Official Interview Feedback Thread 2006-2007

[raspberry swirl]

hey guys, other years there has a been a thread dedicated to interviews, so i thought maybe i'd start one ... i know people have started to post about their interview experiences, but they seem to be scattered throughout different threads. i thought it would be helpful for us, and for those who will follow us next year, to have them all in a centralized thread! if you have a review elsewhere, feel free to paste it into this thread so it doesn't get lost

this was poety's template last year, which i guess i'll use!...

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

2. Big highlights of the programs

3. Estimated call hours

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff

5. Location pluses and minuses

6. Most positive aspects of program

7. Most negative aspects of program

i've only had one interview, but i guess i'll start!

Beth Israel- NY, NY

1a. Questions asked- Each applicant interviewed with two separate members of the faculty. i had a C/L attending and an addiction fellow. some people did have the chairman and/or the PD. i wasn't asked any specific questions, i was just asked about myself and the things in my application, nothing too stressful. with the CL lady, we ended up talking about my research for the entire half hour. with the fellow, she was from canada and had no idea what a DO was, so most of my interview revolved around that.

1b. Questions i asked- they do reserve some spots to start as a PGY2 if you've completed any kind of prelim/transitional year. not sure how the applciation process works, but they do have a schedule set up for people who start as a PGY2 after a prelim year. so it is possible, if you're undecided, or decide to switch into psych, you wont loose a year. also, it is possible to start a child fellowship as a 4th year, assuming you are in good standing, and let them know well in advance that you are interested, so that all your core stuff is done and so that they can add an extra spot in the incoming class.

2. Highlights of the program- this depends on what you are looking for ... they're pretty focused on research and on psychotherapy, so i think both of those things are really strong. also, it seems really laid back while at the same time still being a strong program. location is also a highlight. yay east village.

3. Call- PGY1 medicine months are Q4 short call til 9pm. i think there might have been an occassional overnight call on weekends, but i can't remember. either way, it didnt seem bad at all. PGY1 psych varies with number of residents, is usually 5 overnight calls a month. i guess call used to be worse, but the new PD has made it better, and is trying to make it even better, so say the residents.

4. Friendliness- VERY FRIENDLY. everyone was super nice and relaxed and chill. it was a pretty good interview day, all and all, because of this. i definitely felt comfortable and the atmosphere seemed welcoming. residents said that all the attendings are really approachable (and they seemed to be to me as well), residents said they had good relationships with each other. they're a little separated from the other programs, but they said they have no problems with respect/relations, with residents in other programs.

5. Location- is awesome. can't complain. east village, near union square. i personally prefer the west village atmosphere, but i dont deny the east village is pretty sweet too. didnt get to see in the housing, but residents seemed to like their apartments, some lived in the housing, some didnt. a studio is around $1200, one bedroom around $1400, and there are some two bedrooms around $2000. cheap for nyc, on par with other nyc residency program housing.

6. Most positives- chill friendly atmosphere, strong program with good teaching and research emphasis (if you like research), awesome location

7. Most negatives- no psych ER (although i guess they're working on that), no CPEP (sp?) (no "holding" place for psych pts- either they get D/Ced from the ER, or get admitted- no inbetween observational place). NO INPATIENT CHILD AND ADOLESCENT EXPERIENCE. this is a biggie for me since im interested in child. (although they do have many residents go on to child fellowships). they say they get good outpatient child exposure.

Conclusion- if not for the lack of inpatient child and adolescent exposure, i think i would be happy at the Beth Israel program.

oh and also, the PD is new, he's been there for a year. the residents were all sad to see the old one go, but they all seem happy with the new one. he seemed really laid back and approachable, he spoke with all of us individually briefly at the end of the day.

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[sga430]

nice thread. I have been on 5 ivs but as the season is early and it would be hard to post reviews anonymously at this point. a lot of the ivs i have been to, i was the only applicant.

 

[zen76]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

2. Big highlights of the programs

3. Estimated call hours

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff

5. Location pluses and minuses

6. Most positive aspects of program

7. Most negative aspects of program

1a. Important questions you asked-What is the psychotherapy structure like; cases, lectures, supervision? They focus on IPT, CBT, DBT, and psychodynamic psychotherapy, using all 3 learning styles, cases, lectures, and supervision. In the PGY-2 year, residents are assigned a psychodynamic supervisor and a patient, and continue with them longitudinally for the year. Beginning in the PGY-3 year, there is a more typical expansion in learning of the alphabet soup variety of psychotherapy (DBT, IPT, CBT, group, family). Also, what kind of research opportunities are available, which were enourmous, including policy research, educational research, and residents who residents who wanted to do research could slip in and out of the "research tracks" fairly easily, residents were not pidgeon holed, there was a strong focus on clinical training and research for those that wanted it, but the residents emphasized that those who wanted just strong clinical training, and had no real interest in research could do that as well.

1b. Important questions I was asked - What can we tell you about the program and the research opportunities?

2.Big Highlights of the program - new Depression center. 2 "research tracks" a five year traditional research track with 50% protected time in PGY 3-5. Another "clinical scholar track" described as "research-lite" focusing more on learning research methods, more clinical research, and less protected time. But residents could move in and out of these tracks fairly fluidly. Very family friendly, a number of the residents brought their children to dinner the night before, Dr. Jibson the PD spoke about how they tried to be very flexible about making the training tailored for each resident, including part time residencies for those taking time off for children or serious illness. A vision from the chair Dr. Greden for greater integration and embedment of psychiatry into general medicine.

3. Estimated call hours - Typical Q4 for medicine, neurology was home call in PGY-1, and Q5 for psychiatry in PGY-1. However, the 4 months of medicine could be altered with pediatrics, ER, or a popular option, family medicine urgent care (no call, 7-5pm days, high volume and a lot of bread and butter primary care medicine). I think PGY-2 call was Q6 or q7 but only to 10 pm, only Friday and Saturday were O/N call, which was maybe once a month. I apologize, I wasn't as focused on the call schedule as other things. PGY-3 had a Q10 call, but I could be mistaken. There was no PGY-4 call.

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff - Everyone was very nice. The support staff, residents, and the faculty were very enthusiastic and excited.

5. Location pluses and minuses - Ann Arbor was a great cultural small college town. As one resident described it, it was great for young families, and good for singles, but couldn't compete with larger metropolitan areas for activities. Low cost of living just outside of Ann Arbor in the 'burbs. Typical great lake weather, some snow, and it does get cold in the winter, but all relative, if one is from the north or northeast, no big deal, coming from the coast or more southerly regions, there will be some adjustment.

6. Most positive aspects of program - Flexibility of the program, the PD, and the chair seem to really want to allow residents to be the best they can be, whatever that was. Also, the research opportunities. The area has awesome for cost of living and residents with families can easily buy housing, particularly with the exodus of jobs from Michigan.

7. Most negative aspects of program - Location, Ann Arbor may be too small for some. The weather, see above, which may be a plus or minus. Their eating disorder exposure was a weakness, they didn't have a strong exposure to that focus of psychiatry. Also, they are working on improving the general dictatics, which have remained static for the last 6-8 years, and are getting a dusting off.

In summary, I think the University of Michigan had an awesome program, very flexible, great research opportunities, and clinical training. UM seems to have a hard time competing for residents who see the middle of the country as a vast wasteland between the two coasts, so people really looking at the UCs or the Ivy league seem to pass on UM becuase "who wants to live in the midwest." All in all, I thought the UM program was great before I interviewed, and I saw nothing to deter my view of the program during my interview day.

 

[zen76]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

2. Big highlights of the programs

3. Estimated call hours

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff

5. Location pluses and minuses

6. Most positive aspects of program

7. Most negative aspects of program

1a. Important questions you asked - What were the research opportunities? Some basic science in psychoneuroimmunology, more clinical research, and a great Alzheimer's research center interdisciplinary. What was the psychotherapy training like? PGY-2 residents were assigned a psychodynamic supervisor, unfortunatly some residents had no patients, and still met once a week with their supervisor, and it was a bit of a mystery why they were meeting with no patient to discuss. The PGY-3 year had the typical IPT, DBT, CBT exposure. They focused a great deal on the family training which had a long and rich history at U of R.

1b. Important questions I was asked? What happened with the failure on the first attempt of step 2 CK? Tell me about your interest in drawing and painting? With such a hard bench research background, why psychiatry? Who were two important mentors to you, and what would they say about you?

2. Big highlights of the programs - Family therapy exposure, very light call schedule (I think no call PGY-3 and PGY-4). They were uncoupled from clinical services. If there were no residents, the clinical services would continue on without them, so more time could be focused on education. Great child, geri, and forensic fellowships.

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff - Everyone was great, very friendly and accomodating. The program coordinator, Marylee, gave all of us a little gift package at the end of the day, everyone was great.

5. Location pluses and minuses - Rochester has a great cost of living, good cultural activities for a city of its size, and an easy commute. Once again, typical northeast great lake weather, and it can't compete with Philly, NYC, or Boston for activities, but easy commute and alot of residents buy homes a walk away from Strong and the U of R medical center, literally, in a safe area.

6. Most positive aspects of program - Fellowships, cost of living, small intimate (4 residents a year) program. Clinical services are not dependent on residents to run, more time for resident educational experiences. The CPEP/psych ER was very new, and it seemed to flow and turn over better than other programs. It was just above the medical ER, not located off site, and a number of residents mentioned it was their favorite rotation.

7. Most negative aspects of program - lack of strong eating disorder exposure. Research opportunities okay, not as much as I would like.

In summary, I thought U of R was a good program. Residents seemed happy, and everyone was very nice. Cost of living, buying a house next to the hospital was a plus. Smaller city may be a minus to some. I'm looking for research heavy programs (my bias), and U of R was happy to faciliate anyone wanting to do research, but they didn't have as much of a structure as other programs. Great fellowship opportunities. It was a nice smaller program. Great chair, asked to be addressed as "Eric" not Dr. Caine. And he focused on the fact that residents and faculty were judged on the "jerk" factor, if you're a jerk you don't get hired, or matched at U of R, he had a great sense of humor.

 

[nortomaso]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

2. 7. Most negative aspects of program - lack of strong eating disorder exposure. Research opportunities okay, not as much as I would like.

jerk you don't get hired, or matched at U of R, he had a great sense of humor.

Are you interested in eating disorders? You mentioned this as a weakness for both the programs you reviewed. From my memories of last year on the trail, Hopkins (which has a dedicated eating disirders inpt unit that all residnets rotate on)was the only program with any significant eating disorder exposure.

 

[zen76]

Not terribly interested in eating disorders, just that when I asked what were areas that could be improved or were improving at their respective programs, both stated eating disorders.

 

[DrIng]

I would reiterate from my experience that the staff at the University of Rochester seem very nice and flexible and I mgiht add seemed in my experience to be quite IMG friendly too.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Not terribly interested in eating disorders, just that when I asked what were areas that could be improved or were improving at their respective programs, both stated eating disorders.

