MD & DO Picking a Residency

[Marina91]

I'm currently a MD3 student and I've been stuck in the black hole of information on the internet when searching for residencies. Does anyone have any tips on how to find programs that you like? When I read the descriptions, they honestly all sound the same to me and I cannot figure out how I'm supposed to make any decisions.

I know that I want Ob/Gyn and that I want to eventually practice somewhere in a more rural area. But literally every time I start researching programs it takes hours and I feel as though I am not getting anywhere. Are there any programs that someone would suggest or even warn away from?

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[Azete]

Doximity is a decent starting point, you can filter through residencies and usually get in contact with past/current residents for some additional feedback. Just be careful about places that artificially inflate their stats -- I know of at least one place that instructs all their new interns to give the program 5 stars in every category.

 

[sloop]

I applied to psych so I don't have much advice on specific programs (you'd be better off in the OB forums for that), but as someone who recently went through the process, I can give general advice.

The reason all the residencies sound the same is because they are all like 80-90% the same. They all have to meet ACGME and board requirements, so there are really only so many ways you can structure a residency program. There are some differences but they're not always on the website and are often intangible things like program culture.

Talk to your advisor. They will know what some of the best and worst programs are and will help assess your competitiveness. Depending on your competitiveness, you should then try to come up with a preferred geographic range as to where you want to be for residency. Also, you may want to think about whether you want a university or community program. Develop a list of an appropriate number of programs with a range of competitiveness, run it by your advisor, and apply. You probably won't get an interview everywhere, in which case those decisions have been made for you. Decide on which interviews you want to/can go on and go on them. From there it's just a ranking thing.

Ultimately you don't find programs you like by randomly researching them at this stage of the game. You make an educated guess with your advisor and find out if you like them when you interview.

 

[ACSurgeon]

You'll never know what a program is like until you go there. And then, you'll never know what any of the other programs would have been like so no reason to regret or wish you ended up somewhere else. That said, here's a few things to consider:

- location: Any city you or your SO would rather be? Support systems are crucial in residency.
- academic vs community. What type of network will you develop, etc
- fellowship match rates, types of jobs recent grads got etc.
- Clinical reputation and variety
- financial strength and resources
- the personal feel (when you interview)

Finally keep in mind, what someone thinks is great about a residency might be something you hate, so take everything you hear with a grain of salt

 

[Tenk]

Location > name > pay/benefits/insurance > most other reasons.

Residency is more about work and enjoying what little time you have off (i.e. A location you enjoy with enough money to survive) than anything else.

 

[673441]

Can someone explain to me why Anesthesia not coveted as much? I think its a pretty cool field... Many of my classmates and others who comment on these forums seem to give a negative outlook on the field.

 

[MSTP18]

Can someone explain to me why Anesthesia not coveted as much? I think its a pretty cool field... Many of my classmates and others who comment on these forums seem to give a negative outlook on the field.

a)if you think it's cool, do it, who cares what we think
b)if* I'm going to be in the room with a patient, I prefer most of my time to be spent talking to them to aid in their care. I also really don't like the idea of my job to be mostly sitting around doing nothing while being prepared for a disaster. In the cases where the patient isn't intubated, there's a good chance they're too out of it to converse anyway but now I also have to keep pushing their head around so they don't obstruct their own airway. If they just have a block of some sort then it's usually been this awkward space where everyone just ignores the patient anyway.

I'm glad it was a required part of my training, but I also have no interest in doing it for the next 40-50 years of my life.



*heavily considering path so this is a big if for me

 

[Doctor-S]

I'm currently a MD3 student and I've been stuck in the black hole of information on the internet when searching for residencies. Does anyone have any tips on how to find programs that you like? When I read the descriptions, they honestly all sound the same to me and I cannot figure out how I'm supposed to make any decisions.

I know that I want Ob/Gyn and that I want to eventually practice somewhere in a more rural area. But literally every time I start researching programs it takes hours and I feel as though I am not getting anywhere. Are there any programs that someone would suggest or even warn away from?

You are probably already considering the following things, but I'll mention them anyway:

- Location of Residency (e.g., no lengthy commutes, AMC, community, where you might want to establish your practice);
- Fits your Training Goals (e.g., learn as much as you can, generalist, subspecialty);
- Close to your Social Support system/Family Support system (if that is important to you or to your SO, if you have an SO);
- Lifestyle that you enjoy or prefer (e.g, performing arts, outdoor recreation);
- Positive environment (e.g., mutual respect, cooperative teamwork);
- Fits your Financial Goals (whatever those goals might be, cost of living issues).

 

[Anicetus]

Can someone explain to me why Anesthesia not coveted as much? I think its a pretty cool field... Many of my classmates and others who comment on these forums seem to give a negative outlook on the field.