Heme/Onc application thread '08-09 version

[Helops]

OK, this is how I see the programs that i interview:

First top 3: Hopkins, UCLA, NCI (loved all of them)

2nd top: Northwestern, Yale, Moffitt, UAB and Georgetown* (I haven't been there yet, but i think is a good program and in a very nice location.)

3rd top: South Carolina (I loved the place and people, but small program), Miami, Arizona, Tulane and Boston University

BTW, Yale surprised me a lot… I went not expecting much because of the negative reviews in this forum, but the place is actually growing and looks promising. I think the new cancer director will give life to the program, plus the new hospital/cancer center… Too bad is in New Haven (it was not possible to convince my husband that is a nice place to live… LOL)

UCLA: yeap, moving from one hospital to the other sucks, but, you are 10 minutes from Santa Monica (priceless!). Also, my interaction with the PDs and faculty was very productive... The fellows that I talked were happy and a IM resident that I met later was also happy.

Hopkins: wow, quite impressive... Very nice faculty... One of the best research programs in the country for the area that I want to develop as researcher... The only perhaps is that I felt that the supervision is quite intense (like you have a camera watching you 24/7.. lol)... NOT that this would change my excellent idea about Hopkins... I just need to find one point to be picky

NCI: one of my initial interviews... very research oriented... loved... the PD is very nice... Faculty super kind... the only perhaps is the amount of clinical exposure to bread/butter... which actually i didn't think was such a problem... for first line therapy, just open the NCCN guidelines and you will know what to do... but in general people believes this is a big problem... For my personal view, they don't have strong research in my area of interest, so perhaps a reason not to be my number 1.

Northwestern: middle size program, strong in all aspects... you can not go wrong matching there...

Moffitt: big name, but fellows don’t do much academically... I think is just because the cancer center is relatively new compared to other places... They have famous people in BMT, MDS, LUNG and Geriatric oncology. Easy going fellowship.

UAB: i posted my experience before.

Arizona: clinically you will learn a lot, research... it is totally up to you... nice, strong small program

Miami: the interview day was actually better than i was expecting... but you wil work as crazy in the first 1.5 years... but the fellows told me it is getting better... the co-PD is nice and very supportive of fellows... One of the best locations to be... people can have FUN in miami...

South carolina: i posted before... nice place!

Boston university: I posted before... not for me... to much hem...

Tulane: still defining their new identity...

Can anyone tell me more about Georgetown, just for curiosity?

Please lets keep posting and exchanging experiences...

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[TAXOTERE]

Ok so I have finalized my ROL (kinda, almost).
The thing that I want to know is that is there a deadline for the programs to submit their ROL for the candidates ?

 

[gutonc]

Ok so I have finalized my ROL (kinda, almost).
The thing that I want to know is that is there a deadline for the programs to submit their ROL for the candidates ?

It's the same as yours. Most programs will do it ahead of time though (they tend not to agonize over lists like the applicants do).

 

[Cetuximab]

It's the same as yours. Most programs will do it ahead of time though (they tend not to agonize over lists like the applicants do).

Finally... after lot of debate here is my ROL.

University Washington- I think overall a strong academic program. I like seattle and an excellent city to settle down.

Cleveland clinic- Outstanding didactics. Faculty very friendly.

University Michigan - Very strong basic/translational and ground breaking work in stem cell biology. Lot of scope for career development and placement. Also have family in michigan .

UCSD- very good faculty and facilities. In top 5 mainly because of the location. San diego is simply awsome, I dont think I will go wrong with UCSD, it is a strong training program and reputed.

Duke- Excellent reputation and faculty. Fellows well published. I want to rank this higher. but Durham is a big turn off.

U chicago- excellent faculty and highly influential in ASCO. Strong didactics and mentorship. Chicago great city to live.

Northwestern- very friendly program. strong clinical>research excellent location better than uchicago.

UTSW- Very strong solid tumor program. NCI spore in multiple tumor programs-- lung/breast/gu and a decent BMT and malignant heme as well. Dallas a great location.

