So far, I have been invited to EIGHT programs & it is still fairly early in the process!!! I was sweating whether or not I applied to a large enough number to obtain my targetted 10 ~ 12 interviews. I think I may have actually over-applied. I guess that is preferable to not applying to enough!! Except, of course, my wallet is a wee tad emptier for the effort…
So far, I have anesthesia program invitations to: Univ of Connecticut, Cleveland Clinic, Univ of Chicago, Univ of Rochester, Penn State, Univ of Massachusetts, Dartmouth and Univ of Florida in anesthesia. I have invitations to interview for an Int Med prelim year at Penn State & U Conn and for a Surgical prelim year at Pinnacle Health Sys (nearby Penn State) & Wake Forest.
The first scheduled interview is 4 November…coming up RAPIDLY!!! As each one of them transpires, I will post my “read” of the program & interview into the forums for those who will follow me into the fray of interview season.
Thanks to everyone for your cumulative support and encouragement.
Nat, special thanks to you for setting up those wonderful meetings with Dr. Arnold & Dr. Grub. I am certainly hoping like hell to get an invite to UVA. Honestly, so far, UVA is the only one strong enough to usurp what I have seen/experienced at Univ of Rochester for my #1 spot.
For those who do not know, I was able to spend some time with Nat while I was in Charlottesville. We had dinner and an adult beverage. She was also thoughful enough to allow me to shadow her for a day and to set up a coffe with Dr. Arnold (chief of UVA’s acute pain service) and Dr. Grub (a CA-2 anesthesia resident). I was extremely impressed with the answers they provided to my endless questions. Even more impressive were the facilities, the program and the town of Charlottesville, VA. I could DEFINITELY see myself landing there!! I was completely entraced with the gentile accent of the antebellum south – I will have to work on my pronounciation of “Va-gin-E-ah”!
Way to go, Dave!! 8 interviews already scheduled and its still early in the game.
Congratulations, OMD!! Wherever you end up, they will be lucky to have you! 
| QUOTE (OldManDave @ Oct 13 2002, 09:40 PM) |
| So far, I have been invited to EIGHT programs & it is still fairly early in the process!!! I was sweating whether or not I applied to a large enough number to obtain my targetted 10 ~ 12 interviews. I think I may have actually over-applied. I guess that is preferable to not applying to enough!! Except, of course, my wallet is a wee tad emptier for the effort... |
Hey Dave,
With anesthesia being a very competitive residency this year, you can't "over-apply". The more competitive your residency, the more (not less) programs you want to apply to. Be sure to have some "sure-thing" places and you will be set. With a very competitve residency, you don't want to scramble.
Natalie
Hey Dave -
How was the rotation at UofR? I see that it is still rated #1 by you.
Kevin works in an MD-only practice, there are eight of them. And THREE graduated from Rochester's anesthesia program. I don't know if he mentioned how he came to that program or not…he started an IM residency there in '96. He absolutely LOATHED it. However, he really enjoyed the time he spent in the ICU, that propelled him towards anesthesia. Needless to say, he just walked right in! (96 being the lowest anesthesia match in many years) People told him he was crazy for doing it, not a job to be had back then. Funny thing is, he's only been out 2 years and he's already a full partner. Yup, that gamble paid off.
Unfortunately, it's so competitive now. I wish you the best of luck and hope you get into your top choice, be it UR or elsewhere. Congrats on all the interviews!
Chris
Hey Christina,
You husband's story is very typical of the way the pendulum swings. You can almost say the same thing about General Surgery though applications to my program are up, applications to General Surgery are down nationwide. In a few years, the pendulum will swing back. There are also plenty of jobs available in General Surgery now and the job outlook is getting better especially if you can do minimally invasive surgery (my favorite at this point).
Things in medicine always go in cycles. Family Practice and Internal Medicine were the hot matches when I entered medical school in 98. Now, some the the positions in FM and IM are unfilled at some programs. Everything seems to shift around.
Natalie
Update
Well, I have had a couple more invites roll in: Univ of Pittsburgh, Univ of Arkansas & Western Penn (Pittsburgh). I hope to have them all nice & scheduled this coming week. As many of you know, Little Rock was where Wendy & I grew up & where I attended Respiratory Terrorist school.
