ROL Blues.

[H&P-Stat]

Alright guys. I know ROL's aren't due for another few weeks, but I'm already losing sleep over it.

So far, I have three completely different lists made, each relying on different criteria: One list ranks programs based PURELY on Perceived Prestige, another based on Impressions of the Program, and a third based on Geographical Location. Suffice to say, these lists are VASTLY different from one another. So which list should I submit?

I know, you've gotta be happy living in that particular city... and you gotta consider the program's reputation if you're going to pursue a fellowship... and you gotta trust your gut instincts about the program during the interview... blah blah blah.

So my question... if you had to choose ONE and ONLY ONE criteria as the single most important factor in your decision making process, which would it be?

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[bw07]

Location

 

[nychick]

In other words, what's your priority? It's likely a mix of all of these criteria.

So if you want to be scientific about it, you should assign each of those criteria a weight depending on its importance (they should add to 100%), and then score each of the programs you would be willing to attend on the criteria. This should give you a list that combines the 3 criteria and is a more accurate reflection of your preferences.

 

[Gator05]

Another question to ponder: what do you want to do with the experience you gain in residency? Academic medicine? Practice in a specific locale? Start a family? Pursue a subspecialty? Is this a stepping stone for you, or a "last stop" in your education?

Good luck!

 

[Annette]

Go with your gut.

 

[felson]

I agree - go with your gut!
Residency is a long time. Programs may look good on paper and they can dress things up for one day, but your gut can tell you that a program may not be right for you. What matters is whether you will still love your job after a long call, that you would still want to learn and be able to balance your family life.

 

[Apollyon]

Yeah, just boot the "Perceived Prestige" list - if that doesn't jibe with the other lists, it's useless.

Consider writing a 'gut list' - irrespective of the prestige, or impression with the interview, or location; if it's right for you, you'll go there. Even if the interview wasn't great, if you dig the place enough to still think of it well, that's a big plus.

 

[hotbovie]

Of the three lists you have, I"d say the Impressions list would be most important. That's going to be your sense of how happy you will be with the program, which is going to be the biggest contributor to your overall happiness. For example would you REALLY prefer to go to a place with a lower impression just because it has a higher percieved prestige (or is on your favorite beach)?? You are going to residency to get the best training possible. To me, issues such as prestige and location come into play when two programs are fairly close in other aspects. Any place that routinely places grads into their top 3 choice for fellowships should be prestiegous enough for anyone considering a fellowshiop. Some of the other posters made good suggestions. Perhaps a second look visit to a few places (maybe the top one on each of your lists?) could help you sort things out if you have time and money to do that.

Easy for me to say, though, cuz I'm still interviewing and really haven't thought much about rank order yet. I've roughly divided places into top half and bottom half. I believe I could be pretty happy at any of the places I've been so far, I took care of the geography issue with my applications. Also didn't apply to anywhere that isn't placing grads in fellowships.

Anway, good luck and try not to stress too much.

 

[ApacheIndian]

Wow... didn't realize that people have already started thinking about their ROLs. I still have 6 more interviews to go... then I'll start coming up with mine.

I know the ROL deadline is 2/26, but I'm pretty sure most programs turn their's in earlier then that. I'm wondering how long I can wait to send in letters of interest to programs I like without risking them getting there too late (ie. after the program already submitted their ROL)??? Kinda like the Price is Right... I wanna get as close as possible without overbidding. I'm thinking I could send 'em out February 3rd via regular mail and still be safe? Or is that too late? Thoughts?

About the original poster's inquiry... for me anyway location is a big factor. I personally would find it difficult to perform optimally as a resident if I wasn't happy with where I'm living. Four years isn't exactly the blink of an eye you know...

Good luck to you...

 

[Samir Desai]

I agree with many of the comments that have been posted regarding this discussion. As hotbovie said, your impressions of the program should be factored in heavily when creating your rank order list. Prestige and location certainly have their importance but when I advise my students, I always recommend that they do not ignore the general feeling they had when they visited a program.

It is not uncommon for applicants to "feel good" about a program but have concern about ranking it high on their list because it may not be as highly regarded as some of the other programs. There are many good programs out there, all of which will provide you with good training - after all, they all have to meet certain requirements to be accredited. The real question is which program will provide you with an environment in which you can thrive and reach your full potential.

While reputation is importance, every year, many prestigious fellowship positions are offered to residents who are coming from programs that are not in the upper tier in terms of reputation. Yet they still secure these positions. How do they do it? There are many factors but they excel in their residency program, make connections with faculty in their chosen field who are willing to go to bat for them when it comes time to securing a fellowship position, do research, etc. Be sure to check out what type of fellowship positions the graduates have secured. Just remember that reputation is not the only factor, it's just one factor.

Of course, you can't underestimate the importance of geography as well. After all, you will spend at least several years of your life at this place - since you will have a life outside of the hospital, where you do your residency should certainly be factored in not only for yourself but for your family, should you have one that will be moving with you.

In the final analysis, your rank-order list will be based on how much weight you give each of these elements. I wish all of you the best of luck.

One final comment for Dr. Cuts - I posted a reply regarding when to send letters of interest in another discussion on this forum entitled "thank-you notes". I hope it helps you.

Samir Desai
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine

 

[ApacheIndian]

Originally posted by Samir Desai

One final comment for Dr. Cuts - I posted a reply regarding when to send letters of interest in another discussion on this forum entitled "thank-you notes". I hope it helps you.

Thanks... I'll check it out.