[2015-2016] EM Rank Order List Thread

[HumerusBaker]

What's the protocol for returning voice mails left by residents?
I don't have questions but I appreciate the offer. This program, which I'd be happy to match at, is not in my top 4 (my 5 to 8 are still changing). Acceptable to text back or do I suck up an awkward phone call or okay to just not reply? It was left yesterday while I was working and then it was too late to call back last night.

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[deleted547339]

What's the protocol for returning voice mails left by residents?
I don't have questions but I appreciate the offer. This program, which I'd be happy to match at, is not in my top 4 (my 5 to 8 are still changing). Acceptable to text back or do I suck up an awkward phone call or okay to just not reply? It was left yesterday while I was working and then it was too late to call back last night.

Call.

 

[DrJavaSunflower]

What's the protocol for returning voice mails left by residents?
I don't have questions but I appreciate the offer. This program, which I'd be happy to match at, is not in my top 4 (my 5 to 8 are still changing). Acceptable to text back or do I suck up an awkward phone call or okay to just not reply? It was left yesterday while I was working and then it was too late to call back last night.

Congrats and I'd call back.

 

[HumerusBaker]

Will do! Thanks... I'll have to think of a question to ask ...

 

[racerwad]

Will do! Thanks... I'll have to think of a question to ask ...

You can just say thank you for the call and let them know you don't actually have questions but appreciate the time they took to reach out.

 

[HumerusBaker]

You can just say thank you for the call and let them know you don't actually have questions but appreciate the time they took to reach out.

True.

I just hate making phone calls haha. It's a personal flaw.

 

[Random31]

can anyone comment on UT houston's shift schedule and length? I seem to recall that in one of my interviews I was told they thought their 12 hour shift length hurt them in the match so they switched it. I think to 9's and 10's? anyone write this down?

 

[BrewS]

Does anyone know the work hours at University of Michigan? 12's, 10's 8's and how many shifts per EM month typically?

I am having trouble deciding 1) 2) 3) UMich = Denver = Cincinnati; Hours might be the little thing that tips the scales.

Last decision point is mostly based on being closer to family at Michigan and UC but feel that temptation of beautiful Denver. Also feel Denver is much more out of my league since I've heard applicants offer their first born child to match there. I read a post above saying Cincinnati does the 8 day 8 hour cycles like Denver but when I rotated there they were all definitely doing 12 hours shifts and about 22/20/18/16 based on PGY.

Would appreciate any opinions on the programs.

 

[gogodre]

Does anyone know the work hours at University of Michigan? 12's, 10's 8's and how many shifts per EM month typically?

I am having trouble deciding 1) 2) 3) UMich = Denver = Cincinnati; Hours might be the little thing that tips the scales.

Last decision point is mostly based on being closer to family at Michigan and UC but feel that temptation of beautiful Denver. Also feel Denver is much more out of my league since I've heard applicants offer their first born child to match there. I read a post above saying Cincinnati does the 8 day 8 hour cycles like Denver but when I rotated there they were all definitely doing 12 hours shifts and about 22/20/18/16 based on PGY.

Would appreciate any opinions on the programs.

I do know at Cincy they don't all do 12's. Interns and 4's do but 2nd years work 8's in C pod and I think 3's work 8's in A pod. I think 2's and 3's work 10's too when they are covering D pod and some of the A beds. I can't remember how it works at Michigan especially with all the hospitals they have u at.

 

[Haemr Head]

If anything Boston EDs are notorious for their lower acuity due to a healthy well insured patient population and an over saturation of EDs in the city.

Less sick patients + more hospitals = lower acuity.

There are many reasons to go to Harvard for EM residency, wanting to see tons of sick patients isn't one of them.

Notorious perhaps, but with the possible exception of BMC where the admission rate is 17%, dead wrong.
There is an easy way to assess acuity, the admission rate and the ICU admission rate. These are sky high at all the Harvard teaching programs.
These are tertiary hospitals collecting referrals from a high dense population area throughout eastern MA extending into southern New Hampshire and Maine.
So the logic only applies to penetrating trauma which is admittedly less than at city county hospitals.

