Post-Match Blues, Buffalo, and Tufts

After the initial hype and exhilaration of match, most of us celebrated with some festivities. I think after the collective happiness subsided, the reality of Irvine sank in. When I opened my letter, mixed feelings bubbled to the surface, but I consciously focused on the good news in the moment. For a long time, I struggled between Thomas Jefferson and UC Irvine as my top choice. On one hand, I think one perfectly aligned with my academic ambitions. On the other hand, the other provided me with the most wholesome life experience that suited me without much compromise to academic prowess. In the end, I made a decision that was most appropriate in the circumstance of my life. Of course I am overjoyed with my match, and I am incredibly excited to return to the warm sunshine of the West coast. 

I guess, there's always the afterthought of "what if" that lingers in the back of my mind. Talking to other friends as we recuperated over the week-long apprehension and excitement, some of us felt similar stirrings. The process of making the rank list was arduous and difficulty. We all made changes, switches, and re-swaps, but in the end, we committed and settled with what we wanted in that moment of 02/22/2017 (if not earlier). In that sense, no one really made rash decisions in generating the rank list. Along that thought process, we should be happy with our match regardless, no? Unfortunately, that human gaze to the side of greener grass is still evident in our pragmatic hearts. Many of us were able to logically console our emotional doubts, but I wonder if it's just something we accept or if it's something that happens as a part of the process. 

Anyway, back to my thoughts on the trail. Again, this is a description of my personal and very individual experience at these institutions, so they are in no way the most representative descriptions of the institutions.

Buffalo

Residents: residents seem pretty happy to be here. They agree that the group is pretty cohesive this year although there were years in the past when it wasn't, but it sounded like they all kind of did their own thing at the end of the day. They feel like the staff are supportive. Mentorship seems to be individually sought. Food seems meh.

Pros

• Strengths: stroke, MS, neuromuscular
• Large catchman area for stroke
• Categorical program
• Fellowships: 5, CNS pathophysiology, stroke, neuroimaging, MS
• Expanding city and program, building a lot of new institutions
• Attendings are all very enthusiastic about the program and seem to be very proud of their program
• Dr. Szigeti!! Physician scientist, memory d/o research, owns her own lab, Alzheimer’s Disease work and memory disorder
• Night float system with infrequent Friday 24Hr call
• Teaching system: new medical education program may be put in place soon, progressive authority, lots of interaction with medical students
• Program director and interviewers definitely sell the place well
• Research: closely work with PhDs with neuroimaging, which seems to be their strong point  

Cons

• Residents seem to do their own thing and not very bonding after work; monthly social meet but seems to fizzle and is unpredictable
• Research doesn’t seem that strong here and doesn’t seem very encouraged; need to go out and look for own mentor and project
• Car seems to be necessary
• Not many diverse fellowships, movement d/o doesn’t seem very strong

I got asked about my step 1 scores and absence of step 2 on this. I was also uncertain of my impression on Dr. C, who asked me extensively about lysosomal storage dz (the morning grand rounds on Batten dz) as well as neurofibromatosis and NPH. He was pretty old schooled, and I couldn’t tell if he thought I was just disorganized or plain stupid. Really loved Dr. Szigeti, though. She was very understanding of my academic shortcomings and sees me as a physician scientist. She also gave me good advice on balancing research and school. Morning conference blew over my head about Batten disease, and it looked like the audience was also falling asleep. There wasn’t much of an interaction between the speaker and the audience, so I’m not sure how useful/education these are for the residents.

Tufts

5 categorical spots

Residents: Group was friendly, and there was a pretty robust turnout unlike Buffalo. Residents all seemed pretty happy and relaxed, not too keen on putting residency as the everything of their lives. Most of them were international students and represented a wide range of different cultures (though most of them were brown, one white guy; all guys, too).

Pros

• Categorical program offered, prelim programs offered at two possible sites
• Flexible education style, learning is attending- and resident-dependent
• Train strong clinicians
• Wide representation of Tufts at prestigious fellowship programs (good reputation and brand)
• Program is responsive to resident feedback
• Night float system
• Bonded well w/ movement disorder attending who also teaches MS1 neuro theme
• Strong medical education program in place and lots of opportunities
• Liked the city of Boston a lot, lots of things to do
• International students and connection with Saudi medicine
• Boot camp to transition from PGY-1 to PGY-2

Cons

• Movement disorders is just upcoming and very new, no DBS
• Car is necessary to travel to Lahey site
• Research isn’t very strong
• Smaller program, not as many fellowships and not as strong in a wide range of subspecialties
• Wasn’t very impressed with noon conference and neuroradiology rounds
• Possible disorganization in the program organization

Although Tufts is a smaller program, I think I really enjoyed the atmosphere and what the program has to offer. It seems like they produce strong clinicians despite a slight dent in academic rigor. The multicultural/multiethnic residents seem like a very unique aspect and strength of Tufts, which may or may not be a good thing. The residents seem pretty happy overall, but it does seem that they tend to all do their own thing after work (not as cohesive and energetic as the Jefferson residents). I had a good time interviewing there, and I felt like the time was cut too short; the conversation felt truncated, and I didn’t have enough time to really express myself, so I’m not sure if I left an impression. I wasn’t particularly impressed by their noon lecture/conferences; it didn’t seem particularly academic or at a high academic level, but that may be skewed with a one-time snapshot. Internal medicine doesn’t have a strong connection as prelims with the neurology program, so it seems like there isn’t much continuity there. Tufts is right next to Chinatown, so it captures a lot of that population in its training. Seems like Tufts main hospital catches a lot of the bread and butter neurology while Lahey and St. Elizabeth is more of the poshy, educated folk. I was particularly impressed with Dr. Parkenson’s conversation with me regarding medical education opportunities. She talked to me about potentially connecting with individuals at the medical student level, residency levels, and the AGME level. I really felt like she was very knowledgeable of not only Tuft’s neurology residency program, but also of the whole institution’s resources.


In the meantime, I've been blowing off some steam (and extra time) with pottery classes. It's been something I've wanted to do for a while, but I never got around to do it. I am definitely loving that hands on, practice-makes-perfect aspect. It's thoroughly frustrating yet incredibly fun to create something at the end of the wheel. Even if it's adorably ugly and clunky.

To the left shows my progress from session 1 to session 6. There were a few other practice sessions in between, but they weren't included since most of them turned into blobs or ugly pots that I threw out.

To the right are the glazes I dipped in and practiced for the first time this weekend. Never done this before, so we'll have to see how they turn out after going into the kiln. I'm excited to see how they turn out!