"The facilities were enormous. Over 150 OR's...world class surgeons. World class research, block after block of campus. They paid for the onsite intercontinental the night prior. Lots of residents went to the ASA conference. First year of program is very very easy. While the teaching is not the greatest at this program, the name and networking will take you far if you manage to teach yourself along the way. That's why I ranked it high." | More from this Member | Report Response

"The faculty were very straight forward and easy to talk with. New PD seems great; he emphasized that they train you to become anesthesiologists and not CRNAs with MDs. They've started using Thursday as didactics 'day' where each class gets out of the OR for 1.5h for lectures while extra CRNAs pick up the slack. The CBY is nice, they get you exposed to anesthesia early and then you have to do some intern year type rotations in CA1. The residents said the CBY is very easy. You do medicine with the hospitalist service, so they are easier cases and you don't take overnight call." | More from this Member | Report Response

"Great facilities, great cases, great reputation, financial stability, several important and well known anesthesiology faculty, a whole anesthesiology research department where residents and medical students can do rotations, anesthesiology run intern year which is suppose to be really good, all the fellowships one would want including one of the biggest pain dept in the country and a well respected CT fellowship" | More from this Member | Report Response

"great facilities, great cases, anesthesia based intern year, great volume, fellowship opportunties, research, well known faculty, residents were generally happy. prestige. overall honesty of the PD" | More from this Member | Report Response

"I came to interview as a skeptic after reading studentdoctor, but left a fan. First of, it's a hospital city... I have never seen such a large medical complex. They even have a hospital for eye surgery only. It's gorgeous, well designed, a great place to spend a lot of time in! Their size, fame, and income means a few things... 1) Any interesting case or surgery, you will see (I heard the funnest stories from residents, such as open heart surgery in an ICU room) and 2) They will hardly be affected by this economic crisis (unlike almost every hospital, which are having to hire less people, cut bonuses, buy less capital/technology). There are very few places in the US that could have a better experience than what you will get at the clinic... In fact, I won't even list all the experience you'll get because it'd take all day (TEE, cardio, GI/lung/tons of liver transplants). One attending put it correctly... The day he had a healthy patient without crazy complications, he didn't know what to do with himself. Now, on top of that, the residents and attendings were nice and get along (there are a few bad unhappy apples, like every program), residents have no trouble getting jobs and fellowships, the programs supports the residents well (money for conferences, benefits)... My biggest question/concern going in was whether the program was a workhorse-slave driving place. After questioning at least 10 residents, I found out these average hours: PGY1 (half 80, half 45 per week... tons of ICU rotations), 2 (65-70), 3 (60-65), 4 (55-60). Most of the time, they leave by 5pm. They used to have a problem with people staying late, but now have a "relief list" where they rotate when people leave, and residents will only stay till 8-9 a few times (with moonlighting payment after 5 of 60/hr). The residents that stay later get the next day off. Call is about 5 times a month (more in ICU) with post call days off, and residents arrive at 3pm. 50% of calls are 24 hours, 50% are short calls. Residents felt they had enough time to read. That sounds similar to most of the programs I applied to. Only a few had lesser hours. My guess the difference is that on call residents at the clinic get no sleep (due to their enormous size... 78 bed ICUs and such). I was very impressed and felt it was a positive environment." | More from this Member | Report Response

"Great cases, among the best for cardiac experience. Major chances to make $$ moonlighting in the institution on weekends and $60 an hour if you're ever there past 5. Great new chair who wants to, "love the residents more." Lots of research opportunities. Plenty of big name staff." | More from this Member | Report Response

"See below" | More from this Member | Report Response

"Definitely a 'surgery factory'. They are trying to improve their reputation and have hired a new PD and Academic Chair to move the program into a more education based direction instead of just using residents to push cases. Another interview factory line. 30 ish applicants for one day. Really short interviews by attendings who hadn't read the applications. Stuffy dinner the night prior no alcohol and at 8pm 'curfew' the dinner was promptly over. Residents are mostly FMG's who were attendings in their home country's already. So there was a lot left to be desired in resident camaderie. Alot of the residents didn't even know each other at lunch time." | More from this Member | Report Response