The same could probably be said about any program in the country.
Nothing like a bad ED patient to make us all feel like we don't know anything!

 

[MBK2003]

The same could probably be said about any program in the country.
Nothing like a bad ED patient to make us all feel like we don't know anything!

Or if you are like me (not to hijack the thread), following your 4 months inpatient eating disorders unit experience, you run like h&ll back to the seemingly slightly less delusional SPMI population.

MBK2003

 

[i61164]

Are you interested in eating disorders? You mentioned this as a weakness for both the programs you reviewed. From my memories of last year on the trail, Hopkins (which has a dedicated eating disirders inpt unit that all residnets rotate on)was the only program with any significant eating disorder exposure.

UNC has a dedicated eating disorders inpatient unit as well. At psych grand rounds recently, someone asked why don't psychologist/psychiatrist get more training in eating disorders. The psychologist (who specializes in eating disorders) answered that most people don't like to work with that patient population because the patients don't want your help, you treat them for years with no improvement, and most of them die from the disease.

 

[raspberry swirl]

im surprised this thread is kinda dead ... in other years it has always been popular ... oh well, i'll keep at it ...

St Vincents (NY, NY)
1. Important questions you asked/were asked:
1a: answers to questions i asked- yes you can do peds as part of your medicine months, yes you do get exposure to peds neuro during your neuro months, yes you can start your child fellowship as a 4th year. as far as questions i was asked, my interview was really weird, like he asked me "how do you feel about living in a tiny space?". it was totally out of the blue and it actually really confused me. like a manhattan apt? or a box? "how does being trained in child psychiatry help you better treat adults?" which i also thought was weird. "how does treating children in nyc differ from in other places, with regard to family?" and then a lot of comparitive questions about kentucky vs ny (i did a psych rotation in ky). "what differs in KY and NY with regards to drug addiction?" they were all really random and not about me, really, at all. but i was on the only person who interviewed with this guy, no one else had weird questions.

2. Big highlights of the programs: for me, its very community/clinically oriented. for those interested in academia, this is not a highlight, obviously. but for me it is. research is scarce, they encourage it, but you have to be quite proactive about it, as not much is going on. super laid back residents, chill atmosphere, the residents kept talking about how their comraderie is their biggest assest, they all work together and help each other out a lot.

3. Estimated call hours: for PGY1, on med months, q4 short call til 8, with two weeks of night float, (and i think one weekend overnight a month?), neuro i think was also q4 but apparently its a really light service. q6 on psych mo. gets better each year. pt load on medicine per intern is capped at 12, on psych, i think 16?

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff: everyone seemed pretty friendly.

5. Location pluses and minuses: west village, nuff said.

6. Most positive aspects of program: friendliness, comraderie, chill atmosphere, flexibility (if there is something you are interested in, they try to get you more time in that area, they really work with you schedule-wise), the hospital sees a lot of psych patients, diverse patients, pretty decent housing, training seems well balanced- teaching vs doing, work vs free time.

7. Most negative aspects of program: if you're in to research, this is not the place. the ER is kind of crappy, only one room designated for psych interviewing. they have plans to expand it a little and make a little section just for psych. (so says every hospital)

overall i liked it, but i like chill laid back community oriented programs (which i know most sdners aren't into...) its definitely not hard core, but i wouldnt say its totally slacker either. they seem to learn what they need to know to be competent practicioners, and their people have gone on to good fellowships. they have their own fellowships in child, geriatrics, and forensic. the forensic fellowship is supposedly quite good, you work with Dr Eth who is apparently famous.

 

[grishko2007]

Quoted from Raspberry Swirl: im surprised this thread is kinda dead ... in other years it has always been popular ... oh well, i'll keep at it ...

It's still a little early, I didn't schedule any interviews until Dec/Jan/Feb, but will be sure to post my impressions afterwards....

 

[Chewbacca Jung]

7. Most negative aspects of program - lack of strong eating disorder exposure.

That is very interesting- I go to U of Rochester, and I had an amazing experience with EDO's both in the ped's clerkship on the adolescent floor, and when I did the child and adolescent psych elective. They have a well oiled multidisciplinary team, including Child Psych Attending (the Director) and Fellows, Adolescent Medicine Fellows, very nice Psych-NP's, great Peds/Adolescent attendings, and a very capable, profficient, and congenial nursing staff. It's not a major center for eating disorders- but I would hardly call it a weakness.

 

[zen76]

I think this thread has gone a little off track. All of these interview feedback posts are highly subjective, from one day of interviewing. These are all just impressions, and if we could all have a little bit thicker skin about our home institutions, and have some perspective this thread could be highly informative. As I stated in my previous posts, when I asked the PDs of the two programs I have interviewed at so far, 'what areas of your program could be improved, or were improving,' they both stated eating disorders as one area that was improving or could be improved. I'm sure people have had good ED experiences at both of these programs. Can we please just get back to people's impressions after their interviews of programs, and see the forest through the trees.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[gardilimo]

like the other guys said, i will post when i become more anonymous--its still early...
but yeah i have found the past yrs threads very helpful so we should keep it up!

 

[raspberry swirl]

well i'll keep posting, but i wont do it in magenta, because i've noticed that long posts in bold pink letters is a little nauseating ...

St Luke's-Roosevelt-

basically, i got raped on this interview, excuse my terminology. but there were three interviews, the first one with the PD that went well (however he is leaving, but thats another story), and two others that went pretty awful. my second interviewer was kind of dick, poking and prodding, and really not being satisfied with any of my answers, being really nitpicky and asking some psychodynamic-type stuff and looking at me with this sardonic look in his eyes. really made me feel pretty awful by the end of the half hour, i felt sick and my hands were shaking because i really felt scrutinzed and not in a good way. my third interview was pretty much the same way. however, other applicants who met with different interviewers only had good things to say. i think i just had bad luck.

because of the above, the rest of my day was sort of tainted. basically, the PD is leaving this winter. he kept reassuring us it had nothing to do with the program, it was simply him making a personal decision (he's moving to hawaii). residents implied that in the past 6 years he totally overhauled the program, and now that its more of a well oiled machine, he's ready to move on. so i guess in a way thats not a bad thing. but its kind of bad that they dont know who is coming in yet, and of course it will remain a mystery as to what direction that person will go.

residents seemed happy, they were a quirky, laid back bunch. i thought they were all really nice and informative, and i felt like they were honest with me. their dislikes included the fact that the program is spread out between two separate facilities, and that sometimes this can be a annoying. also, no inpatient child and adolescent exposure, just a little in outpatient (a negative for me). they all said they get along really well, and are supportive of one another, they have resident retreats and planned social events that seem fun and well attended. overall they seemed happy and satisfied with the program.

didnt get a much of a feel for teaching, etc., no complaints nor any rave reviews either. seemed pretty standard. call seemed decent, no overnight call on medicine months, just Q3-4 short call til 10 30, and weekend day call. no call on neuro. psych call is like medicine call, but with the addition of 1 mo of psych night float. years 2,3,4 pretty much the same as everywhere. the medicine and psych floors looked like ordinary floors, not much to say there. there IS a designated psych ER/CPEP, thats a selling point.

there's a lot of research opportunity, especially because of its ties to columbia (you get a columbia degree when you graduate). as far as i understood, there is no required research, but it seemed as though there was a fair amount of opportunity if one was interested.

one thing i saw as potentially annoying was the fact that the housing near the 113th st site is being sold and all the housing will be near the Lincoln Center branch, although the majority of your work is at the 113th st site. there's a free bus that runs between the two, so transportation is easy, but i could see that as being annoying. the housing is pretty nice though, its not amazing but its more than adequate. the area around 113th is ok, its not great. borderline harlem/upper west side. not really dangerous, but not the prettiest area of the city. its kind of cool that the columbia campus is right there, there's a nice academic vibe to the area.

sorry its a little disorganized, but thats about all i can do right now... without my pink font it just doesnt seem right

 

[grishko2007]

I vote for a return of the pink/purple font, it adds character to this year's thread.

 

[maranatha]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked:
The interview was very laid-back, even though I was interviewed by 5 attendings! However, each interview was only 30 minutes long. Basically, the only thing I was asked was "what questions to you have for me?" But when I was interviewed by the dept. chair, the first thing he said to me was "So, Penn State is your practice interview." It took me by suprised...but then I realized that he just has a really dry sense of humor and was, in his own way, trying to make a joke. My main concern with the program was the amount of psychotherpay training and the amount of flexability. It seems like they have re-vamped the psychotherapy training and bring in supervisors from philly to make up for the lack of staff. The residents felt the training was good and you start your own case load at the beginning of your 2nd year. They also are open to letting you go to philly once a week during your 3rd or 4th year to get additional therapy training from the psychoanaysis inst. or additional training from the Beck institute.

2. Big highlights of the programs
This is a small program, which can be a plus or minus. They only take 4 to 5 residents a year. The people seem very friendly and laid-back. The chair, Dr. Uhde, has made great strides in improving the program over the last few years. He has brought in a lot of new attendings that the residents are happy about and has dramitically increased the research projects and funding over the last several years. There is a lot of oppurtunity to do research here. They are big on sleep studies (i.e. sleep paralysis), anxiety disorders, among others. Oppurtunities to do neuro-imaging studies are also here. They also have a sleep fellowship with some well known researchers in the field.

From my perspective, one of the highligts is the child/adol. fellowship. This is one of the main reasons I applied to Penn State...It is a small program, but the training is reported to be very good. If you're into cognitive therapy (which I am), they have two psychologists, Dr's Freidberg and Temple, who are reported as being outstanding teachers and work extensively in training the fellow's therapy. The transition into the child fellowship also seems easy. You can start after your PGY1 year and then do the rest of adult later, if you want.
They also have a new inpatient director who the residents said good things about. They have eliminated social work for the residents, which they said used to be a problem. They also started a cap of 5 patients on the inpatient months so more time is devoted to teaching.

PGY1 year is 2 months IM or Peds, 1 month EM, 1 month family, 2 months neurology, 6 months inpatient psych.

BTW, they have about 1/2 IMG's...

They have protected didactic time every Thursday mornings.

3. Estimated call hours: Call during PGY1 to 3 is 2 weekdays per month and 1 weekend day per month. 4th year call is back-up. The residents seemed to like the call being spread out over 3 years. There is no call during neurology or the primary care rotations during 1st year. While on medicine, it is short call q4 (they have a night float that the psych. residents don't do).

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff: Very friendly

5. Location pluses and minuses: It's in Hershey, PA! It's a small town with an amusement park...But Harrisburg is only 30 minutes away and I guess there is enough to do and a descent night-life. Some good resturants are in Harrisburg and Herhsey, too... Philly and Baltimore are both 1.5 hours away. On the positive end, Hershey is supposed to be very safe and a lot of the residents like it. It seemed pretty nice to me...And you can walk outside and smell chocolate...I'm not kidding. If you have a family, the school system is reported as being great.

