Future doctor looking for poker friendly residency

[7ontheline]

If you're going to do IM or ER, ER is the one that will allow you the most poker time. IM, especially residency, is frequently a 6 days a week job with call and long hours. ER is hard work also, but you'll likely have more free days because your days on will be long and busy. Seriously though, I would recommend you put this low on your list of priorities unless you ar actually considering dropping out to play poker. I love poker, but residency is not really the time to be emphasizing it. You will be much less happy if you end up choosing a specialty or residency based on poker. You'll be practicing medicine for a long time. Poker will be there when you get through with residency.

[bav]

OP didn't say he wanted to play poker 30 hours a week while also playing doctor. He's posed a reasonable question... Basically "I have a hobby that can only be practiced in a few locations in the country, are there any good residencies in easy reach?" Everybody's just piling on assuming he's intending to be a poker pro first, and intern/resident second. One MIGHT hope anyone who's made it through med school has enough common sense and connections with graduates to know what residency is like. Just 'cause you're a resident doesn't mean you get *NO* outside life at all.

But I would suggest OP basically create a list of primo poker locations and then use medical forums and other resources to decide what quality of programs are available near 'em.

Obviously SoCal, Vegas, NoCal. Tunica. Riverboats elsewhere (STL, KCMO, others). PHX. There are probably more but I'm running a little dry. Long as you aren't aiming to be a pro, and don't insist on playing very high, there are a fair number of places to do <= 10/20 and NL2/5 sorta games.

[growlers]

Well, I am an ER doctor in Vegas so you can PM me if you have any specific questions. I did residency at Wash U / Barnes hospital in St Louis. The vegas ER residency at UMC just started this year so I am not sure how anyone could really have an opinion on quality either way.
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and hope that poker proximity is a fairly low criteria on your list.......

[7ontheline]

Bav,

I think you are the one making assumptions here. Re-reading the thread, there is ONE person who says they don't want their doctor to be a poker player. No one else told him not to do it, but recommended that he put it low on his list of priorities. I stand by that sentiment. Residency is a once-in-a-lifetime experience which can potentially affect a lot regarding your future. Poker (and many other hobbies) should IMO be a lower priority during that time. He won't have THAT much time to play regardless of what residency he does, and if he wants to hang out with friends, go out, etc. then that is going to cut into poker time even more. It was a lot easier when internet poker was readily accessible. In any case, he needs to decide what specialty to pursue first.

[Photoc]

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I think you are the one making assumptions here. Re-reading the thread, there is ONE person who says they don't want their doctor to be a poker player.

[/ QUOTE ]

Honestly, what one person does on their own time as a constructive way to spend their free time enjoying themselves, really should have no bearing on this thread.

It's like saying you don't want the person who checks you out at the grocery store watching porn on their own time. I dont see any relevance. But that is my opinion. It's not like someone goes to a doctor with a broke leg and says "do you play poker at all in your free time? Yes? I'm going somewhere else then".

The OP asked where he should move, not the morality issues of playing poker and his profession. I stand by my statement above, and it's obviously not just this town, it's lot of places, but I have a fondness for Vegas. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[LonesomeFugitive]

Go talk to Dr Amir Nasseri.

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]
So I graduate medical school in 2 years and want to choose a great residency, but want to maximize my poker opportunities. I have not chosen a specialty yet, but my top two candidates are Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine (or subspecialty). Are there any doctors/residents out there who enjoy their programs and have convenience to high quality card rooms?

Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a troll, right?

I want nothing to do with a doctor for whom B&M access is even a minor factor in choosing an education/career path.

[renodoc]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So I graduate medical school in 2 years and want to choose a great residency, but want to maximize my poker opportunities. I have not chosen a specialty yet, but my top two candidates are Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine (or subspecialty). Are there any doctors/residents out there who enjoy their programs and have convenience to high quality card rooms?

Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a troll, right?

I want nothing to do with a doctor for whom B&M access is even a minor factor in choosing an education/career path.

[/ QUOTE ]


Wow. What should the deciding factors be? Reputation of the program? Real quality of the program? Chances of graduates landing a good job afterward?

Maybe some things like: Close to family? Spouse has a job there? In the mountains? Near the beach? In a red state? Near the trap range? Near a poker room?

wtf do you care if the guy wants to play cards? Residency is tough-- having a diversion that you enjoy during your down time is crucial.

[bakergolf]

University of Kansas Med Center is here in Kansas City. We have 3 poker rooms, and the are only 15 minutes from the Med Center.

Cheap living. Very cheap flight out of KCI on Southwest.

But KC is no-limit town.

Mark in Kansas City

[growlers]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So I graduate medical school in 2 years and want to choose a great residency, but want to maximize my poker opportunities. I have not chosen a specialty yet, but my top two candidates are Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine (or subspecialty). Are there any doctors/residents out there who enjoy their programs and have convenience to high quality card rooms?

Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a troll, right?

I want nothing to do with a doctor for whom B&M access is even a minor factor in choosing an education/career path.

[/ QUOTE ]

Uh, this is a very strange statement to me. What if OP liked to hike or rock climb so has a leaning towards Denver? Or is a surfer so wants to be near a coast? Of course doctors have outside interests just like anyone else.

I hate the snow so didn't apply to anyplace north of Missouri - there are 142 residencies in EM http://www.saem.org/saemdnn/Home/Com...9/Default.aspx there are plenty of great residencies - enough that you can apply other considerations when you are choosing where to apply than just the clinical factors.
I don't see anything wrong with asking the question as long as it this is low on the list of priorities.
I find it bizarre that multiple people on a poker forum think that it makes me a worse doctor somehow because I like poker.