Since my program was specifically mentioned by @
mikeGR I'd like to add some stuff about UTHSCSA (TX). If we interacted at all during interview day, I'll probably be sacrificing my anonymity but, honestly, who cares? I believe in my program and care enough about getting good people that I would happily do so if it sheds some light on what things are like here. It's long, but if you're curious about UTHSCSA I think it's worth the read.
First, There's a lot of misinformation going around about our program due to changes that happened 6 years ago that have since been corrected.
We are not a mandatory research program (as we were in the past) and
residents do not get fired on a regular basis (as they did in the past).
Pros:
1. Our leadership and attendings are incredible.
Our PD is probably the best mentor any resident could ask for.
To give a personal example, I struggled quite a bit with my decision to go in to Gen Surg. I went to med school to become an Orthopod. Personal circumstances made it such that I had to choose between specialty and location. My mother has been sick for quite some time, so I switched to general surgery August of my 4th year of medical school to increase my chances of returning to Texas, specifically, San Antonio where she gets treated. It was a difficult decision and I frequently questioned whether or not I had made the right decision. After debating whether or not bringing this up would result in career suicide, I decided to sack up and go talk to him about rotating with Ortho and seeing if it's where I belong. The conversation went well, and during my research year he sent me an email about a PGY2 Ortho spot.
I chose not to pursue it, because after some exposure I've decided I like Plastics more than Ortho. So, for a second time, I had an open discussion about career path and he supported me applying to two open, advanced integrated PRS positions.
In return for this support, I work as hard as can at whatever I'm doing so I think I've earned a bit of respect around here. Obviously, there are always things I can do to improve but I don't make up excuses for why I screw up and if someone says I need to do something I do it. So I'm not saying come to our program as a back up if you don't match into x sub-specialty because our PD will try to get you in somewhere. That would be idiotic for someone to take that approach to matching. But, I am saying, you don't have to worry about being fake with people because you're worried they'll make your life miserable or push you out. Big D, as we call him, wants you to get where you want to go.
I think it's pretty hard to beat that... even at MGH
2. After our intern year (which, to be honest, can be painful),
our operative experience is strong. We have no fellows apart from Trauma and in my experience they have not poached cases from residents. If anything, they act like junior faculty and having them around is great. Overall, I've sewn proximals during CABG and gone skin to skin on kidney transplants. Our consult pager (aka "the Bili Bomb") is the bain of your existence as an intern, but ensures your operative experience as a senior. We are very, very busy.
3.
San Antonio is dirt cheap to live. Residents often own their homes and financial struggles seem to be few and far between.
4. Our graduates do very well in the fellowship match. No one has tried for peds in a while, but we have a couple coming down the pipeline so we'll see...
Cons:
1. We have a lot of IMGs right now as our program is still rebuilding. We only keep stellar IMGs for our program, but having been a med student myself, I know this is off putting to a lot of applicants. At this point, we would rather have outstanding IMGs than bottom of the barrel American grads. With time, this will sort itself out.
It's difficult for me to write that, because many of our IMGs are truly great people who work incredibly hard and have become good friends. Moreover, to be perfectly honest I know for a fact there are some IMGs who are better than I am. But, it is what it is.
2. Though we are no longer a mandatory research program, sometimes people do end up doing research when they don't want to. BUT,
no one who matches a 5 year spot has been forced to do research... EVER. Usually, IMGs end up getting the short end of the stick. They are free to stay or, if they choose, to look for other spots. They get full support from us if they want to find another residency position.
3. We do quite a bit of driving on some of our rotations including heading down to Harlingen. The operative experience there is unreal tho. So you might even count it as a pro.
So, in my opinion, very few places have much on us.