Washington University- Very strong BMT program. However solid tumor pretty weak except for breast. St Louis a big turn off. Otherwise a solid program.

UCLA - great reputation. strong faculty. However had a few reservations on the structure of the program and leadership. Did not sense that the fellows were very happy. Appeared malignant with little flexibility. Also scattered services. Not a big fan of LA either.

Montefiore- Strong program but not a great location. Not a big fan of NYC

UAB- strong clinical program. Good faculty. bad location.

Columbia- strong malignant heme, not so strong solid tumor. Friendly faculty. Not a great fan of NYC.

Cornel- Excellent malignant and benign heme. Not so great solid tumor. Again NYC

Yale - faculty pretty average and not so great teaching now clinical experience. Cancer center pretty small and horrible location.

Boston University- very good maligant heme and little solid tumor. Too much VA.

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

Hi guys,
I signed an out of match position couple weeks ago. I am sorry that I won't be able to tell you the name of program before ROL deadline. I wish all of you best of luck in june 17.

ps) I have to say that "nonamegoodname" was my second id.

Best,

 

[Tykerb]

Hi! Good for you! Congratulations on that!

May I ask whether you got pre-matched or signed with a non-match program? (or perhaps a match program that offered you an out-of-match position?)

Regardless, you must be thrilled. Good luck with everything!

 

[TommyGunn04]

Duke- Excellent reputation and faculty. Fellows well published. I want to rank this higher. but Durham is a big turn off.

People keep posting this sort of thing about Durham, but I'm not sure it's justified. What is it about Durham that so many applicants view as negative? This was a problem with recruiting in the medicine residency program last year, so this time around the program made an effort to show a video about all the great things Durham has to offer and to talk about the benefits of this area a bit more, and applicants came to realize that Durham is actually a phenomenal place to live. I guess the heme/onc program hasn't caught on to this yet, but hopefully they will soon. I worry that most of this "Durham sucks" stuff comes from older impressions that are passed down by word of mouth, but are actually not reflective of the current state of affairs...the reality of life in Durham is VERY different, especially since this area has undergone an incredible revitalization in just the last year or two. When I came here several years ago there wasn't nearly as much going on, but in the last couple of years there's been an explosion of wonderful growth in so many great directions.

Durham is one of the few places in the entire country with a top ten medical center and a very affordable cost of living for housestaff, along with tons of stuff to do. Plus, the triangle area offers an incredible diversity in many ways, such as:

-three major universities within about 20 miles of each other (Duke, UNC, NC State); this means a good chunk of the people in this area are actually transplants from all over the country. In other words, it's really not all that "Southern" here
-an enormous tech park that is widely thought of as the Silicon Valley of the east coast (Research Triangle Park); this means great job opportunities for significant others, opportunity for collaborative research with industry, etc.
-three great cities within very close driving distance (Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill), each of which is very different and has different things to offer, and which I frequent quite often
-amazing food (Durham has been voted one of the best small cities for foodies, in fact)
-a great music scene, with famous venues like "Cat's Cradle" in Chapel Hill, and fantastic outdoor amphitheatres such as the Walnut Creek Pavilion and Kokobooth Amphitheatre
-the brand new Durham Performing Arts Center, which brings in Broadway shows and other huge names weekly
-Duke's new Nasher Museum of Art, and the famous Sarah P. Duke Gardens
-an NHL hockey team (the Carolina Hurricanes)
-Duke/UNC/NC State basketball
-the most highly-attended AAA minor league ballpark in the country (Durham Bulls, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays affiliate)
-an incredible annual State Fair, the likes of which I'd never seen in New England
-national recognition as one of the most desirable places to live and work, per Forbes magazine and many others over the last several years (Raleigh)
-low enough cost of living such that housestaff almost universally buy a house or condo/townhome, and actually start the process of building wealth much earlier than most residents/fellows who move to a big city
-a core population of underserved patients who depend on Duke for their care, which makes for many opportunities to give back to the community and enhances learning opportunities by virtue of increased autonomy in caring for uninsured patients
-arguably the nation's best VA hospital, literally across the street from Duke, in which heme/onc fellows have their own patient panels; few programs have this degree of autonomy for fellows clinics
-fantastic weather; we have 4 seasons, but winter is very short and there's rarely any snow whatsoever
-lots of places for outdoor activities; tons of trails and lakes, as well as accessible mountains to the west and beaches to the east (both of which I've visited while here as a resident)

