- Joined
- Aug 1, 2017
- Messages
- 201
- Reaction score
- 114
Finally done with interviews! 🙂 But still struggling with my list... Interested in Cards or Pulm/CC fellowship.
1) Rush
2) University of Illinois
3) Loyola
4) University of Minnesota
5) Ohio State
6) University of Iowa
7) Indiana
8) Montefiore Moses & Weiler
9) Thomas Jefferson
10) George Washington
11) - 14) Others
I have an obvious Midwest / Chicago bias. My main 2 questions:
1) How to rank Chicago programs? They all seemed similar enough on the interview day...
2) Will ranking "better" Midwest programs (like U of M, OSU, Iowa, Indy) below Chicago programs matter that much in the long run for fellowship? It seems like these programs offer stronger training than my Chicago programs, but I think I'll be a happier + better resident if I'm in Chicago near my fam & friends. Are these Chicago vs. other Midwest programs similar enough that it won't make much of a difference?
Thoughts? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Your list is fine. Yes, many other programs lower in your list are stronger than the Chicago ones but your happiness comes first and if you're not happy, then you won't be as productive or as good of a resident which will adversely affect your fellowship chances.
You should also ask yourself are you "happier" because you're near your support network and don't want to feel uncomfortable? Or is there another compelling reason to stay in Chicago, i.e. significant other with plans for a child. In residency, you'll find that your co-residents will often make or break your experience and if you thought you'd be a great fit elsewhere, you should take that into consideration. While residency is 3 years long, it is often a good time to try something new.