Why "top-ranked" residency programs?

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cacahuetes

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What are the advantages to doing your residency at a top-ranked hospital i.e. Hopkins, Mass Gen, Mayo, Iowa, Stanford, etc? Does this increase your earning power? Help you find a better job? Is there any advantage whatsoever if you are not planning to go into academic medicine?

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Hey how did Iowa get its name mixed up with programs like that??
 
Originally posted by navs:
•Hey how did Iowa get its name mixed up with programs like that??•••

ya..that's what I'm screaming! Perhaps Iowa neurosurg , which is a top 20 in most circles..but honestly! LOL
 
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This is a very good question.

I would think the prestige of program u come from DEFINETLY helps in getting fellowships in any field, especially IM and surgical fields.

My opinion is, the "great job" u get really depends on what field u go into. For. ex: An anesth. guy from a below avg. program will make way more money then a Pysch. guy from MGH.

But I do think the adv. of coming from a great program in private practice is two fold:
1. The connections u have with the past grads. who are more likely to be in the more lucrative practices.
2. U would stand out if the field u are in becomes increasingly comp. in the private sector once u grad.

What do the rest think??
 
I agree with the above poster also. Furthermore, the top ranked residencies also tend to have the better research and academic medicine labs and funding. Therefore, if you want to do research post-residency or during residency -- it's your best bet.

Another likely reason is -- they tend to treat their STAFF (i.e. not necessarily fellow or resident) better. And usually an institution's attendings and consultants are chosen from within their own resident crowd (or so it seems). Therefore if you want to work at MGH it will be to your benefit to do your residency there.

Also on a more political note, the board of directors and diplomats in respective subspecialties and fields of medicine tend to chair or consult at the top ranked residency programs. Knowing these people on a very personal level is sure to be of SOME kind of help in the future.
 
I put Iowa up there because it is considered to be an excellent institution in a lot of the fields I was interested in like ENT, Ophthalmology, and Orthopedics. Of course there are many other good places, such as Cleveland Clinic, UCLA, and Duke which I also did not mention. It was not my intention to make a list of the "top" hospitals, instead I wanted to know why people choose these programs. Are there any practical benefits?
 
navs, you make me sick!!

If you're not the most pretentious poster on this board, I don't know who is. Contrary to your self-inflated fantasies, you are NOT the arbiter of what's "top-ranked" or "most prestigious" in the world of Anesthesia (now I see you've ventured into other speciaties).

Warning to other posters: Don't be seduced by navs constant mantra of only the "choice" jobs going to those from elite programs (or even what those elite programs are). navs has WAY to much time on his/her bitter, angry hands to moniter the board for any mention of "elite" programs that don't match up with his/hers or don't correlate with what people in the field tell him/her.

Heaven forbid you think a program is choice that doesn't make navs "top-ranked" list--You WILL hear about it. Why? Because if navs hasn't heard of it or its never been mentioned by navs "prestigious" group of advisors it ain't ****!

Of course, if there's not enough traffic about top-ranked programs, navs is sure post a new heading about the topic so he/she can tell how wrong you are to possibly suggest a program you mentioned is even close to one of the better ones. navs best line is to let you know the program you mentioned has not even been spoken of by the stellar group of clinicians she's associated with.

navs, we all know your views on the future job market and whats "prestigious" enough, so lighjten the F@*K up and spare us the lectures.
 
The major diff is going to be fellowship. Most good community programs will tell you that. They may have very good % of residents getting into fellowships, but in the past, the university programs are more successful.
Do not let the teaching part fool you, I have interviewed at good (large) community programs that have great formal lectures!!
I am ranking 2 community programs above an university program (from which I had a great interview and a call from the PD). It all depends on what you like. In OB/GYN the big question is "when will I see the OR" Let me tell you in the university setting, you are lucky if you even see the OR as a first year (gen surg is the same way)!! So, that was important to me!
Bottom line they are all generally great!
 
There are actually quite a few programs that are combo University affiliated/community based programs. For many people, this is the perfect combination of academics and private practice. You obtain experience in both areas and can then choose which type of practice you will choose.

I truly believe to be a competent physician after training you need experience in many areas including: tertiary academic-type facility; some type of facility which gives the physician-in-training autonomy (VA, county hospital, etc.), and some type of private/semi-private experience. This is of course specialty dependent. A pediatrician will need a different type of set-up.

Although I like some of the "name" institutions and enjoyed my interviews, doing my clinical training there is likely not for me. The advantage is truly only if you stay in the high profile academic world. I just want a stinkin' job when I'm done. :D
 
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