2008 Season

chumbojumbo said:

Hey Everyone,

I figured its about that time, (wow already?) to start getting apps ready for the upcoming season. I was unsuccessful last year abd so Im gonna give it another go. So, I thought I'd start things off: 26 yo IMG with a history of anxiety c/o a very competative year for EM. Im hoping this year is a little different. I had 4 invites last season, im hoping for just a "few" more this time. Let's hope the average number of applications this year is a little less than 600 per program. So how about the rest of you...whose all out there wanting to do EM...Im sure McNninja is gonna give it another go round, or have they converted you to a surgeon already good buddy?

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I am anxious as hell too, first time applicant, 30y.o IMG applying to EM but gonna send a few to IM as back-up cos from what i hear, EM will be even more competitive this year. Below average step 1, excellent step 2, average step 3 scores, five years out of med school, no US experience, working in ED in a private hospital for the last 3 years. Wishing you some more interviews this year chumbojumbo.

Just wondering, what have you guys done to improve your application from last year to make yourselves more competitive for EM? (for those those that applied last year and were unfortunate as I was)

DP...where did you hear that it will be even more competitive for EM this year?
just curious...

DP...where did you hear that it will be even more competitive for EM this year?
just curious...[/QUOTE

Have been following the chat rooms from last year's season and i know that it was brutal, now with all the unmatched persons from last year plus new applicants this year i just know that it is gonna be pretty competitive and also have some friends that matched into EM last year and having spoken to their PDs about the season after the fact, they got some feedback as to how competitive it really was. I have a few friends who have sat step 1 and 2 exams more than 6 weeks ago and still haven't gotten their results yet, don't know if there is an increase in volume or what. I hope to god i am wrong though and this year is not worse than last year, don't need the stress.

I am currently involved in a research project at my local EM department (which has an EM residency) involving traumatic brain injury (all volunteer). I will likely be taking on a second research project as well in the very near future, and follow that to completion as well. (with hopes of publication of both...but not before interview season starts)

I'm also sitting in on the residents' lecture/conference day, that way I can keep learning EM during this 'down time'.

Lastly, I'm studying for step III, with hopes to do well. Not sure how much step III will help, but it definitely can't hurt.

Good luck to all!

I wish all of you the best of luck!!

I am hoping when I am in your shoes in a few years that all the competitiveness goes down again, although I highly doubt that will happen.

MushieCookie said:

I am currently involved in a research project at my local EM department (which has an EM residency) involving traumatic brain injury (all volunteer). I will likely be taking on a second research project as well in the very near future, and follow that to completion as well. (with hopes of publication of both...but not before interview season starts)

I'm also sitting in on the residents' lecture/conference day, that way I can keep learning EM during this 'down time'.

Lastly, I'm studying for step III, with hopes to do well. Not sure how much step III will help, but it definitely can't hurt.

Good luck to all!

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Heh Mushie, you already have one foot through the door. If you plan to apply to where you are doing your research, since they already know you, you will most certainly be a shoe-in, you are set. Wish i were in your shoes. Doing step 3 will certainly help in that it will be one less exam to worry about when you are in residency when you should be focusing on your in-service exams and what not and besides, having step 3 before interview time definately will not hurt.

I heard they were going to cancel the 2008 match. Everyone's pretty tired and staffing is pretty flush right now so we figured we'd hold off for a while. Maybe we'll go again in '09 or '10.

docB said:

I heard they were going to cancel the 2008 match. Everyone's pretty tired and staffing is pretty flush right now so we figured we'd hold off for a while. Maybe we'll go again in '09 or '10.

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bwahahaha...haha...or no.

docB said:

I heard they were going to cancel the 2008 match. Everyone's pretty tired and staffing is pretty flush right now so we figured we'd hold off for a while. Maybe we'll go again in '09 or '10.

