Program Specific Questions

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Guys I am an International medical student at a a school that has affiliation with UMass....I got accepted for an elective month at UMass in Internal Medicine (general).....they need me to confirm or cancel the offer in a week and I am still hesitant about it because I am aiming for bigger names, and also aiming to get my month in other departments.....I want you to tell me more on UMass IM department and whether it is a great opportunity to sieze or not..
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Shunnar said:
Guys I am an International medical student at a a school that has affiliation with UMass....I got accepted for an elective month at UMass in Internal Medicine (general).....they need me to confirm or cancel the offer in a week and I am still hesitant about it because I am aiming for bigger names, and also aiming to get my month in other departments.....I want you to tell me more on UMass IM department and whether it is a great opportunity to sieze or not..
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So you're an IMG with a guaranteed rotation at a solid mid-tier IM program but you're willing to walk away from it because you "want something better".

As my dad used to say, "Want in 1 hand s$%t in the other and see which one fills up first".

Take it...don't be ridiculous.
 
gutonc said:
So you're an IMG with a guaranteed rotation at a solid mid-tier IM program but you're willing to walk away from it because you "want something better".

As my dad used to say, "Want in 1 hand s$%t in the other and see which one fills up first".

Take it...don't be ridiculous.
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That is what I wanted to know, that it is a solid program :)
Also to make it clearer, accepting this offer means dropping the chance of going to UIC, Vanderbilt, UofL, because they are the other 3 places affiliated with our school, and I cannot get 2 spots because of the high competition between students here to go to the US.

I would appreciate it if you reply to my other thread I started about the 4 programs and which one to choose of them :)
 
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Shunnar said:
That is what I wanted to know, that it is a solid program :)
Also to make it clearer, accepting this offer means dropping the chance of going to UIC, Vanderbilt, UofL, because they are the other 3 places affiliated with our school, and I cannot get 2 spots because of the high competition between students here to go to the US.

I would appreciate it if you reply to my other thread I started about the 4 programs and which one to choose of them :)
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He answered your question. Vandy is probably better but what if you end up with nothing.
 
Shunnar said:
That is what I wanted to know, that it is a solid program :)
Also to make it clearer, accepting this offer means dropping the chance of going to UIC, Vanderbilt, UofL, because they are the other 3 places affiliated with our school, and I cannot get 2 spots because of the high competition between students here to go to the US.

I would appreciate it if you reply to my other thread I started about the 4 programs and which one to choose of them :)
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I'm actually going to close that one because ...TOS violation and all that.

Of those 4, Vandy is the best...and one you have the smallest chance of matching in, particularly since you're not actually interested in IM. The other 3 are similar in "rank" and I'd rank UMass above the other 2 (having interviewed at them all back in the day).
 
I'm gonna weigh in here and say that I'm surprised UMass is so well regarded on these boards. I interviewed there last year and wasn't impressed for a variety of reasons:

- The dinner was really weird. The two chiefs I spoke with were not good representatives of their program...one spent much of the dinner swearing, telling dirty jokes and trying to come off as some sort of 'badass'. The other chief seemed bitchy and basically acted like she didn't want to be there. One interviewee next to me at the dinner turned bright red after hearing some of the jokes...it was just awkward. Many of the residents seemed to get too drunk at the dinner, and they just took the jokes and other tomfoolery way too far. It was too much of a fratty ambience for me. Some of the other residents that weren't boozing hard seemed ok.

- They definitely have a problem balancing work with education. Almost every resident I talked to said they were usually too busy to go to morning report, noon conference etc. They also routinely violate duty hours...one resident leading our tour was like 'yes we violate duty hours all the time here, but that's pretty typical at most programs, right?' She seemed surprised when we looked surprised.

- FMGs galore

- The general quality of the residents seemed to be questionable. Morning report was pretty lackluster - participation was poor and the differential the crowd came up with was weak.

- Nobody else interviewing that day seemed all that excited about the place...it's definitely the backup for all the locals who want to match in Boston.

