Richard:
I am a southern applicant, and interviewed at all 3 places. I rotated at both MCG and AMC, and want to stay here in Georgia......
Emory: trauma-rama, great attendings. You will get pounded your second year at Grady. You will be able to rod a femur in your sleep by the first or second month of your second year. It is a huge, trauma heavy residency, with some great attendings, a good name, and the ability to go onto the fellowship of your choice. Didnt rotate there so thats about the extent of my knowledge of Emory.
MCG: A sleeper program, these guys have it good! An awesome new chairman (from Wake Forest, DR. Curl) who is great to talk to, knows people, and is taking the MCG program in the right direction. Lots of young, but very strong, attendings with great attitudes, there were only 2 out of the 11+ that I really didnt think were awesome, but they were allright to work with. The strength of this program lies in its faculty, and they have got some great new guys join recently. Reasonable home call, VERY inexpensive to live in Augusta (yes, many call it disgusta....hot, not a lot to do if your single). Strong sports, weaker joints, great spine guy (one of the best attendings I have ever worked with). The residents were some of the happiest I have EVER worked with, and come out very competent surgeons. There is a cool prison program where you go operate on prisoner: unreal scope experience.....
AMC: a community based program in the heart of Atlanta. First 2 years spent at AMC (near grady in Downtown). 3rd and 4th years spent at various hospitals around atlanta (St. Joseph's, Scottish rite, Piedmont/Shepard Spinal Clinic, Grady, etc...) and chief year spent at AMC. A downside in my opinion, is that Atlanta is Expensive, and you will be spending a lot of time in your car driving. Not the best of benefits, but the Program Director is a good guy that takes care of his residents if they need something. AMC is a bit run down and not the cushest of places, but the OR's are state of the art. Benefits are that this program is like a slice of Private practice, you work with a ton of different surgeons throughout the city, do a good bit of outpatient work, and call is not as bad as at Emory.
Of the 3 in georgia, MCG is tops for many reasons in my book, then Emory (Hell, if I am going to be in Atlanta's miserable traffic, might as well go to the bigger name), the AMC. You will be a competent Surgeon coming from all 3 programs so the differences are what you want out of a program.
Go visit all 3 and you will get a feel for all 3. AMC: kind of dissociated because everyone is split up over the 5 years, MCG: a good group of buddies (like a Frat) with the same in attendings, and Emory: the higher powered, work your fingers to the bone program with an Academic feel.
Good luck in your search for a residency that fits.....it would be nice if we had choices, but in reality it is going to be nice to just match.
Be sure to look at Greenville as well, a VERY solid program that will be at the top of my rank list with MCG.
Hope that helped a bit!
