top programs/research/lifestyle/children

Congratulaions on your exellent interviews. I interviewed at these programs, and had different, but relevant family issues to think about as well. I would PM you, but figure this might be a useful discussion to have in public.

In terms of finding a program with strong research potential, you probably cannot go wrong with any of them, and which would be the top (aside from MGH/BGW which is just huge in every way) highly depends on what area of research you are interested in. Neuro-onc? Cornell is a clear winner. Epilepsy? Stanford. It pays to research who is where.

This is not your only chance to develop a translational research career. I had a long discussion with the chair at one of the top programs specifically on this point. He described to me how he and his wife often picked periods when one would be roaring ahead and the other would help take care of the family, and vice-a-versa. Plenty of people do their initial door-opening research during fellowships and as young assistant professors. In fact, much less so than during residency. And getting fellowships and professorships at top-top places is feasible from any of the programs you listed.

I think you need to consider your time more than anything else. More than quality of mentorship. Quality of other residents. Reputation. Sunshine. Etc. Of course, these factors are important, but with three children, where are you going to find time to do meaningful research and develop clinical expertise in a subspecialty of neurology? Help from grandparents might be key! Money might also be a factor. The Bay and Boston are *very* expensive while Baltimore and St. Louis are cheap enough that you can afford a house, cars, and education/child care without spending even more of your time moonlighting. These are things that I have thought about, and am glad that I thought about them in the end.

In terms of specifics, I felt that Stanford was much stronger than MGH in terms of translational research development for residents simply because the medical hospital and school are on the same campus, and well, I love Stanford neuroscience. However, the clinical program is not quite as strong, and the work load is not as light as one might think given its small size and multiple hospitals to attend to. Don't neglect Penn and wustl by any means. Both are very large and complete programs that have many top mentors both scientifically and clinically. They are also possibly better than most places at developing research careers simply b/c of the breadth of their resources allowing adventure into many different areas (particularly WashU).

I hope that my opinions are somewhat helpful. They are opinions of course, and I hope that others will opine with me.

B