Vanderbilt University Medical Center Reviews

Pros

-Talented and knowledgeable staff
-Good benefits
-Stable
-Opportunity to learn many facets of healthcare
-Well positioned within the Nashville community

Cons

-Very large organization with many layers of management. Doctors have a lot of power outside their domain of expertise.

Advice to Senior Management

I think they are well managed and look out for their people. There is so much to learn here. There are several areas that could use a little improvement, but the same is true of any place work.

Pros

Good benefits, good people in the trenches. Some departments offer flexible work arrangements. College tuition assistance program for children and dependents after 5 years.

Cons

Lack of unified direction. Leadership often sends people in multiple directions simultaneously without having an overall strategic goal. Fragmented reporting structures lead to bureaucracy and fiefdoms.

Advice to Senior Management

Develop overall strategic plans that are unified, and listen to the advice of people who understand how to implement your visions.

Pros

Collaborative scientifically
Extensive resources for research
University's focus on job/life satisfaction
Cost of living

Cons

Limited advancement for non PhD and MD

Advice to Senior Management

Clearly state expectations. Provide milestones for advancement.

Pros

The benefits are great and the general atmosphere is pleasant.

Cons

Depending on your department you could find yourself being dismissed at no fault of your own under the guise of saving money. Department by department things can vary, but in general there is an atmosphere of fear and trepidation at the new policies set in motion after the new Dean was put in place.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't forget you have human beings working for you. Stop supporting bullying tactics to shove loyal employees out of positions because of your ego and desire to erase the fingerprints of former management.

Pros

The learning framework for nurses cannot be beat. You are exposed to complex cases with lots of autonomy.

Cons

The pay is the worst in the area. Lowest paying hospital across the board. Management doesn't want to hear the truth, only fluff answers. There are not many rooms for advancement and some units can be very high school like. Gossiping, intimidation, lies and betrayal.

Advice to Senior Management

Step outside and remember what it's like to work on the floor. Stop being cheap and pay your staff or you will continue to have high turnover.

Pros

The lab is very friendly and relaxed. There are plenty of opportunities to attend lectures and conferences that have the leading researchers in the field. HR makes a great effort to make sure the entire University is connected and educated about future directions. HR also does a great job of having social activities for different groups of workers.

Cons

It can be strenuous when one has to present results within a time frame that is not conducive for the research. Furthermore, promotions and tenure can be difficult to achieve.

Advice to Senior Management

I would advise management to continue most of their practices, but relax some of the requirements to be promoted. I understand most of these requirement ensure that new hires are some of the brightest minds in the field, though reducing the pressure would create a better work atmosphere.

Pros

Vanderbilt provides a very collaborative environment with a strong postdoctoral support system
Salaries for postdoctoral fellows are excellent
Resources for academic research are vast and easily accessible
Collegial working atmosphere

Cons

"Good ole boy" mentality still exists in some corners of the institution
The lack of substantial commercial enterprise in Nashville to support/feed medical research with Vanderbilt makes it the only opportunity in town.

Advice to Senior Management

The medical center is a model for research and community outreach. Expansion of the postdoctoral training programs to meet the regional needs (i.e. teaching, administration, development) would be useful since the traditional academic track may not be practical in an area without demand (like East/West coast).

Pros

Ability to learn
great management
get entry level experience
great research and ability to go and talk to anyone around
very intelligent

Cons

long hours
crowded work space
some of the supervisors are more critical than helpful
long time to actually publish a paper

Advice to Senior Management

Make supervisors more helpful rather than critical

Pros

Very organized and friendly, yet professional, work environment.

Cons

It's a really large work environment.

Pros

-Excellent research reputation
-Great Benefits
-Important, thrilling work
-You feel pride in your work
-Chance to affect many people and leave a legacy.

Cons

-Heavy workload
-Will not hire enough staff for the work
-Will overburden you with projects if you do not say no.

Advice to Senior Management

Allow employees to do their job but provide the resources they need to complete the job. Try to minimize the infighting between groups.