The only thing we really don't have here is a big huge city like Boston or New York...for that you'd have to travel 2hrs west to Charlotte, which still isn't quite the same. But this area isn't to be dismissed lightly...the incredible benefits in quality of life as a resident/fellow are far more valuable to many people than the perks of a big city. Honestly, it's incredibly comfortable to live here as a resident/fellow, and the value of this cannot be overstated. You won't be so overextended that you have to worry about whether you can pay this month's rent if you go out with your friends tonight and spend some money.

Just some food for thought...

But don't take my word for it...there's a link on this Law School page to the "Decidedly Durham" video if you're interested:

http://www.law.duke.edu/durham/

It still doesn't do Durham justice, and doesn't really go into the perks of the surrounding Triangle area, but is certainly a good start. It helps showcase what a vibrant community Durham is, which is why so many people come here and never want to leave!

Other Durham info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham,_North_Carolina

http://www.durham-nc.com/ <-- Official Visitors' Website

 

[Lithoman]

No offense, but if you have to post videos about why Durham rocks, then Durham probably doesnt rock

 

[TommyGunn04]

No offense, but if you have to post videos about why Durham rocks, then Durham probably doesnt rock

No offense to you either, but where's the logic in your statement? I imagine you probably think your snide remark is quite clever and even made you giggle in a self-satisfied way, but it's really rather ignorant and prejudicial.

Just like any prejudice, it seems that most people who haven't actually read about and sufficiently explored Durham have an unfair bias against it, which I've found is often based in large part on things they've heard or read, from other applicants or on forums like this. That's why it's actually quite appropriate and helpful to disseminate more equitable and fair information, and yes even a cheezy video, to help break down the largely uninformed anti-Durham sentiment. It's all about breaking down the stereotypes...Durham gets a bad rap, and it's no longer warranted the way it might have been even just 5 years ago. People just need to give Durham a chance, and unfortunately many applicants don't, because they believe some of the inaccurate garbage they read here. To not rank Duke heme/onc because of Durham could be an incredibly enormous career mistake for many applicants...I'm trying to help people make more informed and equitable decisions here.

Stereotypes and prejudices are very difficult to break, so it's actually quite absurd to think that the posting of a video link here automatically means I'm somehow wrong about Durham

Sorry for hijacking this thread a bit, but this sort of comment necessitates an informed response.

 

[Cetuximab]

No offense to you either, but where's the logic in your statement? I imagine you probably think your snide remark is quite clever and even made you giggle in a self-satisfied way, but it's really rather ignorant and prejudicial.

Just like any prejudice, it seems that most people who haven't actually read about and sufficiently explored Durham have an unfair bias against it, which I've found is often based in large part on things they've heard or read, from other applicants or on forums like this. That's why it's actually quite appropriate and helpful to disseminate more equitable and fair information, and yes even a cheezy video, to help break down the largely uninformed anti-Durham sentiment. It's all about breaking down the stereotypes...Durham gets a bad rap, and it's no longer warranted the way it might have been even just 5 years ago. People just need to give Durham a chance, and unfortunately many applicants don't, because they believe some of the inaccurate garbage they read here. To not rank Duke heme/onc because of Durham could be an incredibly enormous career mistake for many applicants...I'm trying to help people make more informed and equitable decisions here.

Stereotypes and prejudices are very difficult to break, so it's actually quite absurd to think that the posting of a video link here automatically means I'm somehow wrong about Durham

Sorry for hijacking this thread a bit, but this sort of comment necessitates an informed response.

