vermont and dartmouth

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amyl

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anyone offer me ANY info whatsoever on these two programs? i am getting tired and poor and hoping that there is some great! reason to keep them (they are back to back so might as well be a package deal).
 
anyone offer me ANY info whatsoever on these two programs? i am getting tired and poor and hoping that there is some great! reason to keep them (they are back to back so might as well be a package deal).

I interviewed at Dartmouth last year. I thought it was middle tier compared to a lot of the other programs I interviewed at. The hospital was very new, but it was weird being cut into the middle of a timber. Residents all seemed very happy there. I wasn't blown away by the caseload. A very DO friendly place though. I thought the cost of living was pretty steep, but I am from the midwest so I think everything is steep. I believe you interviewed at CCF and UPitt??? I didn't think Dartmouth came even close to either of those programs.

I know nothing about Vermont.
 
thanks guys for all the info....am starting to freak out a little about my rank list and getting a little lost about where some programs fit in and if i need more or can afford to cancel some. i have 12 without vt and dartmouth after cancelling a few. i am hoping that is enough..
 
So Vermont is cool with DO's???


A guy from Michigan State came to our school to talk about the MSU consortium's programs and to talk about residency/the match in general and said students from MSU had problems with Vermont and some other place that I wasnt really interested in anyways.

Whats up with that?
 
i don't know, they offered me an interview but i am not going to go but keep dartmouth. vermont has not really been quick or great to get back to me about everything. even though i could put them back to back with one plane ticket i am tired and my january preceptors patience is wearing thin. good to know that they are not so DO friendly, i guess i made the right decision.
 
i don't know, they offered me an interview but i am not going to go but keep dartmouth. vermont has not really been quick or great to get back to me about everything. even though i could put them back to back with one plane ticket i am tired and my january preceptors patience is wearing thin. good to know that they are not so DO friendly, i guess i made the right decision.

Tell your january preceptors to kiss it. Your future is a lot more important than they are, and any preceptor of a 4th year medical student who gets frustrated with your interviewing schedule should be removed from the pool of preceptors.
 
Tell your january preceptors to kiss it. Your future is a lot more important than they are, and any preceptor of a 4th year medical student who gets frustrated with your interviewing schedule should be removed from the pool of preceptors.

You have no idea how inflexible some programs can be. I am rotating at *** right now and was threatened with being thrown out of an entire rotation because of two interviews. It took me a month and a half of begging and going over people's heads to clear this up. .
 
You have no idea how inflexible some programs can be. I am rotating at the Cleveland Clinic right now and was threatened with being thrown out of an entire rotation because of two interviews. It took me a month and a half of begging and going over people's heads to clear this up. Damned CCF and all their ****ing rules and regulations. Someone needs to remove the huge stick from up their ass.

I was a 4th year once upon a time too, remember?

I was assuming it was at her home school. Doing this during an externship is another story. That's why you should do externships before the interview season...
 
I was a 4th year once upon a time too, remember?

I was assuming it was at her home school. Doing this during an externship is another story. That's why you should do externships before the interview season...

This IS at my home school. Smarty pants. What would be the point of an externship this late in the game?
 
This IS at my home school. Smarty pants. What would be the point of an externship this late in the game?

Wow, really? Saying "I'm rotating" implies an externship. Well, in this case, they should get rid of those preceptors.

I know more than a handful of 4th years doing externships right now at their top choices. It can either help or hurt, and they are taking the risk...
 
Wow, really? Saying "I'm rotating" implies an externship. Well, in this case, they should get rid of those preceptors.

I know more than a handful of 4th years doing externships right now at their top choices. It can either help or hurt, and they are taking the risk...

I guess why I said rotating is because we "rotate" at three main hospitals here in Cleveland. Anyhoo, that is craziness to do an externship this late in the game. Unless they have already finished the rest of their home school's graduation requirements. Otherwise, in my opinion, it is totally not worth it.
 