So far, I am doing very well…esp since the Dean’s letters will not even be released until 1 November. Univ of Colorado e-mailed the other day to tell me to “watch for an update of my applicant status pending the arrival of my Dean’s Letter”. I am thinking that my yield an interview there as well. The only one of my top top top programs yet to invite me is: Univ of Virginia – Nat, can ya’ pull some strings??? (just kidding)
Christina
URMC is tied for my #1 choice w/ UVA – which is #1 depends on my mood when you ask me. It was simply a phenomenal program and they treated me very well. You could tell that they were simply putting me out there and not giving me the pomp & shine job…programs of their quality do not have to push themselves, they sell on their own.
Where do I start? Family friendly city & program; humane work & call hours; openness toward DOs (at least 1/class and 3 KCOM alumni are residents now); Rochester is cool city in a beautiful location and with lots of stuff to do both in Rochester & nearby for our free time; Rochester is supposed to be a great & safe place to raise a family and two of the suburbs have public schools systems in the top 25 nationwide. For me, there is sufficient volume in a multitude of areas to allow for quality fellowship training w/o sacrificing the ability for mere residents to gain quality exposure/training in those same areas. URMC offers fellowships in all three anesthesia sub-specialties that intrigue me most (pediatrics, critical care med & cardiothoracic).
Now, you mentioned “Kevin” – that would not be Kevin DeLuca would it? The reason I ask is that another OPMer, Ian Pratt (who lives near Rochester) hooked me up with Dr. DeLuca (also a recent URMC anesthesia graduate) via e-mail so that I play ‘20 questions’ with him. It would be too strange if you were referring to the same guy!!!
Hey Dave,
I know that you are really enjoying your tour of the “rubber chicken” circuit so I hope that the Anesthesia Department at UVA gets rolling pretty fast. None of the departments have begun to interview any candidates. The Surgery Department sent us a letter letting us know that the interviews are going to begin in late November. I am willing to bet that the Anesthesia Department is on a similiar schedule since Dean’s Letters haven’t gone out yet.
I just think it will be so cool for Linda, Mary, you and me to be less than 100 miles apart next year. I am really hoping that you get an invitation pretty soon. Did the Anesthesia Department send out a supplemental application this year? I think the Surgery Department dropped theirs.
Nat
But, of course. Though I think you remember incorrectly - I hooked you up with him.
He's my dearly beloved. He graduated from there in 2000. Gotta love this job market. If you go Rochester, heck, you'll be almost our neighbor. (Well, 1.5 hrs away.) Congrats on the add'l interviews! Clearly, you shine on paper! OK, I admit, I looked at your CV when you sent it to Kev - WOW.
Definitely not the CV of an inexperienced trad! 
| QUOTE (njbmd @ Oct 19 2002, 07:39 PM) |
| I just think it will be so cool for Linda, Mary, you and me to be less than 100 miles apart next year. I am really hoping that you get an invitation pretty soon. Did the Anesthesia Department send out a supplemental application this year? I think the Surgery Department dropped theirs. |
Yes, I received an invite & the supplemental from UVA already...one of my projects to complete this w/e as it is pretty extensive. And, I completely agree that all of us being less than 100 miles apart would be waaaaaaay cool!
No doubt about it, I found UVA extremely impressive. Believe me, it had to be impressive to divert my gaze from URMC! And, I personally think that I would rather live & raise a family in Charlottesville over Rochester...as cool as Rochester is, we're southern born & bred (not in-bred JP - I saw the comment coming!) and Va-gin-E-a simply feels more like home, not too mention it is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!
Had I known then what I know now, I would scheduled an elective clerkship at UVA as well. I hope my only one-day of metworking does not preclude me from potentially going there. Right now, if I had to file a ROLIC today -- URMC & UVA would occupy the first slot and U Conn the third. I know you can't put both #1, but hey -- it's MY hypothetical situation & I can do what I want!
| QUOTE (christina @ Oct 20 2002, 09:21 AM) |
| But, of course. Though I think you remember incorrectly - I hooked you up with him. He's my dearly beloved. He graduated from there in 2000. Gotta love this job market. If you go Rochester, heck, you'll be almost our neighbor. (Well, 1.5 hrs away.) Congrats on the add'l interviews! Clearly, you shine on paper! OK, I admit, I looked at your CV when you sent it to Kev - WOW. Definitely not the CV of an inexperienced trad!
|
Whoops! Can I plead premature senility!?!? Brain-fart!
