Umass

[TIVA23]

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Anyone have any thoughts on this program? Interviewed there a while back and thought it was good but it has been a while. I also heard (by word of mouth) that the prelim year was pretty rough. Any one here know anything about the prelim year? Is it really as bad as they say?

Thanks

 

[CriticallyCarED4]

No clue about the prelim year but I did an away there. I enjoyed my time there. Sick patient base, lots of hearts, vascular, decent amount of liver transplants. Loved the PD and Chair. The admin really cares about the residents. Didactics were a weak point but they're improving. Strong CC training. Weaknesses, strong clinical training but not a truly academic program. One in-house fellowship with plans to establish a CTA and OB fellowship in the next 5+ years (from the new CC PD who trained at Columbia). Some may mention the many DO and IMG residents as a weakness (i don't). PM me if you wanna talk more about it.


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[DocMcCoy]

Current ca2 resident at Umass. This past week I've done an open ACOM aneurysm clipping, five TAVRs (one subclavian approach under under nerve block) an open aorta, and a pancreas transplant. That is in addition to some healthy hearts and bread and butter stuff. We do great cases every day and we get good fast. Feel free to PM me if you would like any additional information.

 

[deleted171991]

No clue about the prelim year but I did an away there. I enjoyed my time there. Sick patient base, lots of hearts, vascular, decent amount of liver transplants. Loved the PD and Chair. The admin really cares about the residents. Didactics were a weak point but they're improving. Strong CC training. Weaknesses, strong clinical training but not a truly academic program. One in-house fellowship with plans to establish a CTA and OB fellowship in the next 5+ years (from the new CC PD who trained at Columbia). Some may mention the many DO and IMG residents as a weakness (i don't). PM me if you wanna talk more about it.


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How can UMass have strong CCM training when the ICU was dominated by midlevels just a few years ago? Even the ICU fellow was more for ornament.

 

[TIVA23]

Thank you all for your input!

 

[targ489]

Anyone have any thoughts on this program? Interviewed there a while back and thought it was good but it has been a while. I also heard (by word of mouth) that the prelim year was pretty rough. Any one here know anything about the prelim year? Is it really as bad as they say?

Thanks

Hi TIVA,

I'm a current PGY 1 at UMass for anesthesia. The intern year is not bad, I think it's evenly distributed between difficult rotations (wards/surgery) and elective rotations to make it more of a transitional type year. They've also incorporated an additional month for anesthesia (so total of 2)- 1 in the OR, 1 out of the OR as a practice management month focused on research, preparing for anesthesia, etc. A little over 7 months in now and I'm very happy with my choice. Love to answer any questions if they come up.

How can UMass have strong CCM training when the ICU was dominated by midlevels just a few years ago? Even the ICU fellow was more for ornament.

Granted I'm only a 1st year, but I know for the MICU rotation we do during intern year we are given more patients and responsibility than the midlevels. The midlevels are mostly used as support staff. We have several ICU's in the hospital system (at least 7 at University and 3 at memorial). The fellow seems like he's always busy getting his hands deep every time I've run into him in the SICU and seemed to be the man in charge.

 

[NoPainNoGainzz]

Intern year has changed dramatically since I started 3 years ago. There is less internal medicine and now there is a month of acute pain instead of a IM month.....

Good case load and great clinical experience especially in vascular and cardiac cases as there are no fellows.

We have matched into chronic pain consistently as well as other fellowships such as cardiac, ICU, and peds

 

[Psai]

Intern year has changed dramatically since I started 3 years ago. There is less internal medicine and now there is a month of acute pain instead of a IM month.....

Good case load and great clinical experience especially in vascular and cardiac cases as there are no fellows.

We have matched into chronic pain consistently as well as other fellowships such as cardiac, ICU, and peds

Who cares about fellowship? Tell me if they're getting good pp jobs.

 

[deleted875186]

Current ca2 resident at Umass. This past week I've done an open ACOM aneurysm clipping, five TAVRs (one subclavian approach under under nerve block) an open aorta, and a pancreas transplant. That is in addition to some healthy hearts and bread and butter stuff. We do great cases every day and we get good fast. Feel free to PM me if you would like any additional information.

What rotation are you on?? Anyone else getting frequent cases like this, open aneurysm and open AAA, makes me wish I went to Umass.

 

[SmokeyGray]

Who cares about fellowship? Tell me if they're getting good pp jobs.

