Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education (Rochest Individual Response

What is your in-state status?:

Out of state

On what date did the interview take place?:

2/1/2009

How do you rank this residency among ALL other residencies?:

9 out of 10

How do you rank this residency among other residencies to which you've applied?:

9 out of 10

What is your ranking of this program's facilities?:

10 out of 10

What is your ranking of this program's location?:

4 out of 10

What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?:

4 out of 10

What was the stress level of the interview?:

2 out of 10

How do you think you did?:

6 out of 10

How did the interview impress you?:

Positively

How long was the interview?:

25 minutes

How many people interviewed you?:

3

What was the style of the interview?:

One-on-one

What impressed you positively?:

--HUGE, ornate facility & tons of surgical volume here (100+ ORs!). You will see anything and everything. Mayo name attracts VIP patients from all over the world. Plenty of bread and butter stuff, as Mayo is the referral center for a large regional catchment area. <br>--Call: All 24-hr overnight call. At St. Mary’s there is a CA-1, CA-3, and 2 CRNAs on call every night. CA-3s are the managers, CRNAs take the bread and butter cases, and CA-1s are only involved in learning cases. Often able to sleep nearly all night as a CA-1. Methodist Hospital has CA-1 & CA-2 on call, no ED there so you are only up for take-back cases. Only work ~1 weekend per month, with rare extra weekend thrown in. <br>--Highest number of active & retired board examiners on faculty in the country. Mock orals 2x/year. Immediate past chair is the president of the ABA and the ASA president-elect. <br>--Didactics: Monday afternoon lectures 3-5PM. Daily 15 minute keyword conferences. Monthly journal club, resident run M&M. <br>--HUGE simulation facility – seems well integrated (used ~4-6x/year). <br>--Regional: No probs. with numbers, lots of thoracic epidurals. Do a 2 month block of regional during CA-2 or CA-3 year. <br>--$1000 book fund, may travel to 1 trip paid (or up to 10 trips if presenting). <br>--Away rotations: May do a max of 9 months at affiliate sites: Jacksonville (OSC, Peds, TEE), Scottsdale (general, OSC, Pain), Bowman Gray (OB), Brigham & Women’s (OB). <BR>--Lots of time CA-3 year can be spent learning medical direction of CRNAs. All call CA-3 year is medical direction. <BR>--Don’t have to take vacation in week blocks. <BR>--Computerized charting in ORs. Nifty automated paging system for OR communication – nice to not have to walk over to phone or ask circulator to page attending. <br>--2 ICUs are anesthesia-run, one shared. <br>--Gigantic health club available only to Mayo employees & spouses. Fee reduced if you use it 3x/month or more. Daycare available for a fee while working out. Report as inappropriate

What impressed you negatively?:

--Light on OB & Peds experience – will get all numbers needed in Rochester, but away rotations available to buff up. <BR>--Tough intern year – now have 2 elective rotations, though, so getting better. <BR>--Minimal penetrating trauma – mostly blunt (MVC, farm accidents). <BR>--More formal atmosphere (but not as bad as rumored) – wear a sportcoat when in pain clinic, a lot of the time during intern year...white coats not worn as often. <BR>--No internal anesthesia moonlighting, but can do shifts at rural EDs in southeastern Minnesota ($65-110/hr). Can also teach ACLS classes (done weekly) and run ACLS sessions in the sim-center for ~$75/hr. Report as inappropriate

How was your interview day? Please summarize.:

Mayo puts you up in a nice suite right across from St. Mary's hospital where the interviews take place. Residents pick you up for dinner at a nice restaurant the night before. Three laid-back interviews with PD and two faculty. LONG tour - don't wear your heels, ladies! Report as inappropriate