In general, I got weird vibes and I did not like the place. It ended up near the bottom of my list. I interviewed at all 3 of the places in question here, and I think UIC was easily the best. I wasn't that impressed with Louisville.
 
dozitgetchahi said:
I'm gonna weigh in here and say that I'm surprised UMass is so well regarded on these boards.
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Strongly agree, I've always assumed it was a tier 3 program. Vanderbilt is tier 2, UMass, UIC and UofL are all tier 3 IMO. But in regards to OP's question, as an IMG you have a very difficult uphill battle so I would go with a program that has historically accepted IMGs.
 
is anyone interviewing at morristown NJ for IM and would like to switch dates with me? Im looking for a december date, but have a january.
Thanks
 
Can any recent grads provide some info on Stony Brook for IM? I've looked in past threads where opinions have been equivocal, and talked to some people from SB med school...all of whom did not want to stay there for residency. I'm mostly concerned about the teaching, though please feel free to chime in with any insights.
 
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I do think the reason why most students want to leave is location related. Let's face it, if you're in your 20's and your idea of the perfect way to relax on your weekend off is to dance the night away, it'll take a bit of a trip to the nearest, coolest club. We are in the suburbs. I think it's nice here. It's quiet and I can see why attendings want to raise a family here. As for teaching, I think I learned tons from my IM rotation and sub-i. I think my residents had a good amount of autonomy where they were able to run the team and manage their patients without too much interjections from the attendings. Of course, some will be more enthusiastic about discussing pathophysiology of a disease more than others, but I'm sure that occurs elsewhere as well.
 
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Hi guys, I was wondering if any of you have gotten an invite from Cone Hospital? or have any information about the interview experience? I would really appreciate any help. Thanks.
 
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My first rejection. I decided I didn't want to go to Greensboro after all.
 
bfsiddiq said:
Hi guys, I was wondering if any of you have gotten an invite from Cone Hospital? or have any information about the interview experience? I would really appreciate any help. Thanks.
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All I know about the hospital is from my 1 month of rotation there as a medical student. It is a small program in a small town - it is a monopoly in town; Takes I think about 7 residents/year. Most of the residents were average with very few good ones. My interaction with faculty was limited but it seemed like most were interested in teaching. One of my good friend went there for family medicine and loved it. Sometimes they get speakers from UNC and they are good otherwise not that much teaching. It's a laid back environment. That's all from memory of what I remember - don't know if they have changed much in the recent past.
 
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How do Penn and BIDMC compare in terms of training, work life balance, scutwork and fellowship opportunities? Thanks in advance!
 
Anybody familiar with the IM program there?
 
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just wanna echo what these guys are saying - i loved SB IM... the teaching was great, they're very evidence-based, they have 4+1 (block scheduling is so money), the PD is wonderful, conferences are well-attended, and they have a VA (gotta treat the vets!). downside is location
 
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ferroportin said:
Can any recent grads provide some info on Stony Brook for IM? I've looked in past threads where opinions have been equivocal, and talked to some people from SB med school...all of whom did not want to stay there for residency. I'm mostly concerned about the teaching, though please feel free to chime in with any insights.
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Mostly IMGs and Caribbean grads if you care about who you will have as fellow residents. Can't comment on the teaching though as I have never been to their medical center.
 
There are some old threads on the two programs. I'm wondering if anybody has newer information. I think the PD from St Lukes just moved to Lenox Hill for next year... Anybody have any info / opinions on ranking, etc?
 
They are both community hospitals.

If you are an AMG (MD/Phd?) then unless you are applying for a prelim spot, you are selling yourself short by going there.

There are plenty of University programs in NYC that an AMG (even one at the bottom of their class) should shoot for before a community program.

Columbia / Cornell / MSSM / NYU / Montefiore / and even Long Island Jewish / and NJMD Newark

Columbia / Cornell / MSSM if you are top / AOA etc, NYU for upper, middle class
Montefiore / LIJ / NJMD Newark should be good for any AMG as long as you don't have HUGE red flags (fail step 1 on first try, have to repeat a year for failing classes, etc.)
 
Hi! I'm a fourth-year medical student currently applying for internal medicine residency. I have/had interviews at both places. My family is in Jacksonville and the weather is much better there, so I am strongly considering Mayo Jax. However, fellowship and career opportunities in the future are definitely a priority for me, and the Cleveland Clinic's reputation precedes it.

Any thoughts on on how these programs compare?
 
Both programs are strong only in name.
 
Oh come on. CCF mothership > Mayo Jax. Not saying CCF has a great IM program, but at least you get access to some better resources and a pretty damn good match list.
 
