VCU

[woo]

Anybody go/went to VCU for residency? Got some specific questions that I unfortunately forgot to write down on interview day. Let me know, thanks.

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[GasOrBust]

Anybody go/went to VCU for residency? Got some specific questions that I unfortunately forgot to write down on interview day. Let me know, thanks.

Sent you a PM.

 

[Lainey24]

Sent you a PM.

Would you mind sharing your questions and their respective answers?

 

[GasOrBust]

Would you mind sharing your questions and their respective answers?

No problem. The questions mainly pertained to what types of transplants we do as well as the trauma, cardiac, and peds experiences. My response is below...

We do kidney, liver, and heart transplants at VCU. (The VA medical center in Richmond also does heart transplants, and we spend some time there.) We also do several ICU months. As interns, we rotate through the neurosurgery ICU, the burn ICU, and the MICU (which is done at the VA). As CA-1s, we rotate through the STICU. As CA-2s, we rotate through the cardiac surgery ICU and neurosurgery ICU. And as CA-3s, we go back to the cardiac surgery ICU. (Each of those are for one month.)

We do get a good amount of traumas including motor vehicle accidents, GSWs, burns, and everything in between. We have dedicated trauma months every year (except intern year).

For pediatrics, we get experience in everything from the bread and butter ambulatory peds surgeries all the way to pediatric heart surgeries. We do two-three months of dedicated pediatric anesthesia, and then we pick up cases on trauma rotations and when we are in the ambulatory surgery center as CA-3s.

For cardiac, we have a busy cardiac surgery service. As residents, we are the primary provider in the room. Our cardiac anesthesia fellows act as a junior attending for the cases, so you are in charge of running the cases and doing all the procedures. We do heart transplants, LVADs, CABGs, all valves, TAVRs, ECMO, and total artificial hearts. And our patient population is rather sick (most are people who were turned down for surgery with private practice surgeons and show up at VCU). Overall, you get very comfortable with the entire variety of cardiac surgeries and the associated procedures. Many of our residents go out into private practice and will do hearts without having done a fellowship.

 

[woo]

Hey could you tell us where your seniors are going?

 

[GasOrBust]

Hey could you tell us where your seniors are going?

Current seniors are pursing chronic pain, cardiac, peds, critical care, and a new perioperative fellowship. These residents are going to Cincinnati Children's, Rush, MUSC, U Florida, Emory, and VCU. In the recent past we have also sent people to Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, OHSU, and Duke. We also have people going into private practice from Washington state to Texas to North Carolina.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Perioperative fellowship?
Why?

 

[wickedskillz]

One our young staff members is from VCU, did a cardiac fellowship at UWashinton. One of the smartest dudes I've met.

 

[woo]

Whats the didactic experience like?

 

[Putemtosleep]

Would you mind commenting on overall happiness at the program (factoring hours, call schedule, didactic, etc) and happiness living in the city of Richmond?

 

[deleted126335]

Rumor has it that they have a very militant CRNA training program and dynamic. Supposedly an unpleasant place to be an attending because of this. Don't know how it affects the residency. Information based solely on one personal conversation.

 

[Notorious T.E.E.]

Rumor has it that they have a very militant CRNA training program and dynamic. Supposedly an unpleasant place to be an attending because of this. Don't know how it affects the residency. Information based solely on one personal conversation.

This is correct.

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankings.../top-health-schools/nurse-anesthesia-rankings

It's an inbred CRNA training program. Since most of the CRNAs working and teaching there went to the "best" program in the country the generally feel like they are better at this than the attendings and residents. They reinforce that into their students as well.

That being said, their current chair has a better academic pedigree than some before him, so the balance of power may be shifting.

 

[Psai]

This is correct.

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankings.../top-health-schools/nurse-anesthesia-rankings

It's an inbred CRNA training program. Since most of the CRNAs working and teaching there went to the "best" program in the country the generally feel like they are better at this than the attendings and residents. They reinforce that into their students as well.

That being said, their current chair has a better academic pedigree than some before him, so the balance of power may be shifting.

Thats like winning gold at the special olympics

 

[TorMed]

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Greg2011]

Whats the didactic experience like?

I know this is an old thread but had to chime in. At VCU the residents ALWAYS come second. It is the # 1 CRNA training program in the USA and they never let you forget it. Yes there are lots of liver transplants... BUT the CRNAs do them. Good heart numbers, I did over 100 while there. Unfortunately, the program directors do NOTHING to help you learn. They farm out the didactics to the chief residents who become chief as a matter of how far their heads are up the program directors ass. I became an excellent Anesthesiologist to spite training there, not because of training there. Avoid at all costs. If you like Virginia, apply to UVA.

 

[ToKingdomCome]

I know this is an old thread but had to chime in. At VCU the residents ALWAYS come second. It is the # 1 CRNA training program in the USA and they never let you forget it. Yes there are lots of liver transplants... BUT the CRNAs do them. Good heart numbers, I did over 100 while there. Unfortunately, the program directors do NOTHING to help you learn. They farm out the didactics to the chief residents who become chief as a matter of how far their heads are up the program directors ass. I became an excellent Anesthesiologist to spite training there, not because of training there. Avoid at all costs. If you like Virginia, apply to UVA.

this sounds like a dream place compared to my program LOL

 

[La_Croix]

I know this is an old thread but had to chime in. At VCU the residents ALWAYS come second. It is the # 1 CRNA training program in the USA and they never let you forget it. Yes there are lots of liver transplants... BUT the CRNAs do them. Good heart numbers, I did over 100 while there. Unfortunately, the program directors do NOTHING to help you learn. They farm out the didactics to the chief residents who become chief as a matter of how far their heads are up the program directors ass. I became an excellent Anesthesiologist to spite training there, not because of training there. Avoid at all costs. If you like Virginia, apply to UVA.

...CRNAs do the livers???