6. Most positive aspects of program: Friendly atmosphere; flexibility to do research and electives. No social work and 5 patient cap on the inpatient months. Child fellowship seems strong with great cognitive therapy training! Sleep fellowship. Laid-back atmosphere.

7. Most negative aspects of program: For me, it would be the small program. In someways that is a plus...depends on what you're looking for.

 

[medgirl81]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

The interview was very comfortable. It was with four different attendings, and I asked more questions than I was asked. Questions I was asked included: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Why are you fit for psychiatry? What attracted you to this program?

2. Big highlights of the programs

The flexibility. The program director is very open to different paths that residents can take and encourages changes. If you have an idea about an elective or a path you want to take, you can probably do it. Something not as common in some larger programs. If you're interested in research, but don't want to spend half you life with it, this program has a light research element built right in. Also, it just added a child psych fellowship and seems to be slowing growing.

3. Estimated call hours

Minimal. Really. About 5 call/mo in the intern year. About 6 months of call in the second year. A total of 10 calls in third year. Really sweet.

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff

Very friendly. I spent one of my interviews just laughing with the interviewer. Lunch with the residents was fun and casual. They all seem to get along very well.

5. Location pluses and minuses

It's just outside of Hartford, and includes various clinics in Hartford. If you're a city person, and would enjoy something like NYC, this probably isn't the place for you. Actually, I think location is the part of the program I found least attractive. But it's supposedly family-friendly.

Hope this helps.

 

[sga430]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

The interview was very comfortable. It was with four different attendings, and I asked more questions than I was asked. Questions I was asked included: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Why are you fit for psychiatry? What attracted you to this program?

2. Big highlights of the programs

The flexibility. The program director is very open to different paths that residents can take and encourages changes. If you have an idea about an elective or a path you want to take, you can probably do it. Something not as common in some larger programs. If you're interested in research, but don't want to spend half you life with it, this program has a light research element built right in. Also, it just added a child psych fellowship and seems to be slowing growing.

3. Estimated call hours

Minimal. Really. About 5 call/mo in the intern year. About 6 months of call in the second year. A total of 10 calls in third year. Really sweet.

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff

Very friendly. I spent one of my interviews just laughing with the interviewer. Lunch with the residents was fun and casual. They all seem to get along very well.

5. Location pluses and minuses

It's just outside of Hartford, and includes various clinics in Hartford. If you're a city person, and would enjoy something like NYC, this probably isn't the place for you. Actually, I think location is the part of the program I found least attractive. But it's supposedly family-friendly.

Hope this helps.

i interviewed last season and they have a very strong community psych tilt. the pd told me this is not the place if u wanna go into private practice. but i think the teaching is great and the attendings r commited to education. main drawback is that hartford is not the best area.

 

[gardilimo]

well its actually in farmington and if youre into the outdoors it is a nice place. also a good place to raise a family. very dedicated to the public sector but i think it can educate you for whatever you want to do in your career.

 

[raspberry swirl]

me again ... by the time im done, the applicants next year will have a nice little summary of some of the greater nyc area programs ...
i'll switch over to normal font now ...

1. each applicant interviews with 3 interviewers. the PD is one of them, he seems really great, i liked him a lot. he just asked general questions about my life and my background, asked about my family, why i liked psych, what interested me about child and adolescent, why LIJ, nothing stressful. the second interviewer was a little more psychoanalyz-y, he asked the same things, plus he gave me two psych ER cases and asked which one i would prefer and how i would treat them (i bombed this one because i panicked because i was trying to figure out what he was "really" asking). my third lady hardly asked me anything, she was really cool, we just chatted about life and whatnot, turns out we both have the same favorite movie (Pride and Prejudice- her, the old version, me, the new version). i didnt like the middle guy, but other than that it wasn't too stressful. i did find it annoying they made me walk all over to find my interviewers, and i was always locked out and it was really annoying. i think its nice when they walk you there, or the interviewer comes to get you.

2. highlights ... the 4 mo of medicine are really flexible. you have to do at least one month on the regular medicine floor, and one month of medicine consult on the psych floor. the other two months are flexible. you can do two months of peds, or a month of peds and a month of adolesent med, which puts you as the med consult on the eating disorder floor, which is really interesting to me. in fact, the fact that it has the eating disorder center is a big highlight (for someone interseted in child and adolescent). other highlights- call schedule... see next question!

3. the call schedule is different than most places. 3rd year is your hardest call as opposed to first year, but they all seemed to like the arrangement, they felt they were better equipt to handle a harder call schedule then, and that it wasn't that bad, and you could delegate somewhat to the underclassmen on your service. as a third year it didnt seem as daunting. as for intern year, call is sweet. no overnight call on medicine months- sign out is at 4, short call to 6, long call til 10. (medicine has a night float, psych does not participate). medicine teams cap at 24 pts, there's two intern teams, and three intern teams, so you could either get capped at 8 patients or 12 (sucks for those interns). psych call depends on your class, you can arrange it anyway your class wants, they have some kind of wacky point system they've devised that they all really seem to like. but each class can do it any way they like. for the first half of your first year, there is a second year with you all the time on call. i think this is good, you could suggest they're holding your hand, but frankly, im gonna want some hand holding the first half of the year.

4. atmosphere- people rave about LIJ, but i didnt get that great of a vibe. the secretary lady was yelling at me for not wearing a coat (what kind of idiot doesn't wear a coat on a cold day? to which i replied, i wore a coat, i assessed the temperature and decided to leave it in the car), and she wasn't most hospitable person i've ever met, and since she was the first person i saw, she kind of turned me off. 4 residents met with us for lunch for maybe 5 minutes and didnt really say much, and quick to jump up and leave. the lunch sucked. i really didnt get the impression that they were trying to sell the program at all, and not in a good way. they seem like they get a long, but aren't very close. probably because they all live all over the place. the chief resident who gave us the tour seemed really great, but she wont be there next year, obviously.

5. location- is ok. for me, it sucks, because i prefer manhattan. actually some residents live in manhattan, but i dont like a long commute. im picky, i know. its a busy suburban area, takes an hour to drive into the city, but public transportation (LIRR) is there ... i dunno, i dont really like long island, so location is a negative for me, but there's nothing wrong with the location, persae.

my conclusion- LIJ is a great institution in general, and all of their residencies are known to be quite good. any resident who ends up here will get excellent training, no doubt. i see no serious negatives. oh that reminds me, LIJ just merged with north shore, doesn't really affect the program too much, except it will add 4 residents, bringing up the number to 17, and adding in a new unit for residents to rotate through. it wont change call or anything. majority of rotations are onsite- 2 in your second year are off campus, one at bronx municipal in their CPEP, and a new one which will be at north shore. residents get good fellowships. oH! something else- on psych and peds, you dont round with attendings. i dont know if this is good or bad but its certainly less stressful. you round with the R3 or 4. ok so basically, its solid all around, its cool that they have an eating disorder center, and being on Long Island, a place full with little high school fashionistas from dysfunctional upperclass families, i bet its a well stocked unit ... but nothing really jumped out at me and said WOW come here this place is AWESOME. but i know a lot of other people think it is, so maybe i missed the vibe.... basically i'll rank it, but i still like st vincents best.

 

[PittBoo50]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

Why would you want to live in Philadelphia for 4 years? How do you handle stressful encounters?

When there was a struggle to maintain a good flow with one of my interviewers, I asked him about his decision to come to Penn and stay on as faculty. It prompted a good discussion that took us to the end of the allotted time.

2. Big highlights of the programs

Well balanced betw psychopharm, psychotherapy, and clinical experiences.
Well presented didactics with great teachers and mentors. Lots of supervised clinical time.

3. Estimated call hours
Very doable with the nightfloat system. They have 4-5 calls per month (but most are only until 10 pm) in the PGY-1 year. And when you're doing the overnight call, you are on-call with another resident, which means you can take shifts sleeping.

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff
I was very disappointed about the lackluster regard the residents had for the applicants. They seemed to huddle together during lunch and only 1 or 2 branched out to meet with the applicants. And the chief resident was resistant to taking us on the tour of the hospital. They seemed to hold tightly to the "Penn aura" and often "name dropped"--explaining why they didn't go to MGH or Columbia. There was a questionable inferiority complex.

On the other hand, the faculty and staff were amazingly personable and outgoing. They treated all the applicants as very valuable potential residents. It was like night and day.

5. Location pluses and minuses
Philadelphia is great! They have the Rocky steps, great dining/nightlife and lots of historical landmarks. Public transportation is pretty good, which helps remedy the lack of parking available. Also, of all the cities I've been looking at (NYC, Boston, DC), it's one of the more affordable living areas.


6. Most positive aspects of program
Strong psychotherapy and research. The O'Brian center is arguably the best addictions center in the country. Lots of research, huge clinical setting and well-known for Motivational Interviewing.

7. Most negative aspects of program

The psych unit in the main hospital (Hospital of the Univ of PA) isn't in the greatest of conditions. An attending told me that they have a lot of problems with getting the appropriate cleaning people in to the unit.



*got into an interesting discussion with one of the big researchers--he pointed out that it’s very difficult to not be a "cog" in the UPENN research world. He says very few can make a name for themselves...He considered this to be a great weakness of the program.

 

[raspberry swirl]

ok ... so i few things i forgot to mention about LIJ. everything's on the computer, notes and everything, and there is housing, but only about 1/3 of residents seem to get it, but its pretty cheap, $800 for a two bedroom, and its right on "campus" ...

ok now for Maimo .... this is going to be more of a narrative cuz it was sort of wacky day.

