So far, I feel like both these programs would be wonderful "fit" for me and seem to have it all (good locations, great fellowships, nice down to earth residents, reasonable lifestlye). How do I choose?! Should i second look both? I have yet to interview at some of the "better" nyc places (cornell/columbia) and I've heard great things about Brown.....but it seems likely that both BID and Penn will be in my top 3. Anyone here who has gone through the process have any advice ? Also, does the fact that penn sent me a nice letter of interest after the interview while BID did not significant ? arrrgh im so confused..... i hate the match. I cant wait till its over!
U Penn Vs. BID.
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Congrats 
!! I havent heard anyone received a thank you note from UPenn. You must did great in spite of talking about cars for 15 mins UPenn is stronger than Columbia, Cornell and BID for fellowship and is comparable to Hopkins, MGH and BWH. What about Hopkins vs. Penn. Which one you like more?
I remember you are coupled-match. Got to look at the whole picture. I understand it is very stressful.
I am sure you will be going to a very prestigous program that will make you happy.
Thank you for telling us all the info about the interviews.
Best of luck
!! I havent heard anyone received a thank you note from UPenn. You must did great in spite of talking about cars for 15 mins UPenn is stronger than Columbia, Cornell and BID for fellowship and is comparable to Hopkins, MGH and BWH. What about Hopkins vs. Penn. Which one you like more?I remember you are coupled-match. Got to look at the whole picture. I understand it is very stressful.
I am sure you will be going to a very prestigous program that will make you happy.
Thank you for telling us all the info about the interviews.
Best of luck
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much as I like BID, I would have to go with Penn.. I know it may seem like I have sour grapes after getting the axe, but after a)finding out the PD sends personalized "sorry we can't interview you" rejection e-mails to some candidates but not others (sorry, but after I took the time to send a letter of interest and one of my letter writers is on the faculty there, it just seems rude), b)most of the residents and grads of the program I've met raved about the Chair of Medicine (who will soon be retiring I think) but not the PD, and c)some of the scutwork.com reviews noted some problems in getting strong fellowship letters from the PD; I am starting to question my original placement of BIDMC on a great pedestal. That being said, I don't think you could go wrong with either program, or any of the top ones in NYC. If you can see yourself being happy at a program, and your fiancee can match as well at a program in that area that she likes, you're good to go. I have pretty much decided how to rank my top 3 programs at this point (I won't give away the order yet, but they are BU, Brown, and UMass), knowing that I would be happy to go to any of them (or my predicted #4,5,6 at this point).. Good luck, and thanks for all your input and feedback!
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what do you think about columbia?
I wanted to thank everyone on this forum for thier excellent feedback and help throughout this process. I hope that I match with some of u and have the opportunity to work with such wonderful, bright, and considerate people! It seems like this is a great year to be going into IM.
In response to the previous post, i don't have any info yet about columbia, i interview there on the 6th, so pm me after that if u want any info... i will eventually write a review on here in the interviews thread...I think im getting lazier about it =). Of course, if someone interviewed there/works there already hearing about the place would be great.
Ami, I liked the vibe at UPenn alot more than that of Hopkins. Although Hopkins definitely was not malignant, it had a very pyrimaidal structure, and the amount of autonomy given to u as an intern seemed a little daunting (at least for me). The interns and residents at Hopkins were all really friendly, but i felt like a got along better with the people at Penn, and they had a really laid back, yet extremely intellectual vibe there. I also loved the way morning conference was there, low pressure yet really informative and involving. The PD was also great....u could just tell she was a nice person, she didn't need to put on any sort of an act. Obviously, both JHU and Penn are amazing in thier own ways, choosing one over the other is just a matter of personal taste. Finally, I liked Philly alot more than Baltmore.. although that was the least important consideration in my mind when it came to evaluating the programs....if u have any more specific questions just pm me.
Good luck to all and thanks for all the help!!
In response to the previous post, i don't have any info yet about columbia, i interview there on the 6th, so pm me after that if u want any info... i will eventually write a review on here in the interviews thread...I think im getting lazier about it =). Of course, if someone interviewed there/works there already hearing about the place would be great.