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awwww, SNAP!

jd

docB said:

I heard they were going to cancel the 2008 match. Everyone's pretty tired and staffing is pretty flush right now so we figured we'd hold off for a while. Maybe we'll go again in '09 or '10.

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Ditto the showgirl syphillis. I was actually neurotic enough to worry for 0.1 secs.

Well, the 3rd years are trying to push us out of the "3rd years unite" thread, so here is the list of 2008 applicants from that thread:
AmoryBlaine
BklynWill
breaker1919
Carliecat
cnn
DIVA01
DjDoc96
Dr. McNinja
Doc Gator
Hard24get
JBlue
Pinner Doc
Quideam
scoutfire1
sleepymed
stoic
Sweet Tea
Universe_Explorer
vacoug
Vytorin77
vmed
Zinjanthropus

add me to the list!!

me too!!! me too!!!

Hard24Get said:

AmoryBlaine
BklynWill
breaker1919
Carliecat
cnn
DIVA01
DjDoc96
Dr. McNinja
Doc Gator
EM OR BUST
Hard24get
heliotrope
JBlue
Pinner Doc
Quideam
scoutfire1
sleepymed
stoic
Sweet Tea
Universe_Explorer
vacoug
Vytorin77
vmed
Zinjanthropus

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There! I added us in EM OR BUST.

AmoryBlaine
BklynWill
breaker1919
Carliecat
chumbojumbo
cnn
DIVA01
DjDoc96
dkpwalker
Dr. McNinja
Doc Gator
EM OR BUST
Hard24get
heliotrope
JBlue
MushieCookie
Pinner Doc
Quideam
scoutfire1
sleepymed
stoic
Sweet Tea
Universe_Explorer
vacoug
Vytorin77
vmed
Zinjanthropus

Added the original posters . Seems we have a nice big group cooking. Where are people in terms of their apps? Our school is being pretty pushy about us jumping through the hoops in a timely manner....

chumbojumbo said:

Thanks for the add homie...yeah yeah, the schools insist on us getting things done in a timely manner...which is good, its good....everything should be in as early as possible, Im pretty much set i think...Im getting my LoRs updated from the original writers...its so embarrassing telling them thta I didnt match and will they please re-write me another letter (and a better one this time, dam*it), you know, one that I will actually Match with!...so yeah, everything seems to in order around here *cough*. I only have to redo "everything" from last year...well thank God at least not the USMLEs. wheeww!


CJ

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For me I have 1 LOR waiting on but the professor was in Geneva presenting in some conference, she is soooooo busy and i can never get her to stand still for a minute, i gave her my letter with my request, cv and personal statement over a month ago, was lucky to get her on her cell phone and she promised to do it for me, and now, she seems to have dropped off the face of the earth...until yesterday her secretary called to say that she is back and she would like me to come to her office to vet the letter before she submitted it, i was bowled over as i thought that was a great gesture...and it was the least she could do for keeping me waiting so long right...lol. Anyways, things turned out great and i think i may finally be able to submit my package to ERAS by monday. I just now have to decide which letter to assign to which program....

chumbojumbo said:

well done docB, well done...now go get syphillis from a showgirl

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Nah, they've all got the drip. Besides, I've had terteriary syphillis for years. That's why I write stuff like that.

docB said:

Nah, they've all got the drip. Besides, I've had terteriary syphillis for years. That's why I write stuff like that.

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LOL, too late for benzathine penicillin?

docB said:

Nah, they've all got the drip. Besides, I've had terteriary syphillis for years. That's why I write stuff like that.

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LOL, too late for benzathine penicillin?

if anyone has questions above the U of Arizona PM me.. ive been too busy to promise a reply to a thread.

Throwing my hat into the ring..