First off, the secretary lady wasn't there, so she emailed me the schedule and basically told me i was sort of on my own. but there was another secretary there who pointed me in the right direction, so it was ok. i've been to maimo before, so i knew that it was a pretty decent neighborhood, boro park. mostly orthodox jew, but there's a ton of other ethnic neighborhoods in the surrounding area so in general its a diverse place. tons of people walking around, etc. all the program departments are outside the hospital, in these cute little brick row-type houses. the administrative offices, resident offices, and conference rooms for lectures are there. its a cute homey feeling place.

all the inpatient units are a few doors down, completely separate from the little house and from the hospital. i didnt really like this ... i dunno, it felt very separated from the main hospital, and i still dont understand exactly how admissions from the ER or how consults work ... there's two inpatient units, with like 30 or so beds each? no child inpatient. a day treatment floor, and an outpatient floor. it seemed small but very busy.

i only got to talk to one resident, the one who gave me the tour. he never took me to the main hospital or anything, and didnt really tell me a whole lot. i know its up to me to ask questions, but i sort of got tired after awhile. i was sort of annoyed that no one sat down and talked to me about the program at all. the only information i have is from the website. since there are 5 months of medicine and 2 months of neuro, i sort of would have liked to see the medicine floors .... and all 5 months are inpatient months, and you have the same call as the housestaff, usually 8-10 patients. the resident said it wasn't bad but i've heard horror stories about maimo medicine so i dont know whether or not to believe him. i met no other residents.

the PD is leaving, he is going on to be the chairman at coney island. i think they're going to increase the number of rotations there. im not sure how far away it is though, i know its at the bottom of brooklyn. they dont have anyone new yet, they haven't started interviewing, and he's leaving in Jan. The vice-chair guy is assuming a stronger roll in his absence. i interviewed with him and didnt really get a good vibe from him. im not sure why .... he was really figidity during the interview and i dunno... just didnt really get a good vibe. he didn't really ask me any tough questions though. i interviewed with another guy who as me NO questions at all- just asked me some stuff on my application. but he really annoyed me, because he kept asking me, so how come you went to osteopathic school rather than a medical school? i wanted to say, um, it IS a medical school. but he said it a bunch of times and i started to get irritated ...

basically i got NO feel for this program at all. i didnt get to see the residents, i didnt get to meet with the PD, didnt get to see the main hospita, didnt get to learn about the program other than whats on the website, and my two interviewers were sort of odd. what i can say is maimo is a well known, old institution known for really stong programs, but also known to be a difficult program. no doubt you would get good strong training here just because of the nature of the medical center as a whole, and the diverse large community it services. but i have NO CLUE about the program after today.

oh, and they prefer to prematch ... i couldnt really get a handle on why. they gave me this whole schpele (sp?) about how IMGs are actually as smart as the top notch american grads (often true) but he had this whole rambly thing about how prematch allows them to score these top notch grads, blah blah. it sounds like they try to prematch everyone, so they get a lot of FMGs and DOs ... anyway sorry, i dont have a lot to say about this one other than its weird. if anyone has specific questions, you can ask me, and i'll do my best.
oh they do have really cheap housing right there, but i didnt get to see inside it.

 

[maranatha]

Hey Raspberry: You seem like the kinda person that attracts those "wacky" encounters...LOL. I bet you're awsome!!!

And thanks for posts! (altough I'm not interviewing at any of those places) Good luck with your other interviews

 

[maugham]

Your review of the Penn interview brought back memories from last year. I recall being totally put off by the residents during the lunch as well.Someone previously made a similar complaint about this on this site, and now with your similar take on this, it's clear this lunch is not serving Penn well. The residents on my interview day made a point of saying that the lunch also served as a get together for the residents(as if to head off complaints of their rudeness), proceeded to gorge themselves on Indian food as if it were their last meal, and then pretty much ignored applicants for the rest of the hour. Pretty shabby behaviour, Penn or no Penn. Too bad because it's a very good program. And on the pre-interview get-together the night before residents were polite, friendly, interested, etc. Something about free food seems to bring out the worst in resident behavior.

 

[raspberry swirl]

Hey Raspberry: You seem like the kinda person that attracts those "wacky" encounters...LOL.

maybe its me ?? i dunno, i've been running into some weird people and situations on this whole interview trail ...

oh yeah and everything is on the computer for psych at maimonides... only labs and orders are on the computer for the rest of the hospital, i believe.

 

[raspberry swirl]

oh look its me again ... just wanted to add some things to zen's post about the University of Rochester ... i actually really liked it, so im in a bit of a conundrum because i wasn't planning on ranking it (the hometown courtesty interview). but actually i thought it was really nice.

interview- no one really asked me any questions, all i really got was- why psych? and it was the first place no one bugged me about the fact i went to osteopathic school. one interviewer asked me if i liked my school and to tell him about my school, but i felt like it was more conversational, not confrontational. there were 4 interviewers, but none of mine were stressful. one was a resident, one was a new/young attending, one was the PD (very nice), and one was a child psychiatrist who worked only in the ER (i think he really liked me a lot). definitely have a bunch of questions, because EVERYONE will ask you if you have questions.

highlights (stream of conciousness)- the call is pretty sweet. what we were told is a little different from what zen posted earlier. i didnt get a clear idea of call on medicine. but there is 4 calls per month on psych as a PGY1 and 2, 3 per month as a PGY3, and 2 per month as a PGY4. no call on neuro (neuro is at rochester general, a hospital i actually prefer (as a patient)). HOWEVER, no call is ever overnight. not one. not a single overnight call ever. i believe not on medicine, and def not on psych. the latest is 12 midnight, and you're not post-call the next day, but you dont have to come in until 10 am. hence the program is very family friendly (and singles friendly too i guess!), since you have no overnights. and it appears you can choose to do call either in the CPEP or on the floor, depending on whats available. as zen said, because the entire psych dept functions completely independent of the interns/residents, you really are there for learning, at least it seems that way. there's an attending in the CPEP 24 hours. and i believe on the psych wards as well. the CPEP is a highlight in and of itself. able to go out with the mobile crisis unit during CPEP rotations. plus there is a seperate child floor and a separate adolescent floor. tons of community services and opportunities. adult eating disorder exposure at St Mary's, can do elective adolescent eating disorders stuff (its part of adolescent medicine not psych) lots of research available but not pushed. can substitute peds for a month of medicine. many residents stay on for the fellowships. a good mix of american MDs with a smattering of DOs and FMGs. a lot of faculty, seemingly laid back. they didnt talk a lot about psychotherapy, but then again, im coming from nyc programs, where analysis is shoved down your throat, so maybe it just seemed less focused in comparison. they like to talk about how UofR coined the term "biopsychosocial". residents seemed nice, relatively normal. i felt like at lunch they really made an effort to talk to us and circulate, but i guess at the dinner the night before, it didnt go as well (i wasnt there). they put you up in a decent hotel though, and the restaurant is pretty nice.

negatives- i dunno, i dont have a lot of negatives. the program is small, 4 residents a year. could be a plus or a minus, im not sure. same for location. (see below)

location- ehh im from here, so im not gonna go there. if you want to know specifics about location, pm me. but housing is definitely affordable, and you can live in a trendy downtown area or out in the country or on a lake with minimal commute. i guess that is one nice thing about rochester ...

i guess i give it a thumbs up. the real question is, am i really ready to move back here? no one knows...

 

[nitemagi]

UofR uses a night float system for medicine which Psych people don't have to cover, so even on medicine call only stays until 7 or 8pm. i have to admit it was nice as a med student

 

[raspberry swirl]

UofR uses a night float system for medicine which Psych people don't have to cover, so even on medicine call only stays until 7 or 8pm. i have to admit it was nice as a med student

the call system is very dreamy indeed ...

i also wanted to add that there was a strong female presence in the administration and faculty. the PD is a woman, and the head research lady is female. 3 of my 4 interviewers were female. and one of the presenters in the morning actually said something about how a diversified administration was very important to them, and that seeking out minorities for future positions is a priority. i thought it was cool that they actually made a point to mention that. and i bring it up because it was the first time i saw woman administrator at any of my interviews, and my interviewers have been predominately male. i was starting to think that the old white guy with wacky hair stereotype was true ... anyone else noticing a huge male bias on their interviews?

 

[zen76]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

Usual, "what can we tell you about our program?"

2. Big highlights of the programs

What I liked about the Institute of Living was that it was more like a small liberal arts college campus than a psych institute. The institute was walled with brick all around, in the middle of Hartford CT (not the best area). But inside the institute, was a series of small brick houses, or larger brick buildings. The landscaping was done by Frederick Law Olmstead, who did the landscape architecture for Central Park, among other great American parks. It made for a nice cozy feel, and closer to nature, than a big concrete University Hospital inpatient unit.
IOL had a strong psychotherapy, and in particular, psychodynamic psychotherapy. They also got strong exposure in CBT, as well as the usual in DBT, IPT, family, and group therapy.
Dr. Pearlson comes from Hopkins, with a strong research program in neuroimaging. Also some strong clinical research in aging and anxiety. Not the breadth of other places, but certainly what research they do is cutting edge and strong.

3. Estimated call hours

The usual for PGY1, usually Q4/Q5 for medicine months, Q7 for psych months. In PGY2, call was until 8 or 9:30, then night float took over, except on a weekend call (Fri, Sat., Sun), which was 24 hours. I think there was no mandatory PGY3 or PGY4 call. The clinical services were detached from the teaching service, meaning if there were no residents, the clinical services could carry on just fine. More time to devote to teaching, and not as much scut for the residents.

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff

Dr. Bentman the PD was wonderful. She had a great sense of humor, was really into teaching, and worked ahrd to make the residency training as good as it could be. Everyone else was very nice, the residents were very friendly, and nonstressed.

5. Location pluses and minuses

Hartford is a smallish city. Cheaper cost of living compared with New Haven or towns along the coast closer to New York, but still within a couple hours drive to Boston and ~2.5 hours to NYC. Driving and the commute is easy, plenty of housing within a 15 minute drive of the IOL.

6. Most positive aspects of program

For people looking for an intimate program, with a strong focus on psychotherapy, and teaching, I think this would be a great program. Everyone will know you, and care about you, your professional development, and your training. The clinical training looks very good for a program of its size. Good for families. And because of the detachment of teaching from the clinical services, the program can afford to be flexible about residents having kids or taking time off if needed.

7. Most negative aspects of program

The most positive aspects of this program are also the most negative. It is a small program, so if one is looking for a ton of volume, and a gigantic mecca, this is not the program for them. Singles may find the activities a little slim, if looking for serious urban living, unless one wants to go to Boston or NYC on your off time.

In summary, I think this was a surprise for me, a great little program with excellent teaching, strong psychotherapy training, a great PD, an awesome looking campus, and very good clincal training.

 

[zen76]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" "What happened with your step 2 CK score the first time?" "What can we tell you about our program?"

2. Big highlights of the programs

UPitt is a monster program. 13 residents per class, 85 million dollars in NIH funding, a 289 bed dedicated psych hospital. Huge clinical volume. The psychiatry dept at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is the largest department, huge clout. UPMC keeps gobbling up surrounding hospitals, so new clinics are opening up regularly, and it owns practically all health services in the SW Penn region, eastern Ohio region, and part of WV. It owns its own HMO.

3. Estimated call hours

Usual, Q4 during medical months in PGY1, neuro is consult. However, the 3 medicine months are family practice at St. Margaret's in Pittsburgh, which a lot of residents liked because they thought it was more relevant primary care training versus the usual inpatient IM services at other programs. Call is like other places, until 8 or 9 at night, except on weekends, which are 24 hours on. Q5/6 for psych in PGY1, Q10 in PGY2, no mandatory call in PGY3 or 4.

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff

The PD, Dr. Travis, was great, very extroverted, honest, very sarcastic sense of humor. He is new, been there since 2005, excited about improving the program. The residents, even those for whom Pitt was not their #1 choice said they were very happy with their choice, and were very impressed with their clincial training. The faculty and the residents all seemed very excited about what they were doing. The residents felt their feedback was acted on and well received.

5. Location pluses and minuses

I thought Pittsburgh was great. It was a nice combination of having an urban feel of a real city, with all the cultural activities related to a city, but at the same time small enough for residents were able to buy houses a 5-15 minute commute from work. Low cost of living. Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and an IKEA. Great for young families, singles felt a more mixed scene. Close to a lot of outdoor activities. However, Pittsburgh isn't really close to any other big city, Detroit is four hours away, Washington is 5 hours away, if that is a concern. The city has okay mass transit (small subway and decent bus system), some residents used it, some didn't, and just drove.

