Ranking the top of my list (Help)...

[Isreal86]

Having a bit of trouble ranking these programs near the top of my list (MUSC, UVA, Florida). Single guy, from the south, no connections in any of these cities. Have grown up in mostly smaller cities.

I know as far as reputation UVA is best, but will I be happy there, socially?

MUSC is the best location, but they seem to have the oldest facilities and the lowest pay. 47000 to 52000 from PGY2-PGY5 is by far the lowest I saw on the interview trail. Can you even make living in Charleston worth it on this salary? The information day at MUSC wasn't very useful either, I walked away not knowing much about the program.

Florida I loved the faculty / residents / benefits, but location is again, not the best for a single guy from what I can tell?

Anyone have perspective on these?


Secondly, Michigan vs Indiana; I know both are solid programs, but how would you compare the two in terms of advantages / disadvantages.

From what I picked up, it seems Indiana may prepare you better for private practice while Michigan was a bit more uptight (residents all wearing ties) and pushed research on you a lot more? How are the cities to live in? Can a single guy be happy in Indy or even Ann Arbor?

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[AlexMorph]

Of all the programs you listed, Michigan is by far the best. It will open up any door you could possibly want. The residents there certainly don't all wear ties, but it is true that it is a more academic program.

With respect to location, NYC, LA, & Chicago are not the only livable locations in the country. There are plenty of things for single guys to do in both Indy & Ann Arbor, not to mention Gainesville.

 

[cowme]

Just my two cents, but it would be hard to beat charleston if you are a single guy from the south.

And I hate when people toss around the notion that a program "will open up any door you could possibly want." People said the same about top med schools. Yet every year, there are people who don't match into derm and rad onc coming from top 10 schools.

A buddy of mine did his residency and fellowship at a top tier program, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't land a job in the city he wanted to move to. In today's rough climate, no program--not Michigan, not MGH, is guaranteed to get you where you ultimately want to be.

Choose where you want to be NOW. Not where you think may help you get to where you may want to be in 5 years.

 

[shark2000]

It depends on where you want to live in the future. And you may not know it right now.

But if you want to work in Boston, MGH or BWH opens a lot of doors, much more than a community hospital in Chicago.

If you want to live in San Francisco, UCSF or Standford, open lots of doors, more than MGH or midwest programs.

It is all about connections. These days jobs are not advertised. We just hired a Neuroradiology. He is a graduate of local medical center whom we all knew him from residency. He was my classmate in residency. We never advertised this job. Just got him. Now there are fellows from other Top neuroradiology programs who are looking for a job in this area and can not find it. We also even did not consider other fellows from our medical center as many of them are new and we don't know them.

Believe me, nothing beats local connections in job hunt. We want someone who can get along with us the best and who is better than someone we know for 7 years or more.

UVA and Michigan are both top programs. The choice between these two mostly comes to location. If you want to practice around DC area or in south, go for UVA. If Michigan, go for Michigan.

 

[AlexMorph]

Just my two cents, but it would be hard to beat charleston if you are a single guy from the south.

And I hate when people toss around the notion that a program "will open up any door you could possibly want." People said the same about top med schools. Yet every year, there are people who don't match into derm and rad onc coming from top 10 schools.

A buddy of mine did his residency and fellowship at a top tier program, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't land a job in the city he wanted to move to. In today's rough climate, no program--not Michigan, not MGH, is guaranteed to get you where you ultimately want to be.

Choose where you want to be NOW. Not where you think may help you get to where you may want to be in 5 years.

If people can't match derm or rad onc coming from top 10 schools, they screwed up somehow. They didn't evaluate the strength of their applications objectively and accurately.

Your second point about your friend is more on point. If you know you want to work on the Atlantic coast, don't go to Michigan or Indiana over UVA.

 

[cowme]

If people can't match derm or rad onc coming from top 10 schools, they screwed up somehow. They didn't evaluate the strength of their applications objectively and accurately.
.

I wouldn't say that. A lot of it is self selection. People get 220s step 1s and don't honor any classes at top schools too. I wouldn't call them screwed up, but they are the ones more likely to do medicine, rather than face the insane Derm match process.

 

[colbgw02]

I just cannot imagine thinking that either Charlottesville or Gainsville would be bad socially for a (presumably) mid-to-late 20s, single, bachelor physician.

 

[XerxesOfPersia]

I just cannot imagine thinking that either Charlottesville or Gainsville would be bad socially for a (presumably) mid-to-late 20s, single, bachelor physician.

I'd have to say the same thing about Ann Arbor. Huge grad student population so there is no shortage of educated 20-something women.

 

[shark2000]

It is very important to go to a place that can make you happy.

But in current job market, go to the best program that you can in the region that you think you will practice in the future.

Believe me, People from local Big name program do not have problem finding a job, even in this market, while the non local people even from big names are really struggling to find a job.

Job is not everything. The next 5 years is also very important and may be the best years of your life. Radiology residency was really fun for me, though the pp is not as fun as residency. But you should also take a look into the future.

Unfortunately, radiology market have become a closed market which supplies to particular group of people in each region. I have seen people talking about job advertisement on ACR or some sites. These are all trash cans. Good groups usually call the local medical center or even more than that know enough new graduates through connections that do not bother advertising jobs.

Good Luck .

 

[msbbc833]

It is very important to go to a place that can make you happy.

But in current job market, go to the best program that you can in the region that you think you will practice in the future.

Believe me, People from local Big name program do not have problem finding a job, even in this market, while the non local people even from big names are really struggling to find a job.

Job is not everything. The next 5 years is also very important and may be the best years of your life. Radiology residency was really fun for me, though the pp is not as fun as residency. But you should also take a look into the future.

Unfortunately, radiology market have become a closed market which supplies to particular group of people in each region. I have seen people talking about job advertisement on ACR or some sites. These are all trash cans. Good groups usually call the local medical center or even more than that know enough new graduates through connections that do not bother advertising jobs.

Good Luck .

Could you elaborate on radiology residency being the best years of your life?

 

[shark2000]

Could you elaborate on radiology residency being the best years of your life?

I said it may be the best years of your life. For me, college was the best years so far. I enjoyed every minute of it. Free from the mundane life. Free from stress of serious life. I lived once in my college and started a new life after.

But, I really enjoyed my radiology residency. It was fun. Looking backward, I really liked it. Seeing something new everyday, learning something new every hour, interacting with some of the best radiologists in the world, seeing amazing pathology and very nice fellow residents. More importantly, you were there to learn and not to get the job done.

Radiology is really fun in residency. It is OK in pp. In pp, the priority is to get the job done. There is no new learning every day. And also the pathology is not as diverse as before. I sometimes think that the level of work has downgraded. Though it is not only radiology, it is all medicine. The level of care in community is very basic compared to a big referral center. Medicine or surgery is OK in residency and is a pain in the neck in pp.