I'm applying to EM and EM/IM programs so although I know the caliber of the EM program I need on how the IM training is at these places: VCU, Downstate, Northshore LIJ, Christiana care, UMaryland, UIC, Henry Ford, Hennepin county, OSU. I'm just looking for how one would rank these or maybe a one or two sentence blurb. Thanks a ton!
 
kkinase said:
I'm applying to EM and EM/IM programs so although I know the caliber of the EM program I need on how the IM training is at these places: VCU, Downstate, Northshore LIJ, Christiana care, UMaryland, UIC, Henry Ford, Hennepin county, OSU. I'm just looking for how one would rank these or maybe a one or two sentence blurb. Thanks a ton!
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You want a kind of ranking of their medicine programs?? Because most of us won't be familiar with the EM programs.

I've had personal experience with the Hennepin peeps, and while Hennepin county doesn't get a whole lot of rep nationally is a really great internal medicine program. The training seems solid and they don't have some of the horror story experiences that you get with some other county programs, like having to transport your own patients or draw your own labs, but they are low on fancy resources like most county spots. I think it's cool the hospital is in the middle of downtown, and the twin cities are nice with a strong economy. The EM program . . . well . . . it's Hennepin county, right? I think their reputation is fine, but I don't know much more than that - they did introduce me to droperidol for headache, and the high dose insulin protocol for BB of CCB overdose, and for both I am eternally grateful.
 
kkinase said:
I'm applying to EM and EM/IM programs so although I know the caliber of the EM program I need on how the IM training is at these places: VCU, Downstate, Northshore LIJ, Christiana care, UMaryland, UIC, Henry Ford, Hennepin county, OSU. I'm just looking for how one would rank these or maybe a one or two sentence blurb. Thanks a ton!
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I have some firsthand experience of Christiana and UMaryland. I think UMaryland's internal medicine residency program is one of the the stronger medicine programs in that group. Several smart people from my med school went there and seemed happy. Christiana is a mixed bag. It has a significant number of DOs who tend to be fairly strong and match through the osteopathic match. The residents with MDs are either people who didn't do as well in medical school or who have family or personal reasons to want to be in Delaware. There is also a decent sized med/peds program with overall good people. Overall, the EM/IM program is very highly regarded. I did a rotation there as a medical student and it seemed like everyone viewed the EM/IM residents as the strongest residents in the hospital.
 
kkinase said:
I'm applying to EM and EM/IM programs so although I know the caliber of the EM program I need on how the IM training is at these places: VCU, Downstate, Northshore LIJ, Christiana care, UMaryland, UIC, Henry Ford, Hennepin county, OSU. I'm just looking for how one would rank these or maybe a one or two sentence blurb. Thanks a ton!
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kkinase said:
I'm applying to EM and EM/IM programs so although I know the caliber of the EM program I need on how the IM training is at these places: VCU, Downstate, Northshore LIJ, Christiana care, UMaryland, UIC, Henry Ford, Hennepin county, OSU. I'm just looking for how one would rank these or maybe a one or two sentence blurb. Thanks a ton!
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Downstate has a great EM/IM program probably among the best in the country. You definitely see a lot of WTF why didn't you come earlier to see a physician type of patients and you will see a whole lot of med seeking crazy psycho patients. It is a busy program, but that is a given, since its KINGS County. I am not sure about EM, but the teaching in IM is very team dependent. Not everyone is into teaching, and the teaching can be pretty lackluster. It is more of a learn by doing program. You will see a lot, and do a lot, but there isn't a lot of hand holding.

The ancillary staff at Kings is a hit or miss. Some floors are great, and some you have to fight with just to get them to do their job. Out of the places you have listed, I would think Downstate would provide you with one of the best EM/IM education. Most of the first years in EM/IM this year is from Downstate which reflects what we think of the program, which is sadly not the case for the medicine program on its own, though I do love it.
 
HelpPleaseMD said:
Downstate has a great EM/IM program probably among the best in the country. You definitely see a lot of WTF why didn't you come earlier to see a physician type of patients and you will see a whole lot of med seeking crazy psycho patients. It is a busy program, but that is a given, since its KINGS County. I am not sure about EM, but the teaching in IM is very team dependent. Not everyone is into teaching, and the teaching can be pretty lackluster. It is more of a learn by doing program. You will see a lot, and do a lot, but there isn't a lot of hand holding.