6. Most positive aspects of program

Clinical training was oustanding, tremendous volume. More research money than any other medical center, and only overshadowed by the NIMH in Bethesda. Everyone was very excited about what they were doing. Very cheap place to live. A mind/body center at UPMC with training opportunities, clinical services (massage, acupuncture, meditation, yoga, nutrition), and research (study of the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment modality for MDD)

7. Most negative aspects of program

Psychotherapy was described as residents getting a strong exposure to psychotherapy, as an ecletic therapist, but not a fully trained therapist. They have a new psychotherapy director, Dr. Katunich, that was working on making the training more robust. Residents thought the C/L service was not as good as it could be, they spent a lot of time doing transfers and dispositions, and not doing a lot of psychiatry. The size of WPIC can be a negative, there isn't as much hand holding, and one has to be a bit more proactive in finding specific electives, or opportunities, because it is such a huge establishment. You can do anything, you may just have to seek it out more than at another program.

In summary, UPitt had strong clinical and research training. It is a huge program, but the residents felt they still had a nice cohesion and community among their fellow residents. Pittsburgh is a medium sized city, perfect for young families, some singles may find the nightlife not as big as in a larger city (it's not NYC, Philly, or Houston). Low cost of living. If you're interested in research or planning a career in academic psychiatry, it is a great program. If one is looking for a small, intimate program, where you know everyone, probably not the best program for you.

 

[raspberry swirl]

i find it interesting that the "invites" thread is booming, yet no one is bothering to post their experiences ... c'mon y'all, i know you're interviewing. everyone is curious to know what you think of different programs! nobody likes a lurker, post, damn it.

... and i know you lurkers are out there, i've spoken with a number of you on interviews ...

 

[duneclimber]

Ok...will put in my 2 cents...

Medical College of Wisconsin: Jon Lehrmann, the program director, seems very
supportive of residents. The dept chair, Laura Roberts, is well-known for her ethics work and is excited to help all residents develop professionally regardless of their interests. The outpatient building is new and very nice. About half of the residents were from MCW med school; seems to be very FMG-friendly. Strong psychodynamic presence (faculty health insurance covers their own analysis). All call is taken at a Community Mental Health-esque PES (psych ER)...tons of exposure to the down and out, but the facility leaves much to be desired (dim lighting, dark brown interior). The resident said that coming from the program, you would be an expert at "The 5-point or Star Restraint Technique" and spoke about how great the drug rep meals were...both were a bit of a turn-off to me, but could have been isolated to that particular person. The residents at dinner seemed to have diverse interests and time to pursue them. Moonlighting could be done at the afore-mentioned PES. I was concerned that training would be skewed to the psychodynamic. Research seemed possible in limited areas (child bipolar, mild cognitive impairment, ethics). Milwaukee is ok…bigger city on the shore of Lake Michigan but seems a bit dilapidated in large parts of the area. Meals on call are NOT provided. A few of the residents seemed very pro-drug rep involvement with the residency, which just struck me as odd (that drug reps are so prevalent in the program) since the department chair is an ethicist…. Neuroscience didactics were listed as a weakness.

Cincinnati: The program director, Warren Liang, is awesome. Residents seemed like a fun and eclectic bunch. Plusses include: a very flexible schedule (research track folks can do that track and child fellowship all within 5 yrs; just the research track will still get you out in 4 yrs). The research track starts early…you can do 2 months of research at the end of first year/beginning of second, plus half of your 3rd and 4th yrs. Huge children’s hospital if child/adolescent is your thing. Cinci is associated with a psychoanalytic institute, which allows for some good supervision and advanced psychotherapy training if desired. You can do peds months in lieu of medicine your intern year. Pay is really good with cheap cost-of-living. Most residents owned houses in Cinci or across the border in Kentucky. Moonlighting is available and pays $80-100/hr (at the VA and outpatient psych). The facilities were a bit rough-looking, though some of the psych dept offices are moving across the street in a brand new building. Night float system to cover the psych ER (PES), which seems like a busy place (lots of learning, mildly frightening when I toured it). Interns indicated that they sleep most of the night most nights on call during their psych months. Meals on call are NOT provided. The dept chair left in the midst of a threatened no-confidence vote 1-2 years ago. Apparently the new chair has been great and residents are much happier with the stabilizing force within the dept hierarchy (I guess they were having to pitch in with more call, duties in the midst of the previous chair leaving due to financial difficulties). There is talk of adding a moonlighting position in the psych ER to lighten up current busy-ness. Parking free.

Mayo: The program director, Kem Philbrick, is quite dedicated to the program and its residents. Supervision is phenomenal with a wide variety of staff. Call is taken PGY1-3 years, though most third years do a block call system (essentially night float) one week of every 7 with no daytime duties that week. Research opportunities are abundant, though the official research track is just getting started. Opportunities to do peds intern year as well as child neuro and do extra inpatient months on child during 1st/2nd year. The facilities are amazing. C/L is a huge strength of the program. Cost of living is minimal and resident salary very good, so nearly all residents own houses. Moonlighting available 30-60 minute drive away that about 1/3-1/2 of residents take advantage of. Opportunity to do international rotation or rotate at Mayo Scottsdale (AZ) or Jacksonville (FL), expenses paid. On-call meals are provided. Facilities are among the best I have seen….stand-alone psychiatry hospital is connected by tunnels to the rest of the hospital, nice atrium in the center of the psych hospital so all patient rooms either face the tree/plant-filled atrium or the outside. All rooms are private, hardwood floors, etc. Workout facility in the basement for Mayo employees (with yoga, aerobics, etc, in addition to machines/weights)…some residents use when on call if the night is quiet. Call room has on-demand movies. All charting is paperless throughout the hospital. No associated VA or public sector psychiatry. Socioeconomic diversity but less cultural diversity than other places I have seen. Mayo will support residents who present at meetings fully (as many meeting as you get posters accepted at…) as well as paying for one meeting attendance trip per residency. Department chair is a big name in child/adolescent psych and has been actively building a strong psychogenomics program at Mayo. Residents who have left the program have done so almost exclusively because they did not like living in Rochester, MN (i.e. it did not seem to be related to Mayo or the psychiatry residency, from what I know). The residents I met were all very happy with their training and decision to come to Mayo. Didactics seem very strong overall. It seems that residents work most weekends (at least one day of the weekend) throughout the first 2 years; this seemed different from other programs I have seen. Recent resident research has been in child, C/L, geri and addictions primarily. 3rd year students get their own offices which are really nice (new building, but located in the basement). No drug reps on campus, though they do purchase books for many residents. Parking free.

University of Washington—Seattle: The program director, Deb Cowley, won an award for her work as program director. Training is done at Harborview (county), University Hospital and VA, with option to do peds/child psych at their Children’s Hospital. Many moonlighting opportunities off-campus in the area, but you cannot get licensed until third year of residency. Call schedule is nice in that you can request which location you want to take call of the three listed above. Very bustling psych ER. Facilities average for public sector. Marcia Linehan has made DBT a big plus re training at UW…there are even scheduled admissions for severe borderline patients at Harborview to reduce “crisis” interventions. Some big names in C/L psychiatry and mental health policy are here and accessible to residents. Access to psychoanalytically trained supervisors if desired. I had one very odd interviewer who asked multiple questions about my childhood and stated that the program did not like people who were not from East Coast Ivy League institutions (of which I am not). He later said that he was joking, but the whole interview was uncomfortable. The other interviews were quite positive so he may have been the exception. Abundant outdoors opportunities…great seafood…very gray days. For some the different locations are a plus; the drive between them would be a pain but there is a shuttle that you can take btw sites. Charting is paperless at all sites at UW. They add 2 residents PGY-2 year as well, typically for folks switching into psych from other specialties. Parking $100/month.

University of Washington—Spokane: First two years are done in Seattle (see above); remainder is done in Spokane at Sacred Heart (community hospital). Great training for community psych without skimping on inner city training the first 2 yrs. Moving expenses to move to Spokane. Residents were very friendly, seemed a bit older (nearly all had kids) than at other programs. Amazing outdoors activities near Spokane. Didactics that I sat in on were surprisingly well done, though the sessions were taught by a pharmacologist who will soon be retiring. Unique day-school unit in child/adolescent psych. Abundant moonlighting within the hospital in Spokane as well as nearby locations (one resident was grossing over 100K). Residents complained that staff did not integrate them well into treatment teams on the inpatient unit and that much of their learning was done by shadowing in the inpatient arena. They liked this because they had little scutwork to do as a result, but I left wondering how well trained I would be. Some residents ran a group with Gonzaga University students that seemed interesting. It is apparently possible to do a child fellowship by doing the first 1.5 yrs in Seattle, the next 1.5 yrs in Spokane and the child fellowship back in Seattle (or elsewhere likely). The residency program administrative person was really wonderful during my day there.

University of New Mexico: I was surprised by the quality of this program. I came expecting little, but was pleasantly excited about UNM throughout my interview day. The program director has been there for a year, but residents all find him to be quite supportive and responsive to requests for change. UNM is unique in that several faculty members from big name institutions (UCLA, Cornell) have joined on mid-way through their careers, wanting to be very involved in supervising and clinical research but not in a uber-competitive environment. The MIND institute has a lot of imaging research going on and is run by a psychiatrist. Facilities were much nicer than I had seen in public psych hospitals. Great clinical work in addictions, C/L, child and adolescent, eating disorders. Faculty was among the most down-to-earth (laid back…ties are rarely seen here; white coats are a bit of an exception as well, it seems) and smart I have met. They seemed to really value teaching and clinical work, as well as having a life outside of medicine. The VA was decent as well (there is a women’s PTSD clinic that looked interesting and a psych primary care clinic, where you keep your general medical skills honed up and integrate psych care). It sounds like second year is the busiest year in this program. They have changed call so that residents go home at midnight in the psych ER; if they stay through the night, they are paid for in-house moonlighting. The child psych training is among the best for public psychiatry training; there are several folks there actively involved in child C/L research and other clinical child/adolescent training. Outdoor activities are abundant. They hadn’t had a cloudy day in several months when I visited. Opportunity to do peds first year, as well as do research rotations/track. Pay is a bit lower than Midwest/East Coast but at least cost of living is also reasonable. Many residents own homes. The dept chair is a former NIMH division head and very supportive of students presenting at meetings. Joel Yager also seems to be a huge asset to the program…he was program director at UCLA for 20 years and is head of education at UNM as well as staying very active in eating disorders clinical research and resident supervision. Neuroscience listed as a weakness in didactics that the director is trying to revamp.

