Program Review
Staff / Faculty / Chairman
Strong faculty and staff. Dr. D'Ambrosia met with every rotator personally, a nice touch to the process. Faculty was very approachable. I only met the faculty at DG (Denver General) and the VA, but they seemed to representative of the program as a whole. Apparently, there was a characterization of the program as "malignant". I have heard these particular attendings have left the program and I can confirm I had not witnessed a single case of improper behavior toward residents.
Didactics / Teaching
Wednesday teaching sessions from visiting attendings, faculty, and upper levels lasted 4 hours. Residents were challenged and, sometimes, medical students were asked questions, but it was done in a supportive way. Medical students were required to prepare a 15 minute presentation for the residents toward the end their rotation.
Operating Experience
The residents seemed to get plenty of operative experience. The chiefs were running rooms on their own. I witnessed a R3 just crush a knee scope; incredibly impressive. R2 seem to be big operative years, with the interns handling a majority of the floor work.
Clinic Experience
At the DG, clinic occurred 1-2 times a week. Upper levels handled a majority of the appointments. At the VA, residents helped with clinic when they were not operating.
Research Opportunities
Probably their least impressive aspect, though they are making a concerted effort to rectify this. Their residents are still publishing at an impressive rate.
Residents
The residents were an impressive group. They were all very close and seemed to genuinely enjoy being around one another.
Lifestyle
Denver is a great city. The residents coordinated events throughout the year including: tailgating at CU football, ski trip, hiking, etc.
Location / Housing
Housing is expensive, but new apartment complexes are being built which will perhaps relieve some of the demand.
Overall Rotation Experience / Conclusion
I have never worked as hard as I did during the DG rotation, but it allowed me show what I was capable of and build report with the residents. On call, I was able to learn and hone my skills; allowing me to feel apart of the team and ample opportunity to contribute. I know if I were train here for residency, I would leave as an exceptional operator and capable of addressing most, if not all, orthopedic emergencies.
