Southern programs

[nickster]

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Most everyone agrees that the best programs are in the NE or on the west coast. But for someone who wants to stay in the south (closer to home) I would appreciate help in ranking some of the southern programs or at least post your comments. Perhaps Duke, Wash U, unc, baylor, Vandy or any others your familiar with.

 

[Frugal Traveler]

Most everyone agrees that the best programs are in the NE or on the west coast. But for someone who wants to stay in the south (closer to home) I would appreciate help in ranking some of the southern programs or at least post your comments. Perhaps Duke, Wash U, unc, baylor, Vandy or any others your familiar with.

Duke is # 1 in the South, known for cardiology and many other things.

WashU is a close # 2 or near tie.

UAB probably would come in # 3 followed by Emory.

Top 20 IM program = Vandy, UNC

Wake Forest, Florida, Univ of Virgina are also programs as well.

I don't mess with Texas... but most of the graduates from Baylor I have met are impressive.

If you consider Baltimore, MD in the South, then The Johns Hopkins is # 1 in the country.

Note --> the "best program" is where you fit in and not where some magazine says.

 

[theunderdog]

When you say South, I think of Baylor, Wash U, Tulane, and Vanderbilt.

I don't consider Maryland to be in the south, even though it is below the line. I consider Hopkins to be in the Mid-Atlantic region. Same as Duke.

 

[jdh71]

Duke is # 1 in the South, known for cardiology and many other things.

WashU is a close # 2 or near tie.

UAB probably would come in # 3 followed by Emory.

Top 20 IM program = Vandy, UNC

Wake Forest, Florida, Univ of Virgina are also programs as well.

I don't mess with Texas... but most of the graduates from Baylor I have met are impressive.

If you consider Baltimore, MD in the South, then The Johns Hopkins is # 1 in the country.

Note --> the "best program" is where you fit in and not where some magazine says.

Gotsta remember Texas SWern!

 

[tfom08]

These are all great programs, but I wouldn't consider Wash U "southern". It seems more midwestern to me.

 

[Moonglow]

The best programs are academic with access to varied patient populations, clinical instructors, clinical research facilities, and inhouse fellowships:

Duke (Old school)
Baylor (Texas Medical Center, IM residents highly respected)
UTSW (Old school)
Vandy
Emory (Innercity)
UT-Houston (Especially for cancer, heme, AIDS - rotations at MDAnderson)
North Carolina (Primary care)
UAB (Innercity)
Wake Forest
UT-San Antonio (Rotations at VA and at actual US military hospitals)
Virginia (Old School, considered cush)
U Miami (Innercity; 50+% of residents stay in South Florida)
Florida

By the way, UTMB would be listed above, except due to Hurricane Ike - the IM program needs a few years to completely rebuild.

 

[obiwan]

i always thought of UTSW and Duke as the top southern programs as advised by faculty members at my school (not including WashU in south)... UAB is another program that I know has a very good reputation for medicine... baylor's reputation is taking a hit these past couple years due to the problems with their hospital situations and what not and was advised not to consider it on my top programs...

 

[LadyJubilee8_18]

i always thought of UTSW and Duke as the top southern programs as advised by faculty members at my school (not including WashU in south)... UAB is another program that I know has a very good reputation for medicine... baylor's reputation is taking a hit these past couple years due to the problems with their hospital situations and what not and was advised not to consider it on my top programs...

Yeah, Baylor has run into some problems as of late, but it looks like the rice-baylor merger is going to go through which will help tremendously. Methodist may have a closer relationship with us, as will st. lukes. Besides, rice has money so hopefully the hospital thing will resolve too. The methodist split was the stupidest thing ever. I kinda hate our board of trustees.

 

[theunderdog]

Yeah, Baylor has run into some problems as of late, but it looks like the rice-baylor merger is going to go through which will help tremendously. Methodist may have a closer relationship with us, as will st. lukes. Besides, rice has money so hopefully the hospital thing will resolve too. The methodist split was the stupidest thing ever. I kinda hate our board of trustees.

Where is Tulane on this list? Tulane is in the deep south, is well known for its charity hospital, and its IM program is pretty strong.

I haven't heard about the problems with Baylor, but the facilities are nice...