University of Illinois—Chicago: The best child/adolescent training in the city, arguably, especially since half the department at the University of Chicago moved over to UIC a few years ago. The program director is young and seems dynamic (he trained at UIC); the former program director is acting as interim department chair this year while they are conducting a national search. Great public sector psych training, as most of their patients are inner-city Chicago (lower SES, lower access to care). Great clinical training and research in autism-spectrum disorder. Residents occasionally round in jeans on the weekend. Reasonable rent in the area for Chicago. Abundant training sites around the city which could be a plus or minus (traffic is a huge pain, having lived in Chicago). Moonlighting off-campus available but in Illinois, you cannot get your medical license until the 3rd yr of residency. Facilities were ok. Third and fourth years share offices. The child/adol fellowship director had been director at the University of Chicago and seems wonderful…very dedicated to teaching and supervising. Weakness listed was lack of eating disorders treatment.

University of Michigan: I was pleasantly surprised by this program. The institution has a bit of an ivory tower reputation but the psychiatry department seems to be far from it. There are several big name researchers and clinicians, but they appear to be very involved in resident training and approachable. The research and clinical training tracks are well-supported by the NIMH; residents in these tracks have additional didactics specifically addressing research/grant-writing/career development issues. Residents have joined these tracks at various points during the program. The program director, Dr. Jibson, seems like a straight-shooter and is very dedicated to residents. The Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute is located in Ann Arbor so psychodynamic supervision is abundant. The facilities are the most impressive public facilities I have seen so far (and some of the most impressive overall). They are building a new children’s hospital. All building are connected by tunnels. The psych ER was really nice and residents seemed well supported by staff. There is a brand new mood disorders center run by U of M that was quite impressive. Moonlighting available in the area off-campus. I had some of my most enjoyable faculty and resident interviews here. UM is one of the few places that actually has a resident union so there are some nice perks (you get paid extra for holidays, including your birthday!). Cafeteria actually looked pretty good. No drug reps on campus, though there are some dinners after hours. Weaknesses listed were eating disorders exposure and lack of child C/L faculty (the attending in the child unit does C/L consults by default but there is no one who does exclusively C/L as their area of expertise. Parking $600/yr. Departmental support for presenting at meetings. Ann Arbor is a sweet town…very eclectic, liberal, vibrant university and arts. Most residents buy housing just outside of Ann Arbor (Chelsea, Ypsilanti, Saline) since traffic is typically a non-issue. Residents serve on all departmental committees as active members. Very unique homeless outreach elective opportunity.

University of California—San Diego: Very strong geriatrics program. C/L listed as a weakness by residents b/c you must cover both the ER and consults that month. Didactics recently overhauled for the better (in the past, lectures often repeated from one year to the next but now are specific to each class’ training level and work to build upon lectures the previous year). Free year of psychotherapy for residents that about half take advantage of. Close ties to a psychoanalytic institute. Well-known folks in most areas of the department (editors for 8 journals in psych are on faculty) that are accessible to residents for research mentoring and supervision. A ton of biological psych bench research. Interesting homeless psych/medicine clinic as well as AIDS psych. Training at the VA first year and UCSD second year. Geropsych unit was very nice (they were baking cookies when I toured it); other university psych setting less nice. Residents often talked about how hard they worked but when they quantified it were only working about 50 hrs/wk the first 2 years, 40 hrs/wk the 3rd yr, 30 hrs/wk the 4th yr. Tons of off-campus moonlighting available (one resident grossing 100K and started her own private practice during fourth year). Great climate/beach opportunities. Unique program looking at madness in literature in a journal club sort of setting. They just started a research track that seems to specifically target bench work, though there is much clinical work going on outside the track if interested. There is a required senior academic project that can be a lit review, clinical research, etc. Most residents stay on as faculty. Cost of living pricey with low resident salary (much lower than Midwest and east coast programs) but it is doable to rent in desirable areas. Traffic isn’t as bad as many other areas of California, especially as most residents live between the sites and drive against traffic each way during the work week.

Feel free to PM me with questions...Best of luck!

 

[tiggernater]

UC San Diego- I would agree with what is said above about this program. It is a phenomonal program. However - that being said it has a reputation for working their residents. More of a biological feel- much less emphasis on behavior. Residents seem nice but perhaps a bit more anal about things than you would typically see in a Psych program. If you are more of a "go with the flow" kind of a guy you may feel a bit frustrated with your classmates.

UCLA HARBOR- From what I've heard thais is an excellent program. Depending on who you talk with , I've variously heard it to be thought of as 2nd only to NPI in the so Cal ( heard the same about UCSD and UCLA SFV). What can I say about the facitilities. Its LA county. YOu go through metal detectors to get in and even the toilets have graffiti. However, if you can look past that - its a really great program for someone who wants to see everything. You are going to work- especially since the program is taking up the slack from the DREW shutdown, but you will be very prepared for solo practice. Its definatley a program to highly consider for the right person. NOt so good if you want to do academics.

UCLA SFV- After the eathquakes in the 90's thay got most of their buildings rebuilt. Lucky them! Some of the best facilities I've seen from a VA. Seem to have good placement for fellowships. You get to do some rotations at NPI and ceders- which is also good for connections. However there is a good amount of driving - so be warned. Call seems a bit lighter than harbor. They seem to be comperable programs, but with emphasis in different directions. residents seem happy.If you dont like SFV you may like Harbor, and vice versa - kind of interesting. I talked with other people who had interviewed at both programs and thay tended to have similar impressions.

UT- Houston- This would be a great program if you are looking for a strong consult program. The first year is 4/4/4 medicine, neuro, FP. No Psychiatry. No electives 4th year, but you do spend 4th year entirely with consults, 4 months at MD Anderson- not too shaby. Facilities are typical of a university hospital. Residents were friendly and candid.

UT San Antonio-One of the strongest programs in the state. Professors and residents are friendly and candid. Residents seem happy and with good comraderie. good psych ER experience. No problems getting good fellowships, and they have most fellowships at institution. Cost of living is cheap. Typical University facilities.

U of Minnesota- Big suprise of the interview trail. Hadn't heard much about this program- but was impressed. Excellent facilities considering its a University hospital. Faculty were candid and funny as were the residents. The people seem genuinely happy and friendly. Many elective opportunities and moonlighting can double your income. Residents do not seem overworked. No problems getting fellowships. Cost of living not that bad for a large city. If you can get past the snow- its a program to consider.

MAyo- What can I say. Its the MAyo Clinic- whith grand pianos in the entry way with marble columns. Yould be crazy not to like the place. I could go on and on. only detractor is the location. No much to do in Rochester - but minneapolis is only about 1.5 hour away and with the money you save by living in Rochester, and if you don't mind driving, its definately not so much in booney ville.

Anyways- those are the highlights of my interview trail.

So all you fellow Lurkers now its your turn.

 

[spaslam]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

Why do you want to be a psychiatrist? What are some of your strengths and weaknesses? What questions do you have about the program? The session with the PD seemed like psychotherapy. He asked me about my personality and what about it could be positive and negative as a psychiatrist. The chair is outstanding and talked almost the entire time about the program and his vision for having all his graduates be able to practice anywhere in the world.

I asked about research opportunities, 4th year rotations for my wife, call schedule, plans for the future within the program, parking, moonlighting, the MPA program.

2. Big highlights of the programs

The residents and faculty seem to be very happy and enjoy each other. Work hours are reasonable. The chair is fabulous and is bringing in major research. Mentorship seems to be taken seriously. The MPA program is at one of the best schools around.

3. Estimated call hours

q4-5 on medicine, depending on if you are at University Hospital or VA; 4x/month on psych. Very reasonable.

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff

Oustanding. They genuinely seem happy to be there; residents said they almost had too much autonomy...

5. Location pluses and minuses

Upstate NY. The airport has plenty of connections and the train and buses are there also.

6. Most positive aspects of program

Faculty, residents, research, work load.

7. Most negative aspects of program

Facilities seemed a bit outdated; this is not a big concern for me. Upstate is far from my family, but in an area I once lived. I don't enjoy driving in snow.

Summary: A pleasant surprise to see such a strong program, with major research potential in a reasonably priced area to live. Work load is fair and residents and faculty seem happy to be there. Please contact me for more info if needed.

 

[spaslam]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

PD: Why did you go to a Caribbean school? Why are you interested in this program? Why do you want to be a psychiatrist? What questions do you have about the program? The chair was out of town.

The other psychiatrist, Dr. Carr, asked me about my background and experiences in psychiatry. The two psychotherapists asked me much more of the same. We talked about their research.

I asked about research opportunities at their clinical research lab, 4th year rotations for my wife, call schedule, plans for the future within the program, parking, moonlighting, child fellowships. They seemed very flexible and willing to help out.

2. Big highlights of the programs

The PD seems very detail oriented and wanting to make the experience positive. The residents felt well trained; they thought some of the psychotherapy could be a bit better. The faculty I met seemed to be happy and enjoy Wichita--they all had a connection there. Work hours were very reasonable. The chair has researched all of the major anti-depressants and is super busy, but approachable according to the residents and faculty.

3. Estimated call hours

As reasonable as they could be. Medicine rotations have only psych call, which is q7.

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff

Everyone was quite pleasant; the chief was certainly a talker. The PD seems very involved and wanting to help. Faculty were friendly; there was some concern about foreign schools.

5. Location pluses and minuses

Wichita. The airport is there. KC is 2-3 hours away. Tuls is 2-3 hours also.

6. Most positive aspects of program

Research is there, work load seems light. Faculty is small but seems very involved. Facilities were quite nice. Barb the coordinator is super helpful. They paid for both nites of hotel, since I could not catch a flight out same day. That was appreciated.

7. Most negative aspects of program

Work load may be too reasonable for some. Small faculty, small program, no fellowships.

Summary: A small, solid program, with research potential and a manageable workload in a reasonably priced area to live. Residents and faculty seem to get along well. Please contact me for more info if needed.

 

[spaslam]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

PD: He explained the various tracks, ie, neuroscience, general, fellowships, research. He asked: Why do you want to be a psychiatrist? What questions do you have about the program?

The chair met with all 4 of us later in the day and took questions. I asked about his vision for the program and his research.

The other two faculty I met asked about my background and why I came to psychiatry. I asked about feedback and mentorship.

2. Big highlights of the programs

Flexibility. The program has many tracks for almost any career type: Research, psychotherapy, fellowships. Residents seemed happy and as if they enjoyed each other. Ther consensus was that people really loved Charlottesville. One resident was ready to head to NYC for her fellowship, but she had bought a town house or condo in Charlottesville. The faculty I met were very gentle and enthusiastic about the program. One gentleman does paranormal research on near death experienes. Work hours were fine. The chair is involved in major addicition research on Topirimate and alcoholism. He was very warm and humourous. Laura the coordinator was outstanding; she really helped me reach all my goals and connected me up with everyone I needed to see.

3. Estimated call hours

Not strenuous, but steady. Medicine rotations have medicine call. Psych call seemed about q7.

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff

I did not have any problems. It seems like a stable, friendly group. The residents were nice and seemed honored to be at such a great program.

