Future doctor looking for poker friendly residency

snelgrave · #1 05-14-2007, 07:23 PM

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.

Cubswin · #2 05-14-2007, 08:17 PM

Do you really think you will have time to play poker during your residency? Especially if you do emergency medicine?

I'd stick to playing online in your spare 20 minutes a day [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

RunDownHouse · #3 05-14-2007, 08:21 PM

This is old info, but about 5 or 6 years ago I was talking to a guy that wanted to do ER surgery and went to Memphis. Apparently their trauma unit was/is really good (go figure, right?). You'd be real close to Tunica. So look into them if you haven't yet.

Photoc · #4 05-14-2007, 08:29 PM

[ 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 ]

Just move to Vegas like everyone else lately [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]. Lots of idiots in this town and on these roads to make being a doctor well worthwile.

wrschultz · #5 05-14-2007, 08:41 PM

I think if you're looking for interesting ER work, Vegas would be the place... I can't even imagine some of the ER stories you could live in Vegas...

-Hookers with all kinds of stuff stuck in all kinds of places...
-70 year old men with BAC of .5
-CRAZY chick who cuts herself intentionally and writes things on hotel bathroom rooms in her own blood...

And that would probably just be the first hour of your residency.

Angeleyes · #6 05-14-2007, 08:51 PM

I love poker but for some reason if I found out my doctor was a serious poker player, I'd find a new doctor? Is that wrong?

mrcunningham · #7 05-14-2007, 09:18 PM

If you go with an IM residency, which I know more than a little about, then you should consider UCSF or Stanford if you would be competitive. These days residency is sufficiently light that you could find the time to play poker, especially given the proximity of several B&M card clubs along the San Francisco Peninsula. Obviously, any of the LA residencies would be good, UCLA, USC, Harbor/UCLA, but the LA clubs, except for HP, are a bit harder to get to if you have resident hours. UNLV is a crappy IM residency. UCSD is not bad with O11 30 minutes north. Anything else?

ATrebek · #8 05-14-2007, 09:24 PM

What kind of doctor?

Yeah memphis is good if your into trauma stuff, but if proctology is your gig then Vegas hands down.

kleinstadt1 · #9 05-14-2007, 09:49 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Do you really think you will have time to play poker during your residency? Especially if you do emergency medicine?

I'd stick to playing online in your spare 20 minutes a day [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, seriously. In your intern year you'll be lucky to get one 32 hour work-free period a week for the entire year. You are not going to get as much pokering in as you think you are.

Any residency in California will be pretty tough to get. If you did well on Step I that will help a lot.

Vegas is the no-brainer, but I have no idea of the quality of programs there.

Chicago is okay, kind of a pain in the ass to get to some of the casinos (Indiana, $6 in tolls round trip, 45 mins.-1 hour of traffic standard). A lot of really good residency programs, however.

St. Louis wouldn't be bad. Much easier commute, decent rooms, and decent residencies.

artichoker · #10 05-14-2007, 10:28 PM

Im finishing up my residency and can give you some tips. first if you do a 4 year ER program or 3 year IM "YOU SHOULD NOT PLAY POKER FOR THE FIRST YEAR" you will be so tired that the one day a week you get off will be spent sleeping. second you should really not choose a residency based on gaming options in the area. your top priority is to get the best possible education/experience & to be the best possible doctor that you can be. that being said after the fist year you will have more free time. especially if you go the ER route; IM not so much time. I am doing a competitive residency in a field that requires ~40h/week and 1 weekend/month. I live in Los Angeles and go to vegas every 2-4 weeks. I refuse to play in LA for personal reasons (i hate short stack poker) that being said i probably played only once in my intern year. your just too exhausted to do anything but poop and sleep. I believe USC UCI Harbor and Vegas are all good ER programs that will give you access to good poker. but seriously this should be low on your list when picking your residency.

And ive found that many of my patients that play poker are quite excited to find out that their doc has something in common with them. Ive made some great relationships with many patients.