"Residents seemed haggard, but insisted they weren't overworked. Residents and faculty stated 'this is work horse program' but also stated 'you will never work more than a 60-70h week.' The program also has a 3 year accreditation and is cutting class sizes from 30-40 down to 20-25. The company men stated this is to 'focus on the individual residents' and that it will not increase the workload because CRNAs will take up the slack. Something just seems wrong with that, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it is." | More from this Member | Report Response

"Residents do not seem happy, they admitted to being overworked and not appreciated by the department. This place seems to be very profit driven. A lot of FMGs in the program, probably around 40%, but most of them are very experienced and qualified to be there. Atmosphere at the clinic is not relaxed, everyone seems to be stressed out and somewhat aggressive. No alcohol allowed at the pre interview dinner, they test you for nicotine (urine test); these things are OK but adds a different feel to the place. Cleveland is probably one of the worst cities I have ever visited; dirty, broken down, dangerous. " | More from this Member | Report Response

"Crna can sometimes get preferential treatment. cleveland isn't the prettiest place to live" | More from this Member | Report Response

"Didatics is short (1 grand rounds/week, 1 class-specific lecture per week at 5-6:30pm), but they pay for a week-long board course, have 2x/year oral board reviews, and it seems their residents do well on the boards. It's in Cleveland, which is pretty here, ghost town there, and filled with potholes. The government ought to create a law to demolish all the old un-inhabited houses. There are some pretty neighborhoods to live in close to the clinic. Plenty of things to do (outdoor and indoor). Lots of IMGs. They match 20 through NRMP, and 10 in January outside of the match... including IMGs and people switching from other specialties. " | More from this Member | Report Response

"Cleveland is not the safest city in the world and the clinic is not in the nicest part of town although the residents all live in a pretty safe area. Residents all seemed really tired/worn out during the lunch and it did not seem to be anyone's first choice." | More from this Member | Report Response

"See below" | More from this Member | Report Response

"Presentation by PD, then hours waiting for four 5min interviews. Lunch with residents. Tour of the huge facility was very impressive." | More from this Member | Report Response

"20-30 interviewees sit in a conference room. They give you a portfolio with a notepad and handouts about CC. The program director talks to you about things and then you wait in the conference room while students are taken in and out to have 10 minute interviews with folks. Most of the interviews were pretty good and asked pertinent questiosn related to my application. They do have a chief resident interview you, and the one I had left a negative impression me as it was a cookie-cutter interview that had no connection to my application. Once everyone has 4 interviews, you'll get lunch with some residents. If you want to meet with someone from the outcomes research institute, you can ask and someone will try to come over from there to talk to you and any of the other folks interested in it. After that the groups break up to get tours and you all meet back for a quick 'exit interview' where they talk to the whole group and give some parting words of advice." | More from this Member | Report Response

"Dinner a night before at a nice restaurant but everything is super regulated and somewhat rigid (portions are 1/2 of a normal size, no alcohol). Interview starts at 7:30 with intro by a new PD and a new Chair. Chair is a pretty powerful and respected guy who surely wants to improve this place. 4 one on one interviews lasting 10 minutes each or so, somewhat relaxed. lunch with residents who seemed to be very stressed and tired and said things during our meeting that gave all of us a pause. Finally closing remarks by PD and a tour of the hospital which stretches for miles. " | More from this Member | Report Response

"the interview day was very organized and planned. plenty of opportunities to ask questions as residents are very willing to answer your questions honestly. not overly stressful. first is the program orientation, then interviews, then lunch, followed by a tour. The PD discusses your chances at the very end of the day." | More from this Member | Report Response

"Dinner with residents night before, program pays for awesome hotel, breakfast with presentation by PD, 4 interviews (2 attendings, PD, chief), lunch with residents, meeting with PD where he tells you in good detail how he feels your application is (he won't cheat and tell you how he ranks you, but will tell you he's impressed or not). " | More from this Member | Report Response

"Awesome hotel (best I've been to in 7 interviews), good dinner with residents (no alcohol was kinda strange), long presentations to start the day, then interviews mixed with tour and followed by lunch. The program director tells you your chances at the end of the day in the "exit interview." I've heard he is vague, but he told me my score out of 1000 total points." | More from this Member | Report Response