Christina, I owe you an apology AND my sincerest appreciation! I don't believe that I have thanked you...esp since I was confused about who referred me. Oh well...crap like that happens when you get "old".
Is Kevin practicing in the Rochester area? When I was asked where I learned stuff about URMC, I included Kevin as one of my resources. A couple of people asked me if he was still in Deleware. Of course, never having actually met him, I had no idea. I told them that he & I had only interacted through e-mail.
The physician/professors there were incredible! I worked quite a bit with Drs. Eaton & Dooley and residents Lucas & Clarke...all 4 were excellent & allowed to me to push my envelope to learn. My intubation skills improved remarkably during the brief two weeks I was there.
Tell Kevin "Hello" for me and let him know that we'd love it if he were to drop by, join OPM and offer his advise & counsel.
| QUOTE |
| Whoops! Can I plead premature senility!?!? Brain-fart! Christina, I owe you an apology AND my sincerest appreciation! I don't believe that I have thanked you...esp since I was confused about who referred me. Oh well...crap like that happens when you get "old". Is Kevin practicing in the Rochester area? When I was asked where I learned stuff about URMC, I included Kevin as one of my resources. A couple of people asked me if he was still in Deleware. Of course, never having actually met him, I had no idea. I told them that he & I had only interacted through e-mail. The physician/professors there were incredible! I worked quite a bit with Drs. Eaton & Dooley and residents Lucas & Clarke...all 4 were excellent & allowed to me to push my envelope to learn. My intubation skills improved remarkably during the brief two weeks I was there. Tell Kevin "Hello" for me and let him know that we'd love it if he were to drop by, join OPM and offer his advise & counsel. |
Hey Dave!
I finally get a chance to come up for air this semester, and see that I am being blamed for your Rochester experience
Seriously though, I attempted to help you establish contact with a resident named Rich Saupe. . .apparently to no avail. The only other person I was responsible for you meeting in Rochester, besides my wife, was the waiter at Jack Astor's, Louis.
No matter where you end up, I am sure you'll make the most of the opportunities presented to you. Even though U of R is my dream school, Virginia is my dream location. The 8 years my wife and I spent there convinced us to return once my education is complete. Of course, MCV, UVA, EVMC, and VCOM will be receiving my application too.
Ian P.
Congratulations Dave,
You must have kicked arse in medical school!
I'm starting to get a little nervous myself. My only two interviews are at Pitt and Stanford (both courtesy). I've yet to hear a peep from anyone else. Oh well.
I asked in one of your previous postings if you'd applied to Pitt. I should have just kept reading, anyway I think you'll like Pitt too (although I loathed my anesthesia rotation).
Good luck
| QUOTE (tonem @ Nov 2 2002, 12:21 AM) |
| Congratulations Dave, You must have kicked arse in medical school! I'm starting to get a little nervous myself. My only two interviews are at Pitt and Stanford (both courtesy). I've yet to hear a peep from anyone else. Oh well. I asked in one of your previous postings if you'd applied to Pitt. I should have just kept reading, anyway I think you'll like Pitt too (although I loathed my anesthesia rotation). Good luck |
Hey Tonem,
What are you interviewing for? We haven't heard too much about your progress lately. Inquiring minds want to know
Good luck on the process. Stanford and Pitt are a few thousand miles apart. The fourth-year medical students keep the airlines afloat this time of year.Natalie
Hey Nat,
I ended up applying to emergency medicine. My application is in and I was all set to go until three weeks ago. Thats when I started a Pediatric Surgery AI at Stanford. I scheduled it for fun and as my surgical last hurrah so to speak. Unfortunately, i realized i was having a much better time in the OR than I had in the ER. I discussed my dilemma with the Chief of Surgery who happened to be a Ped Surgeon, and he suggested i apply in tandem to give myself a little more time to figure things out. so thats where I’m at now. Not hearing much of anything from my ED applications and scrambling to get another set of applications in for surgery. Fortunately, i already had one letter from a surgeon and I’m getting another one from my current rotation. The bad thing is that I wont have one from my chief of surgery at
Pitt (I’ll be in California for the next four months). 