Hey Tommygun

Thanks for the information on Durham. I actually spent the weekend in durham after my interview. Still havent been so enthralled by the city. May be its just me. Yes you are right may be i am very biased. But i simply liked chicago, seattle, dallas boston better.... its just me I guess.

 

[TommyGunn04]

No problem cetuximab. I definitely hear what you're saying...huge cities like Chicago and Seattle are the kinds of places that Durham certainly can't compete with, so if you prefer those places then it's totally understandable that you weren't thrilled with Durham. That said, I've found that many people love the idea of the "big city" and follow that aspiration only to end up hating so many aspects of big city life as a resident/fellow, and also not recognizing the much less obvious perks of living in an area like Durham. I was very apprehensive about moving here for that reason actually, but came to found that it's sooooooo much easier and more comfortable to live here as a resident/fellow that I'm very happy to trade some of the big city joys for the much higher quality of life we enjoy in other important ways here. After talking to classmates who went to big city programs, it's shocking how much our lifestyles differ; many residents in Boston, NYC, and the like basically continue to live like college students throughout much of their training, whereas interns here are able to buy a house without overextending and even start socking away money for the future, and pretty much do whatever they want here within reason, since a dollar stretches so far in the Southeast. It's definitely worth a thought, as this is something that you won't "feel" when you visit, even if you spend a whole weekend here. I very much get that Durham isn't for everyone, but it's so much better of a place than most people realize that I have to vouch for it here every once in a while.

Anyway, good luck with the match!

 

[MDgoing4MPH]

I think Duke is unfortunate. Definitely it's one of the best in country for hem/onc fellowship. and I agree VA is impressive in its own league. The problem is when you reach fellowship, usually you have a family the while you spend 80 hours or more /week of your life in hospital they want to have a life. Many applicants who get invited to Duke have other offers from programs in the same tier as Duke but in better places. Again "better" based on their criteria.
Definitely Durham has its own advatages such as no snow and the cost of living but for some people that's not the only things they are looking for.
I appreciate you giving us more insight about Durham.

ps) to Tykreb who asked me a question. The position I got, could be filld both in match and out of match, depending on program and applicant interest.

 

[TAXOTERE]

I am having a little debate between these 2 programs in my ROL.

Would anybody like to comment on the pros and cons of these 2.

I know U of C as a university is higher ranked but for oncology UCLA probably is ranked higher. If you dont take into consideration the location which one would you guys prefer over the other ?

 

[NYMD1]

Anyone here has some info on Case Western´s program? They scheduled my interview for next week (believe it or not) and I am dwelling whether I should go or not. Any insight would be helpful. Thanks!!!

 

[Cetuximab]

Anyone here has some info on Case Western´s program? They scheduled my interview for next week (believe it or not) and I am dwelling whether I should go or not. Any insight would be helpful. Thanks!!!

I have not received an invite from case but, from what I researched it is a very strong program. Not as good as ccf but clearly ranks very high among the top programs. Whether to go or not go.... It depends on the rest of your interviews. It is too good a program to just ignore...

 

[Cetuximab]

I am having a little debate between these 2 programs in my ROL.

Would anybody like to comment on the pros and cons of these 2.

I know U of C as a university is higher ranked but for oncology UCLA probably is ranked higher. If you dont take into consideration the location which one would you guys prefer over the other ?

I think it is really not a great idea to just go by the ranking... i have interviewed at over 12 programs and clearly have been disappointed by top ranked programs.... deciding your ROL is not as simple as looking at usnews and putting down ur ROL. there are several factors that go into making an ROL. I interviewed at both UoC and UCLA. I ranked UoC much higher than UCLA. I liked the northwestern program equally as well but i am little more inclined to academics now so I decided to go for UoC. Northwestern is a very very strong program as well, both clinically and research [clinically northwestern>uOc and research UoC>NW]

 

[NYMD1]

So, I got 7 other interviews (MSKCC, Fred Hutchinson, Cornell, Montefiore, Fox-Chase, Jefferson, Yale). I understand Case is a great program, but it would probably be my last option, due to the location. My main concern is having an interview so late (May 21st), I feel like I would mainly be wasting my time, being so close to the ROL deadline. Most likely they already sat and evaluated most of the candidates.
Any other inputs?
Thanks!

