Where to go in NYC: Columbia, Cornell, Sinai or NYU

[ABCsMan]

I'm sure lots of people are deciding between the programs in NYC like me (and there have been a few specific threads, but not a general one). So where would you go(or rank these programs)? and why?

My opinion:

Sinai - seems like the place where I'd be the happiest during residency, but am uncertain about future job prospects/fellowship in comparison to Cornell/Columbia

Columbia/Cornell - both are very similar in most respects with some minor differences. Better "percieved prestige" than Sinai (does that equal better jobs/fellowships???), residency work hours longer than sinai (less happy than sinai residents???)

NYU - seems to get left out of the conversation, but also solid program

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[RockLee]

I've heard over and over again from applicants, residents, as well as attendings that Columbia is the place to be in New York, followed by Cornell.

 

[cutdacheese]

if you ask anyone in nyc.. they would pick sinai. nowadays sinai is matching all the best applicants from the city and the rest go to columbia, cornell, nyu and even st. lukes in that respective order. don't be fooled by the prestige/ivy factor. residents at these places will tell u that they ranked sinai first but didnt get it.
anyway, this is just my humble opinion (and everyone that i encountered during interviews in the northeast last yr).

 

[AnesGuru]

I think that Cornell and Columbia have a better reputation secondary to their name. However, from my experience I have heard some downers about both their programs.
I think NYU and Sinai, although not as reputable, have solid programs with happy residents. Unless you are looking for a big career in academics, I think that NYU and Sinai would also make for a happy and successful residency.
The NYC programs are all very strong programs and it just is a matter of what you really want... reputation, location, atmosphere of program, academic oriented program, etc. I think all will prepare you to be a good anesthesiologist and all will allow you to get a great fellowship.

 

[Inhaled]

I have heard great things about Sinai and I agree with the above post, that most people want to go there over some of the other more 'prestigious' Manhattan programs.

Columbia is a very academic program and Cornell seems an okay program with nice housing as an added benefit.

In my opinion, Columbia and Sinai were my two favorites out of the three. Dont know much about NYU but have heard good things.

I think the ultimate decision is where you felt you fit in best. After all, you have to spend the next three years there. I dont think you'll go wrong with any of them.

 

[AnesGuru]

How difficult is it to get a program in the NE (such as a Manhattan or Boston program) coming from the midwest with no eastcoast connections?

 

[randomq]

Sinai does not have a weaker reputation than Cornell or Columbia, especially in the anesthesia world, as people now know that Sinai is the most desirable program in NY, maybe the country, based on clinical training/experience, as well as overall resident happiness and commitment to resident education. Dont pick a place because of the name, but even if you were to, sinai has the name. Its not undergrad anymore, so in medicine Sinai is right up there with the rest.

but like others have said, pick a place where you feel u will be happiest for 3 yrs, because that is also the place where you will learn the best and most.

 

[phillyfornia]

i'd say cornell, then columbia, then sinai

 

[gascycler]

I'm also looking closely at the NYC programs. All the info I've looked through, fellowship placements, gasforum comments, resident opinions, etc., seems to suggest that Cornell, Columbia, Sinai are all on a pretty similar level. My take on it was to pick which one rubbed me the right way by some of the minor details, like location, personal interactions, call schedule.

Columbia is a little north, with excellent cases, Sinai has so much friendliness that it seems a little too perfect, and Cornell you live in the hospital and do some pretty sweet cases. Its really a toss-up.

For me, I'd be happy at Columbia, Cornell, or Sinai, and while I wasn't that impressed with NYU because the interview day was a little haphazard, they seem to have an excellent program and excellent facilities, so I'd be happy there too.

 

[cutdacheese]

Which one is the most competitive program in NYC?
By far Sinai, then Columbia, then Cornell, and NYU- in that order

...best prog to go for academic type future?
Absolutely Columbia, then Cornell, then Sinai/NYU

...best prog to go for private practice job?
Sinai, Cornell, NYU, Columbia.. but this order cook be flip flopped around

Where will you be the happiest as a resident?
By far Sinai, then NYU, Columbia, lastly Cornell. (i think this is the consensus)

Best place to go for fellowship opportunities?
Columbia=Cornell=NYU=Sinai
It is still not that competitive to land fellowships in anesthesia. Most residents opt straight for PP leaving many slots open for those that choose the fellowship route. This may change when the market tightens up and one may need a fellowship under their belt to be more marketable to groups that r hiring.

 

[Jennylee258]

I thought yale was nice on the interview trip,but not sure how it is compared to NYC programs. anyone wants to help out?

if you ask anyone in nyc.. they would pick sinai. nowadays sinai is matching all the best applicants from the city and the rest go to columbia, cornell, nyu and even st. lukes in that respective order. don't be fooled by the prestige/ivy factor. residents at these places will tell u that they ranked sinai first but didnt get it.
anyway, this is just my humble opinion (and everyone that i encountered during interviews in the northeast last yr).

 

[Joey77]

Anyone know how the salaries compare program to program?

 

[ABCsMan]

Thanks for the advice. At this point in the game (2 days left), I decided to go with my 1st instinct. I guess success in residency is determined more by how much effort the resident puts into anesthesia and significantly less by the quality of the program. In that case, might as well go somewhere you're happy (which is what everyone says).

Thanks and good luck to everyone as they make their list!

 

[abot411]

so sorry to post this now, 2 days before the match, but was wondering what the official word on the street is about cornell. i just heard some not-so-glowing opinions of cornell from people who did away rotations there and was wondering if they were true.

you are welcome to PM me if you have any information. i would really appreciate it.

 

[EternalMD]

I have a question regarding the NYC programs. I am currently an MSIII and I wanted to do one away rotation in the city and wondered which of the 4 programs is the best one to rotate through? student friendly and better odds of matching if you rotate there?