 

[deleted547339]

Notorious perhaps, but with the possible exception of BMC where the admission rate is 17%, dead wrong.
There is an easy way to assess acuity, the admission rate and the ICU admission rate. These are sky high at all the Harvard teaching programs.
These are tertiary hospitals collecting referrals from a high dense population area throughout eastern MA extending into southern New Hampshire and Maine.
So the logic only applies to penetrating trauma which is admittedly less than at city county hospitals.

Yes, BUT - we get a lot of outside hospital transfers that come through the ED. They count as admissions, but they effectively have no learning opportunities.

 

[chpueblo22]

Does anyone know the work hours at University of Michigan? 12's, 10's 8's and how many shifts per EM month typically?

I am having trouble deciding 1) 2) 3) UMich = Denver = Cincinnati; Hours might be the little thing that tips the scales.

Last decision point is mostly based on being closer to family at Michigan and UC but feel that temptation of beautiful Denver. Also feel Denver is much more out of my league since I've heard applicants offer their first born child to match there. I read a post above saying Cincinnati does the 8 day 8 hour cycles like Denver but when I rotated there they were all definitely doing 12 hours shifts and about 22/20/18/16 based on PGY.

Would appreciate any opinions on the programs.

UMich is 21 shifts per month as intern, 9 hour shifts with built in clean up hour at the end. Moving forward there are shift reductions based on track selection. Pgy2 has 21 w/ one being "jeopardy" and one being a flight shift. Most track selections offer an additional 1-2 shift reduction during pgy3 and 4 to that. Cheers.

 

[Haemr Head]

Yes, BUT - we get a lot of outside hospital transfers that come through the ED. They count as admissions, but they effectively have no learning opportunities.

Depends on the transfers, the direct admission rules at the hospital, and the transfer threshold of referring hospitals. If you are not processing direct low acuity admits but stabilizing tertiary train wrecks, plenty of learning in transfers. All I can say, from close personal experience at MGH, BWH, and BIDMC, and from the learning curve of outside grads who come here, compared to most other base hospitals, pathology is as challenging, acuity higher, and educational opportunities are intense. Just less penetrating trauma than the city county I trained at.
Did you rotate at one of these sites and what hospital are you comparing with the Boston hospitals ? Theories are fine but evidence is better.

 

[deleted547339]

Depends on the transfers, the direct admission rules at the hospital, and the transfer threshold of referring hospitals. If you are not processing direct low acuity admits but stabilizing tertiary train wrecks, plenty of learning in transfers. All I can say, from close personal experience at MGH, BWH, and BIDMC, and from the learning curve of outside grads who come here, compared to most other base hospitals, pathology is as challenging, acuity higher, and educational opportunities are intense. Just less penetrating trauma than the city county I trained at.
Did you rotate at one of these sites and what hospital are you comparing with the Boston hospitals ? Theories are fine but evidence is better.

Not in Boston. I'm at a big referral center with a huge catchment area that gets all the trainwrecks from outside hospitals. They're almost never educational in my experience. And the pathology we see here is absurd.

 

[Cinematographer]

@Cinematographer: Not a big fan of these ultra short/no-detail rank lists, but nothing else has been submitted this week. Anyways...

Submitted via Google Forms

Main Considerations in Creating this ROL: I considered location, how much I felt comfortable with residents

1) Maimonides
2) Beth Israel – Newark
3) Methodist
4) Beth Israel – NY
5) Buffalo

 

[Cinematographer]

Submitted via Google Forms

Main Considerations in Creating this ROL: 1. Location (east), 2. Senior resident badassness, 3. Resident Happiness

1) Jacobi
2) Christiana Care
3) BU
4) BIDMC
5) Sunny Downstate/Kings County

 

[airball]

so serious question but programs that are 12hr shifts...did anyone ever mention getting a break to eat food?

 

[alpinism]

Not allowed. Neither are bathroom breaks.

Sorry.

 

[airball]

Not allowed. Neither are bathroom breaks.

Sorry.

Thats pretty much how it was on aways actually. It's not like medicine and you have a 1 hr conference in the middle of the day. I think it's a legit question. My experience was mostly whatever powerbar I brought along and I didn't see the residents leaving so not sure I would want to do this on repeat

 

[alpinism]

Thats pretty much how it was on aways actually. It's not like medicine and you have a 1 hr conference in the middle of the day. I think it's a legit question. My experience was mostly whatever powerbar I brought along and I didn't see the residents leaving so not sure I would want to do this on repeat

Well that sucks.

