Programs Visited

[mikecwru]

Wright State:

Really enjoyed my visit here with the exception that there wasn't any "night before" resident mingling like most programs. That apparently starts next week (then why have interviews this week?!?!?) but got to meet some residents at lunch and the ones I met were all really cool.

The interview is structured so that you do about four 30" interviews which are really laid back. I really didn't talk much about emergency medicine per se, just talked to the people.... so things either went really well or very badly. I got the same good feeling about the people there when I interviewed for med school.

Since my visit was overwhelmingly positive, I'll start with the negatives or perceived negatives. Wright St. is not on a "top ten" list somewhere, Also, you go to so many hospitals without a really concrete base, that you don't see a lot of your fellow residents in the clinical setting.

A big strength of working in a bunch of different hospitals is that you are trained in all levels of acuity. It's probably false to assume that if you train at a level 1, you'll be perfectly ready for a level 2, etc. They train at all three levels of trauma. Their level one (Miami Valley) was really big, modern, and busy. I wasn't expecting a place like that in a smaller town program.

Another plus/minus is that you often deal with attendings in consults and in off service rotations, rather than other residents.

I didn't get to view any of their didactic sessions (wrong day) but it seems like a pretty progressive curriculum.

Overall, I was very impressed... and it's not like I started out with a negative opinion.

mike

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[The White Coat Investor]

I had the opportunity to rotate out at Wright State, so I'll try to add a few comments to the above. For the most part, I agree. I was very impressed with the program. I did attend the didactics, they were pretty good with the exception of the fact that they are in the afternoons, rather than the mornings. The time is protected however. Also, the required once a month journal club is ok....some residents are more into it than others. Benefits of the program: Different hospitals, different environments. The residents really are happy there, and they're treated well. Dayton has a low cost of living, and especially with a family, is a pretty good place to live. Miami Valley Hospital is big and beautiful. Downsides...one of those places you rotate (3 months) is on the local Air Force Base, a glorified urgent care clinic. (Tubing one person all month is considered good there.) It most definitely is not an academic residency. Everyone coming out of there is going to practice in the community. No one is doing research, but I was told the money is available, just don't expect to walk into a research project in progress.

Overall, you will see plenty of trauma and critical care and be plenty prepared for community practice. Not malignant and generally a nice place to live. This program is not top 10, but it isn't bottom 10, its like 90% of the programs out there...and you'll come out well-trained.

 

[mikecwru]

Vanderbilt has an awesome program. There was an overwhelming sense that there was a genuine committment to resident education vs. just moving the meat. Your off service rotations are at a good medical center. The physical plant is kind of dumpy (the medical center, did not see their affiliated private hospital) but by no means the worst I've seen. The program coordinator was a sweat lady.

There's five 15-20 minute interviews. The chair and program director are really nice guys and reportedly excellent teachers... witnessed the PD first hand. My first four interviews were really laid back and comfortable, the last was with another administrator who sat with a look like I was BSing her the whole time (I wasn't). And everything I said was just "wrong." ie, "I like X." "Oh, I just hate when that happens." Hope it doesn't hose me.

Nashville (first time there) was also a great city.

mike

 

[jpgreer13]

Took my first real interview trip to WVU this week.

My interview day consisted of five 30-minute meetings, two with faculty members, one with the residency director, and two with residents. None of the interviews were malignant, although each one with the faculty included one of the famous "star" questions - e.g. "Can you name me an example of some time in your life when you had an ethical conflict?" Everyone I met faculty-wise was nice, their grand rounds were interesting, and I got a very good look at the city of Morgantown at its most interesting, as I was downtown watching the game when they beat Virginia Tech in football and tried to burn the city down in celebration.

Pros - the residents all appear to be genuinely happy. Not just content, not just getting by, but these people really, really look like they are enjoying the hell out of what they're doing. Also a small class (six per year), and Ruby Memorial is a nice physical facility. Also have some faculty on the national board. Lots of EMS exposure.

Cons - pretty small volume, not much penetrating trauma. Pretty new to ultrasound. They're trying to implement some more research, but it's not the most academic-oriented place around.

And it's in Morgantown, WV, which is a pro or con depending on how you feel about smaller town life. It's 30000 people, but closer to 75000 when students are there - basically, it's a real, honest to God college town. But Pittsburgh's 90 minutes away.

I really liked this program, as it looks like a place where you can be happy for three years if you want to learn how to practice community emergency medicine. If you want to do academics hardcore or work in urban knife and gun club trauma settings, this may not be ideal for you.