 

[gutonc]

So, I got 7 other interviews (MSKCC, Fred Hutchinson, Cornell, Montefiore, Fox-Chase, Jefferson, Yale). I understand Case is a great program, but it would probably be my last option, due to the location. My main concern is having an interview so late (May 21st), I feel like I would mainly be wasting my time, being so close to the ROL deadline. Most likely they already sat and evaluated most of the candidates.
Any other inputs?
Thanks!

You got some solid interviews there. How did you feel about those places? Do you feel comfortable about matching somewhere on that list? Reputation-wise, Case would probably be somewhere in the middle of your list there. Where it would fit on your actual list is a different story. May 21 is crazy late but probably not unprecendented. I will say however that my program finished interviewing 2 weeks ago.

Bottom line, if it was me, I would probably not go. I had 8 interviews and matched at my #1. I would have been happy if I'd interviewed at only 5 of those places. YMMV of course. If you feel good about the interview trail, it probably won't add much more to interview @ one more program. If you're still not sure though, it might not hurt (other than your wallet).

 

[NYMD1]

Thanks Gutonc. That is pretty much how I feel. I think I will stick to the 7 interviews and not go to the last one. Hope it works for the best!

 

[JayneCobb]

Remember: The deadline to submit your ROL is 9:00 pm eastern time on Wednesday, June 3, 2009.

 

[searching4onc]

Have been done interviewing and its getting close to decision time...not restricted geographically so that helps tho and wanted some input!

few interviews i received were: moffitt, fox chase, cornell, mt sinai, georgetown, uab, ucsd, UF

wondering if anyone had any thought regarding cornell and mt sinai not being NCI designated and how that impacts their fellowships? my impression was that cornell is more organized, more into basic science, and maybe even malignant. on the other hand mt sinai was not as organized and lacked structure esp in its clinic experience for its fellows however was significantly more nurturing!

also out of the choices above i felt that moffitt was the strongest mainly bc they were able to place their fellows in academic positions throughout the country.....right now top three is moffitt, ucsd, cornell with my rank list changing everyday! would love to hear other ppl's thoughts as i cant get a straight answer at my institution since i have also interviewed there as well.

thanks
confused

 

[yunfat]

hmm... i would have thought fox-chase would be at the top of your list.

as for cornell, it's definitely basic science based (you will need approval to NOT do a year of lab-based research). it's also a pretty tough program (i heard from the fellows there that calls are sometimes insane since you're covering both heme and onc consults as well as inpatient on weekends). they are an excellent program though if you're interested in lymphoma (they have well-known faculty there).
oh, also, cornell has amazing housing (A BIG PLUS)

 

[Sumac]

At the risk of sounding obnoxious, I need help with ranking my programs. I've been incredibly fortunate to get some great interviews but I just can't decide between The Hutch and Penn. Obnoxious, right? Obviously they are both good programs and I'll be thankful to match at either but going to Washington would mean moving cross-country...not that that's entirely a bad thing. My department chair says I should rank Seattle first.
Has anyone heard of level of happiness of those fellows? I know some people who trained at Penn---all said it was rigorous but worth it. Sounds like the program is changing a bit anyway. It also offers a masters in epidemiology which could be very helpful in research.
I'm married with a kid and another on the way so I sometimes think staying in Philadelphia would be better but then I wonder if I'll regret not trying to match at The Hutch. I think I'm interested in high risk breast CA or hereditary cancers, also have an interest in obesity and cancer and cancer prevention.
I'm sick of hearing myself talk about this!
If anyone has any thoughts I'd be grateful.
thanks!

