I completely agree. I am extremely happy I rotated at a community program, specifically at ORMC; it was awesome. The residents were laid back, loved working hard and operating, and were great to work with as a med student. The surgical experience the residents get there is tough to beat--their hands were excellent in the OR.

I also thought CMC was great too, although in truth it is very academic.

All in all, I think community programs are amazing, I wish more positive things were said about them on these forums.

I come from a community program, so I have a bias...and I would agree with you two. I rotated as a student at both Grand Rapids and Mount Carmel and loved it. I have two good friends at both of those programs and they love it. In both types of programs you can get a great education, but like you said community programs tend to be a little more laid back. You are generally treated as a colleague at community programs and there is not so much of a hierarchy. With that said, some university programs are also like that, you just have to figure our where you feel most comfortable, want to live, and is a place that will facilitate your learning. Ultimately, it comes down to you. There are many great programs out there, but it is still your responsibility to work hard and learn, which is why going to a place that makes you excited to be there important. Unfortunately, my community program is closing and I have to transfer. I am going to a university program, but it has a very similar feel with a very collegial atmosphere and that is what works well for me.

Good luck with your search and on match day.

I agree.

Community programs are often misnomered and offer a great deal: for instance, I rotated at Mt Carmel and they are somewhat unique in that they have impeccable academics and still maintain a small program with 1-on-1 attending-resident training. One might argue that you are essentially trained to become a purebred private-practice Orthopaedist.

The "potential" (+/- your personality) drawbacks I noticed were these:
1) n=10 residents is a small sample size personality-wise
2) I took call one night with one of the residents and he actually pitched a no-hitter

Few have ever b1tched about being a resident at a community program.

And don't forget about "hybrid" programs which are usually large non-"academic" institutions whose experiences lie between the prototypic universities and the often-smaller "community" ones...

And don't forget about "hybrid" programs which are usually large non-"academic" institutions whose experiences lie between the prototypic universities and the often-smaller "community" ones...

Newbie here. Re: "'hybrid' programs," could you give some examples? Would places like the Campbell Clinic and Lenox Hill be included in this group? It sounds like something like this could be the best of both worlds.

Can anyone with a little more experience with these programs shed a little more light. I know interview days can be a non representative.

Hasn't the ranklist closed already?

Well I can't speak for Campbell and Lenox Hill since I wasn't offered interview shots at either of those places (... ...).

At the risk of offense by mis-classifying... as for other "hybrid"-type programs: excellent places like Beaumont and Greenville immediately spring to mind. Brilliant hospitals and facilities. Big enough to give you big experience, but small enough to avoid many of the university bureaucratic pitfalls. MCW in Milwaukee also fits this bill well.

Of course, then there are user-friendly university programs with curiously-happy and well-trained residents like Arkansas and to a smaller extent, WVU...