OHSU and U. Colorado IM thoughts?

[Neopluto]

I'm an MS3 in New York, setting up my VSAS app and looking at a few IM programs in the Western states. I don't know anyone in my class who's from that area and I haven't found any recent grads to OHSU or University of Colorado IM programs from my school. If anyone is currently at either of those programs or have recently graduated, I'd really appreciate it if you could either give me some thoughts on what you liked or thought was unique about the program. Alternatively, you could let me know who you are and I'd PM you.

From the tidbits I've read, it looks like both places are focused on Primary Care and have good(?) programs for them. The atmosphere seems generally more relaxed from the crazy resident profile photos. But I don't really know anything else about them.

Thanks in advance for any responses. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some.

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[docnotsopc]

OHSU has a tram that you take from the physician offices at the bottom of the mountain up to the top of the mountain where OHSU is located....

a TRAM

not much more has to be said

 

[Adelaida]

It's a teleferic. A Teleferic! Is that the same as a tram in the U.S?
Gorgeous view and you drop off your bike at the bottom, after having swung by a food truck of course.

 

[throw away]

U. Colorado is respected more the OHSU if "prestige" is a factor for you (though OHSU has a perfectly fine reputation too). The weather in Portland is very dreary. I've seen red flags from OHSU's administration. For example, they mass-invite WAY more people than they have spots for interviews (spots filled up in less than 2 hours--no way to get a spot unless you are on a very easy rotation), then make no accommodations to interview most of the people they "invited". Big F-you to their applicants.

However the people in the city of Portland are wonderful. They are a great combination of quirky and kind. You can get housing cheaper in Portland than Denver. There's only one major hospital (unlike Colorado) so you don't have to commute as much. I don't know what computer system OHSU uses, but it must be better than the computer system used at one of the major Colorado hospitals.

Bottom line: upsides and downsides to each one. Depends on what you value.

Note: The tram is fun! However it is a very, very small piece of your overall day. It also shows OHSU's disregard for the neighboring community, plummeting their house values and disrupting their privacy. It was definitely a necessary evil (the road to the hospital is totally crappy) but neighborhood concerns were not approached with any empathy. Be careful not to be wooed by the tram.

 

[keindo]

U. Colorado is respected more the OHSU if "prestige" is a factor for you

... maybe the veterinary schools but not IM residency.

 

[Neopluto]

Thanks for all the replies, I've been to Portland a couple times and understand that the general weather is dreadful-- it's shame it rains so much.
Do any of you know what can be said about how much emphasis they put into academics ?
And would someone be able to compare either of them to let's say, St. Luke's Roosevelt or North Shore in NY?

 

[gutonc]

Thanks for all the replies, I've been to Portland a couple times and understand that the general weather is dreadful-- it's shame it rains so much.
Do any of you know what can be said about how much emphasis they put into academics ?
And would someone be able to compare either of them to let's say, St. Luke's Roosevelt or North Shore in NY?

You owe me a new computer...and a beer, since I just ruined the former by spitting the latter all over the former when I read this question.

Also, it was 65 and sunny in Portland today.

 

[throw away]

Definitely both are way, way higher than St. Luke's Roosevelt or North Shore in terms of prestige... so much higher that the answer is "no". You can't really compare them unless you take other factors, like being close to family, into account.

 

[Neopluto]

You owe me a new computer...and a beer, since I just ruined the former by spitting the latter all over the former when I read this question.

Also, it was 65 and sunny in Portland today.

This is exactly why I'm so damn lost-- thanks a lot. I can now order the programs more realistically. My clinical dean is saying all kinds of nonconcordant stuff to me that I'm having trouble sifting through.

Buuut I'm going to stand by Portland having crappy weather for a lot of the time. And what kind of beer would you like for your troubles? Delirium Tremens?

 

[gutonc]

This is exactly why I'm so damn lost-- thanks a lot. I can now order the programs more realistically. My clinical dean is saying all kinds of nonconcordant stuff to me that I'm having trouble sifting through.

Buuut I'm going to stand by Portland having crappy weather for a lot of the time. And what kind of beer would you like for your troubles? Delirium Tremens?

I'm currently sitting outside in the sun drinking a Super Dog Double IPA (brewed closer to where I'm sitting than where I'm going to have to go to get my next one) after a day where the last patient of the day was a 29yo that I put on hospice for his multiply recurrent GBM.

You can get me 4 bottles of Hair of the Dog's "Adam from the Wood" for my troubles though. I won't drink that Delirium Tremens s**t.

 

[DermViser]

I'm currently sitting outside in the sun drinking a Super Dog Double IPA (brewed closer to where I'm sitting than where I'm going to have to go to get my next one) after a day where the last patient of the day was a 29yo that I put on hospice for his multiply recurrent GBM.

You can get me 4 bottles of Hair of the Dog's "Adam from the Wood" for my troubles though. I won't drink that Delirium Tremens s**t.

Amazing to me how hard as a rock (good thing) you are - being a New Yorker along with doing Heme/Onc. The **** you see everyday, would have most of us going home in tears (or on SSRIs). If you haven't gotten empathy fatigue, you get plus points.

 

[gutonc]

Amazing to me how hard as a rock (good thing) you are - being a New Yorker along with doing Heme/Onc. The **** you see everyday, would have most of us going home in tears (or on SSRIs). If you haven't gotten empathy fatigue, you get plus points.

If I were still in NYC I would have jumped off the Verrazano Bridge a long time ago.