| QUOTE (tonem @ Nov 2 2002, 05:11 PM) |
| Hey Nat, I ended up applying to emergency medicine. My application is in and I was all set to go until three weeks ago. Thats when I started a Pediatric Surgery AI at Stanford. I scheduled it for fun and as my surgical last hurrah so to speak. Unfortunately, i realized i was having a much better time in the OR than I had in the ER. I discussed my dilemma with the Chief of Surgery who happened to be a Ped Surgeon, and he suggested i apply in tandem to give myself a little more time to figure things out. so thats where I'm at now. Not hearing much of anything from my ED applications and scrambling to get another set of applications in for surgery. Fortunately, i already had one letter from a surgeon and I'm getting another one from my current rotation. The bad thing is that I wont have one from my chief of surgery at Pitt (I'll be in California for the next four months).
|
Hi there,
I feel your pain. I did all those great anesthesia interviews last year only to discover that I really LOVED surgery. You got some good advice from your Chief of Surgery. I did my AI at Mayo so late that I was literally on the fence until the last second. I took a real gamble with the scramble and hit the jackpot with this program here at UVA. It is the most wonderful place. I can say too many times how much I just love what I do.
My attendings are tough but wonderful. I am busier than an ant farm. My fiance barely sees me. Even then, he is watching me study. I see little victories every day. I had a chief resident come up to me and introduce himself. He said that he had met me on the first day but had been at the VA in Salem. All he heard after he got back was how good a job I had been doing. A thing like that could get to my head but I know how much I have yet to learn. I am sure that you are going to find intership just like this. You do make the adjustment from medical student to resident very quickly. Everyday, the medical school thing seems more and more remote.
Good luck on the road. California must be wonderful and exciting. Don't worry about not having enough letters from Surgeons. Good letters from folks outside surgery are pretty nice. One of my best letters came from an Internist who was pivotal in my training as a medical student.
Natalie
P.S. I have a former classmate who is a surgical intern at Stanford. His name is Scott Perryman. If you get a chance, say a "hello" from me. He is very smart and talented person. He really plays a mean piano.
ToneM,
Great to hear from you! Long time since you've come up for air!
Regarding your ER apps…a friend & classmate of mine is also applying to ER. He was told, after talking to a couple of ER Med gurus that ER programs typically do not sent out many, if any, invitations until they've received & reviewed your Dean's Letter. Those, by the way, were to be released no earlier than 1 November. So, take heart in that you should not have heard from them just yet…invites should pitter-patter into the old mail box late this week or earl next.
Yes, I have applied to UPitt. In fact, I interview there the day before Thanksgiving. UPitt is the only program I have been invited to that in terviewing the week of T-giving. Go figure?
The only 2 programs of the 13 I have yet to hear from that I truly, badly wish to hear from are UVA & U Colorado – I'm still a hoping!
Where are you staying Pittsburgh? Unfortunately, I'll be in California for the next 3 months. Try and talk to Dr. McGyver he was the highlight of my anesthesia rotation. I only got to spend one day with him though. Let me know if you need any tips about the burgh.
Tips would be welcomed! I will be staying at an as-of-yet un-named hotel – the program will set it up, pay for it & inform me in my confirmation letter. I just purchased my airfare. Flying to Pittsburgh is rather expensive from MI! It has taken me weeks of searching to find a fare below $585!!! I found a reasonably priced one and jumped on it!
So, Dave,
I assume you completed your secondary from UVa last weekend as you planned, and got it in the mail.
With that assumption in mind, I’ll bet that within the next couple of weeks, you’ll be getting that invitation from UVa. After all, you just have to get it! Otherwise, how can you, Nat, Mary, and I ever be able to get together and share good times?
Dave,
How are you getting into town from the airport? It's about a 30 minute drive. Taxi is about $60, Port Authority will get you to within a block of where you need to be in Oakland for a couple of bucks. It might be better to rent a cheap car and drive into town. Be prepared when you are leaving the Fort Pitt Tunnel. The view of downtown Pittsburgh is beautiful, especially after dark. The rest of your time will probably be pretty tightly scripted. Good luck.
Nat,
I saw a picture of your friend in the residency office at Stanford. I remember thinking that he must be brilliant because he was one of two people that weren't from the UCSF, Harvard, Yale, Columbia crowd in the program.