U of Minnesota

[tiggernater]

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So I'm done with my interviews ( finally)! I'm having a difficult time deciding my ranking positions of the U of Minnesota and Mayo. 😕 They are both awesome programs. As I reside out of the region, I was wondering what these programs reputations are :ex- what people think of them --- for people who may have had more than just one day to hob nob with the residents etc.

Thanks-
Tiggernater😍

 

[OldPsychDoc]

So I'm done with my interviews ( finally)! I'm having a difficult time deciding my ranking positions of the U of Minnesota and Mayo. 😕 They are both awesome programs. As I reside out of the region, I was wondering what these programs reputations are :ex- what people think of them --- for people who may have had more than just one day to hob nob with the residents etc.

Thanks-
Tiggernater😍

I think that if you went to a Minnesota Psychiatric Society meeting, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between a psychiatrist who trained at Mayo vs. the U vs. Hennepin.
All three programs offer fine clinical training. The U will be stronger in pure academic areas, Mayo in certain clinical areas and maybe "international reputation" (whatever that is--brand name recognition, mostly), and Hennepin in community psychiatry.
The 2 metro programs allow you to live and work in Mpls/St.Paul and enjoy urban or suburban life (if that's your thing), and Mayo allows you the more mid-sized Midwest experience of Rochester, if that's your thing.
Basically tiggernater, there are no bad choices here, and as far as the weather goes...two words: global warming. 😀

BTW--you edited your grammar, but you might wish to return and re-edit your spelling! 😀 (Sorry--can't help it!)

 

[tiggernater]

sppppewing ith knot mi pforte (haha)

 

[duneclimber]

Mayo and MN are strong for different reasons. I would argue that Mayo actually does have a strong academic psychiatry dept (you got the the CD and book, I would presume, with the endless publications). They had at least 6 posters at this year's Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine meeting by Mayo attendings and trainees. Dr. Alarcon is a big cultural psychiatrist from Johns Hopkins and Emory (I think)...he often speaks at the APA and is on the board of the Carter Center (Jimmy/Rosalyn). Mrazek is a big child psych guru and spearheaded the psychogenomics campaign at Mayo. Bostwick is an awesome psychotherapy supervisor and a suicidologist. Rassmussen (sp?) is a world famous ECT specialist. Krahn is a well-published sleep medicine psychiatrist. Other strengths include transplant psychiatry, psycho-oncology, neuroimaging, rTMS. Faculty are pretty laid back despite the suits and very open to working with trainees in both the research and clinical settings (I can only speak as a med student but I did 3 research projects and 6 psych electives there). Also the Federal Prison Psych Hospital (FMC) is also in Rochester, adding forensic psych strength. Per one new faculty recruit from MGH, there is as much acute psychosis at Mayo as there was for her at MGH; I have no comparison.

MN is a stronger place to be if interested in Addiction (Hazelden treatment center), gender/sexuality issues (Human Sexuality Clinic), VA psychiatry, torture (large torture center) or cross-cultural psychiatry.

Minneapolis and St. Paul are awesome cities...explore them often regardless of the program that you choose!

Keep in mind that if you end up at one program, you can always do 4th yr electives at the other to round out your experience and draw from both strengths. Both programs consistently place their residents in fellowships in nearly all areas of psych.

I have unfortunately known people from both programs that have left during the past 5 years b/c they weren't happy. More than anything, you need to ask lots of follow-up questions to staff and residents (some may be even more candid when speaking to them one-on-one) and, in the end, pick the place that gives you the best "gut" feeling.

Hope my grammar and spelling were adequate, OPD...

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Hope my grammar and spelling were adequate, OPD...

OK...but I would downplay the influence of Hazelden on the strength of addiction training on the twin cities. They've only recently adopted a dual diagnosis mindset and begun being open to psychiatric issues in their addiction treatment.

UM's substance abuse programs don't do much direct relating to Hazelden, and Mayo is no slouch in that area either--(after all, where did that famous young congressman go last year after his little Ambien escapade?)

 

[OldPsychDoc]

sppppewing ith knot mi pforte (haha)

Maybe Frasier Crane made you do it...😉

 

[duneclimber]

I believe that the Congressman with the addiction went to a place that allowed him the most freedom to roam... Mayo does not have an inpatient addictions treatment facility; rather, they have a hotel license that allows people to complete IOP and then stay overnight in the hospital setting without being formally admitted as an inpatient. But there are a few solid staff members that focus on addictions within that set-up that are great mentors (Hall-Flavin and Schneekloth).