Just thought I would let you know about our resident experience at the Wake Forest Orthopaedic Surgery Program early since we send out interview offers earlier than most programs.
I am a junior resident here and absolutely love it: very benign program with outstanding attendings across the board, great co-residents who are fun to be around and work with (we learn a lot and laugh a lot in conference) and responsive leadership that is always looking for ways to make the program and experience better.
The two cons are that our AI experience is a little unstructured (this is being overhauled) and you've probably never heard of Winston-Salem, NC and would not want to consider it if you were single and snobby like me and had only lived in "real cities" (Dallas, LA and Boston). There is plenty of nightlife, dining experiences and other young professionals in this city to rival a bigger place, but at the same time you can afford to live in a big house or opt for a beautiful apartment in the lively downtown at a quarter of the $4000-5000 it would have cost me in Boston (http://www.nissenapartments.com/winston-salem/nissen-building-apartments/photos/). The area (Piedmont Triad) has a low cost of living with beautiful homes and a sprawling population of 1.5 million that makes this program ideal for both married and single residents. I will probably move back to the SoCal when I am done, but I have no problem spending 5 years in a city where I am happy.
The pros are many: early operative experience, plenty of ancillary staff to help you out (NPs, PAs) and one of the most laid back internships in the country. We even made a short video about our internship:
http://www.youtube.com/user/WakeForestOrtho
Our Chairman and Program Director are very supportive of anyone who wants to do research, get involved in policy making or lead quality improvement initiatives. If you have an idea, they'll let you pursue it. Moreover, our chiefs match at excellent fellowships (this year's matched at Duke for Joints, Steadman Hawkins for Sports, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles for Pediatric Orthopaedics and HSS for Trauma). While Wake Forest is not mentioned in the same breath as HSS, Harvard, Columbia or Mayo (yet!), it is a hidden gem that is becoming not so hidden.
At the end of the day, I chose this program over some bigger names because more important than reputation, I wanted to be happy. And I have not been disappointed.
Our interview dates are:
November 18
November 19
December 9
December 10
Please feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to respond. I will update the post when our new website is up and as we release more short films. Hope to see many of you soon.
Best of luck with the interview season!
I am a junior resident here and absolutely love it: very benign program with outstanding attendings across the board, great co-residents who are fun to be around and work with (we learn a lot and laugh a lot in conference) and responsive leadership that is always looking for ways to make the program and experience better.
The two cons are that our AI experience is a little unstructured (this is being overhauled) and you've probably never heard of Winston-Salem, NC and would not want to consider it if you were single and snobby like me and had only lived in "real cities" (Dallas, LA and Boston). There is plenty of nightlife, dining experiences and other young professionals in this city to rival a bigger place, but at the same time you can afford to live in a big house or opt for a beautiful apartment in the lively downtown at a quarter of the $4000-5000 it would have cost me in Boston (http://www.nissenapartments.com/winston-salem/nissen-building-apartments/photos/). The area (Piedmont Triad) has a low cost of living with beautiful homes and a sprawling population of 1.5 million that makes this program ideal for both married and single residents. I will probably move back to the SoCal when I am done, but I have no problem spending 5 years in a city where I am happy.
The pros are many: early operative experience, plenty of ancillary staff to help you out (NPs, PAs) and one of the most laid back internships in the country. We even made a short video about our internship:
http://www.youtube.com/user/WakeForestOrtho
Our Chairman and Program Director are very supportive of anyone who wants to do research, get involved in policy making or lead quality improvement initiatives. If you have an idea, they'll let you pursue it. Moreover, our chiefs match at excellent fellowships (this year's matched at Duke for Joints, Steadman Hawkins for Sports, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles for Pediatric Orthopaedics and HSS for Trauma). While Wake Forest is not mentioned in the same breath as HSS, Harvard, Columbia or Mayo (yet!), it is a hidden gem that is becoming not so hidden.
At the end of the day, I chose this program over some bigger names because more important than reputation, I wanted to be happy. And I have not been disappointed.
Our interview dates are:
November 18
November 19
December 9
December 10
Please feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to respond. I will update the post when our new website is up and as we release more short films. Hope to see many of you soon.
Best of luck with the interview season!