Tell your january preceptors to kiss it. Your future is a lot more important than they are, and any preceptor of a 4th year medical student who gets frustrated with your interviewing schedule should be removed from the pool of preceptors.

she is being understanding, and she is affiliated with my home program. i just hate the implication (more by other students and office staff than the doc -- she has actually been great) that i am a slacker. i have always prided myself on my work ethic and they make it sound so glamourous and fun flying all over for interviews. maybe it was at one time but not now...i am tired and poor...the freak out over not matching is the only thing keeping me going.
i offered to make up the time in may (giving up my limited vacation of the first two weeks of may) but she hasn't taken me up on it. thank god. i guess i blame my guilt over taking so many days off but truth is i am tired of interviewing. some have been fun and happy but most have been draining...
 
she is being understanding, and she is affiliated with my home program. i just hate the implication (more by other students and office staff than the doc -- she has actually been great) that i am a slacker. i have always prided myself on my work ethic and they make it sound so glamourous and fun flying all over for interviews. maybe it was at one time but not now...i am tired and poor...the freak out over not matching is the only thing keeping me going.
i offered to make up the time in may (giving up my limited vacation of the first two weeks of may) but she hasn't taken me up on it. thank god. i guess i blame my guilt over taking so many days off but truth is i am tired of interviewing. some have been fun and happy but most have been draining...

So, the doc is cool, but it's the students and office staff?

Sounds like her patience isn't wearing thin. Who cares what anyone else has to say? Have fun on the interviews and look forward to the Ides of Match, err, March.
 
Rumor has it that Vermont has some issues. I have heard that the institution is set up like a private practice (which may/may not be a bad thing), so that turnover is quick and teaching is usually lacking in the OR, consequently. Look into this if you go there for an interview. As well, ask about research opportunities as it's been said that this, too, is a weakness.

Cheers.
 
thanks for the advice and info but i think i am going to skip it...they have been bad about getting back to me...and thus seem unorganized in addition
 
i know vermont's program fairly well and can say that the teaching is definitely not lacking...in fact i would consider the level of OR teaching/didactics to be one of its greatest strengths. i also know of no way in which the program has any "issues." the UVM faculty and residents have a great, very congenial relationship and i was super-impressed with the resident satisfaction there.

i don't think that they are a research powerhouse, but the residents get great fellowships (several this year going to MGH and others). i admittedly don't know much about their DO-friendliness, so can't comment on that. as for disorganization, i think they just got a new program coordinator recently so there may be some hiccups.

comparing locations, i would take burlington over hanover hands down. hanover is cute and quaint but not much to do there and it's over an hour to the nearest airport. burlington is gorgeous, right on lake champlain, surrounded by mountains. heaven for outdoor enthusiasts. decent-sized airport right in town and only 1.5 hr drive to montreal.
 
Though OP not going to UVM, I agree w/plumdandy - Vermont's actually a very good place to do your residency.

Research is their weakness, and they're trying hard to bring some new people in. Teaching is their strength, and they make it a point to buy/learn to use any new anesthesiology "toy" on the market (they say if the surgeons can, so can they). Their grads do very well on the boards, and they match at excellent fellowships (mostly at Boston). They're not run by a private group. Residents were incredibly happy, and said they had a very healthy relationship w/both their attendings and the surgeons.

They don't seem DO friendly, I don't think they had any. They are definitely transfer friendly. Out of 6 spots, they save 2 for people transferring, and keep 4 for the match. They interview around 60 people to fill those 4 spots. Their transfers are usually of high caliber (plastics at Michigan, Peds at Wash U, etc . .), but they're considering increasing match spots to 5 due to the high caliber of applicants they received this year.

Overall, it's the type of place where you have to "fit" in due to location (fun town but somewhat small/rural), and size. Teaching will not be lacking, and fellowships should be easily attainable, but research may be hard to come by.



Dartmouth is similar (happy residents, great teaching, new facility, strong fellowships) but bigger, busier, w/better research, in a more rural location
 
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