Programs that surprised you - 2006/2007

[AnonEMous]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

A few programs really exceeded my expectations while interviewing over the past couple months. I thought it would be interesting to share these, and see which programs other applicants were pleasantly surprised by.

For me, I was most surprised by:

Christiana - I had heard good things and went in with fairly high expectations, but Christiana's curriculum and facilities knocked my socks off. A 3-year program with 3 months of electives, minimal off-service/call, amazing benefits, tremendous volume, and probably the best facilities I've seen.

Utah - For such a new program, they really have their act together. They are rapidly adding fellowships, developing research, moving toward department status, and improving their curriculum based on resident feedback. They have diverse training sites, and their volume is increasing steadily. Most importantly (for me anyway) they had some of the most fun, down-to-earth residents and faculty I've met anywhere. They have a virtually non-existent reputation since they are only 2 years old, but I believe this program will grow to become one of the best.


Anyone else have similar experiences on the interview trail? It might also be interesting to hear which places did not live up to expectations, but I have mixed feelings about starting such a negative thread...

 

[kbrown]

i interviewed last year, but i have to place props for two programs that i absolutely loved but could not rank for personal reasons. both places left me stunned and they deserve to be mentioned amongst solid programs....east carolina and christiana. people seem to blow ecu off with name mention, but those who interview there walk away with a different perspective. great respect throughout the hospital, high acuity, flight (if that's your thing), good community, great PD, sense of community. if you interviewed there you understand. give them serious consideration.

already mentioned...christiana. great program. loved the facilities (even though i got lost time and time again in the HUGE ED), great energetic faculty, solid pay. only drawback is the area. but it's pretty primo locale if you are an east coast person. close to baltimore, philly, dc etc...

good luck to all on the trail. i am at Henry Ford and love it. Great program. not enough can be said about the program director, Lewandoski. such a great man. the biggest advocate for us. any questions feel free to pm me. the facilities are top notch. probably more difficult than a lot of residencies b/c most of my off-service rotations are pretty intense (i.e., faculty are top notch and expect the best from everyone). this place exhausts me, but kicks ass and the weather is cold, otherwise...perfect program in average location.

 

[DOCOFMED07]

CHRIST!!! No, I'm not swearing absurdly, I'm just extremely surprised at how great this program (ACMC) turned out to be! I had no expectations, so maybe that could have contributed to my excitement, but nonetheless, I TRULY loved this program! Most of the faculty and staff are really young and hip, PGY-I's participate in the interview process (unheard of!), and, most importantly YOU CAN MOONLIGHT AS A PGY-I!!!! Couldn't believe it, so they had to repeat that to me like 4 times. And it's not like you have to have passed Step 3 either. People moonlight after just ONE month of ICU or ED. That is the minimal requirement. Other than that, the numbers were great, the location was even greater, and the fact that there are endless meal cards, free parking, and TONS of "collegial" activities was greatest of all! I cannot stop thinking about that program! So, needless to say, it's definitely in my top 2! Blew my mind. Thanks for starting this thread!!!

 

[kalico]

This program was so off my radar, but I'm happy I gave it a chance. All of the residents seem super happy and relaxed, almost TOO happy. The PD and other faculty all seem very proud of the program and its residents and have some cool additions (like the "tracks" that gear you up to have a niche by the time you're done). PD seems really supportive of family and kids. Residents say they can always get days off when they need to. Even though Camden is not too aesthetically pleasing, there are some nice places to live, and most people live in the suburbs which are quite affordable. Plus, between Camden & the surrounding areas, the trauma and pathology is definitely there. This program went from low-thirds (on paper) to top 3.

-K

 

[AnonEMous]

This program went from low-thirds (on paper) to top 3.

Isn't it interesting how that happens during interview season? Prior to going on interviews I also made a "pre-season" rank list based on what I'd learned from word-of-mouth, the web, etc. My top two from that list are now near the bottom, and what was my absolute last is now in my top 3 (and might be #1).

 

[membsr-8890]

Brown was quite a pleasant suprise for me. I had heard very litte word-of-mouth about this program prior to interviewing, but was amazed by how well-rounded it is! The residents were all incredibly happy and had a great showing at the pre-interview dinner. Many of them even took extra time after dinner and after interviews to give applicants rides back to their various hotels and other destinations. They have a brand new, sparkly ED and I could not dredge out a single weakness in the clinical experience. I even loved Providence! Who knew that a pre-interview "non-ranked" program would end up at or near the top of my list? 😀

 

[EctopicFetus]

Last yr for me Wash U...

 

[corpsmanUP]

I'd have to say my own program, Iowa ,then Christ, and Geisinger.

 

[drakken]

I think ECU was a pleasant surprise as it really is a great program. Great facilities, loads of trauma, happy residents, lots of respect from other services and the administration and this program will be getting even stronger in the next few years. It gets less attention because it is located in a small town but it really moved up on my list. Glad I interviewed there.
Drakken🙂

 

[CS_22]

To echo a couple of posters on here, ECU was really a hidden gem for me last year. I was surprised at how much I liked them too.

I think it speaks volumes about their program that there are already three posters on here who thoroughly enjoyed East Carolina.

CS

 

[deleted109597]

I would say ECU, but I've been beaten to it.
So I will say WVU for good reasons,
And UK for less good ones.

 

[thenewguy81]

I second Wash U...it is definitely a program on the way up. If you don't mind St. Louis, then this is a top-notch program.

 

[SolidGold]

Wash U was incredible and was my biggest surprise so far, but my girlfriend and I do mind St. Louis.

 

[Sweet Tea]

Glad to see my home program getting some love

 

[EctopicFetus]

FWIW since corpsman posted... U of A really impressed me as well but since I ended up here.... I can also say that even though I was impressed in the beginning I am even more impressed now. I love this place.

 

[CS_22]

That Wash U place was really great too... haha

 

[EctopicFetus]

Yeah but some of the residents they take 😉.....

 

[kbrown]

That Wash U place was really great too... haha

so much for objectivity🙂 i can't believe that i have more posts than you cs 22. they work you too hard in the lou.

btw, how are ash, cadence and the dog?

 

[CS_22]

Yeah but some of the residents they take 😉.....

Yeah, they're all idiots...

 

[CS_22]

so much for objectivity🙂 i can't believe that i have more posts than you cs 22. they work you too hard in the lou.

btw, how are ash, cadence and the dog?

Maybe if you weren't at a cush residency were you could just play online all day, you wouldn't be ahead of me. haha

Doing alright here KB. On anesthesia this month with is 100x better than my surgery month i just got off of. Next is department, then ultrasound, so my next 2 1/2 months aren't so bad.

Ash is doing good. And Cadence is quite possibly the cutest kid around (I think she could take the gerber baby...). Life isn't so bad. You?

 

[USCDiver]

I'm glad that those of you who came out to Greenville enjoyed your interviews at ECU. In fact, if you interviewed last year, I probably met all of you.

Unfortunately, this thread is kind of a back handed compliment. Our goal is not to surprise people with our awesomeness, but to be known for our awesomeness throughout the land.

Spread the word!!!