regrets? warnings?

[relish]

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Question out there for residents or interns - what is the greatest regret you have about matching into your respective program?
- meaning location?, or not enough didactics? - too much scutwork?, ect..

I just applied to 10 progams, still considering others, but also looking out for things I should be aware of. I ask - because at interviews, I know the programs will try and sell themselves - perhaps omitting vital details that may cause misery in the life of a resident. I dont want to be too hasty about signing that contract until I get the full story.

 

[fiatslug]

Hmmm... well, it's always hard to tell on interview days how you're going to get along with faculty members. One of my interviewers scared the crap out of me--he was kind of confrontational--but now, he's just one of my absolute favorite attendings. And one attending I must work with now in clinic for the next 2 years just drives me insane--so condescending, so self-righteous... He bugs a lot of people, but he & I in particular just do NOT get along, and it's having an impact on how I'm feeling about clinic, but really nothing I could have forseen.

I would say that going in, being in a small, non-malignant program was of great importance to me. The downside of small is that with a finite amount of attendings (we have about 20 total), some will drive you nuts, and it's harder to hide from them! And we have fewer opportunities for research here (though that's improving), which was not important to me going in, but makes me wistful at times now. Of course, the upside of non-malignant is pretty great too. And I mean malignant in terms of the program being supportive of residents, residents getting along, etc--we take a lot of call, and it's not easy call in general, but I learned a lot from doing it and wouldn't choose a program specifically because it's "easier."

Amount of didactics does not necessarily indicate quality. I've been happy with our didactics, but wish we had more in the way of history of psychiatry/psychoanalysis.

Check out how much social work scut you have to do in your program, both on call and on inpt. At many hospitals, SW is hanging by a thread (and/or not present at all), and this is the kind of thing that can be excruciating on call--we're very lucky to have excellent SW staff that save us a tremendous amount of scut.

And no, I'm not ID'ing my program! 😉