U-w...

[pinkladies]

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Most of UW's residents seem to stay in that area after residency. Does anyone have any insight into whether this program draws a lot of locals in general? Or do people fall in love with the NW once they move? Or does the program's fantastic reputation in Psychiatry not really translate to other parts of the county?

 

[billypilgrim37]

Seattle is much like blueberry popsicles and Rickenbacker guitars.

If that's what makes you happy, then it probably makes you a lot happier than anything else would.

 

[atsai3]

Most of UW's residents seem to stay in that area after residency. Does anyone have any insight into whether this program draws a lot of locals in general? Or do people fall in love with the NW once they move? Or does the program's fantastic reputation in Psychiatry not really translate to other parts of the county?

It's probably a mix of selection (people who interview at, rank, and match to UW are the type of people who want to stay in Seattle anyway), kool aid (people from Tampa Bay go to UW expecting to hate the rain but fall in love with the Pacific NW), and family-related (once you get married and have a kid, it's hard to uproot). Unlikely to be because UW graduates, on average, don't have the pedigree to get out.

 

[pinkladies]

Thanks for your thoughts guys. The program seems fantastic. Is there any downside that anyone knows of?

 

[billypilgrim37]

Thanks for your thoughts guys. The program seems fantastic. Is there any downside that anyone knows of?

In general the place has a reputation of a well-above average workload, but not excessively so. U-W would have probably been my #1 if not for family issues preventing me from moving coast-to-coast. It was certainly my wife's #1 by a longshot.

 

[notdeadyet]

In general the place has a reputation of a well-above average workload, but not excessively so. U-W would have probably been my #1 if not for family issues preventing me from moving coast-to-coast. It was certainly my wife's #1 by a longshot.

I was very impressed with UW. Excellent training all around.

I'm not sure I was totally moved by the "hard work" thing. I found their call and hours to be comparable with the top programs. I didn't meet too many truly top programs that folks didn't warn me about how hard they work. It's part of why they're top programs.

UW dropped off my list only because of marital reasons. Seattle is like NYC or San Francisco in that even people who think they'll love it can get burned out on it. If someone's heart's not in the move to a place like that, the misery quotient will be high.

 

[Saluki]

I was very impressed with UW. Excellent training all around.

I'm not sure I was totally moved by the "hard work" thing. I found their call and hours to be comparable with the top programs. I didn't meet too many truly top programs that folks didn't warn me about how hard they work. It's part of why they're top programs.

UW dropped off my list only because of marital reasons. Seattle is like NYC or San Francisco in that even people who think they'll love it can get burned out on it. If someone's heart's not in the move to a place like that, the misery quotient will be high.

Can you explain more about the possible difficulties in moving to Seattle?

 

[Bartelby]

Can you explain more about the possible difficulties in moving to Seattle?

I would like to hear this expanded on as well. Problems I saw with Seattle:
*The days are really short during winter, so you may almost never see sunlight (but that makes awesome summer days)
*The traffic is not quite NY or DC bad, but it's bad and you will have to drive through it because of the VA being six miles away from the other sites
*The rainy greyness in the winter is intimidating
*The cost of living is not crazy, but it is a large city and adding up rent, parking, and other expenses you will pay for the privilege of living there
*If you are from the East coast each trip back is $300-400 and a full day of delay-prone travel per person, and the time difference makes for jetlag and difficulties with calls home

All that said, the goods really seem to outweigh the bads in my opinion. The people there seemed really approachable, friendly, and liberal as a whole. People love the outdoors, and there are tons of outdoor opportunities. It is also right on the water. Overall I think the positives more than compensate for the negatives, but there are negatives.

 

[DandelionMed]

I think living in Seattle would be really nice, albeit expensive...

My debate is actually with the locations of the rural tracks. Boise would be nice, but I've heard that living in Alaska can be a really tough adjustment....

 

[atsai3]

Thanks for your thoughts guys. The program seems fantastic. Is there any downside that anyone knows of?

Downsides:
1. more hard work compared to most programs (but not more so than other high powered programs), i.e., more intense medicine and pediatrics experience, more overnight call during PGY1-2 inpatient, more overnight call as a PGY3-4, more training call as a PGY3-4
2. coverage of multiple sites (lots of driving)
3. no sun during the winter

Upsides:
1. Deb Cowley is one of the most dedicated program directors in the business
2. coverage of multiple sites (exposure to different models of care and different clusters of psychopathology)
3. there's plenty of sun on top of Mount Baker, and the summers are unbelievable
4. access to great sub-specialty fellowship programs

 

[Daedra22]

Aside from the weather, Seattle (really the northwest in general) also has a particular culture to it. In my experience it goes beyond just the political climate. People tend to dress and behave differently, as silly as that may sound. It's a huge shift if you're coming from somewhere like Texas or Kentucky. I've found that some people strongly dislike it, while others fall in love with it. For me the culture and the weather are huge selling points.

 

[pinkladies]

Those are all really good points.

How about the quite large class-size? Did anyone feel as though there wasn't quite as much camaraderie or intra/interclass cohesiveness because of that?

 

[Saluki]

Those are all really good points.

How about the quite large class-size? Did anyone feel as though there wasn't quite as much camaraderie or intra/interclass cohesiveness because of that?

