UTMB Galveston

[pulvinar]

Does anyone know about the Internal Medicine program at Galveston? I got an interview there. I'm interested in doing a Fellowship later on, so the fact that it is a university program sounds very appealing. But how is the program location-wise? How is this program doing post Hurricane Ike? I really wanted to know if making a trip all the way from the Northeast is worth it. I have a three other university programs where I've gotten interviews from, and a bunch of community programs.

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[DOme2009]

as of right now, i heard they have opened up 200 beds (100 for ob/neonatology) and are also offering ob/gyn interviews for next year. the only real question is what happens when utmb gets flooded again.

 

[arierty]

I think this prison hospital has opened also which adds alot of beds and great pathology to see, its a great learning experience at the prison hospital. With only three university based interviews I would take the opportunity. From the people i have met it seems their fellowships are good about taking their own grads. They had to shutdown for so long because the infrastructure that was damaged, but they are renovating and having those departments on the second floor so future flooding does not have the same impact.

 

[dragonfly99]

I would go.
I heard they had problems after the hurricane, but the thing is there haven't been that many big hurricanes in Galveston in the past 100 years or so. There was one other really big one in the early 20th century (? 1920's). You'll only be there x 3-6 years so I think your odds are O.K. Another thing to remember is it's part of the U of Texas system so would think it would help you in getting a fellowship either there or at another place.

I did hear rumblings that some of the medicine fellows were worried, and thinking about putting out feelers/inquiries about switching programs after the hurricane, b/c they were worried about being able to finish their training. But that is for subspecialty fellowships. I mean,if you are a cards fellow and the cath lab is flooded, or if you are renal and the dialysis unit closes down for 3 months, that is a big deal. If you are a medicine resident it would be inconvenient but it could be overcome. Also, if a residency like that were to shut down (worst case scenario), they'd probably try to help find the residents another spot, perhaps even in the UT system.

 

[pulvinar]

I appreciate all your comments. I checked out their website and it looks like most of the hospital got flooded. However, they are in the process of recovering from the initial blow. I think I'll know best when I see it for myself. (I just scheduled my interview there.) Other university programs I've heard from are Penn State-Hershey and U of Illinois at Urbana. I'm not sure how competitive these programs are, so any input regarding them would he highly appreciated. I think I'll keep my options open as far as university programs are concerned...so ready or not Galveston, here I come!

 

[Winged Scapula]

Moving to the IM forum...this forum is for the posting of open positions only.

 

[Scooby Moo]

Just to update, the expected post-Ike layoffs have hit. 3,800 are being let go (mostly hospital personnel and some faculty from the looks of it).

As far as the rumors of a UTMB move to Austin, my colleagues at UTMB say there is no truth to those rumors (yet).

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6109613.html

http://galvestondailynews.com if you're interested in more articles about UTMB

 

[drfunktacular]

Just to update, the expected post-Ike layoffs have hit. 3,800 are being let go (mostly hospital personnel and some faculty from the looks of it).

As far as the rumors of a UTMB move to Austin, my colleagues at UTMB say there is no truth to those rumors (yet).

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6109613.html

http://galvestondailynews.com if you're interested in more articles about UTMB

I'm sure Scooby Moo is aware of this, but just for the benefit of those outside the Houston metro area: these layoffs are indeed occurring post-Ike, but they were all but inevitable pre-Ike, even when the budget was somewhat stronger. UTMB has had some funding problems in recent years due to various factors (declining patient base, declining state funding, other things). Many of these problems were not acute, do-or-die issues, as they suddenly became after the hurricane costs, but they were in the pipeline either way.

 

[anystudent]

UTMB is definately planning to move the medical school to Austin. Has anyone noticed that there is an MD-PhD Program at UT Austin? Has anyone wondered why? Why would UT Austin have an MD-PhD Program when there isn't a med school? Check out the website. http://www.mdphd.utexas.edu/ The students attend UTMB for the first 2 years and THEN go to Austin for graduate studies. Clinical years will most likely be spent in Austin at the local hospital. This sets up the base for moving the medical school to Austin.

 

[Scooby Moo]

UTMB is definately planning to move the medical school to Austin. Has anyone noticed that there is an MD-PhD Program at UT Austin? Has anyone wondered why? Why would UT Austin have an MD-PhD Program when there isn't a med school? Check out the website. http://www.mdphd.utexas.edu/ The students attend UTMB for the first 2 years and THEN go to Austin for graduate studies. Clinical years will most likely be spent in Austin at the local hospital. This sets up the base for moving the medical school to Austin.

While it's still a bit premature to say UTMB is moving in its entirety to Austin, the possibility is definitely there. The cutting of one-third of the personnel and two-thirds of the hospital bed count suggest some kind of significant reorganization since such a downsizing would obviously affect education as well as patient care.

