UTSW

[Guest]

What are the pro's and con's to train at UTSW? also how is everyone doing research on different programs?

[Guest]

Pro's:
- Amazing operative experience with interns routinely scrubbed in
- Strong reputation and history, it's well respected in the field and you will have plenty of job opportunities upon graduation
- Parkland experience is similar to LA County (USC) or Grady (Emory) where the residents run the show
- Good culture where residents hang out with each other outside the OR
- Most attendings are easy to get along with and look out for resident interest
- Ability to enfold subspecialty training (although no formal research year in curriculum yet)
- No state income tax and great retirement benefits
- Low cost of living and you can easily buy a house
- They retain a lot of people who train there so there must be a reason people are staying

Con's:
- They're a singular program in a big city so they could easily expand the complement to 4/year but they haven't. This allows an amazing operative experience but also overworks current residents a bit
- Home call at one of their hospitals, this can be seen as a pro or a con depending on the person (q4 call at the other)
- Program is still hierarchical with a clear chain of command
- Essentially no true research infrastructure for the neurosurgery department. They like to tout their 6 Nobel laureates from the institution, but none of them are in neurosurgery. However, this comes with a huge caveat as the institution is hyperaware of this and taking steps to try and fix it (new research-minded chairman, research-focused incoming residents, new neuroscience research building, etc)
- No dedicated formal research year (although bound to change soon, but no certainty that it will be protected)
- No affiliated undergraduate department which adds to the lack of research infrastructure
- Most trainees have historically gone into PP (but this is probably by choice, one of the outgoing chiefs is doing a Sloan Kettering Fellowship and will go into academics)
- State-affiliated school so you'll have to deal with some beauracracy and they're not throwing money at you (plus any institution associated with a VA has additional beauracracy/paperwork)
- Cowboys fans everywhere

All in all, a superb training program (it's saying something when the program is routinely ranked top 15 without any major research initiatives) with a storied history (Duke Sampson/Hunt Batjer). The program will make you a very competent technical neurosurgeon, but currently you'll have to put in the extra effort if you're looking to be an academic. You will be worked hard as it's a blue collar program, but at least the resident culture isn't bad and you get to be in warm weather.

[Guest]

Good place if you’re interested in vascular, probably not quite as much open volume since Batjer has slowed down, but likely in the top 10 in the country regardless. Babu Welch also very high figure in organized vascular neurosurgery, thus would have a leg up on high end vascular fellowships, though you technically may not need one. They’re vascular fellowship is 3 years though which is too long...

[Guest]

Pros: Their incoming intern class

[Guest]

(04-22-2021, 03:21 PM)Guest Wrote: Pros: Their incoming intern class

Agreed, but let's not put a target on anyone's back. This site has a toxic way of turning compliments into bitter comments. 

Didn't interview there personally, but lots of people ranked Southwestern in their top 3 according to the excel sheet. It looks like they did a good job making a virtual impression. Plus Pouratian is a massive hire, definitely keep your eye on this department going forward

[Guest]

UTSW med school expelled a med student unfairly over a false sexual assault allegation. Look it up. Was thinking of going their for medical school, will re-think.

[Guest]

Has nothing to do with their neurosurgery residency program

[Guest]

This is GOLD. thanks, guys!!