZ programs are the weakest on your list so I'd recommend thinking hard about your preference for AZ
 
Hi everyone, I'm interested in a possible future cardiology fellowship and need some help with the middle and lower portion of my ROL. So far this is what I have:

4. OHSU
5. Utah
6. Maryland
7. Tufts
8. Rutgers-RWJ
9. USF
10. Wake Forest
11. UCLA/Harbor
12. Kentucky

Any thoughts?
 
Hi everyone, I'm interested in a possible future cardiology fellowship and need some help with the middle and lower portion of my ROL. So far this is what I have:

4. OHSU
5. Utah
6. Maryland
7. Tufts
8. Rutgers-RWJ
9. USF
10. Wake Forest
11. UCLA/Harbor
12. Kentucky

Any thoughts?
I like it that way. Curious what 1-3 are.

In any case, you're in a good position.
 
Hope everyone is done with interview season and fingers crossed it all went well for you all!

Struggling with my top 3 programs - priority is fellowship in Cards or GI and really confused which one will help me the most to get there.....

1) Westchester - in house fellowships in both cards and GI, affiliated with NYMC, seemed to have a good amount of research opportunities but was difficult to tell what exactly was being classed as "research" and whether it was publishable etc. Residents were friendly but not overly sociable. Hospital facilities were dated and old looking.

2) Mount Auburn - No in house fellowships. Opportunities to do electives at BWH and BIDMC. Seemed to have good research opportunities. Some of the happiest residents I have seen thus far. Seemed very invested into resident well being. I don't know how much weight the Harvard name will have on future career goals

3) Lankenau - not an X+Y program, in house fellowships and match their own quite frequently, Hospital facilities and grounds were immaculate. Residents seemed content - not too happy and not miserable

Any thoughts? Thank you for any input! 🙂
 
Top