ROL 2007

Well i guess i might as well take the plunge as well. I applied to 60 schools and received 20 interviews (attended 13).

1. UVA - Great Staff, Beautiful City. Only Drawback slightly remote
2. Rothman TJUH- Great Faculty in a major city with bigtime recognition
3. Wst Virginia- Chaiman was pretty impressive, loved the collegetown feel.
4. Stonybrook- Great time with the faculty, NE a huge plus
5. UMDNJ Newark - Regional
6. Albert Einstein - Great Staff, Philly, Close location
7. U Rochester - Location is killer, but everything else is pretty slick
8. U Florida Jax - Location Location Location
9. Orlando Reg- Location, Private Ho$pital real nice
10. Geisinger - Location detracted, but residents were solid and close with attendings.
11. U Illinois Chicago - Chicago = Cold, Cook county great exp
12. WV 6 year
13. UMDNJ 6 yr
14. Rochester 6 yr
15 Seton Hall NJ - Hospital is old, program smaller
16. St Lukes Roosevelt- NYC but seems to have significant holes.

Sure...I'll bite:

Applied to 35, offers to interview from 26, went on 14. Geography was important to me, though I was willing to go almost anywhere.

1. HJD -- rotated here and i LOVED it. great location, awesome residents, outstanding opportunities. I was completely comfortable here.
2. Columbia 5
3. Columbia 6
4. Harvard
5. Rush
6. Sinai
7. Miami
8. UPenn
9. Yale
10. Pitt 5
11. JHU
12. UPenn 6
13. Pitt 6
14. Mayo
15. St. Luke's
16. LIJ

applied 67, offered 22 interviews, attended 14.

i ended up putting some really fantastic (and great fits for me) programs at the end of my list simply because i've been in michigan all my life and would really really really really REALLY like to live somewhere else for a bit. geography played a role, for sure. overall in terms of my "ideal" i was/am looking for a medium-sized (4-6 residents) academic or university affiliated program with a focus on early op experience and resident happiness. i also wanted a more high-volume place with a great trauma experience. but it's hard to find all that in one single program.

i also should say that there is no program on my list where i wouldn't be happy training. i was fortunate enough to really interview at places i was otherwise very interested in to begin with and find out i like them a lot.

1. university of new mexico - loved everything about this one
2. MCW - dammit, it's in milwaukee, but i LOVED the program.
3. harbor-UCLA - location, friends nearby, high-volume, early op
4. U Pitt 5 - freddie fu is stalking me and i love pittsburgh
5. VCU/MCV - high volume trauma, love the city, regional friends
6. U Fl-Jax - location, really liked the faculty, seemed up-and-coming
7. U Pitt 6
8. allegheny general - rotated here and had a great month. a little small
9. william beaumont hospital. - excellent op experience, family
10. university of michigan.
11. university of virginia - rotated here
12. albert einstein philly
13. grand rapids/MSU - excellent program, but i wanna leave MI
14. kalamazoo/ MSU - see above
15. mclaren/michigan state university. flint, mi[/i]

I'll throw my hat in.. Applied to 35, invited to interview at 25, went to 12. Didn't make some of the others owing to a ridiculous combination of conflicts and crap weather.

Ranked em as follows:

1) Rush. I felt like this was the program most like HSS of any that I visited -- but with a much more congenial relationship between the faculty and residents. The residents all seemed happy, the faculty were cool, the facilities were great...

2) UCLA. I ranked them above a few other programs that would arguably have provided 'better' training, and possibly more connected faculty. I know the common complaint -- not enough op volume, not enough responsibility, etc. I rotated there, and to some extent these criticisms seem justified. I just couldn't get over the fact that the residents seemed happier than pretty much anywhere else I went. And man, after living on the east coast for 12 years, the cold is getting really old. I know my number 1 contradicts this..

3) UCSF. A lot of people were hating on this program, what with the absence of a chair for so long, only recently remedied, and the apparent suckiness of SF General... I thought the new chair was great. The residents, including some alumni from my school, who definitely would have given it to me straight, love it. San Fran is awesome.

4) Harvard. Low only because the program seemed scattered, and possibly hurting from some infighting between all the services. The rep I heard from some attendings on the trail is that the residents are not up to par on op skills. I find that hard to believe, but what do I know?

5) Columbia. The PD is one of the coolest attendings I met on the trail, notwithstanding some rantings posted elsewhere.. I love New York.

6) HSS. See #1. Just didn't feel good here.

7) UCI. Location. A 'gamble' as the chair would say..

8 ) OHSU. Beautiful. Fun program, fun residents.

9) Pitt. Freddy Fu is the man. Sadly, Pitt is not so much the town.

