WUSTL vs. Vandy

[SooDeeO]

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I would love some input comparing WUSTL and Vandy.
Here are my priorities:
- Reputation of the program; ease of obtaining fellowship of choice; faculty network/connections
- Research support by the department and the institution as a whole; abundant collaborators/research funding & infrastructure
- mature, motivated, well-rounded residents (not malignant, lifestyle-conscious, etc)
- Urban setting > rural (personally, I think Nashville is preferable to STL)

This is just hearsay, but I've heard whispers of WUSTL being potentially 'malignant' to say that the residents are overworked, old-school surgery culture, etc. Can anyone familiar with the program confirm or deny this?
Otherwise, the reputation and training are both top-notch. So I would hate to unjustly move it down my list according to misinformation.

Thanks.

 

[thedrjojo]

I would love some input comparing WUSTL and Vandy.
Here are my priorities:
- Reputation of the program; ease of obtaining fellowship of choice; faculty network/connections
- Research support by the department and the institution as a whole; abundant collaborators/research funding & infrastructure
- mature, motivated, well-rounded residents (not malignant, lifestyle-conscious, etc)
- Urban setting > rural (personally, I think Nashville is preferable to STL)

This is just hearsay, but I've heard whispers of WUSTL being potentially 'malignant' to say that the residents are overworked, old-school surgery culture, etc. Can anyone familiar with the program confirm or deny this?
Otherwise, the reputation and training are both top-notch. So I would hate to unjustly move it down my list according to misinformation.

Thanks.

Not that I know anything about either program, but when did old school surgical culture become a bad thing? #millenials

 

[SooDeeO]

Not that I know anything about either program, but when did old school surgical culture become a bad thing? #millenials

Haha, touché.

 

[SooDeeO]

My impression was always that Vandy had a more "old school" culture anyways. I do know their residents get WORKED. Wash U seems a little more hoity toity.

In terms of research support my impression was that the opportunities at Wash U were more broad, whereas at Vandy while the majority do research it tends to be concentrated into a smaller number of labs/areas.

Huh, I see. Thanks for your two cents.
I wonder if the difference in research labs between the two programs would make an appreciable difference for lab residents? In other words, there might be measurable difference in NIH funding, pubs per capita, etc; but maybe there are more than enough research opportunities for a resident to choose from?