Tripler Army Medical Center

[DoctorDoom]

Tripler is offering a PGY-3 position in General Surgery, for which I have submitted an application.

I hope to find out a bit about general opinions on the program, the OR exposure, trauma experience, and general quality of life as I have never been to Hawai'i. If anyone is willing to share their opinions, and their thoughts on practicing medicine as an Army officer, particularly as a surgeon, I would be very grateful. Please PM or post as you prefer.

If this is an inappropriate topic, I apologize to the admins and members, and humbly ask that it be moved or deleted.

Thanks,

DD

[CPTAUSRET]

I used to have a POC at Tripler, he is a LTC now, I will attempt to locate his info.

Terry

[Sacamuelas]

Good luck DD. :cool:

[CPTAUSRET]

Originally posted by CPTAUSRET
I used to have a POC at Tripler, he is a LTC now, I will attempt to locate his info.

Terry

We are in NM at present, that info if I still have it is in Iowa, where we will be in a week.

Terry

[Sacamuelas]

Third- and fourth-year residents are senior residents. Three months are spent in the third-year on the trauma service at Los Angeles County, USC Medical Center, California. At the PGY 4 level, three or four months are spent at Queen's Medical Center, Honolulu, two months at Kaiser Medical Center, Honolulu, and one month at INOVA/ Fairfax, Virginia. A month is assigned on the Gastroenterology Service, one to two months on the Cardiothoracic Surgery Service, one month on the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, and the remainder of the time is spent on the General Surgery Service. The program is tailored to individual resident needs, and thus there is slight variability during the senior years.


3 mos in LA sounds like a good training ground for Trauma. :cool:

[swatsurgeon]

Tripler has a solid rep for training...3rd year spots are hard to come by. What is your backround DD? Active PGY-2 right now? or prelim....can p/m me to discuss further if you want more info.
LA is the #1 busiest trauma ctr in the USA...fun times at LA high!

T-2

[Roguish Lawyer]

Originally posted by swatsurgeon
LA is the #1 busiest trauma ctr in the USA...fun times at LA high!

:lifter

LOL

[DoctorDoom]

Terry: Thanks very much sir, but please find the info for your POC at your leisure. The position is to begin July 2005 and I haven't even been invited for an interview yet.

Saca: Thanks boss for the good wishes. Incidentaly, Queen's Hospital is supposed to be a great trauma exposure as well. From what I've been told that hospital gets all the trauma in the islands and so there's always serious cases in good volume. But I don't think anything can compare to LA County, which is saying a lot since I've done surgery rotations in NYC.

Swatsurgeon: Thank you for your offer sir. I will PM you later today to give you my background and to ask more specific questions. Personally I almost would rather take a PGY-2 spot as I have been working in finance for the last 3 years, but if there is a 3 spot I'll take it.

A trusted source has offered some very discouraging comments to me about working and living at Tripler. So any info on the negative aspects I would receive with gratitude as well.

[Sacamuelas]

I saw that DD. Hard to argue against a man like that with lots of personal experience in the area of Army medicine. If I were in your shoes, I would lean heavily towards taking his advice, or at least pick his brain as to the specifics on why the opinion of Tripler is what it is. :cool:

Again, Good luck... and post some here too you overeducated stock analyst. :D

[Bravo1-3]

Originally posted by DoctorDoom
Saca: Thanks boss for the good wishes. Incidentaly, Queen's Hospital is supposed to be a great trauma exposure as well. From what I've been told that hospital gets all the trauma in the islands and so there's always serious cases in good volume. But I don't think anything can compare to LA County, which is saying a lot since I've done surgery rotations in NYC.

Queens is an amazing operation. They don't have much in the way of competition in this function. This is where my wife started doing reasearch work in Nuclear Med.

[DoctorDoom]

Originally posted by Sacamuelas
I saw that DD. Hard to argue against a man like that with lots of personal experience in the area of Army medicine. If I were in your shoes, I would lean heavily towards taking his advice, or at least pick his brain as to the specifics on why the opinion of Tripler is what it is. :cool:

Again, Good luck... and post some here too you overeducated stock analyst. :D

You're absolutely right, believe me I will be listening with both ears and taking notes.

Thanks man, now that I have internet access back again I will try to poke my head back in regularly. Good to hear from you, tooth gardner. :)

[DoctorDoom]

Originally posted by Bravo1-3
Queens is an amazing operation. They don't have much in the way of competition in this function. This is where my wife started doing reasearch work in Nuclear Med.

I know you like queens, you big man-girl. :D

[DoctorDoom]

Hello everyone, just wanted to update here. I have been accepted to train in General Surgery, with one research year, at Tripler. I will be starting my residency July 1 2005, attending OBC in March 3 2005.

I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve our country.

Thanks for everyone's advice, and if anyone has more pointers about anything, especially about being a good Officer, and living in Oahu, I would be grateful.

Thanks again,

DD

[Sigi]

Best of luck, DD.

[Gypsy]

Been wondering when you were going to post your update here!

Congrats again my friend. At some point I hope we'll be able to take you up on your kind offer. :D

[DoctorDoom]

I try to lay low around here.

You and your paramour can visit anytime, mi casa es su casa.