 

[Sumac]

Have been done interviewing and its getting close to decision time...not restricted geographically so that helps tho and wanted some input!

few interviews i received were: moffitt, fox chase, cornell, mt sinai, georgetown, uab, ucsd, UF

wondering if anyone had any thought regarding cornell and mt sinai not being NCI designated and how that impacts their fellowships? my impression was that cornell is more organized, more into basic science, and maybe even malignant. on the other hand mt sinai was not as organized and lacked structure esp in its clinic experience for its fellows however was significantly more nurturing!

also out of the choices above i felt that moffitt was the strongest mainly bc they were able to place their fellows in academic positions throughout the country.....right now top three is moffitt, ucsd, cornell with my rank list changing everyday! would love to hear other ppl's thoughts as i cant get a straight answer at my institution since i have also interviewed there as well.

thanks
confused

I interviewed at Mt Sinai and definitely agree it's nuturing...I felt like the fellows were very happy but do certainly work hard (one fellow said she would come in at 6:30 am). I think they probably place a mix of academic and private practice but even the top ranking programs have at least one fellow going into practice. I don't know as much about UCSD or Cornell...i have a friend who really liked the Cornell program.
do you have a gut feeling? A program director at a place I interviewed suggested making the decision in your head and seeing how it feels. If you wake up in the middle of the night worrying, maybe that's your answer?
I guess the most important thing is to figure out what's the top priority for you: is it location? Feeling you got from the program? Program's "standing" in ranking (ie. NIH Dollars?) Research opportunities? I think I'm going to make a physical pros and cons list to help. Regardless, you've got 3 great places to choose from (albeit in 3 really different environments!) so you will likely be happy at the end of 3 years. Don't you hate when people say that? But, it's true. You'll be an oncologist at any rate.

Hope it helps a little.

 

[rabeaaziz]

I am new to this website. I am finishing my ROL from hematology oncology. So far I ranked this way...

1) Baylor
2)Roswell Park Cancer Center (hem/onc)
3) University of Cincinnatte
4) University of Tennessee Memphis
5) William Beamont, MI

Confusion in No 1 and No2 is Baylor (better city, better university) Roswell (better cancer center)
Confusion in No 3 and No4 is University of Concinnatte (better university and city) University of Tennessee (looks a beter hem/onc program, NCCN member, but due to attachment with st jude children cancer center)

Please give suggestion if above ROL is perfect.

 

[NYMD1]

Hey fellows (or future ones!)

I´ve been struggling about how to rank my options here. My main doubt is whether should I rank Fox Chase above Cornell or not. Location not being an issue here, nad having in mind I have an interest for hematologic malignancies, but I also want to be trained in a center that has a good balance between heme and solids, which one do you guys think I should rank first? Any thoughts or inputs would be highly appreciated!

 

[SwineLake98]

Hi, guys! This may have been discussed somewhere in this thread (I didn't go through all 13 pages!), but I'm a CC III-almost CC IV applying to IM or Med/Peds with the intention of going on to a heme/onc fellowship. Has anyone come across any "fast track" type of programs that match you into residency and fellowship simultaneously? I'm not sure where I would find such information...

 

[JSI124]

Hi, guys! This may have been discussed somewhere in this thread (I didn't go through all 13 pages!), but I'm a CC III-almost CC IV applying to IM or Med/Peds with the intention of going on to a heme/onc fellowship. Has anyone come across any "fast track" type of programs that match you into residency and fellowship simultaneously? I'm not sure where I would find such information...

"Dedicated" short-tracking programs will do that, contingent on your decent performance during residency.
From my experience, PSTP programs at University of Michigan and Mayo do that. I'm not sure about UPenn and UPitt, but I think they do it as well. But I'm sure you would not have a problem getting into a fellowship from places that support short-tracking without having a designated program (like Hopkins/MGH/Brigham...)

 

[oncology101]

How is the program. Any thoughts. Anyone ranking the program?????

 

[Cetuximab]

I am surprised you are ranking cornel over fox chase, UCSD and UAB. Cornel I think is not the greatest place to train. Solid tumor is seriously deficient. Not a very friendly atmosphere too. With no doubts FOX chase is far far better and UAB is an NCCN cancer center and excellent clinical training program with plenty of opportunities for research. UCSD very strong as well [it is no3 on my list].