I am a current UMass resident. Usually there are several people from each class that go into private practice. Recent classes have had people take private practice jobs in Nashville TN, Portland MN, Santa Fe NM, Texas, and in Massachusetts. I have been able to catch up with these people since graduation and they are very satisfied with their careers and locations. They felt very well prepared for private practice coming from training at UMass.

 

[Ronin786]

What rotation are you on?? Anyone else getting frequent cases like this, open aneurysm and open AAA, makes me wish I went to Umass.

Case mix is only one piece of the pie. Autonomy just as, or even more important. Coming from a medium-sized program where you do everything and doing fellowship at a big-name program where attendings never/barely leave the room makes you realize just how timid and useless many graduating anesthesia residents can be.

It's quite terrifying.

 

[NoPainNoGainzz]

Who cares about fellowship? Tell me if they're getting good pp jobs.

Generally, most applicants do consider fellowship positions and opportunities for further education. Medical students applying for anesthesia want to go to a program that allows them an option to consider fellowship.

However, a simple search will answer your question regarding pp jobs. Below is the list of alumni and secured positions for the 2017 class.

• Critical Care Medicine Fellowship @ Brigham and Women’s Hospital School, Boston, MA
• Critical Care Fellowship @ Medical College of Georgia - Augusta University, Augusta, GA
• Pain Fellowship @ Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
• Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship @ Children’s Hospital of Los Angles
• Private Practice @ Anesthesia Medical Group, Nashville, TN
• Private Practice @ Cristus St. Vincent Hospital, Santa Fe, NM
• Private Practice @ MacNeal Hospital – NAPA Group, Chicago, IL
• Private Practice @ Spectrum Medical Group - Southern Maine Division, Portland, M

 

[deleted171991]

Generally, most applicants do consider fellowship positions and opportunities for further education. Medical students applying for anesthesia want to go to a program that allows them an option to consider fellowship.

However, a simple search will answer your question regarding pp jobs. Below is the list of alumni and secured positions for the 2017 class.

• Critical Care Medicine Fellowship @ Brigham and Women’s Hospital School, Boston, MA
• Critical Care Fellowship @ Medical College of Georgia - Augusta University, Augusta, GA
• Pain Fellowship @ Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
• Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship @ Children’s Hospital of Los Angles
• Private Practice @ Anesthesia Medical Group, Nashville, TN
• Private Practice @ Cristus St. Vincent Hospital, Santa Fe, NM
• Private Practice @ MacNeal Hospital – NAPA Group, Chicago, IL
• Private Practice @ Spectrum Medical Group - Southern Maine Division, Portland, M

So basically 2 out of 8 went into any meaningful fellowship.

 

[deleted171991]

Case mix is only one piece of the pie. Autonomy just as, or even more important. Coming from a medium-sized program where you do everything and doing fellowship at a big-name program where attendings never/barely leave the room makes you realize just how timid and useless many graduating anesthesia residents can be.

It's quite terrifying.

I wouldn't allow half of the graduating residents from the local big-name program to touch me.

 

[Psai]

Generally, most applicants do consider fellowship positions and opportunities for further education. Medical students applying for anesthesia want to go to a program that allows them an option to consider fellowship.

However, a simple search will answer your question regarding pp jobs. Below is the list of alumni and secured positions for the 2017 class.

• Critical Care Medicine Fellowship @ Brigham and Women’s Hospital School, Boston, MA
• Critical Care Fellowship @ Medical College of Georgia - Augusta University, Augusta, GA
• Pain Fellowship @ Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
• Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship @ Children’s Hospital of Los Angles
• Private Practice @ Anesthesia Medical Group, Nashville, TN
• Private Practice @ Cristus St. Vincent Hospital, Santa Fe, NM
• Private Practice @ MacNeal Hospital – NAPA Group, Chicago, IL
• Private Practice @ Spectrum Medical Group - Southern Maine Division, Portland, M

"A simple search"? No one cares about your program dude, youre the one necrobumping this old thread out of nowhere.

 

[dchz]

Case mix is only one piece of the pie. Autonomy just as, or even more important. Coming from a medium-sized program where you do everything and doing fellowship at a big-name program where attendings never/barely leave the room makes you realize just how timid and useless many graduating anesthesia residents can be.

It's quite terrifying.

I recently found out that Baylor College of Medicine anes residency doesn't allow their residents (even ca-3s) to extubate by themselves.

