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The overall process of finding the right residency can be daunting. At least, it was for me. I was open to location, leading me to cast my application net wide and look at programs on the East Coast, West Coast, and various places in between. Throughout the interview trail, I formed an idea of what I wanted in a program and what I decided I wanted in the end wasn’t exactly what I initially had thought . In the residency quest there are a lot of factors to consider and each factor holds a different value for different people. I am someone who learns best by doing, so I wanted a program that would provide excellent clinical experience with a high volume and breadth of cases. But I wasn’t just satisfied with cases, I also wanted to train in a supportive environment with an appropriate balance of guidance and autonomy and faculty who care about teaching. Northwestern definitely provides all of these criteria. Training at Northwestern I have had the privilege to work with and learn from some of the most amazing educators I have ever encountered. Their teaching as well as the acuity of cases and the number of cases have given me the strong clinical foundation that I wanted to achieve. Another very important factor for me was people. I wanted a program where I felt comfortable with the residents at the dinner before the interview and at home during my interview day. The “gut feeling” that I got at my interview was possibly the most important factor in my decision. And it certainly did not mislead me. The quality of colleagues that I have had the opportunity to work with is unbelievable. The residents as a whole are fun, hard working, conscientious, and always have each others’ back. It is factors like quality of colleagues that can make all the difference in a training experience, and I can honestly say that there is no group of people with which I would rather work. Ultimately Northwestern was the program that not only best met my criteria but also gave me the “gut feeling” that I was looking for. I have been extremely happy with my choice to pursue residency at Northwestern. I feel that I have received excellent training and that I will be ready handle any case that may come my way after leaving residency. Given the choice, I would absolutely choose this program again and I hope that you will strongly consider pursuing your residency at Northwestern. |
 | Jami Eidem, MD |
