Q. Is your program a community-based or university-based program?

A. The program is community-based and affiliated with a medical university. This allows us to have all the benefits of an unopposed community-based program (we are the only residency program at Trident) so we are not competing with other residents for patients, procedures, etc. However, we are strongly affiliated with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and do a number of rotations there, so we continue to be able to reap the benefits of a large medical university: a large library, research opportunities if you are interested, and the benefit of qualified sub-specialists. This "hybrid" community/university based system is one of the most unique and appealing aspects of our program.

Q. How often is call?

Call is comparable to most other residency programs. In most rotations (Inpatient Family Medicine, Radiology and Electives) call is Q4-5. The emergency medicine, ambulatory care, and orientation blocks have no call.

Q. What do residents do in their free time?

A. Probably the most popular places in Charleston to hang out are on one of the many beaches in the area. Sullivan's Island, Isle of Palms, Folly Beach, and Kiawah Island are just a few minutes drive from anywhere in Charleston. Many of the residents have boats and enjoy fishing, shrimping, water skiing,or just cruising the waterways of the Lowcountry. Downtown Charleston is popular as well. Great restaurants, cool bars, good bands, sight-seeing the historic downtown area, and shopping on King Street and at the Market are just a few of the things that make downtown such a unique and exciting place to be.

There are also a number of parks for jogging, sports, and picnicking. Many residents enjoy the numerous golf courses and tennis venues in the Charleston area. Charleston also has professional hockey, soccer, and baseball teams. These are just a few of the many reasons that Charleston has been consistently ranked as one of the most desirable cities to live.

Q. What kind of cultural activities are in Charleston?

A. Historic Charleston is filled with a wide array of cultural activities including the Gibbs Museum of Art, the Dock Street Theatre, the Charleston Symphony, the Robert Ivey Ballet, the U.S.S. Yorktown, and Fort Sumter. A number of national and regional musical acts frequently make a stop in Charleston. But, without a doubt, the biggest cultural event in Charleston is the Spoleto and Piccolo Spoleto Festival that occurs annually in May and June. During the festival, downtown Charleston hosts hundreds of events ranging from operas to plays and art exhibits to blue-grass music.

Q. Where do most residents live?

A. All over Charleston. Residents live in Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, James Island, North Charleston, downtown, or at one of the beaches. There are a number of great neighborhoods in all areas of the town, and if you have kids, good schools are not hard to find. Traffic is not too bad commuting to work; for most of us, the commute is against traffic. Depending on what area of town that you live in, the commute ranges from a couple of minutes to no more than 20 minutes.

Q. Do any residents buy homes?

A. Currently about half of the residents in the program own homes, and the other half rent. Many of the local banks give great deals on mortgages to residents -no money down and low interest rates.

Q. What about food?

A. We get free food while working at Trident. -all the ice cream that you can eat. When we are at MUSC, we have a meal allowance that gives us a certain amount of cash for each night we are on call.

Q. Is parking convenient?

A .Both at MUSC and Trident, the walk from the parking lot to the hospital is just a couple of blocks. It is free, well lighted, and safe.

Q. How much vacation do you get each year?

A. Three weeks of paid vacation is included each year.