Now that we know yay or nay, and the bad karma associated with posting early might be gone - I think it's safe to post this now. I hope others will do the same to help the future surgeons behind us...
1. USMLE score: 237(step 1)/233(step 2 - not sent, taken in Feb)
2. How many you ranked - 15 (11 interviews, 2 aways, 2 6 yr options, and I didn't rank 1 pretty well known place because I hated the interview so much)
3. How many research/publications: 3
4. Match Result: MATCHED
5. Any advice for the next generation of hopefuls: Don't be bashful about applying to a ton of programs. The most important thing is that you match. Trust me, you'd rather get 10 interviews at mid-level programs than 2 at prestigious ones. I'm a pretty average applicant, and I'm glad I applied to a ton of community programs and local programs. It's always fun to do a few places that are "dreams" but it's much more effective to do a TON of schools you think are safety programs.
1. Colorado: I mean, c'mon, it's Colorado. I did an away rotation here, and I loved it. The residents are great (they even have a monster truck that they take to CU football games), they have excellent Trauma and the staff are top notch. They are a little short on foot/ankle, but the rest of the program was so strong that I sort of overlooked that.
2. UNC: This place is really a diamond in the rough. It's so close to Duke and Wake that I think it sometimes gets overlooked - but they have an outstanding program with well known surgeons. Dirschl is a great chair, and Dahners is a Trauma wizard. The didactics here are also probably the best I've seen anywhere. And... being on campus at Chapel Hill gives way to a lot of nice "scenery."
3. Tufts: I wasn't sure I would really like this place - but I was blown away by the residents on my interview day. I stayed out until about 3 am drinking with them and shooting the s$(& - they had very positive things to say about the program, and they all were headed to amazing fellowships. Boston is unreal, and they are located right in the heart of the city. Another program that probably gets overlooked because of all of the programs nearby, but I think this place has a much better operative experience than those other "name" programs (of course that's my opinion since I interviewed @ Tufts and not the others...haha).
4. Akron General: Another program that completely surprised me. This place is unreal. The benefits are 2nd to none, the residents are super cool, and they continually score in the top levels on the OITE. Their caseload is psychotic and I think most of these guys(and girls) feel comfortably tackling just about any surgery they see. This place probably could've gone higher, but being in Akron bumped it down a bit as well as the fact that they don't do "set rotations" (meaning that you may cover a bit of joint/sports/hand, etc all at the same time). There are pluses and minuses to that - but it's less my style. Even so, I'd be more than happy if this is where I ended up.
5. Medical College of Wisconsin: I rotated here. It's only this high because my girlfriend (soon to be fiance) really likes Milwaukee. It's an outstanding program with unbelievable trauma - you will be a good surgeon by the time you're done here. Schmeling (PD) and Roberts are probably the most skilled traumatologists I've seen. The residents are a good group, and the lower classes are especially fun to work with. I'm not sure my personality fits in here very well, but it would sure make my g/f happy - and you know what they say... happy wife [to be, I guess], happy life.
6. Henry Ford: I think people knock this program because it's in Detroit, but I was really impressed with both the facilities and the staff. The residents all seemed friendly, and liked to joke around - and the Chairman is a HUGE advocate for the residents (I don't think you'd ever have to pay for a book if you go to this program). It seems like the experience here would be excellent. They also cover some of the local sports teams, which is always a fun perk.
7. West Virginia: Morgantown is the #1 party school in America - enough said. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect here - but this seems like a program on the rise. They just hired a new well known peds guy and it looks like the program is really rounding out. The residents put on a slide show during the interview day, which basically made me rank this place at 7 instead of lower - they seemed like a great group that like to have fun together, and they're constantly ripping on each other -which is just my style of humor.
8. U of Kansas - Wichita: Another program that wasn't on my radar until I got there. Some things you should know about this place: the Chairman basically said that he doesn't like to interview people from the coasts because they are so much less likely to A. Keep their interview appt, and B. Rank them highly. Also, you MUST do the handwritten essay (he basically just wants to see that he can read your handwriting and that you're willing to take the time to do it). I had a 30 minute conversation about guns/hunting with some of the residents here - so if you're in to outdoor activities, this is a good place to check out. Although they are a university program, they function sort of like a community hospital, and I think this is a huge benefit because you get a huge amount of cases and 1:1 attention.
9. Marshall (WV): This is an up and coming program. The chairman is a very amicable guy - and he will definitely win you over during your interview there. The only caveat about this place is that they interview about 90 people and only rank 30. So choose wisely if this ends up conflicting with other places. They've got a solid foundation in place, and I think in 5-10 years, this may be one of the top programs in the region.
10. Detroit Med Ctr: Honestly, I don't know what to think about this place. Dr. Blaser (the PD) lambasted my research during my interview, and it really turned me off to the proram (despite really enjoying all of my other interviews). They take you to a Wings game the night before, which was awesome - and the residents are a fun group of guys to hang out/drink with. They cover the Wings for sure, and I think the Pistons (although I'm not sure) - which, again, is kind of cool.
11. McLaren (Flint): This is another hidden gem. If you want an interview here, you should apply early though because they send out invites really quick. They only take 2/yr, but they have a huge caseload and the staff are all fellowship trained from well known places. The main reason it's not higher/the major downside is that they send you to Washington state to do your Peds rotation - just didn't seem like something I would do if I had the choice (the upside is that they ALL say it's an incredible experience and that they are basically the primary surgeon on every case out there).
12. St. Louis University: This place could have easily been somewhere in my top 5 if it weren't a 6 year program. Yeah, it's a mandatory 6 years here. Honestly, I think they have an amazing program and outstanding staff, I just couldn't justify ranking it higher because the opportunity cost of that extra year is so great when you factor in a fellowship.
13. UNC - 6 year (see above)
14. WVU - 6 year (see above)
15. Wayne State: Going against what I said in #12, even though this is a 5 year program - it didn't strike me as very stable. They literally got their "go ahead" weeks before we interviewed there and the staff all talked about how they were planning on retiring during my interview. I think if they survive the first 5 years, they'll have a really solid program because they have the facilities and the funding, but I just worry that the RRC won't look to kindly upon a lot of turnover in the first few years.
ALL of that being said - I am just happy to have a spot. I have no idea where I'll be - but I can be happy at any of the ones on my list. I can be happy anywhere for 5 years as long as I get to be a surgeon at the end of it.
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE ON THURSDAY AND NEXT YEAR!!