 

[LadyJubilee8_18]

Where is Tulane on this list? Tulane is in the deep south, is well known for its charity hospital, and its IM program is pretty strong.

I haven't heard about the problems with Baylor, but the facilities are nice...

I'm not sure. I decided not to apply there because many of their hospitals still haven't recovered from Katrina, and I don't really want to live in New Orleans (my family is large and crazy).

 

[houstoncfh]

The best programs are academic with access to varied patient populations, clinical instructors, clinical research facilities, and inhouse fellowships:

Duke (Old school)
Baylor (Texas Medical Center, IM residents highly respected)
UTSW (Old school)
Vandy
Emory (Innercity)
UT-Houston (Especially for cancer, heme, AIDS - rotations at MDAnderson)
North Carolina (Primary care)
UAB (Innercity)
Wake Forest
UT-San Antonio (Rotations at VA and at actual US military hospitals)
Virginia (Old School, considered cush)
U Miami (Innercity; 50+% of residents stay in South Florida)
Florida

By the way, UTMB would be listed above, except due to Hurricane Ike - the IM program needs a few years to completely rebuild.

All in all, a pretty good assessment of programs in the South. Agree with the comments above about Baylor. It certainly has the reputation, but the actual training might be lacking. The major changes that might or might not happen are not something that I want to be the guinea pig for while I train.

And while UNC does excel in primary care, I'm under the perception that most of their IM residents go on to fellowships.

 

[drfunktacular]

All in all, a pretty good assessment of programs in the South. Agree with the comments above about Baylor. It certainly has the reputation, but the actual training might be lacking. The major changes that might or might not happen are not something that I want to be the guinea pig for while I train.

And while UNC does excel in primary care, I'm under the perception that most of their IM residents go on to fellowships.

Yeah, Baylor has run into some problems as of late, but it looks like the rice-baylor merger is going to go through which will help tremendously. Methodist may have a closer relationship with us, as will st. lukes. Besides, rice has money so hopefully the hospital thing will resolve too. The methodist split was the stupidest thing ever. I kinda hate our board of trustees.

i always thought of UTSW and Duke as the top southern programs as advised by faculty members at my school (not including WashU in south)... UAB is another program that I know has a very good reputation for medicine... baylor's reputation is taking a hit these past couple years due to the problems with their hospital situations and what not and was advised not to consider it on my top programs...

Honestly, this should not affect the BCM reputation as much as people seem to think it does. The training occurs 80% at Ben Taub (Major, busy county hospital with mad pathology) and VA (VA). St Luke's is just as much a major private tertiary referral hospital as Methodist, with all the unproven technologies, unnecessary consults and demanding patients that entails. It is true that many BCM faculty stayed at Methodist, but many did not. And, residents simply did not rotate there as much as BT or VA anyway. The aspects of the training program that I think make BCM special, challenging and competitive are intact.

And at any rate, the BCM-Rice merger is by most accounts going to go through relatively soon, and there is some speculation that this might facilitate a make-up between BCM and Methodist in the future. I personally think a Rice-BCM alliance would be a very good deal for both parties, good for BCM in terms of institutional stability and funding, and good for Rice in terms of prestige and finally gaining a med school (which to date they have been one of the few elite Universities to not have one).

 

[docrocmayo]

Most everyone agrees that the best programs are in the NE or on the west coast. But for someone who wants to stay in the south (closer to home) I would appreciate help in ranking some of the southern programs or at least post your comments. Perhaps Duke, Wash U, unc, baylor, Vandy or any others your familiar with.

Certainly Duke is the most famous and well-respected among southeast programs. The other southern programs that are reputed in corridors of academic medicine would be ( and this is strictly based on how 60 year-old general internists would regard them)would be- UTSW= UAB> emory= vanderbilt= Baylor> UNC.
I have friends at UAB and Emory. Emory is certainly well-respected in the cards circles; but I think that's pretty much its biggest plus, besides location. The residents are also more diverse ( just a touch though).
I think UAB is much bigger in terms of research and that the whole hospital is built around internal medicine specialties. I think specialties at UAB that are reputed are CV, ID, neph, rheum, prev med and pulmonary. However I am also told that their GI divsion is in peril. I think work hours and clinical load are worse if not same as Emory ( UAB may be more old schoolish in its approach to resident education than Emory). I dont know what others think..