5. Location pluses and minuses

Charlottesville is a great place to be. The patient population is not as urban as you might see in other teaching centers. But they have a wide cathment area. They have an airport and Richmond is only an hour away.

6. Most positive aspects of program

Research is improving with the new chairand they have a good work load. Faculty seem outstanding and the facilities were quite new. The program has 9-10 residents per year. Fellowships are available.

7. Most negative aspects of program

Some of the clinical sites are up to 45 minutes away. It is a college town of 40,000 people and the pt population may not be as varied as some teaching centers.

Summary: This program immediately went to the top of my list; I was impressed with both the residents, faculty and facilities. The research potential and flexibility are outstanding. The only problem was I got the feeling they were not overcome with enthusiasm for having me there. Please contact me for more info if needed.

 

[spaslam]

1. Important questions you asked/were asked

First I met with a researcher on anxiety. He was a very kind man and asked me to explain my interest in psychiatry. He said it was unclear from my personal statement why I wanted to be a psychiatrist.

PD: He gave a slide presentation on Richmond with a lot of history. He gave us handouts on the research and town. He asked: What qualities make a good psychiatrist? What questions do you have about the program? I asked him what he needed to know about me to fill gaps in my application.

The chair met with all 4 of us later in the day and had a group session. I really enjoyed him. He was a straight shooter and asked us to talk about something he might not know from our applciation. He also asked us what we brought to the table for both strengths and weaknesses. He explained he was delighted to answer a previous applicant who was concerned about being in the program with his male partner. He had a good sense of humor and told us some personal things I was not expecting.

I also met with associate dean who was a child psychitarist. We talked about opportunities for my wife to do 4th eyar rotations at VCU. He said these were limited. He also told me about the child program currciula and facilities.

2. Big highlights of the programs

World-class research. I did not know that VCU psychiatry was ranked so highly until exploring their web site.

Diversity. There were many foreign students and people from various backgrounds. I think this enriches the program for everyone.

Faculty. Seemed very sharp; the PD knew all the details about me. They seemed to have reviewed my file quite closely.

3. Estimated call hours

Intense for the first 2 years. More reasonable later on. Can't recall the exact hours or call. Just not a huge concern for me as most programs I have been to seem clsoe in hours and call.

4. Friendliness of the program residents, faculty and staff

All were smiling and helpful. The work seems to be a little more intense here; everyone still seemed happy with their training. Faculty seemed to take the quality of residents and their training quite seriously.

5. Location pluses and minuses

I live in Richmond for grad school and loved it. DC is nearby if you need it. Otherwise there is plenty to do and decent culture and restaurants in Richmond. Richmond does seem like a city in transition.

6. Most positive aspects of program

Research and fellowships are available. Diversity and other items mentioned above are a big plus.

7. Most negative aspects of program

Work load may be intense at times, especially early on. Expectations are high (which can be positive), but there might be some pressure to perform in such a high powered place. Faciltiies are a bit old. Not much negative to say about this program.

Summary: A top notch program and faculty with great, though intense training. Everything you need is at VCU if you want a big program, research and diversity of peers and patients.

 

[raspberry swirl]

oh moderator, can we make this thread, and the Ghost of Interview Feedback Past thread, a sticky?

 

[PsychMD2100]

Northwestern
Best part of Chicago. Top program in the city. Very busy calls with residents often working throughout the night. PD has a strong psychotherapy background. Very nice facilities as a private hospital.

University of Washington--Seattle
Great city with lots of culture. Varied patient experiences with UWMC, Harborview, and VA. Faculty seemed friendly. Large program with 17 residents in PGY-2 to 4 classes. Heavy workloads at Harborview (County Trauma Center). Loss of some attendings has limited overnight coverage. 5-state catchment area includes Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho.

University of Nevada--Reno
Exciting access to Tahoe less than an hour away. Community program with university affiliation. Pager call from home. Good interaction with attendings. Less well known. May be difficult to secure a fellowship after training there.

 

[grishko2007]

1. Columbia:

Things I liked: The classes and grand rounds are amazing, everyone here seems very intelligent with a genuine interest in psychiatry. There is a strong presence of both analysts and biologists, but they seem to respect each other. The residents are very nice, tons of them showed up throughout the day to speak with us and answer our questions. The department is well respected by other services, so your contributions are valued when you rotate through them or do CL. You can moonlight 3rd and 4th years, and your salary also increases considerably during those years. There is some built-in time for research years 2-4. There's tons of cutting edge research being done in this department in a variety of areas. The interview day was one of the most professional and well structured on the circuit, but I also got some of the toughest questions by my interviewers as well. Be prepared to account for any holes or weaknesses in your CV, and to discuss your professional plans for the future. They also seemed very interested in knowing about any obstacles you've encountered in your life and how you effectively dealt with them, as well as about what you like to do in your free time (what free time???) On a positive note, the residents here seemed genuinely happy. Residents from other programs have even commented on this fact.

Things I didn't like: the PI is not in the most interesting or safe of neighborhoods, there is some subsidized housing available, but most residents pass on this because they don't want to live in the neighborhood. The program chair doesn't meet with you on interview day, and there are 10 candidates per day instead of the typical 4-5, and the program director only meets with half of them. If you're looking for warm and fuzzy or lots of hand holding, this is not the program for you.

2. NYU:

Things I liked: Everyone here is SO friendly and helpful and excited to meet with you and to hear about your interests in psychiatry. It was a lot of "oh, you're interested in this area? well then you HAVE to speak to so-and-so," and then when you meet with or contact "so-and-so" they're also SO excited to meet you and hear about your interests and then let the networking begin. Bellevue is amazing, especially the CPEP, and the whole NYU hospital system is this mammouth structure that spans something like 12 city blocks and is comprised of 3 hospitals (NYU, Bellevue and the VA) that are all next to each other. There is also Lenox hospital on the upper east side and Kings Hospital in Brooklyn. There is a psychoanalytic institute located within the psych department, and it's by far the largest of the 3 in Manhattan.

Things I didn't:
This residency program will work you, particularly with the call schedule, which extends well into the 3rd year. The residents, although diverse and interesting, seemed resigned to this and they did look tired. The world might well be your oyster at NYU, but it's questionable as to whether you'd have the time to take advantage of it.

3. St. Luke's-Roosevelt:

Things I liked: This program is a gem. The residents here are a fun, loveable, close-knit bunch. There is guaranteed subsidized housing located across the street from both sites, so they all work, live and play together and STILL seem to get along. They all seem to have a life outside of medicine. It's a smaller program so everyone knows one another, including the attendings. There is a CPEP at both sites, and solid psychotherapy, CBT and DBT training. There is time and support to pursue outside interests that the program itself may not necessarily offer. Solid didactics.

Things I didn't: it's a smaller program with strengths in community and substance abuse psych. If these aren't your areas of interest, or if you're looking for a major academic research institution, this is not the program for you. The program director, while very nice and beloved by his residents, is leaving and last I heard they didn't know yet who would be replacing him.

4. Emory:

Things I liked: the Emory campus is beautiful, and the university hospital is going to be torn down and rebuilt over the next 10 years, with a new medical school that will house the psychiatry dept. Strong ties with both Emory University and the medical school. They seem particularly strong in child psych and research, and there are fellowship opportunities aplenty, including forensics, child, addiction, psychsomatics, HIV, community/public, research and geri (they have the only freestanding geri hospital in the country). Grady didn't seem too scary, it has a large PES and overall seems very comparable to Bellevue. In fact, I would say that Emory seems to combine all of the best parts of Columbia and NYU but is located in a beautiful, affordable part of the country. Contrary to popular (or maybe only my prior) belief, Atlanta is not as nearly as expensive, crowded or trafficky as Boston or NYC. When people speak of traffic, it's more on par with Chicago, and is contained to ONLY the northern half of the interstate at certain times of the day (rush hour). As far as cost, it's very comparable to St. Louis, and many of the residents can afford to buy a house or condo. You can moonlight 3rd and 4th years and double your salary. The residents overall seemed very happy, and came out in droves to meet us throughout the day. There are a ton of research opportunities but no pressure to participate--there are about 12 residents per class, only an average of 2 per year do research. If research or psychoanalysis is your cup of tea, the program is very flexible in allowing time to pursue these interests during years 2-4. If you want to do a fellowship, chances are great you'll get a slot, as they like to accomodate their residents.

Things I didn't like: there have been some complaints about the 1st year didactics (more theoretical, less practical), although the 2nd and 3rd year classes are supposedly great. The longstanding, much beloved, program director is stepping down, and there's a new one coming in. I have heard only positive things about the new one, and he doesn't seem too interested in making any drastic changes anytime soon. There were some complaints from residents that psychotherapy is a little overemphasized in their education, since the analytic institute is also located within the psych dept and seems to have a large presence in resident education. CBT has just been added as a 1 month required elective to the 3rd year curriculum, and DBT is not currently available. There is a mind-body institute if you are looking to learn about alternative forms of therapy.

 

[PittBoo50]

Big Highlights:
They have a “diverse” patient population: 1/3 Medicaid, 1/3 Medicare, 1/3 pay out of pocket (which includes some of the wealthy upper east side clientele). This was very interesting, because the pt populations that I’m used to are 80+% Medicaid.

They do portions of their medicine requirements rotating through the oncology specialties at Memorial Sloane Kettering.

Psychoanalytical bend: I felt that a good part of each of my individual faculty / resident interviews were spent defending the program against it being “too psychoanalytical”. They indeed have a prominent history of psychoanalytical teaching, with world-renowned mentors …but, they do spend ample time in learning psychopharm and the other psychotherapies. In other programs I’ve looked at, psychoanalysis is weak (in some, VERY weak or nonexistent), which makes Cornell stand out. To make a comparison, I would look to the Penn program and its CBT bend, because of its affiliation with the Beck Institute.

They have just started an affiliated PsychoSomatics fellowship with Memorial Sloane Kettering; with ¾ time doing work with the psycho-oncology consult at MSK, and ¼ doing general psych consult at Presby (I believe).

I was very intrigued by the program.

 

[PittBoo50]

They have very nice, very affordable housing...Big plus!

 

[cleareyedguy]

The second year residents have a three-month block of full-time consult-liaison.They spend 9 or 10 weeks of those weeks at NY Presbyterian and 2 or 3 weeks at Sloan Kettering.

 

[psychresi]

I recently interviewed at Mayo, here's what I can say I noticed:

1. Residents don't seem to be that happy (except for the ones who are getting a Visa)
2. Residents in different years are leaving the program.
3. Many, if not most, of the residents are foreign. They also have some DO's, not MDs (including the chief resident!)
4. Most residents are married, many with young children.
5. The program director was a super nice guy, except I just found out he QUITTED!!!
6. It is true that call is only until 12am on the first two years, but then on third and fourth year, when things are supposed to get easier, you do the whole night!
7. Mostly a biological program, not too much psychotherapy here.
8. Didn't hear too much complains about living in Rochester, they try to tell you that "the city is only about 1 1/2 hours away".....that is of course when there is no snow on the road, which is pretty rare in Rochester!

