Although it is very nice to share some of your insights for the future applicants, this is the most damaging thread for prospective spine fellows. Reading these opinions prior to interviewing creates an enormous bias, especially that you just finished interviewing and have no idea how this translates to real world value, job search, etc. The reality is that the field of spine is unique and very different from other orthopedic subspecialties. You are following the lead of naming "big" programs, and your bias might have even lead to you skip over amazing programs that go unrecognized in these discussions. Prospective applicants should be very aware of this fallacy, and not automatically gravitate to brand names that may or may not be suitable to them.
The "big names" are often less hands on, more cutthroat, and much less invested in you as a fellow. What is good for your career later on is not the same during fellowship. From personal experience interviewing just a few years ago, I found smaller fellowships to be so much more dedicated to teaching the fellows than HSS or Rush by a long margin. Everyone's career interests are different, and this simplistic thinking is damaging. At the end of the day, when you are out on your own and struggling through a case, the only thing that matters is your training.
