UCLA vs. USC vs. Cedars

[Guest]

Most people at academic centers are no names as well. Moot point.

[Guest]

Looks like in the past years it’s a 2:1 ratio doing academics versus PP. not sure if that’s high or low or how it compares to places like Columbia or MGH…

[Guest]

That's not the point. It's not a question of being a no-name in academia or private practice.

Academic centers are vastly more rigorous at screening the people they hire. Graduates placing at academic centers are more likely to meet a minimum threshold of competence and integrity at the time of hire and afterward. For better or for worse, they also often require connections to even have a shot at the job in the first place. A center that places more people into academia is likely better connected, attracts higher quality trainees in the first place, and probably offers better training. Sorry if this hurts PP feelings. Plenty of great private people as well.

So again, USC has declined significantly over the last decade regardless of whatever autonomy or clinical volume they claim to have.

[Guest]

Delusional. Academic is no measure of clinical quality. Most academic hires are done on the basis of publications or grants or personal connections. Certainly easier from a big name place such as MGH or UCSF or Columbia. Look at grads from Barrow, the clinically strongest program in the country for many years. Under Sperzler most grads went to private jobs.

[Guest]

Yes, definitely delusional. All those finely trained private practice barrow grads... clipping aneurysms in their community hospitals and outpatient surgery centers?? I'm sure that spetzler's clinical training really helped a lot with the marginally indicated ACDFs and analogous cases that make up 95% of their clinical volume.

[Guest]

Deep down, I would say, most of these PP types know they are insignificant, that their bread and butter comes from doing unindicated surgeries. But they will never admit it. They will cope and cope. They will never admit the truth. They will live in darkness; they will live in delusion.

It is very sad.

[Guest]

is it true UCLA residents rotate at kaiser to get spine volume?

[Guest]

Yeah, unfortunately UCLA grads have a lockdown on Kaiser leadership and positions. It's the highest spine/cranial volume in the state and they've flat our rejected requests from all the other residencies in LA to have their people rotate through.

[Guest]

Not sure this accurately portrays what’s going on. It’s partially true - yes UCLA grads are well represented at Kaiser, and Kaiser is a massive enterprise in California and so their volume across their system is certainly higher than any academic institution. But I don’t think that’s why UCLA initially started rotating there, they had trouble at a point hitting spine volume due to a shift in their attendings and Kaiser stepped in to help. But I do not think all of the other California residencies are beating down Kaisers door to get their residents in there… Kaiser would be a great place to have a job and all but it’s a bit misleading to imply the UCLA Kaiser relationship was a huge asset to UCLA, it was to fill a void that was hurting their spine numbers. Kaiser is starting their own medical school and residencies so it’ll be interesting to see how long the partnership continues

[Guest]

lol @ good kaiser jobs and starting a residency. constant internal politics and power struggle based on what i heard