Malignant programs?

Univ of Missouri-kansas city has a very malignant chairman who basically tells you during the introduction speech on interview day that you will not like him, that he will embarass you publicly, and a few other comments which basically made me want to get up and leave before the whole interview day started. We also sat in on a resident given morning lecture and he constantly interuppted the resident and made him look like a fool in front of everyone. Ohh and the hospital is a dump (truman hosp anyway, where you spend a large percentage of time) with a pretty bad neighborhood surrounding it. I seriously considered not even ranking this place but i figured it would be better than doing some prelim year somewhere. Needless to say it was DEAD last on my list. Anyone else who interviewed there can back up my story. Thats really the only place i interviewed at that really made me go "what the h$%& is up with this place?" Kansas city is a pretty nice midwestern city, but i would recommend trying over at University of Kansas (which i liked) across the state line vs UMKC

I have been told that South Carolina Columbia is also one to avoid. Can't remember if that is due to malignancy or just that it is a subpar place, but to avoid it.
There are also some old posts about UT Southwestern is sorta malignant and that Louisiana Shreveport is also to be avoided, but I don't have anything to back this up. )

I would be weary of the messages on this group because "malignant" is such a subjective term. Earlier this year, I rotated at Duke. Prior to my arrival, I was also warned about how "malignant" this program was. However, I found it to be excellent even though it was a hard life-style. So I wouldn't make any critical decisions based on someone else's subjective feelings. Of course, it's hard to find out if you fit in well with the program in 1 interview day but I guess we're all in the same boat, eh? Also, not too many people coming out of residency at any program complain and say they wish they had gone somewhere else...

i agree with the "dont confuse busy/hard for malignant". You WILL busy busier at some places versus others but that does not equal malignant. Malignant is kinda the general feel of the place, how people treat you AS A PERSON, how appreciated you feel. Being busy (usually) means you are getting exposure/experience to things you need to know. Being a victim of malig. is getting belittled or having things thrown at you in the OR, and other things that are not necessarily a factor of workload. :tongue:

Just trying to bring back to life what I consider an important issue i.e. knowing which programs are malignant. Don't know how others may feel, but I care more about going to a benign program than working with a big shot surgeon who, by the way, may not be very personable or resident-friendly. I think it is pointless to cause oneself more pain than is necessary, especially when working 80 or whatever hours plus studying during one's time off.
Any other malignant programs out there? Is Wash U still pretty malignant? I do know that I saw an attending from there at a conference, and the way the guy talked with a company rep, I didn't get very good vibes.

care to mention which attending it was???

I won't go that far

I don't care if a program gave fruit baskets out every holiday and powdered my bottom every morning - If I had to go q3 for five years I would consider it malignant.

i agree with Rex.... Although getting your bottom powdered every morning would be quite a treat.

so...ahem...going back to the original question- any malignant programs out there?