I thought I would post the info i received from many people. thanks all for the responses. i have edited some of the info to get rid of any personal references. This should be up to date and relevant, I hope this helps out all those applying!
Duke: Residents get along really well it seemed, great training...not sure what to make about a PA school there that may help with the grossing responsibilities but maybe too little grossing in terms of becoming proficient...it's a question mark.
loved the residents, curriculum is very much AP >>> CP. Still has the Duke name and the graduates were getting nice offers. But, they make no qualms about the fact that they train Diagnosticians. Strong attendings, strong AP, but surprisingly little research (research and clinical divisions were separate)
UNC: Residents get along really well, great camaraderie. Got the feeling that preview time was not adequate for first two years which I did not like.
It was "okay." The place had a very "service oriented" feel. In other words, you were essentially a gross monkey for 18 months before you really got to be a pathologists. The residents were okay I guess - I didn't really mesh very well with the 2 chiefs but really liked the 1st and 2nd years that I met. Fairly balanced AP/CP, and fairly good research - though I think reputation wise you're better off at Duke, Emory or Vandy
Emory: Residents collegiality was great. Really balanced and strong ap/cp training...cover multiple hospitals so there's some driving to do. I think one has to like Atlanta as well as the pros and cons of a large city.
a FANTASTIC program. Great city, 12 fellowships, outstanding faculty, cool residents, great case depth and breadth, very balanced AP/CP, strong GI research group. Negatives were the "spread-outedness" of the hospitals and traffic.
UVA: Residents were very friendly. Excellent training. AP and CP areas were very spread out...we were walking quite a distance...but it's not that big of a deal. Charlottesville is a very small college town, beautiful...but definitely depends on what you like.
Vanderbilt great institution, awesome faculty, strong research, great reputation. Slightly stronger in CP. Weak in Dermpath and only 6-7 fellowships. But, residents were happy and Nashville was great.
UAB got an interview but declined it. I've heard only outstanding things though. Lots of people arent thrilled about Birmingham, though I think it's quite nice.
I thought it was a pretty good program. The facilities are some of the best I've ever seen, and the new chair and PD are very involved with resident education. I got to meet a few residents, who seemed fairly happy, though in retrospect, residents at UNC, Duke, Penn, and Hopkins were somewhat happier. The faculty interviews were a mixed bag--some were very good, others not all that enthusiastic. If I were more focused on community practice, I think the training would be excellent. As far as Birmingham as a city and UAB as a hospital in general, I know a resident
there, and he loves it. He has enjoyed living in Birmingham--great quality of life and fairly cheap as well. he lives 20 mins out of town in a ritzy suburb (with all the requisite shopping and restaurants), but there is good housing pretty close to the hospital.
MUSC GREAT CITY!!! Cool residents, fun program, may not be as academic as the other programs, but the residents get good fellowships and good jobs. Little research, but strong in AP and forensics. CP a little weaker.
Charleston is a really cool place in the southeast. I'd highly recommend it.