Have been done interviewing and its getting close to decision time...not restricted geographically so that helps tho and wanted some input!

few interviews i received were: moffitt, fox chase, cornell, mt sinai, georgetown, uab, ucsd, UF

wondering if anyone had any thought regarding cornell and mt sinai not being NCI designated and how that impacts their fellowships? my impression was that cornell is more organized, more into basic science, and maybe even malignant. on the other hand mt sinai was not as organized and lacked structure esp in its clinic experience for its fellows however was significantly more nurturing!

also out of the choices above i felt that moffitt was the strongest mainly bc they were able to place their fellows in academic positions throughout the country.....right now top three is moffitt, ucsd, cornell with my rank list changing everyday! would love to hear other ppl's thoughts as i cant get a straight answer at my institution since i have also interviewed there as well.

thanks
confused

 

[rabeaaziz]

I am new to this website. I am finishing my ROL from hematology oncology. So far I ranked this way...

1) Baylor
2)Roswell Park Cancer Center (hem/onc)
3) University of Cincinnatte
4) University of Tennessee Memphis
5) William Beamont, MI

Confusion in No 1 and No2 is Baylor (better city, better university) Roswell (better cancer center)
Confusion in No 3 and No4 is University of Concinnatte (better university and city) University of Tennessee (looks a beter hem/onc program, NCCN member, but due to attachment with st jude children cancer center)

Please give suggestion if above ROL is perfect.

 

[Agent0]

My quick 2 cents- feel free to comment or advise

A: JHU+ Upenn- I think JHU has a stronger translational emphasis but I also felt Upenn was able to keep a nice balance between clinical/research training

B: BIDMC, Michigan: I really liked BIDMC- felt it was a very strong program; cant go wrong with Mich depending on your preferences for location

B/C: Fox Chase, UCLA, Cleveland Clinic, Chicago:
-although on paper it seems UCLA should have all the resources in place to be a great training program I didn't get the sense the organization was there- I did come away with more of a positive feeling than others on the board and all the fellows I met were happy;
- ccf is surprised me in a positive way: for some reason wasn't expecting it to be on the same level of some of these others but you really cant go wrong here depending on your location preferences

C: Case Western, Pitt, Georgetown, Maryland, Indiana:
- I really wanted to like Georgetown more but wasn't too impressed- Bone Marrow is non-existant although I will admit all the resources are in place for you to be successful but you will have to work harder to find the opportunities- I will rank it above the other two bc of location;
- CWRU was also very strong and growing- solid program;
- Pitt is a large program but didn't get a nice vibe on my day there;
- Maryland is in a "growing phase"
- Indiana was the most pleasant surprise: smaller program but very strong- comparable to some of the bigger name programs as far as productivity, but I dont know about Indianapolis
D: Tufts, UMDNJ- not too impressed with Tufts; I actually liked UMDNJ a lot but think there are prob better options

As of now:
JHU
Upenn
BIDMC
Mich/Chicago
CCF
Fox chase/UCLA
Georgetown/CWRU
Maryland/UMDNJ/Indiana
Pitt
Tufts

 

[kenshiro]

i'll share mine too... good for discussion:

Hutch
Stanford
JHU
UCSF
BIDMC
City of Hope
Columbia
Cornell
Mount Sinai
...

 

[HEMA2010]

Did anybody get prematch from them? The quota of these programs decreased from 3 to 2.
UNIVERSITY OF BOSTON
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
TULANE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

 

[gutonc]

Did anybody get prematch from them? The quota of these programs decreased from 3 to 2.
UNIVERSITY OF BOSTON
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
TULANE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

FWIW, Quota change != pre-matches given. Lots of hospitals, residencies and fellowships are having a tough time of things economically these days. Programs may have been funding positions with non-ACGME money (i.e., paying for more fellows than CMS paid for) and could no longer afford to do so.