AmoryBlaine
BklynWill
breaker1919
Carliecat
chumbojumbo
cnn
DIVA01
DjDoc96
dkpwalker
Dr. McNinja will kick ass
Doc Gator
EM OR BUST
Hard24get
heliotrope
JBlue
MushieCookie
Pinner Doc
Quideam
scoutfire1
sleepymed
stoic
Sweet Tea will take names
Universe_Explorer
vacoug
Vytorin77
vmed
Zinjanthropus
Iliacus

Just dropping a line to say good luck in your EM endeavors this match.
But, as a sage (?) second year now I have only one piece of advice, beware the promises of program directors, as I was recently told "Well, I pretty much control your life now."
Think hard before putting in that rank order list.

Best Wishes,

The Mish

docB said:

I heard they were going to cancel the 2008 match. Everyone's pretty tired and staffing is pretty flush right now so we figured we'd hold off for a while. Maybe we'll go again in '09 or '10.

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Ya know, I was originally just trying to be cute but this reminded me of something a wise, old PD once told me: "Anything you hear from someone on the trail needs to go into a mental file labeled "I heard" rather than "truth."

Well, right now, I have finished a rough draft of my personal statement, a skeleton of my cv, still have not asked for any LOR. My EM rotation is the next block (so in about a week) and I'm really looking forward to it. I still haven't scheduled in a spot yet for my away. Im still looking, but i"m on my sub-I now and I barely have the energy to roll over in bed. I'm excrutiatingly behind in my application, but on the upside, I have finished both my step 2s! yeah! let's hope I pass!

good luck everyone else. I hope I bump into some of you (albeit anonymously) next month!

wanted to add myself -

AmoryBlaine
BklynWill
breaker1919
Carliecat
chumbojumbo
cnn
DIVA01
DjDoc96
dkpwalker
Dr. McNinja will kick ass
Doc Gator
EM OR BUST
Hard24get
heliotrope
JBlue
Lacyann
MushieCookie
Pinner Doc
Quideam
scoutfire1
sleepymed
stoic
Sweet Tea will take names
Universe_Explorer
vacoug
Vytorin77
vmed
Zinjanthropus
Iliacus

I can't believe that it is our turn!
Can't wait to meet you all on the interview trail.

sleepymed said:

Well, right now, I have finished a rough draft of my personal statement, a skeleton of my cv, still have not asked for any LOR. My EM rotation is the next block (so in about a week) and I'm really looking forward to it. I still haven't scheduled in a spot yet for my away. Im still looking, but i"m on my sub-I now and I barely have the energy to roll over in bed. I'm excrutiatingly behind in my application, but on the upside, I have finished both my step 2s! yeah! let's hope I pass!

good luck everyone else. I hope I bump into some of you (albeit anonymously) next month!

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Leaving nothing to chance i have sent off my ERAS package today. All i need to do is assign my letter writers and then sit tight until september 2. Can't wait to begin residency.

chumbojumbo said:

Working on the finishing touches of the personal statement this weekend...and then gonna start filling out the CAF in ERAS...man, depressing having to do it all over again...oh well


CJ

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\
just think about being in residency next year being overworked and underpaid and that should give you the push.

chumbojumbo said:

Hey anyone know if an SLOR from a community ED doc will hold any weight? I would love for BKN to chime in here.

CJ

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Actually a community ED doc can't fill out a SLOR. It has to come from an EM faculty member of a residency program.

dkpwalker said:

Leaving nothing to chance i have sent off my ERAS package today.

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I thought we couldn't do that until September?! You are so far ahead that your status says resident, already

Hard24Get said:

I thought we couldn't do that until September?! You are so far ahead that your status says resident, already

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You are encouraged to send in your documents to ERAS as soon as you have them available once you are registered. I happen to have all my LORs, my pic, MSPE and my transcript as i had made the request for them from before ERAS was even open. And my status says resident cos in my country things are a bit different, i am 5 years post med school and working in the capacity of a resident at a hospital. No "formal" residency training though, hence the application.

P.S. anybody start picking out programs they are applying to...if so whats the count so far? Im at 12 so far, but thats just in one state lol[/QUOTE]
my total is 30, in 8 different states.

chumbojumbo said:

Hey anyone know if an SLOR from a community ED doc will hold any weight? I would love for BKN to chime in here.

