orthohopeful
OSRR Junior
Posts: 42
(12/3/01 8:33:13 pm)
Reply
George Washington
Any thoughts on GWU? I met a fellow that trained there, but he was pretty vague about the program.
I'd love to live in D.C. but I have no clue about the program and the interview will be a huge travel
problem for me.
IamNikolas
OSRR Senior
Posts: 71
(12/3/01 9:41:17 pm)
Reply
re: GW
I can tell you a little bit about the program...all hearsay but from a reliable source:
I worked with someone closely associated with the program and I can tell you they did not speak
favorably of it. Apparently, the residents are not the happiest bunch there...the attendings are
overworked and do not treat the residents well. There is no funding for books AT ALL...and according to
a recent graduate from there, the "conferences" are not the best in the world...apparently the faculty is
too busy to attend them and the residents prepare and give lectures...residents of course are not the
best lecturers given their lack of experience...he said that there were many times when he wished
someone with a bit of experience would come in and chip in...
anyways...although it is associated with a med school, this is NOT an academic program but more of a
community program. You are required to submit/present one research paper but according to this recent
graduate, there is VERY LITTLE support in the way of research.
Also, the hospital is not "computerized"...i.e. all orders are written. I don't know about the rest of you
all, but where I am everything is put directly into the computer. It would suck to have to write it down
now...at least for me.
Anyways...another thing he told me is that the department is not that financially secure...hence no
books and perks...and they don't have enough attendings ...so the faculty is overworked and they "take
it out on the residents"
Dr. Nevasier (sp?) is chairman and he's a very abrasive fellow from what I hear. I heard one (very
well-known) attending in the shoulder world say: "If Nevasier is there (a meeting he was discussing), I
ain't going...that guy is the biggest jerk I have ever met"...I quote. I worked with another graduate from
the program and he said similar things about him. He's apparently somewhat rude and blunt...he's got a
lot of enemies around because he "shoots people down" at meetings and tries to prove them wrong and
crap like that.
Having said all of the above, I can tell you that the 2 guys I worked with (both graduates of the
program) were well-trained and pretty good surgeons (from a med student point of view mind you!).
However, neither described their experience there as being very pleasant. To be honest, I was talking to
one of them about the program around September (when I was applying to programs) and he made the
program sound so bad that I did not even apply to GW... I realize that was premature decision making
on my part...but seriously, the vibes I was getting from this guy were not good...and he sounded like he
had a pretty miserable residency.
I'm just telling you what I have heard from someone who did their residency there...Of course, I have
never seen the place for myself. But i do trust this guy...I don't see what his motivation would be to cut
up his own program....you know?
Good luck...and ask others about it.
