Choosing a residency based on where you eventually want to practice?

[Nki0329]

Hi everyone,
I am a 4th year student, and CRIPS is coming up next month. I had this thought pop into my head, and I wanted to get you guy's take on it. My goal is to eventually practice in California post residency. Would it be wise to pick a West Coast residency, with the additional benefit of networking? I know California is a competitive market, so I figured it would help me being at least on the West Coast for residency, even if its not California initially, I would be better able to get to know attendings that have connections there. I realized that sometimes in life, it really is about who you know sometimes. Let me know what you think, and if anyone has had a similar experience. Thanks

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[dtrack22]

Hi everyone,
I am a 4th year student, and CRIPS is coming up next month. I had this thought pop into my head, and I wanted to get you guy's take on it. My goal is to eventually practice in California post residency. Would it be wise to pick a West Coast residency, with the additional benefit of networking? I know California is a competitive market, so I figured it would help me being at least on the West Coast for residency, even if its not California initially, I would be better able to get to know attendings that have connections there. I realized that sometimes in life, it really is about who you know sometimes. Let me know what you think, and if anyone has had a similar experience. Thanks

IMO this is totally dependant on the training you are getting at said residency program...

On one hand, I agree with what Ankle Breaker said re: the advantages of doing residency near where you'd like to practice. Your attendings are more likely to know hospitals, DPMs, orthos, multi-specialty groups, etc in the area and I would assume more likely to get emails/inquiries from those folks when they are looking to hire. You may even work with physicians in the community who happen to be looking to hire the year you are graduating from residency. If you've worked with them already and they like you, you have a leg up on every other graduating resident in the country (again assuming they like you). However, this is assuming the residency program you are at offers good training. Meaning, I would not go to a program that offers sub-optimal training just because it is near where I'd like to end up. An individual who graduated from a great program half way across the country, who is looking to live in CA as well (for example), will more than likely be hired over you if it came down to it.

To make a long answer short...if you aren't sacrificing residency training quality, pick one close to the area you'd like to end up. Otherwise, go with the best program you can get regardless of location.

I will post more in the job search thread, but speaking from experience, it is not difficult to find the exact same jobs as the "local" residents when you have a specific geographic location you want to practice and are training a long ways away.

 

[AttackNME]

To reflect above, short answer is no. Pick the best training program you can get, if it so happens to be in cali the then that's a bonus