 

[sk8bored]

I've heard some shady things about Duke having many open spots after the initial match. Anyone else hear that? Are the residents really that miserable? I find it hard to believe that anyone would turn Duke down.

 

[CanIMakeIt]

I've heard some shady things about Duke having many open spots after the initial match. Anyone else hear that? Are the residents really that miserable? I find it hard to believe that anyone would turn Duke down.

Duke is a really good training place. The reason they went open 2 yrs back was because of their own doing by not interviewing enough people and then not ranking enough people as well. Program is and will remain competitive. It is a solid training place. Don't go by what you hear on these boards .. u don't know who is trying to play what angle 🙂. If you are thinking about it, just go ahead and apply. Worse come to worse, it will be $25 for application (other costs, if you decide to go interview there)

Good Luck

 

[VCMM414]

Duke is a really good training place. The reason they went open 2 yrs back was because of their own doing by not interviewing enough people and then not ranking enough people as well. Program is and will remain competitive. It is solid training place. Don't go by what you hear on these boards .. u don't know who is trying to play what angle 🙂. If you are thinking about it, just go ahead and apply. Worse come to worse, it will be $25 for application (other costs, if you decide to go interview there)

Another thing to consider is that it was a one-time occurrence that happened in the same match where Duke neurology and med/peds programs also did not fill. Makes one wonder if something happened to the mechanics of the match itself that year.

 

[CanIMakeIt]

Another thing to consider is that it was a one-time occurrence that happened in the same match where Duke neurology and med/peds programs also did not fill. Makes one wonder if something happened to the mechanics of the match itself that year.

Well whatever the case may be....some people got really lucky in the scramble that year 😀 ... thanking their lucky stars every day for the rest of their lives 🙂

 

[sk8bored]

I like your reasoning. Might as well apply.

 

[shydrager]

So this is a thread about southern programs, but really we just reiterated the "top 20" programs over and over. Boring. I'm applying to some of those programs too, but they aren't the only residencies out there. Can people add their comments about other locations please? I threw in my two cents about my own location in SC in another thread. I'd like to hear some thoughts about other programs. I didn't see anyone mention USF, MCG, Mayo-Jacksonville, U of Florida, UT-Memphis, VCU, WVU - these are all great middle tier programs but nobody seems to want to talk about them.
🙂

 

[dragonfly99]

UT Memphis-
not sure who is in charge now.
I did look at them for residency some years back, and the IM program director used to seem really nice. Not sure if he is still there.

The city tends to be somewhat unsafe at night and the med center is right in downtown, so that could be an issue going home late at night, particularly if you are female.

My impression was the med/peds program seemed like it might be a little stronger than the IM program.

I know there have been financial difficulties at the med center and I believe one of their teaching hospitals was shut down due to finances, but this isn't a phenomenon unique to UT Memphis. I believe it's a common scenario at many inner city teaching hospitals that probably rely a lot on Medicard for reimbursements.

They have a very busy ER with lots of trauma, etc. and I'm sure lots of other interesting stuff.

Going there might give you a leg up on getting a subspecialty fellowship in the UT system, but not sure about matching out to other university programs, as it's not really considered one of the top IM programs.

On the plus side, the cost of living in Memphis is pretty good/cheap and it never gets very cold there. It's damn hot and humid in the summer, though.

 

[Frugal Traveler]

I've heard some shady things about Duke having many open spots after the initial match. Anyone else hear that? Are the residents really that miserable? I find it hard to believe that anyone would turn Duke down.

Duke forgot to read this:

http://www.nrmp.org/res_match/about_res/algorithms.html

They likely interviewed enough people because there is no shortage of people wanting to come there. Rumor has it that they did not have a long enough ROL.

The program is known to be very EBM-centric, and I believe PGY-2s and PGY-3s might have to cite references in their HPIs(?). I know some people that matched there - they really like the program and the training is almost second to none. I also heard it is a great place to make a real estate investment in a cheap condo to avoid having to throw money away on rent.

All in all, make sure your ROL is long enough... programs typically don't make this mistake... for IM depending on your stats, I think ROL of around 10 is sufficient.