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What is your in-state status?:
Out of state
On what date did the interview take place?:
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?:
8 out of 10
What is your ranking of this program's facilities?:
9 out of 10
What is your ranking of this program's location?:
7 out of 10
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?:
6 out of 10
What was the stress level of the interview?:
1 out of 10
How do you think you did?:
8 out of 10
How did the interview impress you?:
Positively
How long was the interview?:
30 minutes
How many people interviewed you?:
3
What was the style of the interview?:
One-on-one
What impressed you positively?:
1. Amazing facilities. As everyone else has said, 100+ ORs spread out over 2 hospitals (which are within walking distance of one another). 2. Awesome cases. The resident that took me on the tour was naming off the cases as we walked by ORs and they were universally cool. Mayo is obviously a huge tertiary/quaternary center, but also serves the surrounding area, so it seems that you get a decent mix of big/weird/cool cases and routine stuff (but probably favoring cool stuff). 3. Friendly people. All of the residents and faculty that I met were genuinely nice, going out of their way to introduce themselves to me and ask me questions. Seemed to be great camaraderie between residents. 4. The Mayo name opens many doors. Graduating classes are a good mix of private vs. academics-bound people, as well as fellowship vs. no fellowship. It seems that everyone who wants to do academics/fellowship has multiple opportunities. Of note, they do like to take their own for faculty positions (and surrounding practices also seem to favor their grads), so if you'd like to be in this area, Mayo is a great place to train. 5. Great place to raise a family. Say what you want about the area, it's a fantastic place to raise a family. There's tons of outdoor stuff to do, great schools, the town is really safe, and it's also really affordable. 6. Good service/education balance. Dr. Long was very clear during the opening talk--this is not a program where you get out at 3 PM every day (it has that reputation). And though he's right, you don't get out at 3 every day, your hours are very manageable, leaving you ample time to read/hang out with friends or family/pursue outside interests. Report as inappropriate
What impressed you negatively?:
These aren't negatives so much for me, but what I thought people might perceive as downsides. 1. Location/weather. They're pretty clear during the interview that the location probably isn't for everyone and that yes, it's pretty cold during the winter. I would imagine that Rochester is not the ideal town to live in if you're a single 20-something, however, it's wouldn't be the worst, either. The town is cute and appears to be making an effort to be cooler (free outdoor music festivals downtown during the summer months, etc). 2. Somewhat homogeneous residency class. Most of the residents are from the midwest, most are married, and something near half have kids. Again, I don't think this is a bad thing, but it's something to think about. That said, I met a resident who moved there from California, so there is diversity re: location in the class, and everyone has different interests, so I actually found people to be pretty mixed. 3. SRNA school/lots of CRNAs. I'm more putting this out there as a theoretical downside. Per everyone I talked to, the residents have a good relationship with the CRNAs and actually end up supervising them a fair amount, especially during the CA-2/3 years. Moreover, there are very strict limitations to what they can and can't do (no central lines, PNB's/neuraxial blocks, no difficult airways, etc.), and apparently the CRNA's are cool with this. So in that sense, it may be good to get experience supervising/running multiple rooms during residency. Re: the SRNA school, they actually farm them out to area programs for the most part, so it's more a political question/downside than an actual problem. You won't be fighting for cases, but you will be training at an institution that is highly supportive of SRNAs/CRNAs, which is something to consider. Report as inappropriate
How was your interview day? Please summarize.:
Overall, Mayo is a fantastic program offering superb training in a very livable location. Night before: Dinner with the residents at a nice place downtown, relatively informal, lots of opportunities to ask questions. Interview day: Starts with a presentation by Dr. Long (approximately 1 hour) that gives you the basic facts about the program. Very helpful--Dr. Long is an awesome guy. Next you either tour or interview for 1.5 hours. Tour includes OR, sim center, multiple hospitals, as well as the actual Mayo "clinics". Interviews are with 3 people, last 30 minutes a piece. I think everyone interviews with Dr. Long, who is, again, a fantastic guy, really focused on making Mayo a top program. You then switch (interviewees-->tour, vice versa) and meet for lunch in the cafeteria with everyone, including a bunch of residents. Then you go home. Of note, it's more expensive to fly into Rochester, and if you fly into Minneapolis, you have to take a shuttle (1-1.5 hrs) to your hotel, so plan accordingly for flight times. Report as inappropriate
What was your primary mode of travel?:
Airplane
What was your total time spent traveling?:
4-6 hours
What airport did you use?:
Minneapolis
Where did you stay?:
At program supplied housing
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?:
Staybridge Suites
How would you rate the hotel?:
8 out of 10
Would you recommend the hotel?:
yes
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?:
$301-$400
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