Tufts

[grandprix]

I am really impressed by this program. I know it doesn't get the best rep here on SDN, but I thought the faculty and residents were really great, and Boston is a great city.

What are your thoughts? My biggest concerns are the small class size, and the fact that there were like 25 other applicants on my interview day. I'm not sure how many interview days they hold, but this could potentially mean that 250 people are interviewed for 5 spots... ?!

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[splik]

They interview about 100 people. Why would you be concerned about how many people they interview? I have it on good authority that about 3-4 weeks ago they still had interview slots available.

What did you like about it? What are your other options? It's all relative and you have to remember on SDN everyone seems to be applying to the competitive programs which is why Tufts does not get a look in. That doesn't mean its bad it's just that its a tiny program and thus does not have the clinical or research facilities of other places and a very small faculty. They do have a strong analytic bent (the PD is analyst) but you would probably get decent psychpharm teaching as they have Nassir Ghaemi who is a big name in mood disorders psychpharm and a good teacher. I am not sure how good the clinical experience is however.

 

[grandprix]

Thanks for your reply! Well, the number thing was more psychological for me, perhaps. The only other interview that had a large number of candidates (12) also had 12 available spots for next year. I am surprised they only interview 100 people (that would mean they only hold 4-5 interview days). I guess I was just a bit freaked out, because I didn't what my chances of being ranked were with so many other applicants.

As far as the program itself, the residents all seemed really friendly and fun. Though most were international graduates, I did not get the impression that the program was sub-par because of that. Maybe because Boston itself is a multicultural city. Also, I like the location of the hospital. It's right in the middle of the city, and adjacent to Chinatown, which means that you will occasionally see Asian patients on the units. I'm interested in cross-cultural psychiatry, so that's really interesting to me. I know that MGH and Duke have strong cross-cultural experiences, but I did not receive an invite from those places. So, the other place I am highly considering is OHSU.

I have heard the medicine months can be brutal at Tufts though, and the small class size can be difficult. I guess I just really love the city of Boston.

 

[splik]

1. Do not assume they interview the same number of people on all days.
2. I am not aware of Tufts having a strong cross-cultural experience. OHSU on the otherhand has a intercultural program (though Portland is probably even less diverse than Boston)
3. BU has a transcultural psychiatry program - am not sure if you interviewed there but another non-harvard Boston program to think about.
4. medicine months for psychiatry are no longer 'brutal' anywhere - there is no longer overnight call and it is only for 4 months anyway. it shouldn't be a major consideration.

 

[InBoston]

I am really impressed by this program. I know it doesn't get the best rep here on SDN, but I thought the faculty and residents were really great, and Boston is a great city.

What are your thoughts? My biggest concerns are the small class size, and the fact that there were like 25 other applicants on my interview day. I'm not sure how many interview days they hold, but this could potentially mean that 250 people are interviewed for 5 spots... ?!

I hear it's an amazing and very supportive program for the residents. Very overlooked, according to some of the people in the field that I know. It does however, have more of a psychoanalytic bent.

 

[Nasrudin]

I hear it's an amazing and very supportive program for the residents. Very overlooked, according to some of the people in the field that I know. It does however, have more of a psychoanalytic bent.

Dear Asst program Director, (AKA InBoston)

I am interested in hearing about this program. But method acting is a little over the top. For a 1 post poster.

 

[FLpk1girl86]

Dear Asst program Director, (AKA InBoston)

I am interested in hearing about this program. But method acting is a little over the top. For a 1 post poster.

Lol hilarious. Can we bring up the tufts discussion again.?

 

[PikminOC]

Lol hilarious. Can we bring up the tufts discussion again.?

OP = PD at Tufts

 

[Psychiatrized]

OP = PD at Tufts

? Tufts does not have an assistant program director so I'm a bit puzzled by your accusation that this was the author of the post.

 

[Psychiatrized]

I have heard the medicine months can be brutal at Tufts though, and the small class size can be difficult. I guess I just really love the city of Boston.

I can speak from experience - the medicine months at Tufts are far from brutal. Not sure how this reputation came about.

Of the 4 medicine months one is ED - 8 hour shifts 5 days a week with great attending supervision; one is med inpt at Tufts - you are a bonus resident on the team and the psych intern carries fewer patients than the med intern, teaching is very good, you stay late doing admissions every few days and do not cover night float; Shattuck medicine - an "experience" and not in a bad way, there is a prison population at this DPH facility and you see more "bread and butter" IM cases that you wouldn't see at the tertiary center Tufts has (not all your pts are prisoners however). The work hours are benign, the Tufts medicine seniors run the teams and are very good. The worst part is one week of night float. Finally there is medicine consult - very laid back, low stress, good hours no weekends or calls.

Agree small class sizes can have minuses and pluses.

If you haven't figured it out I am a Tufts resident. And if you knew our PD even one bit it would be apparent that he would never post on a web forum and attempt to conceal or not reveal his identity. I couldn't help myself but to post when I saw such a false statement being made.

 

[JourneyAgent]

I can speak from experience - the medicine months at Tufts are far from brutal. Not sure how this reputation came about.

Of the 4 medicine months one is ED - 8 hour shifts 5 days a week with great attending supervision; one is med inpt at Tufts - you are a bonus resident on the team and the psych intern carries fewer patients than the med intern, teaching is very good, you stay late doing admissions every few days and do not cover night float; Shattuck medicine - an "experience" and not in a bad way, there is a prison population at this DPH facility and you see more "bread and butter" IM cases that you wouldn't see at the tertiary center Tufts has (not all your pts are prisoners however). The work hours are benign, the Tufts medicine seniors run the teams and are very good. The worst part is one week of night float. Finally there is medicine consult - very laid back, low stress, good hours no weekends or calls.

Agree small class sizes can have minuses and pluses.

If you haven't figured it out I am a Tufts resident. And if you knew our PD even one bit it would be apparent that he would never post on a web forum and attempt to conceal or not reveal his identity. I couldn't help myself but to post when I saw such a false statement being made.

Outstanding, thanks for the info. I'm looking at programs in Boston to apply to, so this is great news. There's not a whole lot out there besides what you find here, which even though is awesome in itself, it seems pertinent to the idiosyncrasies of a few helpful souls, many of whom seem to be applying the the same programs or programs in areas I'm not applying to.

Appreciate it.

 

[FLpk1girl86]

I can speak from experience - the medicine months at Tufts are far from brutal. Not sure how this reputation came about.

Of the 4 medicine months one is ED - 8 hour shifts 5 days a week with great attending supervision; one is med inpt at Tufts - you are a bonus resident on the team and the psych intern carries fewer patients than the med intern, teaching is very good, you stay late doing admissions every few days and do not cover night float; Shattuck medicine - an "experience" and not in a bad way, there is a prison population at this DPH facility and you see more "bread and butter" IM cases that you wouldn't see at the tertiary center Tufts has (not all your pts are prisoners however). The work hours are benign, the Tufts medicine seniors run the teams and are very good. The worst part is one week of night float. Finally there is medicine consult - very laid back, low stress, good hours no weekends or calls.

Agree small class sizes can have minuses and pluses.

If you haven't figured it out I am a Tufts resident. And if you knew our PD even one bit it would be apparent that he would never post on a web forum and attempt to conceal or not reveal his identity. I couldn't help myself but to post when I saw such a false statement being made.

i think they may be joking, since there are not many people talking about tufts here so they want to say that anyone who does has some vested interest in it