When most of your IM training occurs at a VA?

[Please_Stand_By]

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Is this a red flag? I've noticed that certain programs have about 70% at a VA center which obviously is run much differently than traditional hospitals. Would this affect fellowship chances?

 

[obiwan]

I've always felt that having a VA hospital in your training program should serve as a compliment to your primary hospital. however, can't say that I'm familiar with any programs at least when I was interviewing or looked at where the VA hospital served as the primary clinical site.

Didn't go into fellowship so can only speculate that I don't think its a red flag since when someone is looking at your file, they'll just see that they hey, this guy went to Program X which is a solid program

 

[gutonc]

Is this a red flag? I've noticed that certain programs have about 70% at a VA center which obviously is run much differently than traditional hospitals. Would this affect fellowship chances?

About 70% of my inpatient wards, 40% of my ICU and 90% of my Gen Med clinic time was done at a VA...a really good VA. I didn't suffer at all in either my training, or my fellowship opportunities.

 

[obiwan]

a really good VA.

didn't know any of those actually existed

 

[gutonc]

didn't know any of those actually existed

The ones that are physically connected to a university hospital tend to have shared faculty between the VA and the University (the ones I'm personally familiar with are Portland, Manhattan and Madison...or at least they used to), tend to be pretty good.

 

[obiwan]

The ones that are physically connected to a university hospital tend to have shared faculty between the VA and the University (the ones I'm personally familiar with are Portland, Manhattan and Madison...or at least they used to), tend to be pretty good.

yeah, that would make sense. we definitely had some oddball attendings at the VA

 

[Psai]

Oppressive regulations, an army of government sponsored middle men, nurses who refuse to follow simple instructions? What could go wrong?

 

[IMreshopeful]

Is this a red flag? I've noticed that certain programs have about 70% at a VA center which obviously is run much differently than traditional hospitals. Would this affect fellowship chances?

I trained at a VA with shared faculty with my university hospital. We spent 50-70% of our intern year on service there and a decent chunk of our 2nd/3rd year there too (though not as much). It was a high volume and high acuity VA. We do very well in the fellowship match.

 

[Warderino92]

The ones that are physically connected to a university hospital tend to have shared faculty between the VA and the University (the ones I'm personally familiar with are Portland, Manhattan and Madison...or at least they used to), tend to be pretty good.

I think UF has a underground tunnel between Shands and the VA, does that count?

 

[gutonc]

I think UF has a underground tunnel between Shands and the VA, does that count?

If they have shared faculty it does.