"Interview day: begins early, with bagels and coffee (nice). Program Administrator is Shelly Sords (omnipresent); she gives quick outline of day and the Program Director Dr. Tetzlaff takes over. Very long and detailed review of program gives you an excellent idea of what the Clinic has to offer. Interviews follow with Dr. Tetzlaff and three others (two faculty and one chief resident)...low stress for me; I did a rotation there and so that was some of what we talked about. None of the "what are your weaknesses?" things. Then lunch, where a bunch of residents showed up. Tour of facility, which is ENORMOUS. No really - ENORMOUS. Day ends with "exit interview" with program director who gives you some shade of an idea of how they see you as an applicant...I was told I was "competitive" and would be "ranked quite favorably"; there were others on my interview day that were told they "might not find the best fit here at Cleveland Clinic". PROGRAM: 3 year accedidation cycle - when the program director asked me "What do you want to know?", I asked him about the 3 year thing. He responded: "You know that 3 yrs is normal, right? They can't give everyone 5 years. There has to be some standardization." Nice start to the interview, right? 30 residents/yr - 20 thru normal Match, then 10 join in January (these 10 are all foreign, and were all doctors in their respective countries...I worked with some of them on my rotation, and they are, in my opinion, a HUGE benefit to each resident class). Categorical program only - CBY actually gives you a buttload of anesthesia training (like 4 mos or so, with the rest made up during CA1 year). Tons of moonlighting opportunities (which they call "rexing") - depends on who you talk to as to whether the moonlighting is assigned (as some residents claim) or totally up to resident choice (as the program director says). Either way, some residents make good money....really good money via moonlighting. SICU rotations are crowel jewels of education, intraop teaching hit or miss. 90+ ORs. Often have 180 or more cases booked PER DAY. They do re-do liver transplants, and hearts that Duke and Columbia have turned away. They operate on extremely sick patients. Residents make it clear that "this is a surgery run hospital". They have more money than you can shake a stick at - everything is SUPERNICE. Pluses: you will be able to do anything after leaving here, the name is huge. You will have no fears about treating sick patients when you leave here. My concerns were that residents were actually telling us NOT to come here if you could "get into another big name program". They do work hard, but this is residency, right? But over the course of 10 interviews, this is the only residency where the residents went out of their way to say "Don't come here." Makes you think...." | More from this Member | Report Response

"The Bottom Line/Impression: A huge program with tons of residents, tons of cases, a new famous education-oriented chair, and a well-known name. But, terrible didactics/treatment and crap location.<p> Lodging: You’re put up at the on-campus hotel.<p> Dinner: Bussed to a local restaurant for dinner the night before – residents low-key and tired-looking. No EtOH – by design?<p> Schedule: Interview day starts at 7am (show up by 0650) with light breakfast. Chair came in to give a short spiel. Shelly Sords, the coordinator, then prepped us for the day. Dr. Tetzlaff then gave an overly long, overly detailed (1.5hr lecture at 0745, yes, really) powerpoint lecture filled with CCF history and lots of superlatives (“…biggest in the U.S.…best in the U.S.”). Then, interview with Dr. Tetzlaff (5-10 minutes, he asked my name, reviewed file in front of me), 2 faculty, and one abruptly honest resident. Then lunch with residents, then tour, then exit interviews where Tetzlaff tells you where you stand – vaguely. We heard they go low on their rank list and I totally buy it, it does not seem like anyone’s first choice. Day is over around 1600.<p> Program info: 20 though the main match and 10 out-of-match for January starts (almost all FMGs). A huge tertiary/quaternary referral center. OB, trauma off-site. In-house moonlighting aka “REXing,” sometimes whether you like it or not.<p> Pros: “Big cases on sick people” is the party line. Name. Physical layout/support/tech/toys/$$$ is insane. In-house research program certainly one of the best in the country. All fellowships in-house (except regional). Lotsa moonlighting $$$. Good CBY with a lot of non-ward time.<p> Cons: Cleveland. ‘Nuff said. OB is all a bunch of suburban chicks (e.g. little to no high-risk). Peds stinks. Trauma stinks. Lots of CRNAs and SRNAs. Concern that they take your cases. Take this how you will. Didactics stink, in-OR teaching is almost nonexistent. Faculty focused on turnover and throughput rather than teaching/learning. EXTREMELY variable quality of residents. Superstars to “really? you’re a physician?” caliber." | More from this Member | Report Response