Texas Tech Univ (Lubbock) Review

I thought that I would bump this original post up the chain a bit. I will be a 5th year (PGY-5) resident this upcoming year. Here's the latest with our program:

Faculty: 11 currently, 14 in August (all subspecialties reresented including tumor); 1 on 1 ratio with faculty if not with 2 faculty; all rotations at one hospital, outpt surgery center

Residents: 3 per year

Fellows: None

Fellowships: This year only 1 resident is doing a fellowship (Spine-Garfin in San Diego) as the others wanted to do just general. My year, I am the only one doing a fellowship (Spine-Duke). One other resident my year is doing general while one is still deciding. From previous years, all residents who wanted a fellowship got one and the one they wanted.

Call: PGY-2 and 3 primary home call while PGY-4 and 5 back up home call (only come in to operate); Avg 5 calls a month; 1 weekend in 6 as a senior resident; 2 weekends as a PGY-2 and 1 weekend as a PGY-3 per month.

Research: Available if you want to. Not pushed down your throat. This is a more clinically based program. Do not have research year.

This years Intern class, we had 1 rotator and the other 2 were non rotators. The same is true for the incoming Intern class.

If you are interested in doing "big-time" research, then this probably not the program for you. If you are interested in learning orthopaedics, plenty of operative experience, variety of cases, comfortable place to live for 5 years, then I would urge you to take a look at our program. Please feel free to email me or post a reply with any questions, [url=mailto]brian.gill@ttuhsc.edu[/url].

Come rotate with us if you want to see how we work. I believe we have spots still open.

Now that Orthogate is up again, I wanted to update everyone that Texas Tech (Lubbock) has been approved for an additional resident per year (2 to 3/yr). I hope you all take a look at the Texas Tech program when deciding to do aways and applying to programs. I believe there are still available spots for current 4th year rotators.

Our program continues to expand with the addition of new faculty. We'll have 2 new faculty joining the department within the next couple of months. At the start of next year, we'll also have 3 more faculty members. By the time of the next Match, we'll have at least 13-15 full time orthopaedic surgeons.

Send me a PM or email with any questions. [url=mailto]brian.gill@ttuhsc.edu[/url]

Wow! Quick reply! You're very kind to answer my questions, I appreciate it. I've spoken with people who've rotated there and they all agree with you about the quality of the program--especially the one-on-one time with attendings and early operating experience. I'll have to see if I can rearrange my schedule to spend some time there.

Thanks again!

I appreciate your interest.

Intern year: Very benign year. The breakdown is 6 months gen surg (burns, general, vascular, SICU), Neurosurg, Rehab, ER, 2 months Ortho, 1 month Anesth (you intubate pt, then come over and do case; essentially an ortho month). People leave you alone b/c you're the ortho resident. We protect our interns. I only did burn and vascular cases. I never did a lap appy, chole, bowel resection, butt pus. I did the cases that I knew that I would do in ortho. Plenty of time to read ortho and scrub in on ortho cases.

Typical day: Since you're one on one with an attending, you basically conform to their schedule. This includes 2 days OR, 2 days clinic; 1/2 day educational conference, 1/2 day OR/clinic depending what's happening. Most clinics average 20-30 pts a half day. Depending on service, OR cases range from 3-6 per day. 3 month rotations on a service.

Home call: Home call is exactly what it means. When you're not busy, then you go home and answer pages from ER/floor. If it needs to be seen, then come in and then go back home when done. This is for the PGY-2 and 3 years. 4th and 5th years is strictly home call (backup). Only come in if your junior needs help or if you have to go to OR. I have only called my backup in once in my 2 years as a junior resident. Summer months are busy and winter months are slow. Not too uncommon to have 0-3 consults per day in winter. As a junior you go home by noon the next day, no questions asked. Seniors stay until their clinic/OR is done.

Camaraderie: Outstanding. We work hard together, helping each other out. We also have fun playing poker, golf, hunting, beer drinking, whatever. Pretty much on a first name basis with attendings. Everyone is laid back; exact opposite of malignant; treated with respect and as a colleague with faculty.

I hope this answers some questions out there. Please feel free to email me or post messages with any other concerns/questions.

