Wash U dirt anyone?

Gelberman (chair) is rumored to be the only outside candidate remaining for the HSS chairmanship. WashU residents and staff don't expect him to leave. Some applicants didn't like their current residents.

anyone else?

although they implemented a night float system a while back, the residents are still VERY busy and compared to some places dont operate until late in the program. They also have fellows in just about everything, so you might be fighting with them for cases.

interesting....when they say..."We don't expect him to leave.(Gelberman..chairman)...."..in the real world that usually means..he's going to leave
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I’m currently one of the Orthopaedic residents at Barnes Jewish hospital (Washington University St. Louis) and I would like to address the future of our program.

As many of you know, we are one of the first tier Orthopaedic programs in the country, but recently there has been some uncertainty concerning the status of our current chairman (Dr. Gelberman) and whether he would be
leaving us to take the chairmanship at HSS and taking with him some of our other noteworthy attendings. I want to get the word out that not only is Dr. Gelberman and all of the current staff staying, but we will
be adding 3 new attendings (Spine, Foot and Ankle, and Recon) which will strengthen our already impressive faculty lineup. In addition, we are expanding the number of residents per year (beginning this year) to six.


I also want to clear up any misconception that this is a malignant program. We have been compliant of the 80 hour work week for several months now, which is more than I can say for many other ortho programs. Please don’t get me wrong…we work hard, but anybody going into orthopaedic surgery should expect to work hard during residency. We have no weekend conferences, but we have one of the most comprehensive and educational lecture series in the country as evidenced by the fact that our residents have scored on average above the 92nd percentile for the last 5 years on the Orthopaedic In Training Exam and no resident has failed his/her Boards in over 7 years. In short, we are a teaching program with excellent attendings, a strong educational program, and a chairman who is dedicated to making the Washington University Orthopaedic Surgery Residency the best in the country.

I believe I speak for all of the current residents and staff when I say we are confident in the stability of our program, the dedication of our chairman and other attendings, and in the belief that this program will only continue to improve.

Please feel free to contact myself or any of the other residents or attending if you have any questions or concerns. Good luck with the upcoming match and your future careers in Orthopaedics.

Respectfully,
Ryan Nunley
Pager 314-294-4874
Phone 314-494-2335
Email [url=mailto][email protected][/url]

???

wash u is a great program. the only thing is that there is still a question as to whether Gelbermann will leave or not. He was offered the position at HSS last year and declined the offer, but now is being interviewed at UCSF for their chairmanship. If you look at his track record, he doesn't stay at one program for too long. Who knows whether or not he will leave. If he leaves, I wonder who will go with him.

I agree with the majority of the above on Wash U. It is certainly an above-average program. Cannot be considered a great program secondary to resident cacaphony. As always, you must view with suspicion the clearly defensive comments from current resident(s) who realize their program's shortcomings. Still Dr. Gelberman is an impressive man who admittedly believes that his residents do not function in a cohesive manner.

If you would like real information about the program then just ask. Last year I read the same "dirt" posts and read the same kind of empty replies. Most claims on this site are unfounded. As for Dr. Gelberman leaving... Our chairman is a great guy. He along with the majority of our faculty are offered positions at programs around the country every year. It's just part of being at an academic program. He is not leaving.

As for Resident cacOphony... Wash U is the perfect place in the perfect city with perfect patients and did I mention that it is just perfect. There is nothing wrong at all. Everything is just great.

You all know as well as I that no group is completely harmonious 100% of the time. If it were it would be boring and machine like. Everyone thinking in the same way at the same time is kind of unappealing at least to me. Our group is diverse. In my class we have one guy who is married with 2 kids another guy who's married and 4 single guys. The year above us has 3 down to earth guys and 2 spectacular girls. It's just a good mix. On the whole, we get along famously. We work together. We all go out together from fellows to interns. We just had a Christmas/Holiday party today. We had a big party at our Residency Coordinator's house a few weeks ago. We have journal club at one of our attendings' homes every month. We also go out to some pretty nice restaurants after our anatomy sessions every month. Overall it is a pretty sweet set up. And honest to God, the Orthopaedic facilities here would give any program a run for their money.

