My good friends brother goes to Pinnaclehealth in Harrisburg for orthopedic residency. Apparently, none of the attendings teach or let you operate. The entire program centers around what can the residents do for the attendings. Attendings do not help with academics at all: this means, no attending grand rounds, no attendings in the cadaveur lab, no attendings in fracture conference. Most of the attendings hardly even teach in the OR or let you participate. Apparently, you can be assured of one thing in this program: when you graduate you will be a damned good first assist. I heard the attendings choose favorites and many of the residents fall between the cracks and gain virtually no experience using their hands.
I was very dissapointed to hear all of this. The pinnacehealth ortho docs have learned to use the residents as free labor and have shown no interest in teaching. The residents at this program that I have talked to feel betrayed and let down by this program. In addition, they get almost not office experience and spend most of their PGY-2 and 3 years holding suction for attendings that laught when show an intrest in operating. I would not consider this program if I were you.
First let me say... I just matched here, so I might be a little biased, but what you have said is a lot of rubbish mixed in with some lies. This is only your first post, so 1) you are either a troll or 2) you are trying to protect your identity, or 3) you are bitter. Either way, it smells fishy, with a s*** load of inaccuracies.
So you have 3rd person hear-say? I rotated there, which means my experiences are first-hand. Let me dissect your comments....
You say that there is no interest from attendings in academics??? Likewise, you say that they don't let the residents operate??? I can say that on my auditions, residents were operating quite a lot, and not just providing suction. I saw a 1 do most of a nail, 2 and 3's doing the joints until they make a mistake, etc. etc.... Point is, that I saw with my own eyes residents operating quite a bit. Their proficiency was on par or better than all other places I went to (went to 5 different auditions). Most of the attendings were quite relaxed, letting residents operate until they needed help or made a mistake (which was pretty standard at all places). All I can say is that what you mentioned is false.
Next you said that they don't care about academics??? and that they don't participate in grand rounds, cadaver lab or fracture conference??? Honestly, this is 100% false, and an absolute lie. Grad rounds: there were at least 9 attendings there, all involved in discussion and questioning other residents. Fracture conference: mandatory for the house attendings at the community hospital. Maybe 12 attendings there, all going over fractures of the week. Also there were journal clubs held at attendings homes with various other attendings and reps there to add to the discussion. As a student, I was impressed how much the attendings were involved with the program and cared about its residents (many were once residents at Pinnacle). How about the 2 times I saw during my month where attendings stayed after work to help with a modulation on kyphoplasty and then went out with us afterwards to grab a drink. You are so far off on this statement I truly question your intent on posting here. This alone is so far from the truth that I am leaning to think that you are a troll.
Residents felt betrayed??? Didn't get this feeling. Actually most of them were quite proud of the program, and felt their education was top-notch. Not my words, theirs (i.e. from their mouth to my ears, and not 3rd rate info).
Favorites??? Again false. The residents spend a month on an attending's services, rounding and operating with them. You spend a month on each attending's service (much like the Mayo philosophy), and there is no other resident on your service, thus no room for favorites. Even if an attending liked one resident over another, that resident is assigned to that service and will be involved in all of their operations, and no other residents are scrubbed. Pinnacle has something like 33 attendings on service, thus there are more attendings than residents. Your statements hold no weight or plausibility.
Office experience??? There is a resident-run clinic, where there are maybe 10-15 residents and one attending. It occurs about twice a week. Any case that comes through the door is that resident's. The attending must scrub that case and help the resident through the case. It is mandatory. The program isn't office heavy, but there is PLENTY of time in clinic, where you book the case, you operate and the attending helps. Didn't see a resident run clinic at any place I went to other than Columbus. Point is, there is office time, but it isn't daily (like many programs). And the clinic is used to get you more cases!
In closing, pretty much all of your comments are off-based. I highly doubt that you have a true understanding of the program. In general, the residents and attendings get along very well. They show a great interest in the program, give much of their time to the betterment of the residents, and made the residents feel like part of the team. Out of the 5 places I went, Pinnacle's attendings were the most involved in furthering, strengthening and giving to the program. There is plenty of operating experience. If you knew anything at all about this program, you would know that it is OR heavy. Cases are turned over, day in and day out. Residents are involved up to their respective levels. Often saw cases with 4s and 5's scrubbed and the attendings just observing unscrubbed. It is unfortunate that your post attempts to per-sway impressionable students away from this program. This is extremely strong program, and nearly every point you have mentioned I have seen to be false. The residents were sharp, got along well, and all operated a ton.
My mom's cousin's brother-in-law's grandmother had went to Bangkok, does that mean that I know what it is like??? My recommendation is to ask students who rotated there (like myself) or residents of their program to get an idea of the program. Don't rely on third-rate information, as it is VERY inaccurate as demonstrated by your post.