10) UPenn. Liked the program, hated the city. Sorry -- no offense to the Balboas out there, just personal preference. I couldn't rank them higher because I know the town would make me miserable.

11) USC. LA is a big plus. However, if interview day was them putting their best foot forward...

12) Einstein (NY). Just didn't feel it here, in spite of the super nice faculty. Scattered hospitals. Slightly decrepit. Still ranked it because I'm not an idiot.

Of course, if after looking at this list you think I AM an idiot, I'd love to hear why.

1. Vanderbilt - rotated here and loved it
2. Wake Forest - seemed a lot like Vanderbilt, operate a ton
3. Campbell Clinic - probably the best training I saw, Memphis is a downer
4. USC - trauma heavy but excellent training
5. UCI - lots of friends in area
6. New Mexico - friendliest people I met
7. Louisville - some worries about their board pass rates
8. UT San Antonio - Carlisle is a big plus, not sure about living in TX
9. Duke - seemed a bit "stuffy"
10. UCLA - also seemed a bit "stuffy"
11. MCV/VCU - residents seemed genuinely not happy

Here’s my info:

Applied to 29 programs, offered 16 interviews (attended 9)

As far as training is concerned, would be happy at any of the places on my list as all of them offer a great experience. Wife made decision easier based upon her preferences on location (see below)

ROL

1. Vanderbilt: awesome program, very well rounded training experience with strong sports and better trauma exposure than some of programs below; residents and faculty very friendly; wife loved Nashville and very impressed with family friendliness of Vanderbilt

2. Duke: strong, solid program; residents seemed very happy with training and proud to be there; initially turned off about “having to do a 2nd look and tell us we’re your #1”, but reconsidered when told it wasn’t necessary to match

3. HSS: rotated here and LOVED program; can pretty much write your ticket for fellowships; have friends that are current residents in program; “gentleman’s program” with best call schedule of any place I interviewed; down on list because wife didn’t want to live in Manhattan for 5 years

4. Rush: similar to HSS with big name attendings, fellowship placement, and “gentleman’s program” scheduling; great facilities, awesome city; didn’t feel I fit in as well with only 2 current married residents

5. Mayo: AMAZING facilities (the best that I saw), really liked the focus on the patient and not on profits; sports experience currently weak (have to go to Florida for 3 mo rotation to get experience) and trauma experience not as strong as other programs; wife wasn’t too excited about living in Rochester

6. Case Western: great tradition, solid program; wasn’t impressed about potential of living in Cleveland but wouldn’t have been as bad as some people make it out to be

7. Campbell Clinic: great training experience; hated having to drive all over city and didn’t like Memphis as much as some of the above locations

8. Iowa: great faculty and very strong tradition; residents didn’t seem as happy as other places; turned off by everyone “apologizing” about extensive early clinic training experience during interview; wife didn’t want to spend 5 years in Iowa City

9. KU Kansas City: great up and coming program, just increased to 4 residents/year; young, motivated faculty with one of the best chairman/PD that I met; would’ve ranked at or near top of list, but wife grew up in KC and wanted to live somewhere else.

Good luck to everyone...

if I had it to do over again I would have in addition applied to all of the regional programs near me because that tends to be where you get the most love. I only applied to about half since I really wanted to leave. Offered 9 interviews, attended 8.

1. HJD - rotated here. Loved residents and LOVED city. Good name, little late in getting you to the OR in my opinion but the students from nyc that I talked to seemed to think it was better than the other programs in the area. They don't know how we roll down south (for example, as a MS4 you nail the tibia, not the PGY3) I also really liked the didactics.

2. UT Houston - rotated here, over all by far the best program for training in my opinion. You come out a lean, mean, ortho machine. You are giving lots of responsibility and operate very early, but all the residents could handle it. Trauma is great and doesn't overshadow the other rotations. The city was the downer.

3. Ochsner - love New Orleans, used to live there. Enjoyed the low attending:resident ratio and personable attendings. Good lifestyle. My closest friends and the best food ever live here.
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4. UT San Antonio - rotated and grew up here, otherwise might be lower. Liked the guys alot except for the constant dipping. Liked Carlisle, not sure if I fit in with the other attendings. Trauma at times seems to overshadow stuff and you spend a lot of time doing puss, not cool trauma like you get at UTH. Didactics don't seem to be very well structured.

5. LSU-NO - would have rated this right near the top if it didn't seem to be in so much transition. This may have been the coolest group of guys. Seems like the good autonomy in the OR.

6. UTMB - really enjoyed the staff, PD is awesome and making great changes. Seems like you get early operative experiences and good autonomy. Not sure how I feel about Galveston or if I fit in with the residents.

