The Rank List
The sun finally came out today, and I went for a run around Green Lake. As I was running I saw a bald eagle sitting in a tree, right by the trail. I love where I live, and I really don't want to go anywhere else. So I have come up with a (tentatively) final rank list, which I will submit next week (just in case I change my mind). Before I share that list with you all, a bit of clarification. Some programs, such as University of Washington, have multiple tracks which you can rank separately. They are designed to provide you with the appropriate training for your interests. For instance, at UW they have the traditional track, geared towards subspecialty medicine. They also have two primary care tracks, which give you a little more training in the clinic setting. So if you really want to go to a particular program, it would benefit you to apply to all of their different tracks. Which helps explain my list:
1. University of Washington, traditional track. This would provide me excellent training since I am leaning toward specialization at this point (endocrinology? hematology? oncology?), in an excellent city, and I wouldn't have to move. Yay!
2. University of Washington, primary care track. Again, I wouldn't have to move, and the primary care track is very similar to the traditional track. And the specialties that I am interested in are largely outpatient specialties, so extra clinic time would probably be helpful.
3. University of California San Diego. Ok, so I'd have to move. But I'd move to San Diego! The beach! The sun! It's warm! The program is similar to UW's, but smaller and more supportive, I think. If I weren't so opposed to moving, I would probably choose this one first, as I think I personally would do better in a program like this, but I will do fine in Seattle. And I really, really don't want to move.
4. University of Washington, Boise track. For this fun track, you do your first and third years in Seattle, and your second year you are at the VA Hospital in Boise. I was initially very opposed to this idea. I didn't want to have to move twice in three years. But I think it is actually a nice compromise between the UW Seattle tracks and UCSD. It's a good program, you get a lot of autonomy 2nd year, you learn a lot, and the Boise group tends to be a very close-knit, supportive group. Kind of like a smaller residency program within the ginormous UW residency.
5. Oregon Health Sciences. Portland is nice. This program is nice. They have a very interesting chronic care curriculum, teaching residents how to involve patients in their own care with chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. It would definitely be a less intense program than UW, but close enough to Seattle, that I wouldn't really feel like I was losing a whole lot by moving.
6. University of Michigan. Ok, so there are only so many programs on the west coast. If I don't get to stay at one of the top 5, it's time to head east. Michigan is an excellent program. Very academic, very research oriented. Downside? It is in Michigan. But close to Detroit, so you can get on a plane and get out without too much trouble. And Ann Arbor is actually quite nice. Their residents have a "union" so you get better pay and more vacation time than they do at other programs. Probably because they have to bribe you to move to Michigan.
7. Dartmouth. Hanover! Can you get any more remote than that? Not really, but it is a very supportive program. The residents are very happy, and have lives outside of medicine, which is encouraged by the program directors (what a novel idea! Keep your residents happy!). And life in a small town, while a definite change from life in Seattle, wouldn't be all bad.
8. University of Utah. They have mountains. They have Mormons. What more can you ask for? Yes, you have to buy beer at a liquor store. Yes, everything closes on Sunday. Yes, the local news is hilarious due to its amateur nature. But you can be on a ski lift in 30 minutes!
9. University of California Davis. It's tough to decide how to rank #8 and 9. Sacramento is close to Tahoe. Except on weekends, when everyone in the Bay Area decides to drive to Tahoe and traffic is miserable. Sacramento seems to be an up-and-coming city, and it's on the west coast. I don't know... I might change my mind and rank this one higher than Utah (this is why this is a tentative final list).
10. University of Wisconsin. It was a weird interview. I just didn't really click with the program. I probably shouldn't even rank it, but I'd rather end up there than nowhere, and I really don't think I'm going to have to worry about #10. At least I hope not... I'm hoping for something in the top 5. But any of these are good programs and will give me the training I need.
That is where things stand for now. I welcome any comments and input. I'll post my final final list after I submit it.
1. University of Washington, traditional track. This would provide me excellent training since I am leaning toward specialization at this point (endocrinology? hematology? oncology?), in an excellent city, and I wouldn't have to move. Yay!
2. University of Washington, primary care track. Again, I wouldn't have to move, and the primary care track is very similar to the traditional track. And the specialties that I am interested in are largely outpatient specialties, so extra clinic time would probably be helpful.
3. University of California San Diego. Ok, so I'd have to move. But I'd move to San Diego! The beach! The sun! It's warm! The program is similar to UW's, but smaller and more supportive, I think. If I weren't so opposed to moving, I would probably choose this one first, as I think I personally would do better in a program like this, but I will do fine in Seattle. And I really, really don't want to move.
4. University of Washington, Boise track. For this fun track, you do your first and third years in Seattle, and your second year you are at the VA Hospital in Boise. I was initially very opposed to this idea. I didn't want to have to move twice in three years. But I think it is actually a nice compromise between the UW Seattle tracks and UCSD. It's a good program, you get a lot of autonomy 2nd year, you learn a lot, and the Boise group tends to be a very close-knit, supportive group. Kind of like a smaller residency program within the ginormous UW residency.
5. Oregon Health Sciences. Portland is nice. This program is nice. They have a very interesting chronic care curriculum, teaching residents how to involve patients in their own care with chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. It would definitely be a less intense program than UW, but close enough to Seattle, that I wouldn't really feel like I was losing a whole lot by moving.
6. University of Michigan. Ok, so there are only so many programs on the west coast. If I don't get to stay at one of the top 5, it's time to head east. Michigan is an excellent program. Very academic, very research oriented. Downside? It is in Michigan. But close to Detroit, so you can get on a plane and get out without too much trouble. And Ann Arbor is actually quite nice. Their residents have a "union" so you get better pay and more vacation time than they do at other programs. Probably because they have to bribe you to move to Michigan.
7. Dartmouth. Hanover! Can you get any more remote than that? Not really, but it is a very supportive program. The residents are very happy, and have lives outside of medicine, which is encouraged by the program directors (what a novel idea! Keep your residents happy!). And life in a small town, while a definite change from life in Seattle, wouldn't be all bad.
8. University of Utah. They have mountains. They have Mormons. What more can you ask for? Yes, you have to buy beer at a liquor store. Yes, everything closes on Sunday. Yes, the local news is hilarious due to its amateur nature. But you can be on a ski lift in 30 minutes!
9. University of California Davis. It's tough to decide how to rank #8 and 9. Sacramento is close to Tahoe. Except on weekends, when everyone in the Bay Area decides to drive to Tahoe and traffic is miserable. Sacramento seems to be an up-and-coming city, and it's on the west coast. I don't know... I might change my mind and rank this one higher than Utah (this is why this is a tentative final list).
10. University of Wisconsin. It was a weird interview. I just didn't really click with the program. I probably shouldn't even rank it, but I'd rather end up there than nowhere, and I really don't think I'm going to have to worry about #10. At least I hope not... I'm hoping for something in the top 5. But any of these are good programs and will give me the training I need.
That is where things stand for now. I welcome any comments and input. I'll post my final final list after I submit it.
posted by tracysue at 5:27 PM
1 Comments:
When do you submit and when will you know what you get? Boise's not so bad! *m*
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