I ain't postin' my rank list here, at least for now. I will after the match. I am still trying to figure it out, I just got back from another interview (my last one, and the first I have had in a month) and was quite impressed, although it might not be my #1. Total visited: 13. Sounds like too many now that I think about it.
I wonder a bit about name vs happiness too. Although sometimes, they do go hand in hand. Some smaller, less well known programs may have some nice attendings or nice facilities, but may have some drawbacks (like caliber of residents, etc) that might not make it a really happy place to be. I have also heard, though, that some larger programs have poor resident enviroments (both inter-resident relationships and faculty-resident relationships). There is certainly something to be said for being around happy residents. Better hours are not really a huge concern to me. I am going to be spending time there anyway, and I didn't go into medicine for the work schedule. Malignant enviroments can also sometimes be dealt with and overcome with the right attitude and work ethic. I am mostly concerned about makeup of rotations, resident satisfaction, level of teaching and support, etc.
In my impression, though, getting a good fellowship is pretty dependent on the resident, not where they train. There is the exception of programs keeping their own residents for fellowships, but other than that, if you are a good resident and succeed, no matter where you train you should be able to get a good fellowship. Might also be easier to stand out and impress.
I visited Penn. I was pretty impressed by a few things: 1) The residents did seem extremely happy and content. 2) The chairman and PD are very good, 3) the program can be tailored to individuals' interests i.e. research, specialties, mentoring, etc.
They also have a pretty nice 4 day surg path signout schedule, although on one of the four days the residents are routinely there very late (midnight or later). Facilities are nice caliber.
I don't know what to think about the $$$ situation. They have a lot of research $$$, and a tight relationship with the NIH. The med school is #1 nationally in terms of research funding, and a large percentage of that is pathology. Graduates also do pretty well and have no trouble getting good fellowships and positions. But I also heard that rumor about financial troubles. Maybe that is in the past. In my experience, though, running out of formalin is not a $$$ issue. It is an organizational problem due to ordering too little, some people being overzealous in their use, etc. Some departments recycle formalin.
In my opinion it was a great program with lots to offer and lots to recommend it.
