Rank-order advice

[heyman24]

Hey guys,

I've recently finished up my interviews and have narrowed my choices to six programs (no particular order: Michigan, Hopkins, UVA, UCSF, Penn, Stanford). I feel confident in matching at most of these programs, but before I went ahead and ranked them I wanted to get advice about choosing a program and how that will affect job opportunities down the road. For example, I probably liked UVA the best, but am worried that although it has many "big names" in pathology working there, its intstitution name may not have the same appeal/weight that the other more well known programs' do (by more well known, I mean the programs that are frequently listed in peoples' top 5 here).

I guess what I'm really wondering is, what is more important for the future: where you train or who you train with? Is pathology a small enough world where well-known people carry just as much weight as well-regarded institutions?

Thanks for any advice!

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[Gene_]

If I could do it all over again (4th year now) I would choose residency based on how well connected the faculty are (in other words well respected and active in pathology organizations) and evidence of their willingness to use their connections to help you find a fellowship. These people are most likely to be found at the big name programs, but some are elsewhere. Good to great training can be had just about anywhere, but unless you are publishing important papers during residency the best fellowships seem to go to those where your well connnected faculty member calls up fellowship director, Dr. Big Shot, and personally puts in a plug for you.

That being said, impressing the staff during an an away rotation at someplace you want to train or having the fellowship in house are alternative ways to find a spot.

Basically, what I'm saying is that ability to attain a good fellowship position should probably be at the top of your list when choosing someplace for residency. Ask for a list of fellowship positions the residents have gone to in the last few years.

 

[malchik]

My sense is that the field is sufficiently small that who you train with carries more weight than a name that your parents or internal medicine colleagues would be more impressed by. But it is not easy to separate the two; most places with big names also have at least a few famous people. UVA is at least as respected as any of those other places, in my opinion. You are at the point where the smaller things become more important: location, structure of the program, strength in the fellowship you're leaning towards.

 

[HbyHA]

You are at the point where the smaller things become more important: location, structure of the program, strength in the fellowship you're leaning towards.

you should go to the place YOU most want to train at. no sense picking somewhere that has a big name and being miserable there.

i've heard good things about UVA. one of our residents is doing a DermPath fellowship there in 2011.

 

[Gyric]

Yes, all good programs. I was not a big fan of the chair at UVA, but that is a minor point, and I still ranked them. From that group I would choose based on fellowship opportunities and whether there are faculty who can/will get you a good job. Location is important since most of your good word-of-mouth opportunities will be regional.

 

[2121115]

2 words.

Post-residency placement.

That is all.