Tufts versus St. Barnabas

[5twilight5]

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Hi guys,

So I have to pick between going to an interview at Tufts or St. Barnabas. I don't really know much about either program. Tufts has somewhat of a name, St. Barnabas PD called to invite me. I think what matters to me is a small to midsized program, less FMGs vs AMGs, cost of living, and getting a good fellowship. Just wanted your opinion of which one I should go to? Thanks so much!😕

 

[G-Man82]

St. Barnabas in Livingston, NJ? I know that, despite a new affiliation with UMDNJ-NJMS, they have a longstanding relationship with St. Georges University. So a lot of SGU students rotate there and subsequently stay on as Residents. If you want a place that has fewer FMGs, then St. Barnabas is probably not the place to be.

 

[Colba55o]

if i remember correctly from last year the PD of St. Barnabas calls all the interviewees so don't be too flattered.
I don't know much about tufts, but if you are a strong enough applicant to get an interview there I would take it over st. b's no doubt about it.
st. b's is a tiny program, half the residents are fmgs and the pd has a truly inflated ego when it comes to how good a program it is.
I hear they have even have some obnoxious two day interview thing this year? My interview experience there sucked but at least it was all in one day (it sucked because the first interview was a "group" interview, the 2nd, I got pimped by two jersey girl CA-3s)

 

[5twilight5]

Thanks guys for your advice!

 

[DrMunkey]

St. Barnabas in Livingston, NJ? I know that, despite a new affiliation with UMDNJ-NJMS, they have a longstanding relationship with St. Georges University. So a lot of SGU students rotate there and subsequently stay on as Residents. If you want a place that has fewer FMGs, then St. Barnabas is probably not the place to be.

Just wanted to set something straight. St Barnabas and UMDNJ (any of its subsidiaries) have NO sort of affiliation. They are completely separate facilities and training programs.

 

[MDF1]

I rotated at St. Barnabas as an MSIV in 07, and yes it was mainly FMG's. Small program, residents were pleasant, easy going, good to work with, seemed overall satisfied with the program. I know they have a good mix of cases there. The few attendings i met were very nice to work with and seemed very interested in teaching. Only thing i didnt like about the place was the afternoon lectures were basically a resident assigned a chapter each day and the lecture was that resident reading from M/M and intermittent discussion led by the CA3's. Could be different now, not sure. There were other didactics in the morning that i cannot comment on because the students were told not to come to that. At the time i didnt know any better but now as a CA2, i laugh at the fact that they left me alone in the OR(happened to me with a couple different attendings!!) because that would NEVER happen where i am now.

 

[G-Man82]

Just wanted to set something straight. St Barnabas and UMDNJ (any of its subsidiaries) have NO sort of affiliation. They are completely separate facilities and training programs.

Depends what you mean by affiliation. Yes, they are completely separate facilities and training programs. So are UMDNJ - NJMS and RWJ, despite the common university umbrella. St. Barnabas does have a new affiliation with UMDNJ - New Jersey Medical School and says so on their website:

http://www.saintbarnabas.com/education/sbmc/aboutsbmc.html

However, residents from either facility do not usually go to the other for anything in Anesthesiology, though the opportunity to do so exists within other departments. Peds at Newark Beth Israel, for example, allows their residents to do some elective time at NJMS - University Hospital. Of course, as of my 3rd year (the 2008-09 year), NJMS students started doing clerkships at the St. Barnabas system, including Newark Beth Israel.