Wash U

[trajanman]

I'm curious as to what people thought of Wash U. Obviously a great reputation. Is the call as good as advertised (q6 pgy-2---then better pgy3 and 4?)? Any cautions?

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[Hog Daddy]

I got the impression that R2 year was difficult and close to 80 hours weekly but not over, and with high standards. How many R2s were at your dinner? I had one only. R3 and 4 year, the hours seemed to be ~60/week. A front loaded program like many.
One problem I saw was St Louis, which is not the safest city. A great deal of the city looked run down, and forget about East St Louis. No neurooncology.

Overall- great program, difficult R2 year, questionable location.

 

[play274]

For what it's worth - I have a friend who went to Wash U (recently graduated), and the program is top-notch and front-loaded. As with most any program, PGY-2 will be challenging on both your sleep (lack of) and spirit. From what I have heard, PGY-3 and PGY-4 and much more benign at that program.

 

[Bonobo]

During my interviews, WashU in my opinion had everything that you see at MGH/Brigham, JHU, UCSF, and Columbia, but with a slightly lower reputation. Size matters, and the front-loaded aspect common to all of these programs is important for those who want to choose specific electives or research time. The program is by the way especially strong for those interested in interventional/neuroradiology for obvious reasons. A few of the current incoming residents apparently chose WashU despite having gauranteed rank spots at MGH and JHU (per the PD). Finally, the ability to combine your PGY-1 with the rest of your residency is a great perk allowing you to complete your psychiatry and ER requirement before you even start.

St. Louis is definitely nothing compared to New York or San Fran, or Boston. The area around the hospital is nice, and the city is really cheap--so not bad for a resident paying back loans. Also, the patients are extremely diverse given the huge encachement area that WashU serves.

If you have any questions regarding the WashU program, please feel free to PM me.

B

 

[Astrocyte]

I'm curious as to what people thought of Wash U. Obviously a great reputation. Is the call as good as advertised (q6 pgy-2---then better pgy3 and 4?)? Any cautions?

My impression was that it's a serious program, meaning working long hours, day after day. Residents looked haggard, but believed they are getting the best education around. How well you might fit in depends on your personality and learning habits. It was my number 2, and I was relieved to know I didn't match there. It's too intense for me. For academic career, it's one of the best places to train. But for private practice, you can do better elsewhere, without the stress.

I had the same opinion about Northwestern, with a "highly involved" chairman.

Good luck!