Unless you're in the middle of a resuscitation there's no reason why you can't take a break for 1omin before picking up another patient.

As one of my favorite attendings likes to say: sit down and finish your lunch, it's the patient's emergency not yours.

 

[deleted284725]

Considerations in Creating this ROL: Location, SO preference, fit. I am more interested in community programs without a ton of other residency programs so that I won't have to compete for procedures and the like. I will say that I didn't get as many interviews as I expected. Based on feedback I believe this is because I only had 2 letters in the system (both sloes but still only 2 total) until my 3rd came in early November, and thus I did not get past the 3 letter minimum screening for a bunch of programs. I'm a fairly average candidate for EM and I got good sloes, so that's my theory. That being said, I am pretty confident I'll match, I saved money on interview season, and I'm lucky in that I'd be happy with any of programs/locations. I also think being the first class in a new program would be a pretty cool opportunity so I don't necessarily view that as a negative. So that's my glass half full scenario.

1) Presence Resurrection - Pros: This is my ideal program. A strong community program with a good variety of clinical exposures in a big city. Sick patient population that also pulls from O'Hare. Nice facilities. I got a really good vibe from the PD, faculty, and residents. I haven't spent a ton of time in Chicago, but I get the feeling I'd really like it, and it works well for my SO's needs. Nice schedule. 10 hour shifts. Cons: Chicago traffic. Cold winters. Far from home and we won't really know anyone nearby.

2) UT Houston - Pros: Did an away here. Great academic program with an unbeatable reputation. Great fellowship opportunities. Excellent electives. Fantastic facilities. Got along well with the staff and residents. Easily the most academically impressive program I interviewed at. Family and friends in the Houston area. Cons: Tough schedule. Houston Traffic. Hot, humid summers. Residents pay for (pretty expensive) parking.

3) UT San Antonio - Pros: Rotated here. Up and coming academic program. Really like the attendings. New Hospital building/ED. Really low cost of living. 8 hour shifts. Excellent EMS exposure. Cons: Still a fairly new program. Staffing problems at hospital sometimes clog the ED. Surgery runs San Antonio. EM not involved with trauma except when rotating on service. Traffic is bad. San Antonio is kind of boring, but getting better.

4) Kendall Medical Center (Miami) - (This was a 1 hour web interview, so it was a little harder to get a feel for it) - Pros: Miami seems like a fun city (Big selling point). Facilities looked great in web presentation. Good vibes from PD and educational faculty who are really invested in the program. International patient population that seems diverse and sick. Community program. Association with FIU med school with privileges at there sim center, which I'm told is really nice. Beaches. Cons: Brand new program, only just got accredited in January. In a southwest suburb of Miami, not city center (I don't really know if this is a con or not). I've been told Miami is expensive.

5) Brookdale - Pros: PD is the biggest pro for me, really seems to know what he's doing, very experienced, and super invested in the program. Community program but has had residents from other NYC programs rotate through. Very sick and international patient population. Ultrasound fellowship on the way. One of the few level 1 trauma centers in NYC. Have a decent amount of friends in NYC already. Cons: Terrible, awful, dangerous neighborhood in which I would probably feel a little uncomfortable taking the subway and walking. Brand new program. Really rundown and outdated facilities(I know this can be a pro in some ways, but it was bad.) Patient population is pretty homogeneously African American. NYC's cost of living was probably the biggest negative for us and the reason I ranked Miami higher.

 

[littlejuan]

Hey, Public service announcement. Send your Step 2 scores to programs. Some (all?) of them may not rank you without them. My PD finalized our list today and had to drop some people because they never sent us their step 2 scores.

 

[DO2016EM]

Hey, Public service announcement. Send your Step 2 scores to programs. Some (all?) of them may not rank you without them. My PD finalized our list today and had to drop some people because they never sent us their step 2 scores.

Rank order lists were already due 13 minutes ago. Hopefully everyone already turned the scores in.

 

[SasquatchEM]

Hey, Public service announcement. Send your Step 2 scores to programs. Some (all?) of them may not rank you without them. My PD finalized our list today and had to drop some people because they never sent us their step 2 scores.