 

[yunfat]

does anyone have the link to check quota spots? thanks

FWIW, Quota change != pre-matches given. Lots of hospitals, residencies and fellowships are having a tough time of things economically these days. Programs may have been funding positions with non-ACGME money (i.e., paying for more fellows than CMS paid for) and could no longer afford to do so.

 

[HEMA2010]

does anyone have the link to check quota spots? thanks

You just had to log in the nrmp.org and search the programs you want to look. The quote will show up. The following is the link.
https://services.nrmp.org/r3/Scripts/ProgramSearch.cfm?DisplayResults=YES&PgmReq=F

 

[rabeaaziz]

Can any one compare for ranking.

University of Cincinette, OH (better university and city but unstable hemonc prog) University of Tennessee, Memphis (looks a beter hem/onc program, NCCN member, but due to attachment with st jude children cancer center, bad city)

 

[HEMA2010]

FWIW, Quota change != pre-matches given. Lots of hospitals, residencies and fellowships are having a tough time of things economically these days. Programs may have been funding positions with non-ACGME money (i.e., paying for more fellows than CMS paid for) and could no longer afford to do so.

Thanks for your different thought. I prefer to believe that quota change is due to prematch. This explanation is much better than the program downsizing because of finance problems.

 

[rabeaaziz]

Thanks for your different thought. I prefer to believe that quota change is due to prematch. This explanation is much better than the program downsizing because of finance problems.

In my program pulmonary decreased slots 3-->2, Nephro 3-->, endo 2-->1, cardio 4-->3, IM 24-->18. All because of program downsizing because of financial reason

 

[gutonc]

Thanks for your different thought. I prefer to believe that quota change is due to prematch. This explanation is much better than the program downsizing because of finance problems.

Believe what you want but my program dropped a spot for this Match b/c of financial difficulties. You clearly do not understand the way fellowship spots are funded, compared to residency.

It's sort of a moot point though...the spots are gone.

 

[NYMD1]

Anyone here got an email from the Hutch, saying they liked you and all that stuff? Wondering if it is a generic email or not!

Thanks!

 

[Tykerb]

Anyone here got an email from the Hutch, saying they liked you and all that stuff? Wondering if it is a generic email or not!

Thanks!

I did too, and am wondering the same thing. Is this a generic email? How about the other programs?

 

[Schlock]

wondering if anyone has heard back from any nyc programs..

 

[NYMD1]

I heard back from Cornell, but very General stuff, like we liked you and it would be great if you consider us.

 

[TAXOTERE]

I have seen ppl talking about getting emails from the programs (don't know if they mean as a reply to their thank you emails or emails sent by the PDs on their own).
The thing that I am interested in is how many guys/gals got phone calls from the PDs after their interviews.
I had couple of PDs call me on my cell. Are you guys also getting phone calls from the PDs. If yes what do you think about it ?

 

[Cetuximab]

I have seen ppl talking about getting emails from the programs (don't know if they mean as a reply to their thank you emails or emails sent by the PDs on their own).
The thing that I am interested in is how many guys/gals got phone calls from the PDs after their interviews.
I had couple of PDs call me on my cell. Are you guys also getting phone calls from the PDs. If yes what do you think about it ?

Which programs did you get called from.

Did anyone recieve the email from Cornell about the concerns about acgme accredition? Any NYP residents can you please shed more light on this. Is this really serious issue?

 

[NYMD1]

I received the same email from Cornell. I am not a resident there, but apparently the program is on probation due to lack of commitment to the 80 work hours week (so I heard). They will be reevaluated next month. It doesn´t affect the fellowships directly, but they are "under warning"

 

[NYMD1]

Oh, and I got an email from MSKCC today regarding the same issue (because MSKCC fellowship program is sponsored by the Cornell residency). Apparently they are under the same category of "accredited with warning".

 

[rabeaaziz]

1) Baylor
2)Roswell Park Cancer Center (hem/onc)
3) University of Cincinnatte
4) University of Tennessee Memphis
5) William Beamont, MI

Please give suggestion if above ROL is not perfect.