The residents I spoke with while I was there said that everyone gets along well, but the class cohesion can be affected sometimes by the size and by the fact that there are people coming in and out: Five people join at the the PGY-2 level, two to three Idaho trackers leave for Boise after PGY-2, and in the near future one Alaska tracker will be heading off after PGY-3... In the past, there were also some residents leaving for Spokane, but that track isn't taking anyone new....

It doesn't seem like a big deal to me, but I suppose you might get more of a close knit atmosphere at someplace like San Mateo or Utah where there are fewer residents per class.

 

[Saluki]

Aside from the weather, Seattle (really the northwest in general) also has a particular culture to it. In my experience it goes beyond just the political climate. People tend to dress and behave differently, as silly as that may sound. It's a huge shift if you're coming from somewhere like Texas or Kentucky. I've found that some people strongly dislike it, while others fall in love with it. For me the culture and the weather are huge selling points.

What happens to Republicans who move to Seattle?

 

[billypilgrim37]

I think you would find that the average Seattle Republican is still way to the left of the average Kentucky Democrat.

Hell, in Kentucky, our Democrats were the asshats introducing the protect-marriage-from-the-sinful-gay-people amendment. Why do we even need Republicans with Democrats like that?

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Aside from the weather, Seattle (really the northwest in general) also has a particular culture to it. In my experience it goes beyond just the political climate. People tend to dress and behave differently, as silly as that may sound. It's a huge shift if you're coming from somewhere like Texas or Kentucky. I've found that some people strongly dislike it, while others fall in love with it. For me the culture and the weather are huge selling points.

I guess that's true. We all wear outdoorsy stuff, are casual and kind of reserved versus laid back here. Women wear less makeup. People are less tan. People wear jeans everywhere. I'm a fan, but it's not for everyone.

The dreary weather can get to you, though. I spent the last month pretty much never seeing the sun. It's not that cold, though, and the summers are pretty fantastic.

But I've got to say in the Pacific Northwest, I think Portland is the best city. 😉 In both towns, people tend to stay where they trained.

About Republicans in these parts, you'll be a minority, and you'll probably start being a little quiet about your political leanings. But they make up like 40% of our population, so it won't be too lonely.

 

[atsai3]

I went to a relatively large program, and I'm glad I did. Being in a small residency program is kind of like living in a small condo. Sometimes it's just nicer to have more people to diffuse the effects of having a toxic personality in your midst.

 

[atsai3]

What happens to Republicans who move to Seattle?

They don't move to Seattle -- they move to Spokane, or Yakima, or...

 

[splik]

People are less tan.

That's an understatement! People are pale it's like being in Scandinavia (but with more Asians... who look like they could do with some sunshine too!)

 

[Daedra22]

I guess that's true. We all wear outdoorsy stuff, are casual and kind of reserved versus laid back here. Women wear less makeup. People are less tan.

Definite bonus if your skin tends to go directly from pale to burnt. God I miss the northwest.

 

[NoNoNoNo]

I absolutely loved the program and found it one of the most innovative out there...particularly in terms of modeling how the direction of psychiatry might be headed (placing psychiatry in outpatient consult positions, rural outreach, etc. I thought it would be particularly good for people torn between wanting to do medicine and psychiatry but choosing psych). I think they do a great job of really putting into action what they talk about; they're really doing it and not just talking about it (whatever "it" may be...). I think that's associated with the culture people are talking about, too. At least that is what I picked up from the interview day.

The one thing that made me a bit uncomfortable was how Caucasian both the program and city are. And the commuting seemed a bit much.

 

[Saluki]

IThe one thing that made me a bit uncomfortable was how Caucasian both the program and city are. And the commuting seemed a bit much.

I don't know... Maybe it's where I was staying, but when I went to a nearby Starbucks, it seemed like about a third to a half of the people I saw were Asian.... It may not be the most diverse city on earth, but it actually seems to have a larger Asian community than many places I've lived...

 

[notdeadyet]

Can you explain more about the possible difficulties in moving to Seattle?

Aside from the obvious weather thing, some west coast cities (Seattle, Portland, SF) run more to a type than you'll find elsewhere. There's a theory that if you get far enough to the left or right wing of the political spectrum, they start to resemble each other. In these cities, there's a predominant politic and social vibe that isn't particularly accommodating for folks of alternative lifestyle. Starched straight church going republicans will feel about as at home in these towns as laid back tree hugging green party types would in Birmingham. You can definitely find your niche with enough looking, but overall the place is probably not going to be your cup of tea.

 

[notdeadyet]

What happens to Republicans who move to Seattle?

If you're happy enough being a minority amongst a majority that really doesn't like your politics, you'll be fine. And with all the tech that's been such a huge force in the city, you won't be the only Republican around. Just expect to be a minority voice, which for many is a change.

About Republicans in these parts, you'll be a minority, and you'll probably start being a little quiet about your political leanings. But they make up like 40% of our population, so it won't be too lonely.

Actually, Seattle is about 80% Democrat. The state as a whole is about 40% republican, but you won't feel that in Seattle. Like a lot of the Northwest, the cities are extremely liberal and they start getting extremely conservative the further east you go.