biolpsych777
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2019
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 0
Apologies for the bump to an old thread.
1. Leadership: This program is under new management as of 8/1/19. That includes both departmental leadership as well as program director leadership of the general psychiatry residency and the child fellowship. The education of students and residents is now reported to be a top priority. Word on the street is, the new Chair is the past RTD who was trying to fix things, but left and went to the VA. It appears from reports that this thread played an integral role in the changes in leadership. Freedom of speech without fear of retaliation is a wonderful thing.
2. Shreveport: If you like huge metropolitan areas, then perhaps Shreveport would be too small for you. It does have lots of things to do, but that is a relative term and depends on what it is that you like to do in your spare time. The city proper has a population of almost 200,000. The metropolitan area has a population of almost 500,000. So not huge, but not tiny, either.
3. Being poor: Louisiana as a whole is a beatiful state, but the financial side of the state has opportunities to improve. It is not NY or CA. The state's wealth is in it's natural beauty. There is a lot of green on the map, but it's not $$$ green.
4. Financial stability: There were definite financial concerns in the past, but those seem to have been addressed. As of Oct 2018, LSU is now paired up with Ochsner Health System, and reports indicate this is a solid healthcare organization dedicated to the mission.
5. Politics and Religion: Shreveport LA is in the south. The south is traditionally conservative. In fact, Shreveport has been called the "belt-buckle of the Bible belt". It is what it is! Something to consider when applying for residency. For those who think (or concur with the notion) that the area's financial situation is related to a conservative mindset, you may want to consider applying to medical school or residencies in areas like Detroit MI, or perhaps examine the possibilities for foreign medical education in say, Venezuela.
6. Culture: Addressing comments about the culture of the hospital and medical school as being old-fashioned or staff being lazy - all reports indicate this is most definitely changing under Ochsner's leadership, and for the better! Early reports of changes within the program indicate this is especially true for Psychiatry.
7. Racism: This is an unfortunate presence wherever you live. You may not see it, but it's there. Your circle and peers may be just fine, but to assert that Shreveport is "more racist" or "very racist" lacks objectivity. The melting pot here is very much black and white, but the frequency of other races, ethnic groups, and nationalities is increasing, especially in the university environment.
8. Crime: Parts of the city are definitely not good to live in or go near. But this is true for any city you train in, especially very large metropolitan areas. To imply that Shreveport is worse is problematic and inaccurate. You can look at crime rates online if you want real data. It is also important to realize that historically university-based hospitals are purposefully built in areas that have low socioeconomic status to serve those populations better. This is true across the nation.
1. Leadership: This program is under new management as of 8/1/19. That includes both departmental leadership as well as program director leadership of the general psychiatry residency and the child fellowship. The education of students and residents is now reported to be a top priority. Word on the street is, the new Chair is the past RTD who was trying to fix things, but left and went to the VA. It appears from reports that this thread played an integral role in the changes in leadership. Freedom of speech without fear of retaliation is a wonderful thing.
2. Shreveport: If you like huge metropolitan areas, then perhaps Shreveport would be too small for you. It does have lots of things to do, but that is a relative term and depends on what it is that you like to do in your spare time. The city proper has a population of almost 200,000. The metropolitan area has a population of almost 500,000. So not huge, but not tiny, either.
3. Being poor: Louisiana as a whole is a beatiful state, but the financial side of the state has opportunities to improve. It is not NY or CA. The state's wealth is in it's natural beauty. There is a lot of green on the map, but it's not $$$ green.
4. Financial stability: There were definite financial concerns in the past, but those seem to have been addressed. As of Oct 2018, LSU is now paired up with Ochsner Health System, and reports indicate this is a solid healthcare organization dedicated to the mission.
5. Politics and Religion: Shreveport LA is in the south. The south is traditionally conservative. In fact, Shreveport has been called the "belt-buckle of the Bible belt". It is what it is! Something to consider when applying for residency. For those who think (or concur with the notion) that the area's financial situation is related to a conservative mindset, you may want to consider applying to medical school or residencies in areas like Detroit MI, or perhaps examine the possibilities for foreign medical education in say, Venezuela.
6. Culture: Addressing comments about the culture of the hospital and medical school as being old-fashioned or staff being lazy - all reports indicate this is most definitely changing under Ochsner's leadership, and for the better! Early reports of changes within the program indicate this is especially true for Psychiatry.
7. Racism: This is an unfortunate presence wherever you live. You may not see it, but it's there. Your circle and peers may be just fine, but to assert that Shreveport is "more racist" or "very racist" lacks objectivity. The melting pot here is very much black and white, but the frequency of other races, ethnic groups, and nationalities is increasing, especially in the university environment.
8. Crime: Parts of the city are definitely not good to live in or go near. But this is true for any city you train in, especially very large metropolitan areas. To imply that Shreveport is worse is problematic and inaccurate. You can look at crime rates online if you want real data. It is also important to realize that historically university-based hospitals are purposefully built in areas that have low socioeconomic status to serve those populations better. This is true across the nation.
