Baystate and saying goodbye to UMass

The day after visiting UConn I went to Baystate not really knowing what to expect. I reviewed the web site for the residency program but it didn't really give me a good idea of what to expect.

First, the hospital is very suburban. No high rise parking lots here. And it's a mix of stages built over probably fifty years. The existing ED is an older section and not expected to be upgraded for a few more years. The didactics were held in the newer wing and fine. Nothing spectacular, but nothing to fault either. Residents and students all got along, seemed to be having a good time and were learning a lot.

The ED itself is cramped! They take care of more patients per year (~120k) in a smaller space than I ever seen. It's very efficient but also a little chaotic. The main physician/nursing area is small enough that everyone can see the gigantic whiteboard used to track patients. Every square inch of hallway space is used with carts, beds and even recliners for the asthma patients. I am sure I would get a good education there, but I didn't get the warm fuzzies that I did at UConn.

The last two days of shifts were pretty easy. Busy as usual, but I was able to get in some suturing and run a few patients on my own. Nothing too crazy. The night before I left the owner of the house I stayed at mentioned a bunch of great restaurants nearby. Unfortunately the other roomie and I chose one with poor service and mediocre service. Then we topped it off with a funny but amateur comedy show. I packed and got a few hours sleep before starting the day of travel.

The trip back was long, a full day, but got me into Phoenix around 3pm due to the time zone changes. Becky picked me up and then we headed home to see the kids. I'm really glad I took the two days to see UConn and Baystate. While UMass has everything going for it on paper including high patient volume, a new ED, airflight service and a Hawaii elective, I felt more at home at UConn. I think that was recognized by UConn as well. They already sent me an invitation for an interview!