Ami, I liked the vibe at UPenn alot more than that of Hopkins. Although Hopkins definitely was not malignant, it had a very pyrimaidal structure, and the amount of autonomy given to u as an intern seemed a little daunting (at least for me). The interns and residents at Hopkins were all really friendly, but i felt like a got along better with the people at Penn, and they had a really laid back, yet extremely intellectual vibe there. I also loved the way morning conference was there, low pressure yet really informative and involving. The PD was also great....u could just tell she was a nice person, she didn't need to put on any sort of an act. Obviously, both JHU and Penn are amazing in thier own ways, choosing one over the other is just a matter of personal taste. Finally, I liked Philly alot more than Baltmore.. although that was the least important consideration in my mind when it came to evaluating the programs....if u have any more specific questions just pm me.
Good luck to all and thanks for all the help!!
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One more thing, you should go for second look to BOTH, esp UPenn. UPenn most likely rank you high, dont miss the chance if you also like it that much. Maybe you want to send thank you note to them if you havent done so. Send both to your interviewer as well as the PD. Also, check to see how many people from your school match there. Get in touch with them and ask for details. You probably have already done so.
Best of luck
Best of luck
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I can back up everything Filter has stated about both UPenn and Hopkins (BID is not 'til next month). No signs of malignancy at Hopkins--they took us on rounds, which was the highlight of my day there. Rounds were at the bedside, were very stimulating and heavy on the teaching. I found the residents to be very motivated, and even more talented. Certainly an inspiring place--for me it's either rank it #1 and go for it, or do not rank it at all. I was honored just to interview there. My wife and I simply haven't yet decided if we want to pursue the Baltimore experience. I was quite leery about Philly going in, but actually loved the place! Penn has been my best overall interview experience thus far. I found that there was a lot of "heart" there--stimulating and very bright people, but everybody was genuinely nice. Ditto to Filter about the AM report, very impressive. I also like the fact that there are 3 hospitals to train in at Penn--a little change of scenery can be nice, and a VA always provides some unique opportunities in autonomy. I also received a letter with a very nice handwritten addendum at the bottom from Penn's PD. We're deciding if we want to live in a smaller town vs. larger town, and if the latter wins, we Penn might be the place, if they'll have us.
I have friends at Penn, and it is a great program. I think you need to decide where you want to live, Philly or Boston. I think the fact that the PD sent you a letter is a plus, but don't put too much stock in it. There is a distinction you need to make between a "thank you note", and something that tells you "we are ranking you to match". Search the threads from last March, you'll see that "were ranking you to match" doesn't even mean that is the case.
As for comparing the two programs, one difference I can tell is that BI has nightfloat so when you are on-call on the wards you get to go home around midnight and sleep in your own bed!
To respond to Irlandesa and the ref to the scutwork reviews, I have not heard anything negative about fellowship letters, at least from the current juniors/seniors. As for the PD sending notes to rejectees, I wouldn't necessarily believe that.
As for comparing the two programs, one difference I can tell is that BI has nightfloat so when you are on-call on the wards you get to go home around midnight and sleep in your own bed!
To respond to Irlandesa and the ref to the scutwork reviews, I have not heard anything negative about fellowship letters, at least from the current juniors/seniors. As for the PD sending notes to rejectees, I wouldn't necessarily believe that.
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UPenn is definitely an awesome program. It seems like the major drawback for many applicants when it comes to Penn is location, location, location. People don't want to live in Philly for some reason. I can't comment on BID since I did not apply there. As far as thank you notes from UPenn, I got one too with a handwritten note on the bottom. I don't put too much weight on that. I am pretty sure that everyone who interview there gets a handwritten note attached to a form letter.
good luck!
good luck!
Hey April04,
I liked Penn alot as well, although i probably won't rank it as highly as i would have were i not couples matching...(my fiance wasn't thrilled by her interviews in the area). Good luck matching (from your other posts, im sure you'll match EXTREMELY well).... and thanks for the info about the letter, i figured the hand written notes from my interviewer and the pd were probably standard issue.
I liked Penn alot as well, although i probably won't rank it as highly as i would have were i not couples matching...(my fiance wasn't thrilled by her interviews in the area). Good luck matching (from your other posts, im sure you'll match EXTREMELY well).... and thanks for the info about the letter, i figured the hand written notes from my interviewer and the pd were probably standard issue.
