UPMC

[medstudent7860]

I have a question about UPMC. I think there are different locations/hospitals, like Mercy, Shadyside, McKeensport, etc. Is there just 1 IM residency at UPMC and residents rotate through these sites or are there separate residencies at different locations? I'm trying to come up with a list of all IM residencies within an hour of Pittsburgh. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

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[mrheisenberg]

UPMC Presbyterian/Montefiore which is the main program recently merged with the Shadyside program in order to become one huge sole program. This was great for the folks who already matched at Shadyside, but it's gonna be tough next year! In this program, you rotate through Presby/Monte, Shadyside/Hillman (Heme/Onc rotations), VA and +or- Magees (if you're women's health).

If you're at the main program, you never rotate through Mercy and/or McKeesport that are totally separate. On the other hand, I think the folks at Mercy/McKeesport have a few opportunities to do some electives, but don't quote me on that. Another relatively decent program in the area I would say is AGH, there was a good amount of great UPMC docs who migrated there d/t issues between UPMC and Highmark.

 

[medstudent7860]

Why is it going to be tough next year? And thanks for the information!! So let me get this straight...so the main program (Presbyterian/Montefiore/Shadyside) is the good, competitive program, correct? Are the Mercy/McKeesport programs 2 additional separate programs or are they 1 program? And is Mercy/McKeesport not as good of a residency/less competitive? Also, I (maybe mistakenly) was under the impression that AGH is not a relatively decent program...for example, I thought that there are a lot of IMGs in their IM residency program.

 

[redpanda]

Presby/Monte/Shadyside is by far the best IM program in the area and has the most referral patients (Shadyside prior to being merged was considered a community program). Mercy and McKeesport are two separate programs that are much, much less competitive than the P/M/S program. Mercy and McKeesport are both community programs is socioeconomically depressed areas. Not sure about the M/M residents coming to P/M/S for electives, but I never saw them around as a med student.

 

[medstudent7860]

Mercy and McKeesport are less competitive, but out of the 2, which one is better?

 

[SarVA]

I can't really compare Mercy & McKeesport directly for you, but it does seem that UPMC & the medical school are putting more resources into Mercy than they are into McKeesport at the moment. Pitt Med students are now doing a variety of rotations at Mercy, which even as recently as a year or two ago was not the case (and, with the possible exception of family medicine, I don't think there are any rotations for Pitt medical students at McKeesport). Some of the physician groups work both at Mercy and at Presbyterian/Montefiore/Shadyside, while I don't think I know of any that also work out at McKeesport. It seems like there are more sick patients that stay at Mercy, while a lot of the more complicated/sicker patients at McKeesport will be transferred to Presbyterian/Montefiore. Mercy also has a few unique centers within the UPMC system - all of the burns and most of the rehab patients are sent there.

All of that being said - the IM residency program at Mercy is still much, much less competitive than the Presbyterian/Shadyside program.

One thing to note though, if you are considering applying to Mercy - it is still a Catholic hospital, and many of their policies regarding contraception/abortion/end-of-life care reflect that. The sense that I got from some of the clinical and non-clinical staff while I was there is that it has liberalized somewhat in the years since it became a UPMC hospital, but it is still certainly much more conservative in that sense than the other hospitals in the area.

 

[medstudent7860]

Since Shadyside merged with Presbyterian/Montefiore, does that meant that there are more residency positions open there then?

 

[redpanda]

I don't think more positions over and above whatever the sum of the two programs were before have opened up and in any likelihood, the applicant pool for the program is getting more competitive. That being said, it's a massive program now. There are like 55-60 IM residents per year by my current reckoning.

 

[medstudent7860]

Shadyside and Monte/Presbyterian are different residency programs. You can apply for them separately in ERAS. Lots of prelims/transitional at SHY. Diff pt population. Much smaller program ~10 ppl. MP is where most transfers/referrals go. For IM, go MP. Program is ~40 ppl for categorical. You'll get much better training.

Thanks! Someone I know matched at Presby/Shadyside though, so that confuses me...did the Shadyside and Monte/Presby programs merge?

 

[mrheisenberg]

Yes, this is what I was trying to say, this was the last year in which the programs were separate. Next year, there will be no Shadyside option in MyERAS, does it make sense?

 

[mrheisenberg]

Update. You are correct. PUH MUH SHY will merge this year. It will be one option on ERAS.

I said it! It's a pretty cool program, extremely laid back (except a few inpatient rotations) and we are treated very well as residents (the program has a sh*** load of money for conferences and resources, a lot of good free food, plenty of moonlighting opportunities).. Pittsburgh is an OK city, very safe, affordable, and at a driving distance to a lot of interesting places (3hrs from DC, 6hrs from NYC, 7hrs from Chicago), but the winter is sort of depressing.. Not a top 10 program though, but a solid top 20-25 and if you're dedicated you could end up potentially anywhere you want in terms of fellowship, but a good amount chose to stay here since our fellowship programs are outstanding (especially Pulm/CC, CCM, GI, Palliative and GIM that are among the best in the country).. Our previous Chair of Medicine, Dr Reilly, a super nice guy unfortunately left to become UC's Dean, but the new one, Dr Gladwin is also very cool and he's the creator of the Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple which was the only book that could make Micro tolerable to me.. Well, I hope this helps and that you have the chance to interview here! Good luck!