Someone told me that mt. sinai has gotten really competitive and only takes AOA (any truth to this?).

 

[pjm]

2 days until the match? I think you have a long five days until Wednesday night when the list is due.

If I had to pick one program to rotate through as an MS3, I would pick Columbia just because the case range is amazing. However, I am biased. I do not know if doing a rotation anywhere in NYC will appreciably improve your rank. It will give you more concrete topics to talk about in your interview, and will make your "yes I do want to move to NYC" argument more convincing.

I tend to doubt blanket statements that tag one program or another as "only taking AOA". Anesthesia programs, particularly Columbia/Sinai/Cornell/NYU, are getting very competitive. You should expect that top programs are looking for candidates who are outstanding in some way, not necessarily in the Honors/Pass realm.

 

[powermd]

2 days until the match? I think you have a long five days until Wednesday night when the list is due.

If I had to pick one program to rotate through as an MS3, I would pick Columbia just because the case range is amazing. However, I am biased. I do not know if doing a rotation anywhere in NYC will appreciably improve your rank. It will give you more concrete topics to talk about in your interview, and will make your "yes I do want to move to NYC" argument more convincing.

I tend to doubt blanket statements that tag one program or another as "only taking AOA". Anesthesia programs, particularly Columbia/Sinai/Cornell/NYU, are getting very competitive. You should expect that top programs are looking for candidates who are outstanding in some way, not necessarily in the Honors/Pass realm.

Our classes at Columbia have become progressively more academically inclined over the last three years. All of our residents seem to be outstanding in some way, not necessarily academic. It's a great place.

Four years ago I ranked Sinai over Columbia, and I've since realized that was probably a mistake. Sinai is a nice place, no doubt, and Adam Levine is a great guy, but beyond that, I wasn't really impressed with their program. I think I was mainly wooed by Adam's personality. Columbia gives you so much big case badness, I don't know how Sinai could possibly compete in real terms. Add that to the senior Team Captain experience, and you come out really confident in your abilities. All the subspecialties are really strong here. Regional is weaker, but improving with some new attendings (including Steve Shafer, editor-in-chief of A&A). Pain is weak, but we're hiring a new attending, and getting a new space soon.

Workload varies by rotation, but is only ~80 hrs/wk in the units. I was doing cardiac last month, which is hard. You feel like you're in the hospital all the time during the week... buuuuut your weekends are totally free, so it's hard to complain. This month I'm doing a general OR rotation. As a senior I only get hard/interesting cases, otherwise I'm doing something chill like arrests/postops, blocks, PACU, or team captain call (come in at 4pm, run the anesthesia service until 7am). Today I did "cysto senior", where I was basically a pre-tending starting rooms with junior residents, supervising inductions, spinals, extubations, etc. I finished for the day at 2:30pm, when the actual attending offered to finish the remaining cases so I could go home. Stuff like that doesn't happen infrequently here.

Columbia's a good place, and you would be wise to rank it highly.

 

[coprolalia]

Dude, I don't know. I saw this documentary a couple of weeks ago. It was some film shot by this guy on his camcorder that was eventually found in what used to be in Central Park, but is now called "Incident Site U.S. 447". I don't know, man. New York City looked pretty busted up. A bunch of people died in this film, too. I don't think there's gonna be much of place left to do residency.

-copro

 

[EternalMD]

As a 3rd year medical student I would like to know of the 4 mentioned schools, which ones are the ones that if you went to, you would come out with better chances at a good fellowship.

 

[skittlesUofM]

Yeah when I interviewed at cornell, a resident actually told me that he ranked sinai number 1

 

[Jeff05]

Our classes at Columbia have become progressively more academically inclined over the last three years. All of our residents seem to be outstanding in some way, not necessarily academic. It's a great place.

Four years ago I ranked Sinai over Columbia, and I've since realized that was probably a mistake. Sinai is a nice place, no doubt, and Adam Levine is a great guy, but beyond that, I wasn't really impressed with their program. I think I was mainly wooed by Adam's personality. Columbia gives you so much big case badness, I don't know how Sinai could possibly compete in real terms. Add that to the senior Team Captain experience, and you come out really confident in your abilities. All the subspecialties are really strong here. Regional is weaker, but improving with some new attendings (including Steve Shafer, editor-in-chief of A&A). Pain is weak, but we're hiring a new attending, and getting a new space soon.

Workload varies by rotation, but is only ~80 hrs/wk in the units. I was doing cardiac last month, which is hard. You feel like you're in the hospital all the time during the week... buuuuut your weekends are totally free, so it's hard to complain. This month I'm doing a general OR rotation. As a senior I only get hard/interesting cases, otherwise I'm doing something chill like arrests/postops, blocks, PACU, or team captain call (come in at 4pm, run the anesthesia service until 7am). Today I did "cysto senior", where I was basically a pre-tending starting rooms with junior residents, supervising inductions, spinals, extubations, etc. I finished for the day at 2:30pm, when the actual attending offered to finish the remaining cases so I could go home. Stuff like that doesn't happen infrequently here.

Columbia's a good place, and you would be wise to rank it highly.

sinai is a different place than it was 4 years ago or even 2 years ago...

disagree about sinai not giving you big case badness. that's actually a ludicrous comment. we have over 200 liver tx per year - done on some of the sickest pts out there. plus hundreds of liver resections. sick cardiac and thoracic (i have done both heart and double lung transplants), huge spine cases, ruptured AAAs on call, a massive ortho volume, strong neuro, a huge OB service with a large high risk practice (columbia actually can't compete here), an up and coming pain service (columbia can't compete here either), etc...


in addition, we have the TEAM LEADER (which we fondly refer to as team loser), a Ca-3 who runs the pacus and ORs 4pm-7am.