What interview would you cancel?

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jeff2005

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I have too many interviews to fit in my schedule. Help me figure out what to drop. Don't forget to tell me why you would drop it.

Emory
University of Alabama
Vanderbilt
Wash U
UCD
UCSD
UVA
VCU
Wake Forest
UNC
Duke
 
jeff2005,

Do you have any geographical preferences or any areas you definitely would NOT want to end up. For me, I wasn't all too keen on going to the South although there clearly are solid programs down there.

The 3 programs on your list I don't know much about are VCU, UCD, and Wake. When I talked to my adviser a while back and he was recommending a list of programs (and back then I told him that I was not geographically restricted) he didn't mention these 3 programs nor did he mention UCSD. So perhaps he doesn't think much of them...I dunno. Plus, based on what I read here about UCSD, I don't know if they really have all that many available spots (but I also am hesitant to take whatever is said on here as gospel).

My gut feeling is that I would keep Emory, UAB, Vandy, WashU, UVA, UNC, Duke.
 
I think I will cancel VCU and UCSD. I'd love for someone to tell me something negative about WAKE because I can't get myself to cancel. I love North Carolina! And I'm starting to think more and more that I just want to do private practice so the name of the program won't matter so much. I'm also very interested in quality of life. I don't mind working hard but I'd like to be a good Mom to my kid.

Is the South that bad? I personally have never been. Is it true that all public schools in the South stink?

Anyway, thanks for your input Andy!
 
jeff2005 said:
I think I will cancel VCU and UCSD. I'd love for someone to tell me something negative about WAKE because I can't get myself to cancel. I love North Carolina! And I'm starting to think more and more that I just want to do private practice so the name of the program won't matter so much. I'm also very interested in quality of life. I don't mind working hard but I'd like to be a good Mom to my kid.

Is the South that bad? I personally have never been. Is it true that all public schools in the South stink?

Anyway, thanks for your input Andy!

I don't think the South is bad at all. I'm technically from the South myself (Maryland being south of the Mason-Dixon line and all). 🙂

I've lived in Michigan for 6 years now and I'm happy staying in the midwest or going to one of the coasts...guess it's just my mood nowadays.

Can't help you with the Wake matter...I think Wake was discussed on another thread but it was just general PC comments like, "It's a good program which I'm sure will give you solid training" or something like that. Plus, on a site like this, you're not gonna have many people bashing other programs unless something is egregiously wrong with them.

I have no idea about the public school issue either in the South. I'm sure there are good areas and some sketchy areas.
 
jeff2005 said:
I'd love for someone to tell me something negative about WAKE because I can't get myself to cancel.

Ah...another instance where you go to scutwork and see a big fat ZERO next to the number of reviews.
 
jeff2005 said:
I think I will cancel VCU and UCSD. I'd love for someone to tell me something negative about WAKE because I can't get myself to cancel.

As a med student at VCU, I am obviously biased, but our path program has had at least two fairly recent transfers from Wake (one this year). Their program is pretty autopsy-heavy, which you can take however you want. Their CP training is also rather curious, as it involves taking the same courses/exams as the med tech students. WTF? As someone told me last year, it sounds like an excuse for their CP faculty not to have to teach their residents.

Several of VCU's residents have interviewed at Wake, and they say the facilites are great. Residents even get their own offices. Alas, that may come at a price in terms of the overall quality of the training. Like I said, we're biased, but the clear message I received about the place was "caveat emptor."

That said, Wake does seem to have a decent record of producing community pathologists who tend to settle in the vicinity. Despite the institution's good overall research funding it's probably not the place to be if you're interested in a high-power academic career in pathology.

So hack Wake, not VCU! C'mon, we have Frable and Celeste Powers and some totally kicka$$ molecular labs!

P.S. I love NC as well, Jeff, so it was a tough decision for me to not even apply to Wake, but that's the conclusion I came to.
 
Oh, and one more thing. Among Richmond's many achievements (former capital of the Confederacy, recurrent murder capital of the country, etc.), I can't say it's the most... cosmopolitan of cities. That said, it's very livable, the cost of living is low, there is everything from funky neighborhoods (The Fan) to downtown loft living to whitebread suburbs on the west end. So it ain't much, but it's the friggin' Big Apple compared to Winston-Salem.
 
Hey, I grew up from the South. I ain't knowin' nothin' about public schools stinkin'. We had readin', writin', and 'rithmetic just like all of y'all. Had to walk barefoot across cow-town to get there.

Wake Forest is nice if you plan on private practice, especially if you want to stay regional. If there is any possibility of you pursuing academics, I would not recommend going there.

Duke: I think it requires research from all the residents.

UAB: I've posted about the perks of the interview before. Also, they called me a lot after the interview trying to influence/coerce the rank list. At that time, I figured if they want residents that badly, there must be something wrong with the place. But, supposedly the residents are happy and things are fine there.
 
I believe most Duke residents end up doing some research, but it is by no means required and they have residents who do none.
 
Oh, forgot to give my drop recommendation - would drop Wake. It is not quite on par with Duke and UNC in terms of training and the location is inferior.
 
You should drop Wash U.



Because I want it.
 
Pookies said:
You should drop Wash U.



Because I want it.

I actually want to drop Wash U . It sounds a bit too intense for me. Unfortunately my darn husband, who's from St. Louis, won't let me drop it.
 
If you're bound for private practice you may want to burn UVA. My understanding is that they are very strong in research but just lack volume in terms of bread and butter cases. The hospital is amazing in some arenas, but Charlottesville just isn't that big. They send their medical students all over the state to cover all of their core rotations. If you were leaning towards academics then they would be a great choice.

Let me reiterate: VCU = over a million people in the greater metropolitan area, only level one trauma center in central VA, handles almost all the state's indigent care (tons of pathology), state ME's office is right around the corner if you're into the whole forensics thing.
 
jeff2005 said:
Speaking of the South... This CNN article made me laugh, particularly the part about about calling dinosaurs "jesus horses."

http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/11/12/evolution.embarrassment.ap/index.html

I wonder if the folks responsible for the stickers reading "evolution is a theory, not a fact" would be acceptable to having a second sticker underneath it that says "The Bible is a collection of stories and allegories, and not necessarily factual."

I say, let's try putting that sticker there, and these folks can put up or shut up.

My other problem is that the word "theory" is a complicated word. There are all kinds of theories out there. Anything that is someone's opinion will often be called a "theory" including out-there topics like phrenology. People who dismiss evolution like to call it a theory because of lumping like this.

I have NEVER understood why the Bible and evolution can't coexist. However, the Bible has very little place in a science classroom. What are people so afraid of in regards to evolution? I hearken (or harken) back to Inherit the Wind. God gave us the power to think and question.
 
I've heard a few bad things about Vandy. I'd cancel it.
 
pathdaddy said:
I've heard a few bad things about Vandy. I'd cancel it.


I've already dropped so many I probably should hold on to it. I wish I could just sign with Iowa and be done with all this.

Would you mind expanding on those "few bad things"?
 
yaah said:
I have NEVER understood why the Bible and evolution can't coexist.

Me either. They don't have to be mutually exclusive.

As for Vandy, I interviewed there and found it to be a decent place. I wouldn't drop it if it were me.
 
yaah said:
My other problem is that the word "theory" is a complicated word. There are all kinds of theories out there.

Like the theory of gravity.
 
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