Southern IM Charm

[Mick Turition]

I wanted to start a thread with a particular aim of sorting through the IM programs in the South in terms of the following:

1. Competetiveness in matching there (ie. most....least)

2. Reputation for malignant environment (not merely a front-loaded, intense internship)

3. Success in obtaining desired fellowships

4. Anything else interesting or helpful

Programs in mind include Vandy, UNC, UVA, Emory, UAB, Wake Forest; also Duke, Tulane, etc.

Thanks.

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[Da Vinci2]

From limited knowledge and heresay,

I would say:

Pure academic reputation = fellowship opportunity = competitiveness to match
Duke>Vandy=UVA>Emory=UAB=UNC=Wake>MCG=MCV>Tulane

Malignancy
Duke>Emory=UAB>Vandy>Wake=UVA=UNC>MCV - don't know about Tulane or MCG.

Location
Tulane>Emory>Vandy>MCV>UAB>UNC=Wake=UVA=Duke

Place I would think twice before going, b/c personal reasons
UAB, Tulane, Duke, Emory.

 

[Mick Turition]

Pure academic reputation = fellowship opportunity = competitiveness to match

I appreciate and generally agree with your post. My take based on limited info for academic reputation:
Duke>Emory=Vandy>UNC=UVA=UAB>Wake>Tulane=MCV>MCG

Of course the prestige of a program does not necessarily imply the caliber of its training and teaching, nor the satisfaction of its housestaff.

As far as malignancy, I have heard such mixed reviews about Emory, Duke and UAB, that I really don't know what to think.

As far as location, I fully agree with you if you're ranking from largest, most "happening" city to the least. I myself shy from the bigger city scene; thus, Emory and Tulane were never high on my list. At this point, I think the Rorschach is going to be my guide. (ie. Would I fit in here?)

 

[nymed32]

Where would you guys rate Miami/Jackson Memorial among these programs, in terms of reputation and malignancy?

 

[Mick Turition]

A friend from FL says that Miami/Jackson has a great location and is regionally regarded as a great place to train. Its hospital is not ranked as highly as Shands at Gaineville; but the program is nearly as competitive based on its location and comparable resident satisfaction (generally non-malignant). Miami/Jackson's academic reputation may be comparable to Tulane or MCV.

(Note: Gainesville is still recovering from recent probational status, but also regained accrediation through 2006.)

 

[ys]

Do you guys have any info on the U. of Florida- Jacksonville program, viz a viz malignancy, reputation, fellowship rates post residency, etc. Thanks in advance

 

[Renovar]

From someone who is at a southern school, and have personal experience/friends at the country's top institutions. Note, I only applied to institutions in the first 2 groups, so my rankings on the bottom group is probably personally biased.

In terms of just measuring pure academic strength of the institution and the program (ie. this is how my advisor would put it):

1. Duke - 'nuff said. I put this first for its academic merit, but not necessarily the place I would rank that high myself.

2-6. (in no particular order, one can easily justify one over the other depending on what you like, trying to peck an order out of this group is really personal preference):

-UAB (really an overlooked program, but is definitely a medicine powerhouse that is strong across the board and belies it's state affliated status, from personal interview experience. Some even put UAB up with Duke as the best in the south in terms of objective measures of the prowess as an academic program, ie. 5th in NIH funding across the nation, 11th best by US News, etc. Obviously dont have the prestige of Duke, that's the only reason I am putting it down a notch.)
-Vandy (my home institution, major academic/research slant put forward recently by administration, relatively good in almost everything, but considerably weaker in cards. Perhaps a weaker general internal medicine training because of the new academic/research focus, from my personal experience.)
-UNC (Didn't apply here, but according to my advisor it belongs to this group. From what I have heard, strong in pulm crit care medicine, not as strong as Duke in cards/GI)
-UVa (smaller program of the more " personal, gentler" sort, going to check it out in a couple weeks)
-Emory (From personal interview experience, it's an up-and-coming large program that is rapidly becoming more academic, and is expanding from its spectrum of expertise from a heavy cardiology slant that is its trademark.)

7-8. Tulane, Wake
9. MCG
10. MCV
11. UWV

If I have a choice MYSELF of all these programs, take into consideration of everything including reputation, training, maligancy and location, I would rank it in the following order:

UVa, Vandy/UAB (really a toss-up for me right now, if I am not affliated with Vandy, I'd do UAB first), UNC, Duke, Emory, Wake, Tulane, not sure will even rank the rest....

 

[Thewonderer]

what do people think of MUSC medicine? curious...

 

[Mick Turition]

I don't know a whole lot about this program (MUSC), but I will actually be interviewing there in a few weeks. I know they have a stellar rep for their GI program (14th usnews), and an MUSC med grad I met says it's a good place to train. My wife and I have wanted to visit Charleston, so figured now is as good a time as any.

BTW, a doc I know (a former PD), cringed when I said I'd be visiting there. But he also said UAB was not a strong IM program; so I inferred that he was not "in the know" about southern IM programs anyway. Sometimes, you gotta trust your gut and take input with a grain of salt.