7. Texas A&M - brand new super nice hospital. Great staff. You could buy a huge house, but then it would be in Temple, TX. Opportunity to be first female in program...I felt like some residents were ready, others weren't. Think this is a really great program if you have a family, I would have been the only single person besides one intern.

8. GWU - rotated here. Potentially great location, I was stuck in the burbs and therefore didn't really get a chance to experience it. Enjoyed staff I met, didn't get a chance to experience the Washington Hospital Center where they spend a lot of time. Real issue was with the residents. 80% were awesome, the other 20% were really disinterested in spending time with each other outside of work and also in the excellence I think the profession of ortho as a whole strives to achieve within ourselves. I think it was good I rotated here because I would have ranked it higher because of location if I hadn't known as much.

Bump for this thread...only 7 ROL were submitted this year from Orthogaters? I would contribute but I am MSII - I have to say though, it is interesting to see how different lists are constructed and the reasoning behind them (recognizing that this is wholly personal logic). Good luck this next week everyone.
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more will post after match day.

I'll add my list. Applied to 62, offered 4, went to 4 (re-applicant with a low step 1). My mantra-it only takes 1.

1. Loma Linda-met the chiefs at a regional meeting, they seemed like a cool, fun group of guys. Made me feel better about the whole seventh day adventist thing (was worried the residents would be followers). Liked the facilities, got a good feeling about the staff I interviewed with. Not too far away, and my research fellowship supervisor works with some of the guys out there so it would be easy to follow up on any unfinished research stuff.

2. UC Davis, 5yr-rotated there on trauma service. Liked the fact they were able to get adequate OR time during the day and get their cases done. Liked the attendings and residents. New chair seems like he is only going to make the program better. Not sure why I didn't put it number 1 (farther away, I guess)

3. Colorado-Seemed like a good program, still pretty close to home.

4. UF Jax-rotated there, liked the program, residents, and attendings. Best facilites (great call rooms). Farthest from home.

5. UC Davis 6yr-I guess I just don't really want to do six years

I really need to go get drunk now. The anticipation and fear is killing me.

Congratulations to all of those students who matched this year. So, now that the results are in, anymore takers on ROLs and/or just perceptions of programs this year even if you don't want to include where you placed said programs on your list? Even if not posting a list, recent experience and pros/cons on programs can help next year's applicant pool.

hey man. i promise you there will be tons of posts after thursday, when we see where we matched. best of luck to you all.

Applied 60 Offered 30 Interviewed 12

Wanted to stay close to Chicago, but still applied broadly. While it cost a lot to apply to so many programs, it was nice to have options which helped with scheduling. Originally thought I would care about “name” but realized getting into a program where I was comfortable with the residents and faculty was much more important. In the end, I found I wanted a program with early-op experience and happy residents (ie “community”). Program size also was a factor. I liked all the programs, but I felt obliged to comment more on why I ranked programs lower than another… so pardon the list if it seems a bit critical or negative.

1. MCW—Awesome program
2. Grand Rapids—Maybe the best place I visited, but have family in Milwaukee
3. Kalamazoo—home call for 5 years…
4. Wichita—Got great impression from interview. Rotator I met loved the program. Wichita kind of a dump
5. Iowa—Obviously great program… lives up to reputation. Had a few misgivings about ‘fit’.
6. Loyola— Perfect program, but knew I wasn’t going to match there no matter where I ranked it. Very competitive to get an interview, let alone get into.
7. SIU— One of the best groups of residents I met on the trail. Lots of early experience. Didn’t care much for Springfield.
8. Fort Wayne— Program on probation, but still seemed like an ok place to train. Probably would have ranked this much lower in retrospect, owing to the fact that the program may close.
9. Kentucky—Far from home. Faculty, residents, and chair seemed very cool. Got impression that they worked very hard all the time.
10. Indiana—Heard negative things about the integrity/future of this program on trail. Just didn’t really feel like a great fit with residents… not to mention, had a hostile interview with one faculty (only malignant one on the trail for me). Interview day was tedious… 8 hours.
11. Saint Louis University—Trauma heavy, sports light. Mandatory 6 years with one year of “unprotected research”—meaning you take call that year. Hospital seemed run down and was told there was a lot of scut. Residents and faculty seemed good.
12. Michigan—The main reason this is the lowest on my list is because I missed the night before and didn’t meet many residents during my interview. Students I met on trail didn’t seem to want to stay there—heard something about ‘most bitter intern award’. Though, I really appreciated Dr. Karunaker (sp?) telling us that love letters, thank you notes, phone calls, and second looks don’t affect ranking… which is nice.