I'm trying to figure out my rank list, and still more undecided than I'd like to be. I've narrowed my choices to RIC, Washington, Colorado, and UCLA (I like the West Coast). I'm interested in outpatient MSK, and I'd like to do a fellowship in sports following residency.
All of the places I mentioned seem like fantastic places to train, with a ton of great faculty and residents. I've read in various places that RIC is a program focused on inpatient rehab and that outpatient training is not their strength. This sentiment has been expressed both online and in person along the interview trail. I'm a little confused by these assertions because they don't seem to fit with what I can glean from the interview day and in reviewing their clinical rotations and academic curriculum. Unless I’m misunderstanding their materials, it seems that RIC residents complete just over a year of inpatient and outpatient each, and then have a great deal of flexibility with elective time to pursue their own interests. In going there, I could do six extra months of sports that I couldn’t do at a place like UCLA or Colorado, where elective time seems to be far more limited (not to disparage these places at all - I think they're great). RIC also has a weekly sports conference and ultrasound didactics, as well as numerous opportunities for sports coverage. They seem to match 3-4 people into sports each year, with a few more going into pain.
I’m saying all of this not to promote RIC, but rather to preface the question – what am I missing? I’m worried that I’m misinterpreting the rotation schedule or the didactics, or that I’m misconstruing the coverage and fellowship opportunities. I actually liked UW, Colorado, and LA a little better on the interview day, but the opportunities at RIC seem to be slightly ahead of those other places. I've heard from many people that I may change my mind and decide to do inpatient rehab. I respect the perspective that others further along in training can provide, but I seriously doubt this will happen. I've had plenty of exposure during medical school to inpatient medicine, in a variety of contexts, and I am very confident in saying that I don't like it. In fact, if inpatient medicine were the only option for practicing physicians, I'd look for job opportunities outside of clinical medicine because I find it so unappealing. I'm reticent to rank highly a place that has a reputation solely for inpatient rehab, and so I'm hoping to get some clarity regarding the program.
All of the places I mentioned seem like fantastic places to train, with a ton of great faculty and residents. I've read in various places that RIC is a program focused on inpatient rehab and that outpatient training is not their strength. This sentiment has been expressed both online and in person along the interview trail. I'm a little confused by these assertions because they don't seem to fit with what I can glean from the interview day and in reviewing their clinical rotations and academic curriculum. Unless I’m misunderstanding their materials, it seems that RIC residents complete just over a year of inpatient and outpatient each, and then have a great deal of flexibility with elective time to pursue their own interests. In going there, I could do six extra months of sports that I couldn’t do at a place like UCLA or Colorado, where elective time seems to be far more limited (not to disparage these places at all - I think they're great). RIC also has a weekly sports conference and ultrasound didactics, as well as numerous opportunities for sports coverage. They seem to match 3-4 people into sports each year, with a few more going into pain.
I’m saying all of this not to promote RIC, but rather to preface the question – what am I missing? I’m worried that I’m misinterpreting the rotation schedule or the didactics, or that I’m misconstruing the coverage and fellowship opportunities. I actually liked UW, Colorado, and LA a little better on the interview day, but the opportunities at RIC seem to be slightly ahead of those other places. I've heard from many people that I may change my mind and decide to do inpatient rehab. I respect the perspective that others further along in training can provide, but I seriously doubt this will happen. I've had plenty of exposure during medical school to inpatient medicine, in a variety of contexts, and I am very confident in saying that I don't like it. In fact, if inpatient medicine were the only option for practicing physicians, I'd look for job opportunities outside of clinical medicine because I find it so unappealing. I'm reticent to rank highly a place that has a reputation solely for inpatient rehab, and so I'm hoping to get some clarity regarding the program.