The only way to find out for sure is to come check us out. I knew very little about the program initially and almost skipped the interview because of flight issues and being tired of living out of a suitcase.

Don't let anyone dissuade you from visiting a given program. If you have any interest in our program just ask, I guarantee a straight answer. No b.s.

Remember to have some idea of what you want from a program and don't be afraid to tell them what you want. In one word I was looking for balance. I wanted a place where I would be able to pursue an academic career and take over the world so to speak, but I also wanted to be ready to tackle the real world straight out of residency. I wanted to have access to research facilities and funding, but didn't want to be committed to a 6 or 7yr program. Most of all I wanted to be in an environment where people took an interest in me and were not satisfied with simply maintaining the status quo. The faculty and residents here are highly motivated and don't just sit on their backsides.

Hope this was helpful. Good luck with interviews and I look forward to meeting some of you in January when our interview dates come up.

Sincerely,

Chuck Toman
314-780-0100
[url=mailto][email protected][/url]

Toman,
so you are trying to say you like it there?
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seriously though, NOWHERE is a perfect place. Maybe you should have said "perfect for me". I have not yet met the perfect patient. What are they like?
If someone had told me that everything was perfect when i was interviewing a few years ago, i would have thought they were blowing smoke up my a**, or that they were told to say that.
Just my 2 cents
Bonedoc

PS dont think i am a "wash U hater" I interviewed there and liked it a lot

I think you are taking my little perfect section in there a little bit too seriously. I guess I should have put a few more perfects in or maybe I should have said that we all walk on water or that all of our patients are supermodels or something. I thought the perfect patient thing would be enough to make the point that no place is perfect, but apparently not. Maybe I should have put little smiley faces and hearts and flowers and things in there too.

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No smoke. no games.
The program is worth a look for someone who wants it all.

Just wanted to provide people with information from the source. No one really helped me so i figured I would at least offer to help out the next group.

Questions about any of the following with regards to interviews from last year like pitt - duke - vandy - gtown - emory - miami - hjd - hss - columbia - baylor - usc - kalamazoo - bama - loyola - utsw - penn - case - harvard - UNC feel free as well.

Does anyone else wonder why residents from Wash U:
1. Frequently make posts on this medical student site talking about "how great" their program is and "how perfect" and harmonious things are there? If it is really true, then why would they be so defensive and contrive these banal messages?

2. Aren't busy enough with education, patient care, or surgical skill enhancement and constantly login to a medical student site?

It is seems clear to me that some major deficiencies exist. Just ask Dr. Gelberman (or anyone other than these residents) during your interview about resident interaction with each other and with attendings and he is at least honest enough to tell you that it is lacking. This can probably be inferred from the posts from these uptight residents. And their fellows are for the most part occupied with doing much of the surgery and patient work that residents are involved with elsewhere. You don't read anything statements like that from the residents of HSS, Duke, etc., who are confident enough in their programs to be apathetic to "incriminating" posts and motivated enough to spend their efforts in a more productive fashion.

Wow?.rt1 you sure have some negative feelings against the WashU program. I did a rotation there this year and had a great time, as did the female away-rotating student who was there with me. The guys and girls in the current 2nd year class are all single and go out together all the time, not sure that I have met any group of 5 residents as close at any program with which I did a rotation. I?m not clear on your experience with WashU but it sounds like you have interacted with them or at least with Dr Gelberman, but I feel from your comments that either you did not get an interview or you wanted to match at WashU and they did not want you.

You are free to speak your mind, but remember this is a forum designed to spread helpful information (not slander) to ?medical students.? I find you to be a hypocrite for slandering the washU residents for posting messages when they should be ?busy enough with education, patient care, or surgical skill enhancement and constantly login to a medical student site??..I was shocked to find on one of your other posting that you applied for ortho residency 2 years ago?maybe you should find a better use of your time.