On the upside, if you're into big names in your diploma, "Mayo Clinic" always looks good. The facilities are amazing (and so of course is the cost of getting treatment there). Cost of living in Rochester is good. Mayo's salary is average (42,000/year, but high taxes in MN). Strong CL fellowship. Free parking.

 

[duneclimber]

I am a Mayo medical student currently interviewing for psychiatry residency and would be happy to answer questions regarding Mayo's program. To respond to the initial post, the Mayo Clinic has traditionally been very FMG and DO friendly (in most specialties, not just psychiatry). That said, they are also quite selective about the quality of residents regardless of nationality. In the psychiatry program, there are actually few FMGs per year...usually 1 (this year's intern class has 2 residents from Puerto Rico, but that still makes them American medical graduates).

The program typically has 0-1 osteopaths per year; as seen by the fact that one of them is a chief (the other chief is an MD-PhD, for what it is worth), they do well in residency and often add a unique perspective in the midst of allopathic training.

It is true that residents have left the program in the past. The ones that I know who transferred were from California, liked the residency program well enough, but hated the cold weather and the less urban atmosphere. One transferred to UCLA-NPI; the other went to another CA program. I only know of one other person who left (also from the west coast), but did so after struggling in the residency for a few years...I am not sure what she is doing now. I would agree that residents leaving a program en masse is concerning. I am not sure what to make of residents who leave for geographical reasons (did they not notice it was twenty below zero with a conspicuous lacking of palm trees when they interviewed?).

The program director is leaving his post as training director but remaining at Mayo. He had been director for 7 years (twice the average length for a training director per the letter that was sent via ERAS to applicants). He is a great person and will be around for mentoring, as far as I know. There are several other interesting new-er faculty members that may replace him.

Minneapolis takes me 1 hour to drive from my house in Rochester to the midst of the downtown area or U-MN campus. There is no traffic EVER so it is easy to catch up on phone calls, etc., while driving through the cornfields. I am currently rotating in Evanston, IL, and it takes me at least an hour to even get to downtown Chicago, so it is all pretty relative. Most of my friends who are Mayo residents go to Minneapolis a few times per month so there is always someone to go with and new places to explore. We are able to drive there in an hour year-round. Snow happens in Minnesota, but Rochester gets fairly little snow (1-2 snowings per season typically, nothing close to what Denver or the Great Lakes get), but people can and do drive even when there is snow.

Rochester is a small-ish town but there are 85,000-90,000 people, so it has the essentials...good independent co-op with organic foods, decent Mexican/Italian/Indian/Thai restaurants, as well as a few upscale American/French places. There are decent gyms, movie theatres, grocery stores, shopping mall. It is safe (my wallet has been returned to me a few times after losing it with all money etc. in it). It takes five minutes to drive anywhere in town. It is cold (January is often hovering around zero, except this year, when it has rarely been below freezing), but summer is often in the 80s and 90s (June-Sept). It is cheap...most residents own homes (typical range is $100,000-170,000 for a large condo or house...I pay $700 mortgage for a 5 bedroom house). There is an International Film Festival, Gay Pride Festival, Rochester Fest, etc., for random mid-year entertainment. It is fairly white (Caucasian) but with growing Somali and Hmong immigrant populations and a large international patient and physician base. The city suffers by not having a four year university but there are a few decent independent theaters and most Broadway shows do one performance locally on their way to or from Minneapolis. The area is flat...there is ok hiking 1/2 hour away, as well as kayaking. But mountains and ocean are out of the question.

Residents have NO call their fourth year of residency. It is true that they take overnight call only during year 3, but they have organized a night float system so they are on call for one week of nights and off for the entire next day without clinical duties AT ALL during their call week. This weekly schedule rotates every 7 weeks (so you are on call one week every 2 months). Some people love it since they feel that they know the system much better as third years; some don't love it but find the lumped calls much more tolerable than q7 scheduling. For years 1 and 2, there are several call-free months (1/4 to 1/3 of each year is completely call-free).

Most residents I know are happy. They have the typical gripes of residents but the program is fairly responsive to change and I have not met anyone who was outwardly miserable or wished that they were training elsewhere.

Faculty are the highlight of the program...mentoring runs deep in a wide variety of areas within psychiatry. Research is prevalent and residents go to conferences that they are presenting at for free (and one free conference for attendance only). International rotations are funded by Mayo, as are rotations at Mayo Jacksonville or Scottsdale (especially nice when scheduled for the winter months). There is a great deal of flexibility first and second year to do peds, peds neuro, and more/less child/adolescent psych or acute psych (psychosis) if desired (everyone I know that has requested specific variations has been accomodated).

The chairperson is very biologically oriented and a strong figure in child psych nationally. He has bolstered the psychogenomics program but the residency is in no way biologically slanted. Most psychiatrists I know there do clinical research and are very solid supervisors for psychotherapy (especially psychodynamically oriented therapy and DBT). Clinical psychologists in the program provide additional supervision if desired and have strengths in CBT, IPT, mindfulness-based therapy. A few residents each year take classes at the Minnesota Psychoanalytic Institute.

Regarding a few of the other comments made above...I am not sure about specific cost of treatment at Mayo, but I do know that we do see indigent patients (immigrant and farming communities, mainly, as there is not an "inner city poor"). Insurance companies often reimburse better at Mayo than elsewhere in my experience (I can only speak personally...I paid less when I still had Michigan Blue Cross/Blue Shield and was seen there than when I was seen at a public Michigan medical clinic). There is also a charitable fund at Mayo that helps defray (or wipe out, in some cases) medical bills, as well as several pro bono treatments and surgeries that are done annually. Again, I cannot compare how this is to elsewhere, but it has been my experience there as a med student.

Regarding pay scale, it is slotted to be around $45K for next year's interns. That is among the higher salaries that I have seen (along with Michigan, Brown, Cincinnati, FWIW). MN is a middle tax state for property and income tax and has no sales tax on clothing/shoes or grocery store food (though it does have a higher sales tax for other things...about 6.5 cents per dollar, I think). It is true that there are some states without income tax (i.e. TX, NH, OR), though several of them make up for this with higher property and sales taxes.

Things that some people do not like about Mayo:
--formality....in lieu of white coats, most people wear suits. That said, most psychiatry residents get away with wearing a bit more casual attire.
--cold weather in the winter
--call during the third year of residency (please see note above)
--the town not being large enough
--the more conservative environment of the Mayo Clinic. But as the Clinic offers same sex partner benefits (health, health club, dental, vision, etc.) and democrats swept the recent local/state elections, it isn't exactly the worst out there.
--no in-house moonlighting. About half of the residents moonlight in years 3 and 4, but sites can be somewhat limited and require a 30-60 minute drive.

Things some people especially like about Mayo:
--solid didactics and mentoring
--preference regarding supervisors
--great benefits included with being at Mayo, especially reimbursed conference trips, health club, international rotation, free parking, well-loaded meal card for call meals, computer/cell phone/clothing movie theater corporate discounts, medical license funded, etc.
--flexibility with exposure to peds/child psych
--beautiful stand-alone psychiatry hospital with underground connection to the rest of the hospital system
--strong consult-liason psych due to a huge tertiary care setting (including some very odd zebras given the uber-specialization of the medical and surgical departments at Mayo)
--fairly wide variety of research opportunities for residents
--ease of living in Rochester (some find it boring, some find it a relief after dealing with urban commutes previously)...along with low cost of living, friendliness of staff and neighbors, safety of area, etc.
--fellowships in most areas of psych (psychosomatics, child, addictions, sleep)
--kindness and accessability of faculty, many of whom are very accomplished (not only in psych but other specialties as well)

I would definitely not have huge concerns staying at Mayo for residency. It is not without problems (I would worry about residency programs that are unable to identify issues that they are working on), but the training is solid, the resources are amazing, and the department appears to have been expanding for the better over the past few years. Please PM me if you have any specific questions.

 

[PittBoo50]

Things I noted:


multi-hospital sites, which the program considers is a strength in that the residents are exposed to many different environments and patient populations; Apparently, there is a huge Portuguese, Liberian, and Cambodian Refugee population. I did not notice a prominent Asian or Black population on my tour of the city and hospital system.

also are affiliated with a free-standing child/adolescent psychiatric hospital (which I don’t think any other program in America can say they have such a resource)

Providence is a nice city…~1 million people, within an hour of Boston; reasonably affordable; very family friendly; many of the residents (even single incomes) are home-owners! However, even with the global warming, it’s cold! If you’re not used to the lower temps, the move could be tough.

Very light call duties…most call is NOT overnight, but rather till midnight. Also, you can do beeper call from home.

Lots of Moon-Lighting-- They can almost double their annual salaries with the amount of moon-lighting

Residents are very happy, spirited, and really seem to get along well. Very family friendly. The residents also seem pretty active and partake in many outdoor activities.

Lots of research opportunity, with what seems like a smaller proportion of the residents doing research

 

[grishko2007]

I concur with the review of Brown posted above. Overall I was quite impressed with the program and with Providence in general. Here is my additional two cents:

Things I liked: the Butler campus is beautiful and I really liked the program director (Dr. Eisen). The residents seemed nice, smart and intellectual. You have the option of doing 4 months of peds, medicine OR family practice first year. In addition to the freestanding child psych hospital, they are affiliated with a women and infants hospital and a pediatric hospital. There is also Butler, which is one of the oldest and handful of remaining freestanding psych hospitals in the country. Besides being 45 min from Boston, Providence is also only 3 hrs from NYC. Unlike other programs that make you wait until 3rd year before you can begin moonlighting, here you may begin only 1 mo into PGYII.

Things I didn't: the program really sells itself as a world class research institution, and it was stated a few times that Brown is ranked 5th in the world in terms of funding. However, they are 51st in terms of 2002 NIH dollars (based on my own research). Most of the residents do research, and I got the impression that there's some pressure to do this since everyone is apparently doing it in one form or another.

 

[LM02]

Things I didn't: the program really sells itself as a world class research institution, and it was stated a few times that Brown is ranked 5th in the world in terms of funding. However, they are 41st in terms of 2002 NIH dollars (based on my own research). Most of the residents do research, and I got the impression that there's some pressure to do this since everyone is apparently doing it in one form or another.

You have to be careful with where you're getting your data, because places like Brown do not have a university hospital. Thus, the NIH dollars are spread out across several institutions.

For example, for some grants, the sponsoring institution will be Brown. For other grants, the sponsoring institution will be Butler, RIH, etc. (the decision to go through one institution vs. another is generally related to where the PI draws his/her salary). In other words, money that goes to the hospital is not going to come up (e.g., in a CRISP search) as university money.

So you have to actually tally the grant money across all affiliated hospitals in order to have a true estimate of how much research funding there is. I've been told that, in 2006, Brown psychiatry (defined more broadly, as described above) had something in the area of $40M in NIH dollars.