Utah vs Ochsner anesthesiology residency

[gas_applicant]

I interviewed at both of these programs and really liked each one for different reasons. I'm wondering if anyone can give some insight into either of these so I can decide how to rank them.

The Utah program was really great. I love the echo experience they get. They seemed weak in didactics, which isn't that big of a deal. The thing I'm wondering most about is work-life balance. They really have no CRNA staff, and the current residents were a little inconsistent or cagey when I was asking about how many hours they work or how much they have to stay late to cover 'easy' or non-educational cases. They have built-in moonlighting (get paid after 5 PM I believe), and that's cool, but I also wonder if the reason they've implemented that is because it's cheaper to pay residents after hours than hire CRNA staff. I also really fell in love with SLC area.

Ochsner, by contrast, has reasonably good didactics and fairly cush work hours with good CRNA support. They seem to get good clinical training and match into strong fellowships, but I worry it doesn't have the reputation of Utah, especially if I want to end up working in the SLC area. New Orleans is a fine city, but I'm not terribly excited about living there for 4-5 years.

I have a family, so work-life balance is pretty important to me, but so is living somewhere we enjoy and want to go out and explore.

Any current residents, or anyone else with knowledge of either program (particularly Utah) have comments about the work environment and schedules?

[Posting as an alt to protect anonymity]

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[somedumbDO]

I interviewed at both of these programs and really liked each one for different reasons. I'm wondering if anyone can give some insight into either of these so I can decide how to rank them.

The Utah program was really great. I love the echo experience they get. They seemed weak in didactics, which isn't that big of a deal. The thing I'm wondering most about is work-life balance. They really have no CRNA staff, and the current residents were a little inconsistent or cagey when I was asking about how many hours they work or how much they have to stay late to cover 'easy' or non-educational cases. They have built-in moonlighting (get paid after 5 PM I believe), and that's cool, but I also wonder if the reason they've implemented that is because it's cheaper to pay residents after hours than hire CRNA staff. I also really fell in love with SLC area.

Ochsner, by contrast, has reasonably good didactics and fairly cush work hours with good CRNA support. They seem to get good clinical training and match into strong fellowships, but I worry it doesn't have the reputation of Utah, especially if I want to end up working in the SLC area. New Orleans is a fine city, but I'm not terribly excited about living there for 4-5 years.

I have a family, so work-life balance is pretty important to me, but so is living somewhere we enjoy and want to go out and explore.

Any current residents, or anyone else with knowledge of either program (particularly Utah) have comments about the work environment and schedules?

[Posting as an alt to protect anonymity]

Both are good. If you want to live in Utah do a residency in Utah. Honestly the job market sucks there right now mostly IHC (employed) jobs. Also, who cares if you work more its residency, suck it up.

 

[NICMAN]

I don't know much about Ochsner but Utah is a solid program where there are great mentors. You will work hard, but that is similar to other places. All residency programs utilize their residents to 'pay' for the new medical school, the Dean's and Chair's salaries, and for all those nice academic days that attendings get, but I personally feel like a training program that allows their residents more than, say, 5 hours a week (because they are working 60+ hours sitting eye and ortho cases instead of a CRNA) is far superior. A good residency program will teach you to be a consultant and not a procedure monkey sitting cases for ASA 2 lap chole/appys. Utah will teach you to be a consultant but be prepared for a small degree of extra scut work (e.g., relieving CRNAs).

 

[gas_applicant]

That's more or less what I've heard, but no one has really quantified what "small degree of extra scut work" really means. It's a relatively small program, so are the residents spending 40 hours a week in routine cases? How often are residents staying there til 6, 7, 8 pm with ortho cases?

 

[Ronin786]

I've heard great things about Utah. The echo experience is very rare in a residency program.

 

[DrBeaker]

What’s the big deal staying late doing “routine” cases? Bad stuff happens in “routine” cases all the time. As a resident, you need time and experience. You won’t get that at a place getting you out everyday at 1500. I know someone will say having less hours and really good didactics was awesome (didactics aren’t bad at all in my opinion). But my time staying my late and actually doing the cases was invaluable. Isn’t that what you want to do when you graduate? Stay late, make some $ ? I did residency there. PM if you want.

 

[abolt18]

I interviewed at Utah last year. Thought it was a stellar program, but never really got the vibe. I didn't really feel like I fit well with any of the residents with whom I spoke. Same with the PD (who has since changed). Despite my wife and I both being from Utah, we end up ranking it pretty low (8th of 11). Just felt like I'd rather not train in a place I didn't feel I'd fit in. Also, the residents did seem pretty run down at the lunch and dinner.

 

[abolt18]

Both are good. If you want to live in Utah do a residency in Utah. Honestly the job market sucks there right now mostly IHC (employed) jobs. Also, who cares if you work more its residency, suck it up.

Employed? I was under the impression that mountain west anesthesia (has most of IHC) was all equal partnership?

 

[AdmiralChz]

Both are good. If you want to live in Utah do a residency in Utah. Honestly the job market sucks there right now mostly IHC (employed) jobs. Also, who cares if you work more its residency, suck it up.

Several of our recent graduates (southeast program) went home to Utah and are incredibly happy with the job offers they got.

 

[Mehd School]

Ochsner, by contrast, has reasonably good didactics
[Posting as an alt to protect anonymity]

It is well known that Ochsner has horrible didactics. Every resident I asked what the biggest weakness was said it was didactics. One of them told me that they tried to fix it over and over and over again and eventually just gave up and gave residents more reading time at home and it's working out.

Ochsner is a strong program, but unless you intend to live/work in Louisiana or relatively close to it (Mississippi, texas, etc) the name won't take you as far as Utah. Ochsner started off the year at the top of my list but has slipped to bottom/middle of the pack.


edit:

LOL this is exactly my point:

I don't know much about Ochsner but Utah is a solid program