Top NYC and Chicago programs

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suej108

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I was wondering if someone could rank the top 5 or so NY and 5 Chicago programs without separating NY from Chicago (i.e.:
1. NY #1
2. Chicago #1
3. Chicago #2....etc.

I am hoping to match in one of these cities but find it very difficult to get a consensus on what the best programs are. For example, many say UIC is the best in Chicago but others don't agree at all - is this because it is not a big name in other depts? Thanks!

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My opinion may be totally off and biased but this is the rumor mill...

1. UIC - largest in the city (6 residents), old facilities, well-rounded faculty, program director in flux. Nevertheless, the large residency size is a reflection of the fact that UIC gets a decent volume to be worth hosting that many residents. Very arguably the best program in regards to reputation (but this might change by the time you match).

2. Loyola - definitely a reputation for the amazing clinical and surgical volume, nice facilities, nice program director. More clinical (I think) than UIC. Research seems less of a focus. Con: not in the city, but rather Maywood (20-40 min outside the city).

3. UChicago - a program on the rise. Possibly will be THE program in a few years. Supposedly the program director is a big name and he's doing a lot to bring up the department and its creating a lot of buzz around the city (at least in the Ophtho world). However, I heard from a friend at UChicago that the department is currently Retina-heavy as the PD is a retina guy.

4. Northwestern - don't know much about it. Rumored to be malignant (whatever that means)

5. Rush - 2 people only. Heard its a great program but its tough to have only 1 other resident in your class. Also there's an integrated transitional year that has more surgical months than most people want to do and this turns a lot of people off.

6. Cook - ridiculous pathology (as you would imagine from a county hospital), tons of autonomy but rumored to be too much autonomy and too little supervision. Also, I've noted that the recent classes have come largely or totally from one medical school which decreases resident diversity.

Hope that is somewhat helpful. I think you will likely have to check it out yourself and see "what fits." Good luck.
 
So is the transitional year REQUIRED at rush? Even if you have already done your pgy1???
 
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My list being in the area:

1: loyola: pros: highest volume in city, VA system, good attending, Cons: outside the city, lacks in some subspecialties

2: Rush: high volume, automony, well known faculty, resident lasik, new Eye Center
cons: two residents per year, (good volume but tons of work), no VA, integrated pgy-1 (transitional year 6mo surgery 6 mo medicine subspecialties), light research

3: UIC: Well established, known faculty, good research,
va system
cons: dated facilities, lots of residents, lack of supervison

4: U of C: good research, new attendings,
cons: lost many faculty over the years, volume of cases, poor rep and trying to overcome

5: Northwestern: well known name, ideal location and facilities
cons: low volume (4 months spent in Lousiana to increase volume, attending clinics), high-end patients

6: Cook: great path, good research, good lectures
cons: county system, no retina surgery at CC (no vitrector), surgery numbers

hope this helps

stones
 
New York Area Programs:

1. New York Eye Ear Infirmary

The next one I hear is arguable. Toss up between Columbia, Cornell, NYU and UMDNJ.

I hear Columbia is good, especially if you're interested in Retina. Dont know about Cornell but it is an ivy league med school. NYU as a VA, a private hospital and Manhattan Eye and Ear but not the best surgical volume. The main problem with New york programs is volume because of the intense competition among those NYC programs listed above. But as stated, NYEEI has been repeated been quoted as the best in terms of facilities, rank, volume although it has a repuation of being malignant.

One of the Gems in the area though is UMDNJ which is 15 minutes outside of the city. the residents have excellent surgical volume >150 cataracts, well known faculty, good facilities, and a constantly expanding department. It is the only program in the state and therefore has tremendous volume along with an inner city hospital with a VA. I've heard that it is second best to NYEEI in the area since it doesn't have the intense competition that all of the other NYC programs do.
 
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To be honest, I don't know how that works if someone has already done their PGY1 year. I imagine you shouldn't have to redo it though. And actually, I think I've heard a rumor that their integrated Transitional year is only HIGHLY RECOMMENDED but not required per se. Nevertheless, I don't think most people DON'T do that year.

As you can see from the completely different list generated by another poster, Chicago programs are very much about what you like, how you learn, and your goals (research vs. clinical). In the end, what might end up at the top of your list may be more determined by your "fit" and comfort with the people. But I guess that policy applies to all Ophtho programs.
 
I agree w/ an earlier post: as for nyc area programs, NYEEI & UMDNJ are in a class of their own, then the rest lag behind. Columbia is very into research, cornell gets very little volume/surg experience & they send their 3rd yrs away to get cases at an outside institution, NYU gets volume but the program & faculty engage in much politics.
 
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again, i agree with the consensus that nyee is probably the best program in the ny area given their outstanding clinical & surgical volume. however, it's definitely not for everyone, as even as recently as this year, some residents were telling interviewees NOT to go there.

i'd have to respectfully disagree with putting umdnj in the same category as nyee well above the other area programs. umdnj was okay, but other than the program director who seemed like a great guy, many of the other faculty members were quite full of themselves. plus, the interview day was a disaster (completely disorganized, ran 3 hours late, a "microcosm of the program" as one attending put it) they do, however, get very good clinical & surgical volume as the only program in nj. newark sucks though.

nyu/meeth is a nice, laid back program with good faculty & diverse clinical volume (va, bellevue, meeth, plus consults @ lennox hill & tisch). surgical numbers are definitely lacking, also hindered by the program's relatively large size (7/year). the residents did seem to some of the happiest i'd met.

didn't apply to columbia, but i've heard it's very good, albeit relatively small (3/yr). cornell didn't interview me, but i've heard it's cush, although lacking in both clinical & surgical volume. sinai was decent, but you had to cover hospitals in manhattan, queens & the bronx, plus the chairman just left. einstein seemed decent too, happy residents, but surgical volume & the creepy interim chairman were a concern.
 
New York Area Programs:

1. New York Eye Ear Infirmary

The next one I hear is arguable. Toss up between Columbia, Cornell, NYU and UMDNJ.

I hear Columbia is good, especially if you're interested in Retina. Dont know about Cornell but it is an ivy league med school. NYU as a VA, a private hospital and Manhattan Eye and Ear but not the best surgical volume. The main problem with New york programs is volume because of the intense competition among those NYC programs listed above. But as stated, NYEEI has been repeated been quoted as the best in terms of facilities, rank, volume although it has a repuation of being malignant.

One of the Gems in the area though is UMDNJ which is 15 minutes outside of the city. the residents have excellent surgical volume >150 cataracts, well known faculty, good facilities, and a constantly expanding department. It is the only program in the state and therefore has tremendous volume along with an inner city hospital with a VA. I've heard that it is second best to NYEEI in the area since it doesn't have the intense competition that all of the other NYC programs do.
Cornell doesn't have a good program... It is mostly private practice and u do a lot off watching the attending a and fellows.... Columbia is a good name but they have fellows which take ur cases.... NYU has tons of volunteer part time faculty that are not as invested in the residency.... I say Rutgers (formerly UMDNJ) is the better place... No fellows, full time faculty...and a lot of surgery
 
I agree w/ an earlier post: as for nyc area programs, NYEEI & UMDNJ are in a class of their own, then the rest lag behind. Columbia is very into research, cornell gets very little volume/surg experience & they send their 3rd yrs away to get cases at an outside institution, NYU gets volume but the program & faculty engage in much politics.
also NYEEI is now under my Sinai... They got acquired... Some faculty I heard may leave... So u want to look into that too
 
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