One of the ca-2 was told that termination is eminent if extubation happened again without an attending.

I thought it was a joke or some misinformed anecdote, until a second attending that graduated from that place confirmed all of the above...

How do you become competent or efficient clinically if you MUST have an academic attending present while extubating is beyond me...

 

[deleted171991]

I recently found out that Baylor College of Medicine anes residency doesn't allow their residents (even ca-3s) to extubate by themselves.

One of the ca-2 was told that termination is eminent if extubation happened again without an attending.

I thought it was a joke or some misinformed anecdote, until a second attending that graduated from that place confirmed all of the above...

How do you become competent or efficient clinically if you MUST have an academic attending present while extubating is beyond me...

You don't understand. Beyond the malpractice issues, one has to sign that one was present for emergence. It's part of medical direction requirements. So, by the book, one should be there for extubation. Otherwise, it's technically fraud.

 

[deleted87051]

You don't understand. Beyond the malpractice issues, one has to sign that one was present for emergence. It's part of medical direction requirements. Otherwise, it's technically fraud. So, yeah, by the book, one should be there for extubation.

You are correct. I’ve often wondered how programs have gotten around this for so long.

 

[AdmiralChz]

You don't understand. Beyond the malpractice issues, one has to sign that one was present for emergence. It's part of medical direction requirements. So, by the book, one should be there for extubation. Otherwise, it's technically fraud.

I’m all in with FFP on this one. It was the same at my residency - I always had to call during emergence and it was up to the staff if they wanted to come around or not.

The same is true now with my new job, but some of the nurses dont call until the patient is literally ready for extubation that instant and it makes me quite uncomfortable especially late in the day when I wasn’t there (and they weren’t there) for intubation. So I chart stalk heavily and “re-educate” if it becomes a problem through the day.

 

[dchz]

You don't understand. Beyond the malpractice issues, one has to sign that one was present for emergence. It's part of medical direction requirements. So, by the book, one should be there for extubation. Otherwise, it's technically fraud.

hmmmm, thanks for enlightening me to the other side of things.

My attendings are for sure immediately available, and I do appreciate this independence that this borderline fraud has bestowed on me.

 

[dchz]

I’m all in with FFP on this one. It was the same at my residency - I always had to call during emergence and it was up to the staff if they wanted to come around or not.

see this is diff from being with an attending 100% of the time. at our shop the attendings usually choose not to come in the room. We have cameras in the ORs and they can remotely view the anes records live. so i guess it's pretty much on the fringe, but again, i appreciated that sooo much now knowing what's going on at some of the big name programs.

 

[deleted171991]

see this is diff from being with an attending 100% of the time. at our shop the attendings usually choose not to come in the room. We have cameras in the ORs and they can remotely view the anes records live. so i guess it's pretty much on the fringe, but again, i appreciated that sooo much now knowing what's going on at some of the big name programs.

Technically, it's illegal. Per TEFRA medical direction requirements (i.e. the law), the anesthesiologist has to personally participate in the most demanding procedures in the anesthesia plan, including (if applicable) induction and emergence. So one has to be in the room.

People have argued that emergence is a continuum, and, if they stop by anytime during it, it should be OK. It's probably not. The most demanding part of emergence is right around extubation; that's when stuff happens. The part the attending doesn't have to be there for is basically the "stool sitting". Anything major happens, s/he should be called in, not just for induction and emergence. For example, I try to be present for initial laparoscopic insufflation, turning the patient prone or lateral, incision when my regional block is the main anesthetic etc. Any time there is a chance something can go significantly wrong.

I totally understand how this can look like breathing down the resident's neck and lack of trust. It's not. Even after 3-5 years, an attending has seen so many bad stuff you wouldn't believe.

 

[SmokeyGray]

UMass provides very strong clinical training. When we do away rotations, attendings often comment that our skills and clinical judgment are very strong. We get a lot of regional, trauma, OB, vascular, and liver transplants. We get plenty of exposure to very sick adults.

Residents from UMass have generally been able to secure the fellowships or jobs that they want. Although the match hasn't happened for all of the sub-specialty fellowships yet, the CA-3s from this year have been successful thus far. We have one person who dual matched into cardiac/critical care at Columbia, one that matched into cardiac at Tufts, and one who dual matched into peds/chronic pain at childrens hospital colorado/university of colorado.