Thank you for taking the time to post. I'm interested in this program and trying to figure out where to do aways. Can you tell us some of the stuff that you only get from talking to residents, such as:
What's the intern year like?
What's a typical day's schedule for the various services?
I have never seen how home call works on Ortho. I can't imagine that you get the next day off, but do get to go home earlier if you had a busy night?
What's the camaraderie like (resident/resident, resident/attending)?

Thanks

BBMF, 50% of residents being from Texas Tech in a relatively small size program would be inbred in my opinion.
Good to know that there is plenty of trauma. It still is the basis of learning orthopaedics. I agree that most things that one might want to do are available in Lubbock. Its a pretty decent sized town and the program is a solid well-rounded program.

I would like to address some things SwiftGhoul mentioned:

"inbred": Of the 12 current residents, 6 went to TxTech med school so 50%. 9 of 12 did rotations during 4th yr so 75%. Since I've been a resident all rotators get an interview. We only interview approximately 20 students. Therefore, a candidate has a 10% chance of obtaining a position, which is better than most programs who interview more students. This year we took 1 TxTech grad and 1 from another school.

"trauma may be lacking": We are a Level-1 trauma center. We don't have many gunshot wounds but plenty of farm, motor vehicle, and blunt injuries. We are a referral base for approx 1 million people covering the Texas panhandle and Eastern New Mexico. We do plenty of pelvis/acetabulum, rods, etc. Just remember that most orthopods in practice don't enjoy trauma b/c it doesn't pay, interrupts elective cases, inconvienent and required to for group/hospital privleges. Just ask your local orthopod. I agree we aren't the busiest of trauma centers in comparison to Boston, Baltimore, Seattle, but I think we see all of the trauma that you'll see in practice.

I agree that we are not a big city. If you need a big city with the lifestyle of the big city, then don't apply here. However, I think that the city offers the majority of things that people look for in a place to live. Any questions, feel free to email me.

Agree with most of the above. BBMF did forget to mention that TexasTech in heavily inbred. It might not be a good choice to rotate here as its inbred as well as the fact that there are only 2 spots (they may get 2 more, remains to be seen). From my interview experience, it seemed to be a pretty good well-rounded program. Have heard from other interviewees that trauma may be lacking?
Lubbock is as Texas as you can get. Pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Definitely NOT the place if you are a big city guy/gal. There is nothing 'big city' going on here with the exception of a small college bar scene.

I'll start it off...

Texas Tech Univ (Lubbock)

I am 3rd year resident here so all of this info is 1st hand.

Faculty: 9 current faculty with an additional faculty member joining in August. At least 3 new faculty will join in approx 1 year and 2 more in 2 years. All faculty are fellowship trained and all ortho subspecialties are represented. Fun to work with. Good relationship with residents. Allow for autonomy

Residents: Currently we take 2 residents a year but are applying for expansion. Should know sometime this summer. Residents graduate with 2200-2500 operative cases. Start operating as an intern. One on one basis with faculty. Hardly ever have two residents scrubbed. Seniors let juniors operate. No fellows.

Operative experience: Lots of cases. Elective and trauma evenly balanced. Do total joints as PGY-2 as well as scopes and other elective cases. Residents feel very comfortable in OR upon graduating. 50% of residents do fellowships others do general practice.

Clinic: Again one on one with faculty. Have autonomy with supervision. Chiefs have own clinics. Comprises 40-50% of training.

Research: Dept funds research. One research project is required (not enforced). You can do as much or as little as you want.

Hospital: 350+ bed, Level-1 trauma center; ancillary support. You don't have to transport patients, start IVs, etc.

Call: Home call 1 in 5 first 2 years; then back-up call 4th and 5th year.

Rotations: All rotations are done in Lubbock. No aways. Have option in 4th yr to rotate at Dallas Scottish Rite.

City: Lubbock has a population 200,000+. Own your home. Cheap living. Home to Texas Tech Univ (Big 12 Conf). Season football tickets $90 as faculty. Plenty of restaurants. Go skiing 4hrs away; Good for families and singles.

Overall: I think that this program is better now than when I started. We have doubled are size in faculty. The number of operative cases and the variety is better. This residency will prepare you well for a general, academic or fellowship position. Email me with questions [url=mailto]brian.gill@ttuhsc.edu[/url]. Come and visit if interested. You'll be pleasantly surprised.