It seems that when people on here talk about the Mayo's they always comment on the nonexistent scutwork, nice attendings, beautiful facilities, and great ancillary staff. But what about the operative experience? How busy are they, what is the surgical volume like? Do the chiefs leave well trained compared to other chiefs around the country? Most importantly can comment on the surgical training on at the other sites, specifically the phoenix campus. Winged Scapula I am not sure if you are an attending there or not, but based on previous post you seem to have some knowledge about their surgical programs. I am very eager to hear some replies.
Thoughts on Mayo Arizona (Scottsdale)?
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I did a Sub I in general surgery there 3 years ago. They have a great cafereria. While facilities are nice, hours are unheard of (even for interns), and residents are nice, there is an atmosphere of tension and strictness. Its hard to describe it. Everyone acts nice, but there is a lot of bickering amongst attendings, and residents follow a very strict, hidden code of tight sphincters (in how they talk, walk, dress, act). All their residents look the same (blonde, blue-eyed, suits) with little if any diversity.
When I was there, they would say negative things about people from my country, background and religion while in the OR just to see how I would react (not residents, the PD and of all people, scrub tech who was not even a citizen or fluent in English). I never said anything.
The training is not sufficient and you will need a fellowship (not hard to get with Mayo name).
Most important, you will spend 5-6 years fearing people will stab you in the back the second you look away (example: recent chief that was fired after somenone FROM MAYO called newspaper on him for penis pic). I have told this story before, but one day during a case in the OR, I asked the nurse anesthetist how many years her training was and what the pay was like. When she told me she only spent 4-6 years after high school to get her degree, I said "Oh, that's not too bad". After the case when I left the room she began to yell and told the PD that I was insulting and I put her training down. This was like my last day afer doing a great job the entire month. The PD told me what the NA had said, and I explained that I never put her training down and I meant no disrespect. I also offered to appologize. The PD acted like he accepted my apology but later wrote about the incident in my LOR for residency. Luckly my school told me about it and I was able to prevent a disaster from happening. This is the kind of place Mayo is. Be careful if you go there. You will be on egg shells your whole training. That was my impression although I was there for only a month. By the way, I worked with the chief they fired, he was a great guy. Overall, the biggest thing you will gain at Scottsdale Mayo is the name, not much else.
When I was there, they would say negative things about people from my country, background and religion while in the OR just to see how I would react (not residents, the PD and of all people, scrub tech who was not even a citizen or fluent in English). I never said anything.
The training is not sufficient and you will need a fellowship (not hard to get with Mayo name).
Most important, you will spend 5-6 years fearing people will stab you in the back the second you look away (example: recent chief that was fired after somenone FROM MAYO called newspaper on him for penis pic). I have told this story before, but one day during a case in the OR, I asked the nurse anesthetist how many years her training was and what the pay was like. When she told me she only spent 4-6 years after high school to get her degree, I said "Oh, that's not too bad". After the case when I left the room she began to yell and told the PD that I was insulting and I put her training down. This was like my last day afer doing a great job the entire month. The PD told me what the NA had said, and I explained that I never put her training down and I meant no disrespect. I also offered to appologize. The PD acted like he accepted my apology but later wrote about the incident in my LOR for residency. Luckly my school told me about it and I was able to prevent a disaster from happening. This is the kind of place Mayo is. Be careful if you go there. You will be on egg shells your whole training. That was my impression although I was there for only a month. By the way, I worked with the chief they fired, he was a great guy. Overall, the biggest thing you will gain at Scottsdale Mayo is the name, not much else.
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hmmmmm, sounds like the nurse was racist.
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Blatantly violating patient confidentiality in a way that borders on sexual harassment will get you fired from any program. Period. It would not take too many of those type of events to get a program shut down for HIPAA violations. To think that it was a result of Mayo culture is absurd.
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You completely missed the point. If the issue is patient privacy, program accreditation, sexual harrassment, or whatever, you don't call the newspaper on one of your chief residents. You deal with it internally and sternly. It may have been justified to fire that guy, but the way it was done was pure malignancy and a stab in the back. They made sure the guy was finished and did not get a second chance anywhere. Either way, there is a lot of back stabbing that goes on there and while everyone is nice, trust is not present. At least it felt that way to me when I was there. I am sure others have had a different experience.
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Unfortunately, this was a perfect example of the "culture" there. Mayo or not.
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Yep, same experience here.
Mayo had no choice but to fire the resident after it was made publically known. The culture there supported, at least for one individual, going outside the usual channels to report the resident to the local news media.
What he did was wrong, but was it career ending?
Our friend above has been accepted to Mayo for medical school so can be excused his naivety. Just be careful what you do and who you do it in front of; there are people all over the medical field who will not lose a moment's rest in getting you reprimanded or fired.
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I'm intereted in GS right now. How competitive (USMLE wise) is Mayo's GS surgery program compared to community based programs like those at Good Sam.?
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ttt . . . any more thoughts/comments/opinions at all about Mayo AZ would be greatly appreciated . . . thanks
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I didn't like it. Too small, to calm, to controlled. High turn over rate among residents. The residents seemed nice though, and it sounded like they can do what they want to do when they are done. If you are looking for somewhere small it might be for you, it was kind of a step off the usual big academic circuit for me, gave me some interesting perspective, but not for me, I am doing gen surg because I like big and crazy, not small and controlled. If I had wanted nice and calm I would have done ENT or something and made a boat load more moeny, and I would guess if you are going to match at places like Mayo, AZ you are the caliber of applicant that could have matched into ENT or something similar. Seemed very concerned with "how you will get along here". Not such a huge issue at bigger programs as 1. there are more people and 2. you can learn to get along with most anyone if the stress of the situation calls for it, not sure you can say the same for the need to get along if you are keeping bankers hours and are not mutually dependent on the people around you.
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Too many photo radar cameras in Scottsdale. Deal breaker.
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True, but there are much much more in Phoenix proper than in Scottsdale (although the Scottsdale tickets are about $30 more than the Phx ones). There is talk of removing the speed cameras altogether as they have not made money for the county.
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True, but there are much much more in Phoenix proper than in Scottsdale (although the Scottsdale tickets are about $30 more than the Phx ones). There is talk of removing the speed cameras altogether as they have not made money for the county.
My nemesis has been the camera they conveniently located on the freeway a few exits before the airport. I've been caught by it at least 3 times in the last year. It also tickles me when people start hitting the brakes when they know a camera is coming up.
...
Here is a website for more info:
Mayo Clinic Arizona
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I am embarassed to say how many I have racked up...I don't get them on the 101 anymore since I know where they all are, but the ones on the 10 in the mobile trucks seem to move with alarming regularity.
It also tickles me when people start hitting the brakes when they know a camera is coming up.
Which is why they might be getting rid of them - people slow down, cause accidents and if the know where the cameras are, they don't speed, AND people don't pay the tickets.
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Flank Pain, could you elaborate on the high resident turnover, if you know more? Thanks!
A few residents seem to have left recently. Got the sense there is a lot of back stabbing. Smart people though.
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The Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale is not like the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota (that does high level research and attracts patients from all over the world). The Scottsdale Mayo Clinic is an ordinary community hospital - albeit one catering to rich people - and nothing more. It's not even the case that people from all over Phoenix go there chasing the "Mayo Clinic" name.
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Thanks
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It would be prudent to note that:
1) you register today;
2) all of your posts are along the same theme: to bash Mayo Scottsdale
3) this is the Surgery forum where very few would care about the rumors you seem to want to spread especially as they relate to the IM residency and not the surgical one
