Grand Rapids versus William Beaumont

Very similar programs. Both are high-volume, well respected private programs in Michigan. Both have most specialties covered except GR which has minimal tumor coverage.

The main differences are that 1) Beaumont has everything in one hospital, compared to GR where you cover multiple hospitals. 2) Beaumont is in Royal Oak of metropolitan Detroit, and GR is in GR Michigan's 2nd largest city, but much smaller in feel compared to metro-Detroit.

People that I know who have rotated at both thought they were very similar and liked both of them. Most of them chose which they liked better based on the 2 differences I posted above.

I rotated at Grand Rapids and interviewed at Beaumont. Both are great programs. I think the strength of GR is the group of residents they have. Beaumont is more academic with conferences every morning and is probably a more cushy residency. GR has a very busy level I trauma center. Of note, you do rotate at 3 hospitals in GR, but the areas where most residents live are all within 7-10 minutes of all 3 hopsitals. Both programs have very nice perks and extas, like free food, lots of book money, etc.

Personally, I think GR is a nicer city than Detroit. The staff and residents at GR have a great working relationship that is much more friendly than at most programs I saw. You probably can't go wrong with either program, but my vote would go to GR.

Something to figure out is whether they take only rotators or not. If one of the programs has only taken rotators and you did not do a rotation there, then your are better off interviewing at the other program. Historically, both programs have been good community programs.

Could anyone add in Kalamazoo's program to the comparison? The program there seems very similar to these two.

I interviewed at Beaumont and K-Zoo. I would like to have interviewed at Grand Rapids. Friends who interviewed at Grand Rapids only had good things to say. Beaumont and K-Zoo were both good community programs, which is what I was looking for. I loved K-Zoo. They rotate at two hospitals, one is a really busy trauma center and the other much less busy so they end up getting good trauma expience and also months where call is really not bad at all (home call at that). The attendings seem really interested in training residents, and they have so many cases that they only cover a part of them with residents. The group of residents is really great. They are the kind of people you'd like to work with for 5 years. Beaumont is very strong in all areas of ortho. I didn't get the same good feeling from the residents, though. The feeling was actually a little strange, and I don't know how to describe it further than that. As far as the "cushy" part referred to above, that may be true for 3-5 year. However, from talking to classmates who rotated their I'd say 2nd year is really tough. The 2nd years have the usual 2nd year duties like most 2nd years, which on their own are usually tough. However, they are also supposed to prepare cadaveric dissections, lectures and other things in their spare time. Evidently it amounts to a lot of hours. However, they are really strong in all areas of ortho, and they have a lot of perks (including people to meet the repairman at your house for you and take out your dry cleaning as I remember).

Any word on the Flint program? I hear they get a lot of good trauma and residents seem happy - or as happy as can be considering a small program's work load .

my two cents:

kalamazoo was great - the residents and the program setup were great, and i could go on and on about the program.

grand rapids was pretty similar but busier than the others, again a nice group of residents/attendings

beaumont - not a huge fan despite family in the area

flint - program might be good, but you're living in flint, which sucks