As a current resident this will obviously be biased. The scoop on Rochester is that it is a large, secure, research powerhouse, non-pretentious, family oriented, program in a snowy, very affordable midsized city, with a diversity of culture and outdoor activities, that has a great operative experience with a busy trauma dept. The dept, as previously mentioned on this site, has been the number one NIH funded dept for a couple of years now. Research is everywhere and residents usually fall into projects during the six months of research we get during third and fourth year. For example our assistant PD was just on ABC nightly news and the today show for Forteo work this week. It has traditionally been a basic science centered dept but clinical projects have ramped up recently. The hospital was the most profitable academic center in NY and is currently expanding, while the residency programs were the first by the ACGME to get six years of accred, so it is rock solid (increasingly important nowadays). The three previous chairmen are still involved in the dept (PD, Dean of Students, Faculty Mentoring). Very Very well balanced, and this is probably the hallmark, of the program. Three spine, two peds , three onc, six hand, three joints, five sports, three Foot and ankle, three trauma etc. (just search for old ROL/matchlists etc and you will read from others their impression of the balance at Rochester. NO HOLES or AWAYS). Chiefs getting the fellowships they want, this year was shoulder and elbow at Mayo and NYU, Hand at HSS, Sports at Kerlan Jobe, and Private practice an R4 just matched joints at HSS. Operative experience is excellent for such an academic program as fellows so far have not disturbed volume. (hand, sports, joints, and foot fellows. Total #4) Trauma can be tough here, our catchment is 1.3 million (not shock/harborview but definitely not Dartmouth/Chicago). You will work hard here and get your hands dirty with lots of operating and reductions. Not for those that want an observational residency. The dept is very friendly, no Malignant attendings (really) with Rochester attracting the unpretentious type (chairman has dept parties a couple of times a year at his house, sports attending threw a bowling party for us at oak hill country club). We are opening a brand new 10 OR surg center this summer and our clinic is incredible and only a couple of years old. You rotate only at two hospitals, and they and the clinic and surg center are within a mile of each other (huge for gas). Rochester is a surprising city that always ranks well in sperlings etc. It has around 1 million in the metro area and has the benefits of living in a city without the traffic/prices of larger cities. It has a very impressive arts and culture scene for its size with the Eastman school of music and the philharmonic, and an endless summer festival scene (corn hill/lilacs/canal days). As for outdoor activities there is the finger lakes, Adirondacks, lake Ontario, small ski areas, tons of x-country skiing, snowmobiling etc. The Bills, Sabres, Raptors, Maple leafs, Blue Jays, and Syracuse basketball are within two hours. For those preferring the city, Toronto is two hours away and a cheap fun weekend getaway and tickets to NYC are $39 on Jet blue right now. Late April until end of OCT are heaven but the snow is for real and can get pretty cold (nothing a garage and a coat can’t handle). The program is very family friendly as housing is some of the cheapest in the country (property taxes are high with resultant awesome public schools). Nearly all the residents own really nice homes (huge draw). Not a fraternity style group, more like a group of settled down (~80 % married) residents who hang out often but not at the bar every night together. Very congenial group with tight knit wives. So after all these positives an hones list of negatives: Property Taxes, Snow (gets old in February), Parking, and the cafeteria is awful (pack a lunch). We usually get a decent number of rotators but not crazy and residents can definitely push rotators through if they are liked. PM with questions.

Great review, I will definitely be looking into this program.

I think a lot of people would say, if it wasn't in Rochester, it would be considered one of the very most desirable programs in the country -- perhaps the best and most well-rounded experience around.