UT Southwestern

[eyeball]

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UTSW will be high on my rank list, but I was wondering how this year's class did in the recent fellowship match. hopefully ckyuen or someone else can help me out. thanks alot.

 

[jackflash]

Did you think that the residents seemed a bit overworked and not really that happy at Southwestern? That was my impression of that program...although it was a fun (though long) interview day.

 

[eyeball]

my impression was that they definately work hard, but the return is very good. i remeber one of the 2nd years telling me that he wanted to do general ophth when finished and that he had seen enough and had had enough OR time to feel that he was just about ready (after just app. 18 months of doing ophth). maybe he was blowing smoke but i was pretty impressed. i also really liked Dr. blomquist. he's a tremendous resident advocate. he said the residents average about 53 hours/week. i guess the bottom line for me is that with the outstanding volume and diverse pathology i know that i will be well positioned to either do general ophth or compete for a solid fellowship.

 

[Garp]

I didn't really get the impression they were overworked. I had heard the reputation about it being "malignant" before I went down there and just asked a couple of the residents what they thought. They both stated the faculty overall were pretty friendly. Dr. Blomquist has been program director for a couple years now and it seems the esprit de corps has improved significantly since he has come in. They both admitted the chairman isn't going to be your best friend, but he'll stand up for you and the program when it comes to getting funds or support, and that's what you want in a chair. As far as hours, the residents stated for the most part usually out of clinic between 5 and 6, except for the first couple months while they were adapting to the fast pace of the clinic. I thought that the surgical & clinical experience was excellent and it was definitely a program that belonged in the top third ophtho residencies in the country. Would be pretty happy to match there.

 

[mjl34]

Garp has it right. It's a rough adjustment if you haven't been in a busy county hospital with everything that goes with it. If you don't speak any spanish - it's going to be harder.

After that, you get used to things. By second year, you have no weekend call, no holiday call, and life is pretty good.

By the third year, you just go in to operate - and that's why you go into ophtho anyway.

The volume is great, the variety is huge, the chairman can be a pain, but you don't interact with him very much. (when you do, just tell him this is the best program in the country and you'll have a good start.)

I think after six months of Parkland eye clinic, you've seen enough to be comfortable in a comprehensive ophthalmology practice. After that, the rest is just gravy.

 

[eyeball]

mjl34, it sounds like you are a med student there. do you know where the residents matched, particularly those going into retina? thanks for your help.

 

[mjl34]

I don't know about this year, but in the past, they had people going to Emory and Baylor. I'll check and get back to you.

 

[ckyuen]

this year was about the same for us 4 of 8 went into fellowships. 2 retina, 2 glaucoma. they ended up at great places. 1 retina at tufts that resident interviewed at jules stein, mee, wills, bascom, but apparently tufts is very well known for retina. 1 glaucoma at jules stein, interviewed at top programs. 1 retina at ut southwestern, and 1 glaucoma at ut southwestern, they wanted to stay around the area. In general our residents who want to do a fellowship match and usually at very good programs. last year we had a resident do retina at emory. 1 glaucoma at ut, one peds ut. usually half of the class give or take does a fellowship.

 

[ckyuen]

sorry didnt answer your question with regards to retina completely, three years ago one resident to wilmer for retina, in retina match we have done pretty well.