I am a 1st year resident at mssm depart of anesthesiology. I feel like the decision to come to this program was perhaps one of the best I have ever made. In the most sincere of terms, from my research (and i did plenty) mt sinai does the following for its residents:
1. board preparation: exceptional preparation for oral boards and written boards. we have multiple oral board examiners on staff who do mock orals with you "q every other call" . in last years class, there were at least 2-3 people who scored 99% on the written boards and seems to be that way for the last 4 years from asking around. the lectures are no fluff, we get told what has been and likely will be asked on the boards, and it is always done in a clinically relevant fashion.
2. fellowship: another first year already spoke about those current 3rd years going away to fellowship. i have heard of no one who applied who did not get one. as for the iv league factor, frankly, its a sketch! in all truth anyone who really knows anesthesia private and academic knows that our program is rock solid, our residents with few exception are rock solid, can handle literally the sick of the sick or bang out an office day at lightening speed with the best of them. we are sought after. we have serious connections in our department with both the outside and academic worlds, and most importantly, the chair Dr. Reich and the program director, Dr. Levine go the distance to help the residents secure the best jobs possible. totallly thumbs up for their support and involvement with us on all levels.
3. clinical experience: columbia and cornell come close, but really not that close. here is why. cardiothoracic: sinai has always been the transplant leader in new york and remains that way. our cardiac anesthesia department is exceptional and has a long tradition at sinai back to one of the founders of the field Dr. Kaplan. liver transplant: we are still number one last i heard. we have exceptional attendings who teach like nuts. one of them is the former chair of New Orleans program, sinai trained who came back to sinai after Katrena (spelling?) and is starting a new liver transplant fellowship. peds: we have a new peds surgeon at sinai who has brought a huge population with him to sinai. our attendings are some of the best in the field, they teach tremendously, and there expectations are very high, peds is tough at sinai and because of them, we all get a true quality peds experience, second to none, no on leaves sinai not totally comfortable doing a kid, it is unheard of. ob: the numbers at sinai have tripled in the last 3 years. a major high risk ob group recently joined sinai and has brought the volume up tremendously of much more than just the average bread and butter pregnant woman. our ob experience is without question the very best in teh city, I can't imagine a better set up for learning and hands on experience. regional: we have a few attendings at sinai who are leading the field in regional anesthesia, and pushing all of the residents to gain competance with the use of ultrasound for almost every block in addition to the classical methods of finder kneedles. again, we do so much regional, i don't think there is a senior resident who is not competant at blocking any extremity/hip for any type of surgery. office based practice: sinai has recently attracted a variety of new attendings who were previosly in the private world and have now come to sinai. with them has come their experience in working in the private sector and how to maximize your narcotic usage and extubation styles to optomize efficiency, aas well as so many of the other skills/tricks that the private world demands of us. so although we are a true academic institution that is leading the field in many areas of active anesthetic research, we have a really excellent experience preparing us for the private sector.
3. flexibility/call schedule: the department is super flexible about arranging call schedules and time off requests. they go out of there way to help the residents accomidate there individual needs on many levels. the call schedule is too complicated to explain in this forum, but i will say that as a first year, two full weekends of a month is common, and a total of 5 calls a month is high average. very very doable. attendings buy dinner on call. generally you sleep 4hours a night average, sometimes less, some more.
i think sinai has the nicest attendings I have ever worked with. with very few exceptions (one), all of the house staff truly care about your education, are not just good, but exceptional in anesthesia. the program director, Dr. Levine, not only has a heart of gold, but a pocket of gold as well, always buying us books (miller, baby miller, lange, mass general, pharm, got us hooked up with barash, and a few other books), sending us to conferences (standard is one paid conference a year for 3 years AND any conference you present in paid in addition), lunch is catered for the department often, breakfast everyday with lecture.....this is a program that the chair Dr. Reich takes very seriously, he is a man of sterling character, who is in the trenches with his residents, teaching them one on one in cardiac, leading journal club with the residents one on one twice a month, and leading m and m case conference every week. Of special note about our m and m, Dr. Reich requires a very high attendence by the attendings and this is to the residents benefit b/c he pimps the ATTENDINGS on there opinions of the anesthetic managment being presented for our benefit, he analyzes the anesthesia record with us, showing us how mistakes look and are made on the record (medical legal ramifications), overall a very high quality conference.
final thoughts: sinai residents work hard, but are not overworked. get taken care of financially well, treated with respect, valued, and leave the best in the field. it is the ideal place to train. and to move on to fellowship.
