Ranking residencies based on location rather than prestige? Specifically, ranking Corewell Health GR over UMich

[Latteandaprayer]

I’ve luckily interviewed at both and of course was extremely impressed by UMich but my “gut” is drawing me to Corewell mostly because of the location. It is close to my future in-laws, and having them close would be a great help for me and my fiancé’s wellbeing. It would be nice to have that familial community nearby and we already see each other as family. Plus my fiance was intending on moving back close to GR after college but he met me and stayed in the area for me, adding 4 years away from his family. I know it’s “only” 2.5ish hours away, but it is significant enough that we see them at most once a month because we’re busy, and the drive gets hard around the high holidays due to snow. Plus, we’re same-sex and my family is intolerant and rejected me, so getting away from them would further help my mental health because I wouldn’t have to deal with them as often.

However, this would mean choosing a program ranked much, much lower over UMich. And I can’t lie and pretend they’re equal training. It’s not like choosing between UMich and Rush for example. I believe the training at Corewell GR is still solid, and their residents get placed in awesome fellowships nonetheless. They’re still a stroke center and have a huge catchment area and see strange pathology and rarely transfer out, but UMich will of course win out in the weirdest pathologies arena.

I ultimately plan on settling in Grand Rapids and going into more community practice than academics. I see myself going into epilepsy, movement, or stroke (most interested in these), though of course who knows where my heart lands. No desire at all to go into interventional or anything significantly procedural.

Is this a stupid idea? I have ample time before ranking of course but I want to start chewing it over. I asked my advisor and he wasn’t helpful at all.

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[SeniorWrangler]

If you just want to be the local doc, any residency will work for you.

 

[Mickquik1]

Agree with this ^. Save all the sanity you can if your goal is to be a community neurologist in a small city.

 

[Aldertonghen]

Do your residency at Corewell and do a fellowship at UMich or a good place. Residency doesn’t matter unless you’re gunning for NIH funding right after.

 

[Latteandaprayer]

Hi all. I’ve posted similarly before but as Match approaches I’m feeling more and more conflicted.

My fiancé wants to stay near his family in our home state. I would also prefer to stay in our home state. However, there are (really) only two options here that I’m struggling ranking #1 and #2.

#1 is highly ranked in my specialty (neuro, T10). It is great all around, good support and has pretty much every fellowship you can think of in neuro. However, it is in the same city as my aggressively homophobic family. My mom said she would kill herself if anyone else found out I’m gay when I came out to her. No one has met my fiance or knows about him except my mom (who thinks we’re just dating and overall denies his existence). My sister and brother in law believe in the death penalty for gay men. Staying in the area would mean having to see them often and run into them. It would mean having to respond to my mom’s frantic calls every time her chest or back or legs hurt, and having to be guilted by my dad for not visiting my extended family who also live in the city (they are equally homophobic and basically shunned an openly gay distant cousin and his mom for not disowning him).

#2 is lowly ranked (around 125), in a large encatchment area and the strongest program on that side of the state. It is near my fiancés family (10 minutes away), who are supportive and loving and have embraced me as a future son-in-law. The program is more community than academic, with only 2 fellowship programs neither of which I’m very interested in. Their residents are happy and match well into fellowships nonetheless.

Other programs include places like Rochester, Rush, and Cleveland Clinic which are very far from my fiancé’s family and we have neither friends nor family in those areas. My fiancé is not in medicine and he really relies on a network to be happy. Taking him far for 4+ years would make him miserable but he is willing to do it for me.

My choice is coming down to: do I rank a highly prestigious program in a city where my mental health may deteriorate, versus a lowly ranked “no name” program where I’ll feel more supported by my future in-laws. I’ve tried talking with my therapist and she thinks I should go to the far program because my family has severely hurt my confidence and self worth and they make me panicky (eg, I wore my engagement ring once on accident around them and I nearly had a panic attack when my sister saw it and questioned me about it). My advisor thinks I should go where I will have the best opportunities post-grad.

I don’t want to be an academic, long term i want to be in the community near my fiancé’s family, but I also know goals change and keeping my options open will help.

I’m stuck.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Unless you’re thinking about doing NIR as a fellowship or thinking about going into academia, program ranking in the Neuro world does not matter. Fellowships are not competitive and no matter what, you will become a neurologist with the same general opportunities as any other neurologists. Go where you know your mental health will benefit the best. Residency is hard enough as it is.

 

[LucidSplash]

I have to ask, why not choose the top ranked program in a good location and go no contact with your parents? While going no contact isn’t usually my 1st advice, in this situation it seems like your family is only detrimental to your sense of self and your mental health. I’m not seeing an upside to keeping them in your life when they don’t really accept you. Plus you have your fiancé’s family who seem like they are great.

But yeah failing that I don’t see a downside to the 2nd program since you said the residents all match to good fellowships and as posted above program ranking is not that important for Neuro except for the noted exceptions.

 

[operaman]

Yeah I think option 2 hands down without hesitation. Family and fiance issues aside, 2 also sounds like it sets you up better for your ultimate career goals. Training in the area will give you more connections locally and help on the job search later. For your goals, it sounds like number 2 checks all the boxes and gives you a big head start building a life and career where you ultimately want to put down roots.

 

[eforest]

If the second option has a large catchment area you’ll see a variety of cases. By your post it seems like option 2 is the best choice. Your family will be increasingly insufferable with our change in political climate. Choice 2!


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[GoSpursGo]

Merging related threads

 

[Hollow Knight]

I think 2 is fine. I also think 1 and just not talking to anyone in your family anymore is fine.

You should probably cut your family off anyway. I’m not normally someone who suggests something like that but threatening suicide? That’s crossing a line that shouldn’t be crossed

 

[Drhappyface]

Go with 2. Neuro fellowships aren't competitive and you'll get plenty of interviews despite where you did your residency