Hi guys,
I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the pathology program in galveston Texas. I scheduled my interview there but I am going crazy deciding on whether to cancel my interview or not. There is not a lot of information on their website. If anyone knows anything about the program, or the area, pleeease reply.
Thanks
Hi Gollap234,
Hopefully you received the information you needed from the individuals commenting above. Just in case you are still considering an interview, I did actually interview there and was very glad that I did. So it might help to share a few things from that and other experience:
(a) The website is under construction. You should have found a link to their prior website under links if I recall correctly. Most if the information there is still accurate.
(b) I have seen several posts about this program on the SDN. Some of them have a "sky has fallen" type of tone. I would disagree with that assessment. The PD has been there for quite some time, the chair for much longer, and the directors of surg path/ autopsy/ and cytopath since well before Ike. These are all well-respected people in their fields whom other faculty at non-UTMB programs commented on quite favorably. That said, there were residents and faculty who left, but a good number did stay. Further, the faculty who stayed there have been affilitated with UTMB for some time and have a vested interest in resident education and in seeing the program get better. In general of the places I interviewed I'd say the morale was very high here. I expected things to be in worse shape than they were as anyone might post-Ike. Instead it seems to be coming back in a slow but steady fashion.
(c) Houston rotations: In regard to training in Houston, what I was told is that this is still ongoing for certain core months, but many of these rotations are being phased out now that the volume of cases is coming back up in Galveston. Of course if one wanted to rotate in Houston (TMC/ Harris Cnty ME) the program provides an apartment there for residents to use on some rotations. For sure if you are really wanting to stay in the Houston area and considering the Houston programs as well I wouldn't rule out visiting UTMB.
(d) Numbers/ cases: all prison autopsies south of Dallas come to UTMB. Current # was 300-325 from my notes. For surg path the standard volume pre-storm was 18 K or so and is expected to be back to this level in the not too distant future per the director of the service. Also, UTMB is opening facilities on the mainland (toward Dickinson, TX) that would provide more cases in the near future as well. It appears the residents will cover these sites as well. Lastly, you could probably check the website for other #s (cyto cases) and assume these will be back to their normal levels as the program further stabilizes post-storm. Last time I checked the TDCJ population and those of Galveston Co, SE texas, and southern-most portions of Houston hadn't fled their respective areas (especially the TDCJ group).
(e) Airport/access: someone above flew to IAH ("Bush intercontinental") and took a 1 + hour trip to Galveston. That was probably required by the airline they used. But it should also be said this is like flying in to LaGuardia for an interview in Newark so it slightly exaggerates the sense of isolation of the area. A much easier way would be to fly SWA to Hobby airport in South Houston. You are much closer in that case.
(f) Houston in general: Just food for thought, but in the mid-90s, the "leading edge" of souther, suburban development in Houston was somewhere near Clear Lake, Tx. Past that it was pretty undeveloped and League City and Dickinson were certainly considered small towns then. Now this ever expanding front is somewhere probably between League City and Dickinson, Tx about 10-15 miles further south. If you ever lived or grew up in Houston, you'll understand what the expansion there is like. But it is worth noting that the city of Dickinson, Tx mentioned above is a 20 minute drive from the parking garage of Sealy hospital at UTMB. I would encourage you to use the simle GoogleMaps tool to see what this distance is like for yourself and then compare it against the Texas Medical Center/ downtown Houston. So assuming that Houston continues the drive to become a "coastal" town in the not too distant future (scary but realistic), I seriously doubt the Texas state legislature is going to close a tertiary care hospital close to what are essentially the ever growing southern suburbs of greater Houston. As evidence of this, the news here of late has reported a recent inflow of cash into UTMB. I doubt that was solely a kind-hearted gesture by the TX legislature to save Galveston county as much as it was a gesture toward the future of what will essentially be greater Houston. So I wouldn't be planning on the facility being replaced by UTMB-Austin any time soon.
(g) General manners: I'd say it would not be a good idea to cancel an interview so obviously late in the game (based on your post date). Pathology is a small world and without a few weeks of notice that just doesn't seem to be a sound plan.
