Saw a new review on the UIC anesthesiology program on Scutwork.com that didn't look too good. Anyone have any thoughts on the review? Is it accurate? Is this similar to other institutions?
UIC Scutwork review
- Thread starter UIC Bound
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2009
- Messages
- 240
- Reaction score
- 32
I know someone who transferred into the program and is very happy. Reviews need to be taken with a grain of salt when they are anonymous, and even more so when it is a single review.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2008
- Messages
- 559
- Reaction score
- 272
The people I know that interviewed there this year thought the program was awesome.
This post is in response to the scutwork.com publication from 3/2012. The dialogue however, may seem disjointed if you have not read that particular post.
I am currently a senior resident within the dept of anesthesiology at UIC. Unlike the author on scutwork.com, I have experienced a vastly different program prior to joining the team in Chicago. Unfortunately, it was a program that became turbulent and malignant due to administrative greed, power, and unethical business practices. Nevertheless, the silver lining in experiencing a program so unstable is that it allowed me to appreciate how fortunate we are at UIC. Our clinical responsibilities begin around 6:00am. We have didactic lectures from 6:30-7. We usually roll back with the patient around 7:25. We receive a morning break in addition to a 30 min lunch. Workload is very manageable and diverse. I average about 63 hours per week which is low compared to both local and out of state programs. As a senior, elective rotations can certainly be arranged with the PD. Some residents even go abroad. Hours do fluctuate based on rotations with transplant and neurosurgery being the most demanding. However, based on the length of the cases you will be relieved from clinical duty early the following day. I personally had 5 liver transplants during my rotation. As the previous poster indicated liver transplants are not required by the ACGME / ABA to graduate. However, these cases are quite complex which allow the resident to experience and manage the physiological changes "beat to beat". These experiences will undoubtedly allow you to deliver a safer and more competent anesthetic as you progress in your career.
The faculty members at UIC are outstanding and very approachable. Teaching occurs daily in the perioperative setting. The faculty is always available and willing to teach. Their goal is to optimize both the patient and resident experience. When complex cases arise, the faculty is 1:1 with the resident. Certain faculty members give you more autonomy and independence than others but that is common practice everywhere. Although the PD works off-sight most of the time, he is outstanding! He is in constant communication with the residents regarding every aspect of our education and training. We are very fortunate to have a PD of his caliber. The Chair is also very much involved with the residency program. He does allocate a great deal of his time in the ICU however; he is present for all lectures, meetings, and functions with the residents. He also works in the OR with the residents on occasion.
The wide-spread relationships throughout the department are outstanding and our work life balance here is great. Some rotation blocks afford you 2-3 weekends off without any call responsibilities. There are a handful of CRNA's and CRNA students within the dept. Our rapport with them is very good. We however, get assigned to the complex cases, as there is no competition between us and them. The surgeons are also very accommodating and easy to work with for the most part. There are always a few rogue surgeons but tell me where you will not find that!
My initial motivation for sharing this feedback was to invalidate some of the callousness with regards to the previous reviewer on scutwork.com. However, I also wanted to take the opportunity to provide both current and soon-to-be residents with my personal view which is absolutely transparent without solicitation. I cannot speak for my peers; however, I am quite certain that a large percentage of them share my views. This is an outstanding program with an abundance of opportunities. After completing the training program at UIC you will be a well trained consultant within the field of anesthesiology. Whether you choose to pursue a fellowship or enter the private or academic arena, you will be highly prepared. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions or concerns.
Take care and good luck!
There seems to be something funky with the scutwork website, since I submitted a post on the UIC anesthesiology program three weeks ago and it is still not there. So I will post a review here.
My schedule
A typical day begins by arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 to set up the room for the days cases. Daily conference is at 6:30 until 7:00, except Wed when it lasts until 8:00. First case starts 30 minutes after conference ends. There is a morning 15 minute break and a 30 minute lunch break. People usually begin to go home around 2 pm. Most people are out by 5 to 7 pm. Inpatient preops are divided up and assigned as the last task prior to leaving. There is a night float so there is no 24 hour call and you can expect to sleep at home every night. IVs are placed by the preop nurses. Many patients are seen in preop clinic so the H and P is completed already. For those who are there late the Department buys food that arrives at 7 pm every night. It alternates between thai and italian. There is also a constant supply of peanut butter, jelly, bread, granola bars, and cereal available. The hours are pretty consistent, but some rotations, such as liver transplant and neuro, will have later days and some middle of the night cases. We follow the 10 hour rule very strictly here. I have never exceeded the 80 hour work rule. The Department has been accommodating to requests for special rotations. Residents have gone overseas for the past several years, there is a 2 week intense cardiac echo course that many have completed, and a second month at Christ hospital has been granted on more than one occasion.
My learning
The faculty is very well educated and many have trained in highly prestigious institutions(Mass General, Mayo, Hopkins, UCSF, Boston Childrens, etc...) They are also easy going and approachable. Teaching takes place daily in the morning conference. Some conferences are better than others and the lack of enforcement of the mandatory attendance policy has resulted in a decrease in audience size. Subspecialties also hold their own conference on Thursdays. There is also teaching in the OR, depending on the availability of the attending and the enthusiasm of the resident. There is a great deal of encouragement to try different techniques of anesthetic delivery from airway management to medication combinations for controlling pain while minimizing opioid requirements (magnesium is obviously a critical ingredient.) Most of the attendings will teach in the OR and provide a break or lunch if they are free. There is an evaluation system in place that will identify those that are unwilling to do so, and they are dealt with in a severe manner by the department chair.