(This is only my opinion, but...)
A move of UTMB to Austin may or may not help education of students and residents, depending on how you look at things. It will be devastating for health care in S.E. Texas, however, by limiting ready access to healthcare resources for hundreds of thousands along the coastal counties and adding further strain to the already overtaxed system in Houston and the TMC. It's disturbing enough that the current round of downsizing has led to the loss of a Level 1 Trauma Center, leaving the Texas City petrochemical plants (not to mention all of Galveston Island) fifty miles from any significant help.

 

[anystudent]

Eventually, the hospital will probably become a small community hospital, like St. Mary's was. Private patients will continue to head to the TMC for care. Those w/o insurance would certainly have a more difficult time.

The powers that be have been planning to move the med school to Austin...the dual MD-PhD Program was the foot in the door. Granted, they assumed it would take ~10 years but now Ike has enabled them to move quicker.

 

[Fauxpa10]

Hi all. This question isn't really related to the posts but I was hoping someone here could help me out with some information. I work with an Occupational Health Care clinic in Baytown and we are expanding and looking for another Doctor. I'm wondering if any Doctors affected by the layoffs would be interested. We've used a staffing agency in the past for temps to fill in and have been disappointed with the people they send. I'd rather get the word out some other way. Any suggestions? On a side note. Is this huge cut at the hospital going to affect the school?

 

[abita]

i encourage you to go and see for yourself just how horrible it is. the hospital is currently closed...and don't mind all those guys in white suits and face masks.

 

[Mingxie]

Hi everyone -

I wanted to address some of the negative things on this thread regarding UTMB and the Internal Medicine Residency Program itself. I am a recent graduate and a current Chief Resident.

1. UTMB John Sealy Hospital and the TDCJ Hospital are up and running. We have 300 inpatient beds in the "free world" and 108 inpatient beds in the TDCJ hospital. We have moved the blood bank, the pharmacy and the hospital kitchen on different locations after they have been flooded.

2. The Department of Internal Medicine matched a full class of residents that started this past June. They are all working in Galveston at UTMB’s main campus. We have opportunities for residents to work in neighboring clinics in the Clear Lake area. UTMB has also become an official member of the Texas Medical Center, and our residents rotate at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital one month out of their intern year.

3. There are no plans to move UTMB to Austin. UTMB recently opened a specialty care center in League City, TX, and there are plans to expand the campus in Galveston.

4. Our residency program had a 100% match rate for fellowships in 2010. Many of our residents chose to stay at UTMB for their fellowship training.

5. The city of Galveston is undergoing a revival after Hurricane Ike. Businesses have returned, the beaches are open, and there are plenty of nice, affordable housing options available. Residents can also live in the Clear Lake-League City area, which is a 40-minute drive from Galveston. There is very little traffic, even during rush hour.

We hope you consider our program for your residency! We also have a new Facebook page under "UTMB Internal Medicine Residency".

 

[I_love_UMKC]

Any new opinions on UTMB? Also, can somoeone comment on how their call schedule is like? If it's night float, how does the schedule work?

 

[meddstudd]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=10310625#post10310625

 

[I_love_UMKC]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=10310625#post10310625

Thanks, but can you please also answer the question about their night float and the call system?

 

[gutonc]

Thanks, but can you please also answer the question about their night float and the call system?

Essentially every call schedule at every program in the country is up in the air right now and will be different come July 1, 2011 and probably different come July 1, 2012. It's not worth getting worked up about at this point.

 

[geoffreyy]

i'll be heading there for IM residency (2017). From interview and what ive gathered here's a bit of info:

1. the program has interns trained in u/s (very pocus based which is awesome esp for future hospitalists)
2. from interview, the program has close to 100% fellowship match (in the website it says 92% but from our 2016-2017 app cycle talks, the list is being updated for the 2016 grads and its close to 100%)- pulmcc, cards, gi hemonc (the main ones) and then the rest
3. they have night teams to avoid night calls and allow for better pt care continuity
4. utmb is the oldest medical school in tx, and has a substantial research background (if you want to do bench then you have the galveston national lab one of the few labs that house the bubonic plague)
5. galveston is a beach town (cheap $800-1000), and 50min from houston
6. utmb LOVES TO KEEP ITS OWN PEOPLE (for faculty or fellowships), good if you wanna settle down (the pd has been there since med school)
7. very nice folks esp the faculty! they prioritize resident wellness even in a university program
8. $6 meal cards? or was it 8. i forget/ multiple garage/open parking for employees)
9. public hospital (new!) + prison hospital (pretty unique for case pathology/mgt) + specialty/op clinics (then you have the burn centers, etc- just look it up)
10. and we get to work w//teach med, pa, nursing students
11. tacos