The ancillary staff at Kings is a hit or miss. Some floors are great, and some you have to fight with just to get them to do their job. Out of the places you have listed, I would think Downstate would provide you with one of the best EM/IM education. Most of the first years in EM/IM this year is from Downstate which reflects what we think of the program, which is sadly not the case for the medicine program on its own, though I do love it.
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Id love to hear about the medicine program on its own.
 
jumpmanv15 said:
Id love to hear about the medicine program on its own.
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The max # of patients per team is 15...unless everyone on the floor has 15. You are given patients every morning
jumpmanv15 said:
Id love to hear about the medicine program on its own.
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As for the medicine program....Downstate students tend to go elsewhere if they have the opportunity though it is not as bad as SDN makes it out to be. You spend your time rotating between 3 hospitals. University Hospital, Kings County, and the Brooklyn VA. Of the three hospitals, County is where imo you will learn the most. The days start at 7 and end at 4-7 depending on your efficiency. The call schedule is different for the three hospitals, but at County it is q5 and the day ends at 8pm. There is a night float team and there is a nonteaching service team that takes the dead weight social issue cases. I do not know for sure, but I'd say at least 50% of the students are foreign grads if that make a big difference to you. Downstate has every fellowship available, and tends to favor its own applicants so if fellowships are what you are going for, you have a good chance of landing one if you work hard at Downstate. That said, for the more competitive specialties, I.E. GI/Cardio, it is hard for Downstate IM grads to land at a program outside of Downstate. Overall, it is a solid midtier university program that will train you to be a good clinician, though it does not have the academic pull of the other NYC university programs. The main drawback of Downstate is the lack of access to conduct quality research or at the very least... it is not easy to obtain.
 
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Thanks guys for responding my initial question, just wanted to know if anyone can chime in about NorthShore-LIJ's IM program?
 
Can anyone tell me about the Elmhurst Hospital Sinai program? I didn't find much on the threads about it.

What are the resident demographics typically (AMG/IMG)? How are the resident schedules? Does the program have a reputation of being malignant at all?
 
kkinase said:
I'm applying to EM and EM/IM programs so although I know the caliber of the EM program I need on how the IM training is at these places: VCU, Downstate, Northshore LIJ, Christiana care, UMaryland, UIC, Henry Ford, Hennepin county, OSU. I'm just looking for how one would rank these or maybe a one or two sentence blurb. Thanks a ton!
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Of those programs the strongest medicine programs in the list are UMD and VCU. They are similar programs in similar cities. Both are mid-tier with decent reputations nationally. I'd probably say UMD will give you a better chance if you want to do a fellowship...

I've always wondered what makes people want to do IM/EM. In the end you will either do IM or EM and the goals of each are so different... but that discussion is for another day
 
Instatewaiter said:
Of those programs the strongest medicine programs in the list are UMD and VCU. They are similar programs in similar cities. Both are mid-tier with decent reputations nationally. I'd probably say UMD will give you a better chance if you want to do a fellowship...

I've always wondered what makes people want to do IM/EM. In the end you will either do IM or EM and the goals of each are so different... but that discussion is for another day
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Setting aside the "why" of IM/EM, I'd agree with VCU and UMD as the top IM programs in that list and add OSU to the mix. Downstate has an amazing EM program and a very mediocre IM program. The best residents there are the other EM/IM kids (usually also the only AMGs). Ford and UIC are similar in structure.
 
Any info on cleveland clinic florida? I haven't heard much, and can't find a whole lot on their website.
 
Thanks for your help guys. I'm applying with the intention of only practicing EM afterwards or getting into a CC fellowship, but I want to get into academics from the get go in addition to my personal interest in being double boarded. There's also a growing niche manning the obs unit as EM/IM trained.
 
Probably makes no difference .. but beth israel in NY changed affilations from AECOM to MSSM
 
kkinase said:
Thanks for your help guys. I'm applying with the intention of only practicing EM afterwards or getting into a CC fellowship, but I want to get into academics from the get go in addition to my personal interest in being double boarded. There's also a growing niche manning the obs unit as EM/IM trained.
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ED Obs is why god made mid-levels. Doing a 5 year residency (and another 2y fellowship as you're talking about) so you can do the same job a 2nd year NP would get hired to do is kind of insane.

And if you're only planning on doing EM +/- CCM in the end, just do EM and then do CCM. Since ABIM CCM programs now accept EM grads, doing EM/IM in order to get into this is ridonkulous.
 
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