My environment
The residents get along well together with many spending time together outside of work. There tends to be more cohesiveness between each individual class. Attendings treat the residents well and with respect. It is easy to have a personal conversation with almost every one of them. The Program director works at the VA (where we rotate 1 to 3 months per year) and is at UIC every Monday. He responds to emails with lightning speed and seems to always come through for residents when they have a request. He is very aware of the requirements running a of a residency program and has been tirelessly and successfully fulfilling his obligations. The department chair is an Intensivist who began as an intrim chair and was subsequently hired for the permanent position after clearly demonstrating the ability to complete many, nearly impossible, tasks that were required of him. As an intensivist he spends the majority of the time in the ICU, but he also spends time in the OR and has first hand knowledge of the daily routine. The hospital is 30 years old. There are 19 ORs. They are adequate. We have good equipment and plenty of supplies. There are a few foreign grads, and they are of the highest caliber. I have a full and complete life outside of work. There are many residents who have gotten married and had children while here.
The program has a strong Neuro and regional department. OB anesthesia has improved dramatically with the addition of a former resident who has returned after completing an OB fellowship. The program is also very sensitive to resident needs/requests and tries very hard to accommodate them. Weak areas are thoracic cases (the CT surgeon at the VA retired, but now there are two that were hired with plans for a third) and trauma cases. We go to Christ for trauma and cardiac so we do not have constant trauma experience. All of my case requirements were completed more than 10 months prior to program completion. I feel extremely prepared to work in private practice. I would choose this program again. It has delivered everything I expected it to. This year most of the class will do fellowships (5 pain, 2 regional, 2 CT, 2 peds.)
My schedule
A typical day begins by arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 to set up the room for the days cases. Daily conference is at 6:30 until 7:00, except Wed when it lasts until 8:00. First case starts 30 minutes after conference ends. There is a morning 15 minute break and a 30 minute lunch break. People usually begin to go home around 2 pm. Most people are out by 5 to 7 pm. Inpatient preops are divided up and assigned as the last task prior to leaving. There is a night float so there is no 24 hour call and you can expect to sleep at home every night. IVs are placed by the preop nurses. Many patients are seen in preop clinic so the H and P is completed already. For those who are there late the Department buys food that arrives at 7 pm every night. It alternates between thai and italian. There is also a constant supply of peanut butter, jelly, bread, granola bars, and cereal available. The hours are pretty consistent, but some rotations, such as liver transplant and neuro, will have later days and some middle of the night cases. We follow the 10 hour rule very strictly here. I have never exceeded the 80 hour work rule. The Department has been accommodating to requests for special rotations. Residents have gone overseas for the past several years, there is a 2 week intense cardiac echo course that many have completed, and a second month at Christ hospital has been granted on more than one occasion.
My learning
The faculty is very well educated and many have trained in highly prestigious institutions(Mass General, Mayo, Hopkins, UCSF, Boston Childrens, etc...) They are also easy going and approachable. Teaching takes place daily in the morning conference. Some conferences are better than others and the lack of enforcement of the mandatory attendance policy has resulted in a decrease in audience size. Subspecialties also hold their own conference on Thursdays. There is also teaching in the OR, depending on the availability of the attending and the enthusiasm of the resident. There is a great deal of encouragement to try different techniques of anesthetic delivery from airway management to medication combinations for controlling pain while minimizing opioid requirements (magnesium is obviously a critical ingredient.) Most of the attendings will teach in the OR and provide a break or lunch if they are free. There is an evaluation system in place that will identify those that are unwilling to do so, and they are dealt with in a severe manner by the department chair.
My environment
The residents get along well together with many spending time together outside of work. There tends to be more cohesiveness between each individual class. Attendings treat the residents well and with respect. It is easy to have a personal conversation with almost every one of them. The Program director works at the VA (where we rotate 1 to 3 months per year) and is at UIC every Monday. He responds to emails with lightning speed and seems to always come through for residents when they have a request. He is very aware of the requirements running a of a residency program and has been tirelessly and successfully fulfilling his obligations. The department chair is an Intensivist who began as an intrim chair and was subsequently hired for the permanent position after clearly demonstrating the ability to complete many, nearly impossible, tasks that were required of him. As an intensivist he spends the majority of the time in the ICU, but he also spends time in the OR and has first hand knowledge of the daily routine. The hospital is 30 years old. There are 19 ORs. They are adequate. We have good equipment and plenty of supplies. There are a few foreign grads, and they are of the highest caliber. I have a full and complete life outside of work. There are many residents who have gotten married and had children while here.
The program has a strong Neuro and regional department. OB anesthesia has improved dramatically with the addition of a former resident who has returned after completing an OB fellowship. The program is also very sensitive to resident needs/requests and tries very hard to accommodate them. Weak areas are thoracic cases (the CT surgeon at the VA retired, but now there are two that were hired with plans for a third) and trauma cases. We go to Christ for trauma and cardiac so we do not have constant trauma experience. All of my case requirements were completed more than 10 months prior to program completion. I feel extremely prepared to work in private practice. I would choose this program again. It has delivered everything I expected it to. This year most of the class will do fellowships (5 pain, 2 regional, 2 CT, 2 peds.)
Opinions vary but.... resident morale is very low. We are preparing for an acgme site visit over the next month. So therefore the dog and pony show is underway and the brain washing has begun. More faculty are leaving by the end of July. As far as the post on scut, a large percentage of the residents could not agree more😡