CJ

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I hate to be a killbuzz, but not much. Community docs always give maximum love since they have a much smaller base to compare to. I like letters from cranky old PDs and chairman since they know if they lie to me I will find a way to reciprocate.

bkn

chumbojumbo said:

I have a question...I am pursuing an MPH in this year off and was wondering, on our CV do we put that abouve our MD degree since it is more recent or below the MD for the obvious? Just wondering the correct sequence....anybody?

CJ


P.S. anybody start picking out programs they are applying to...if so whats the count so far? Im at 12 so far, but thats just in one state lol

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CJ,

The ERAS will generate a standard c.v. from your application. You needn't put one up separately. And to answer the question for when you do put one together later in life, it can be done either way. Mine's in temporal order, but since you're applying for a MD job it probagbly should be in reverse order.

bn

dkpwalker said:

my total is 30, in 8 different states.

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I have 22 in 11 different states, trying to cut down the number of potential plane flights by eliminating programs and trying to convince my husband he wants to move

Thanks for chiming in though it is a comfort to have you around giving advice.

BKN said:

I like letters from cranky old PDs and chairman since they know if they lie to me I will find a way to reciprocate.

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It's scary looking at those SLORs - I can't imagine that everybody is the best, so it is intimidating to be ranked like that.

Just a curtious reminder.... Its MUCH easier to apply to 'too many' programs now and cancel invites when they come in... than to apply to too few, and then try to apply to more later in the season (last year, more invites when out earlier than years past; many programs dates were FULL very early in the season.....per the old pros on the board).


It costs a bit more money to apply to additional program but its a small cost in the long run.

Just make sure you are applying to PLENTY of programs and hit a few that are 'off the beaten path' even if you feel like you are a stellar applicant. Shes getting more and more competitive each year...

EM_Rebuilder said:

Just a curtious reminder.... Its MUCH easier to apply to 'too many' programs now and cancel invites when they come in... than to apply to too few, and then try to apply to more later in the season (last year, more invites when out earlier than years past; many programs dates were FULL very early in the season.....per the old pros on the board).


It costs a bit more money to apply to additional program but its a small cost in the long run.

Just make sure you are applying to PLENTY of programs and hit a few that are 'off the beaten path' even if you feel like you are a stellar applicant. Shes getting more and more competitive each year...

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True, but if you are just going for numbers wouldn't it be better to have a lot of your bulk be nearby so you can save a bit of money come interview time?
I was hoping to add a ton of places I could take the train to and get rid of places that would require plane flights unless I am REALLY interested. Is that wrong?

Hard24Get said:

True, but if you are just going for numbers wouldn't it be better to have a lot of your bulk be nearby so you can save a bit of money come interview time?
I was hoping to add a ton of places I could take the train to and get rid of places that would require plane flights unless I am REALLY interested. Is that wrong?

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That will vary depending on where you are. For example, my two nearest programs were around 5-6 hours away in opposite directions....


If you have plenty of places nearby, then I would say you are fine. I am assuming you are in a big city on the east coast and some of those programs do seem to be 'off the beaten path'...

Good Luck...

I have a question about the SLOR's.

Can a EM physician at a hospital without an Emergency Medicine residency program write a SLOR? I have been getting conflicting feedback.

My school has a required EM rotation for us all, but no EM residency. There are residents in other fields that rotate through the ED and medical students. Just trying to plan it all out!

Any info would be great. Thanks!

lacyann said:

I have a question about the SLOR's.

Can a EM physician at a hospital without an Emergency Medicine residency program write a SLOR? I have been getting conflicting feedback.

My school has a required EM rotation for us all, but no EM residency. There are residents in other fields that rotate through the ED and medical students. Just trying to plan it all out!

Any info would be great. Thanks!

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see post #42 in this thread