It's been >5 years since I applied. Things have changed a great deal.
Here are some (old) threads that helped me:
As a medical student interested in community surgery programs, but schooling at an academic institution, I often found it difficult to obtain information about the well-regarded community programs. I did benefit from information on this forum, thought it also was limited. Below are notes I took...
forums.studentdoctor.net
I recently spoke with a student about a residency that would have never been on my radar at all: not a big name institution, and not in an area of the country I had considered. However, his review of the place made me immediately feel that I may end up ranking that program highly - and now I am...
forums.studentdoctor.net
First off, I get it-- no one will ever post program reviews since SDN is so blatantly NOT anonymous. But, since scutwork is dead-- would any of you MS4s / interns / residents whose minds are still unclouded from the fog of war be willing to mention programs you discovered on the interview...
forums.studentdoctor.net
I'm sure a lot of current 3rd years are thinking about what programs to apply to. We all know about the big time programs (MGH, Duke, Hopkins), but what about the "Diamonds in the rough"? Those programs that you interviewed at and fell in love with... but could only match at one. Here's my...
forums.studentdoctor.net
Some names that I heard as a resident from med students talking about from their interviews/applications were: St. Joseph Denver, Central Iowa Health/Iowa Methodist Des Moines, Carle Foundation Urbana, St. Vincent Indianapolis, University of Kansas - Wichita, Ochsner Clinic New Orleans, Lahey Burlington, St. Joseph Mercy Ypsilanti, Hennepin Co Minneapolis, Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, New Hanover Regional Medical Center Wilmington, St. Luke's Bethlehem PA, Scott & White Temple TX, Swedish Seattle, Virginia Mason Seattle, Gunderson Lutheran LaCrosse. Some of them could definitely be argued 'academic' or hybrid.
At the end of the day, all residents including those at 'community' hospitals have to get the same numbers and pass (or not get to take, I'm looking at you American Board of Surgery and your technical failures....ahem) the same tests. There is definitely a wide range of training experiences but any program in the US will give you the tools needed to be a safe surgeon; the evaluation of the training schema should probably be thought of at much more of an individual level than just straight up academic/community. And that's tough......I'd also recommend you talk to any recently graduated people from your class, see what they have to say about where they interviewed and ended up. Despite being super busy as an intern, I was thrilled to answer questions from the next generation about my interview trail.