This sucks. I didn't remember to resend my CS result until a couple weeks after getting the result, and this was earlier this month. Hopefully no one forgot.

 

[littlejuan]

Rank order lists were already due 13 minutes ago. Hopefully everyone already turned the scores in.

Ah, well. Hope those people sent their scores to other programs at least :/

 

[BrewS]

University of Michigan
Denver
Cincinnati
Advocate Christ
UPenn

Hoping to get reimbursed 10 cents for every beer I drink during residency in Michigan. Good luck to everyone.

 

[Adamb83]

DO Student checking in with my top 10. Just added a couple of the unique factors for each one. Feel free to PM for more details. Hopefully this will help next years class.

1.) USF Tampa - (Pros) Gorgeous hospital in an excellent location. Rotated here as a student and saw incredible pathology. High acuity (>40% admit rate). Family feel. (Cons) Schedule. interns do 20-21, 12's. Lots of off service rotations
2.) Christiana - (Pros) Some of the happiest residents i've met. Excellent reputation with strong alumni network. (Cons) Location
3.) UConn- (Pros) Incredible simulation experience. Happy Residents. (Cons) Location
4.) Hackensack- (Pros) New program with excited leadership. Excellent location in NJ. (Cons) New program, relatively unknown
5.) North Shore (Pros) Benefits are some of the best of any program I've heard about. Subsidized housing, high salary etc. (Cons) Merger with LIJ creates a lot of unknowns. Did not get to meet PD on interview day and left without a great understanding of the program
6.) Robert Wood Johnson (Pros) Solid location in NJ. Hospital has a strong reputation in the area (Cons) Weird interview day, PD did not seem super enthusiastic about program
7.) UT Austin (Pros) Amazing city. New program with experienced leadership. Med school opening soon. (Cons) Very far from home, would not know anyone in the area
8.) Morristown (Pros) Rotated here as a student and loved it. The faculty are amazing and the residents seem well trained.(Cons) No patient diversity, about as community as it gets, and trauma is a big question mark.
9.) Drexel- (Pros) Critical care experience. Philly. (Cons) Probation
10.) Staten Island (Pros) Residents are exceptionally well trained here. Very strong program. (Cons) Staten Island. I cannot state this enough.

 

[jgauger]

Posted via Google Forms

Main Considerations in Creating this ROL: A combination of location, fit, and reputation.

#1 Cincinnati: Clear winner for me. I really felt like this was the best fit on interview day. The way each year has its own emphasis made the 4-year curriculum seem worth it. PD is awesome. Loved the residents that I met. Reputation as good as any in the field. The flight/HEMS program is amazing. Cincinnati is a pretty cool city, and getting better.

#2 Wisconsin: Up and coming program with a great Chair and PD working hard to make this a great program. Tons of new faculty hires from top programs. 3+1 curriculum with the ability to design your own built-in fellowship (that pays closer to an attending in the 4th year). Also has a great flight/HEMS program. Chance to work Badger football games. Madison is a really cool city.

#3 Indiana: Great reputation. Really like the residents and faculty on interview day. 3-year curriculum with opportunities to explore areas of interest within EM. Indianapolis is a great city. Really nice facilities.

#4 Ohio State: Program seemed similar to Indiana to me, in a good way. Great fit. 3-year program. I would be very happy here. Columbus is also a really nice city.

#5 Northwestern: Loved the program. Loved the PD. Don't love all of the travel required. 4-year program with a heavy emphasis on critical care (11 months). Chicago is great, but expensive.

#6: Hennepin County

#7: UPMC

I would be happy to end up at any of the above programs.

This was my list. I ultimately flipped Indiana and Wisconsin, mainly because of reputation, but also because the greater volume at IU. They also finalized and approved their admin track, which I'm interested in.

My final list was:
1. Cincinnati
2. Indiana
3. Wisconsin
4. Ohio State
5. Northwestern
6. Hennepin
7. UPMC
8. Denver
9. MCW
10. Mayo
11. Case/Metro
12. Maricopa

 

[Ddrumem]

Considerations- Wife, kids, mostly Midwest, feel for program.

Background- DO student non traditional path. 228/230. 616/636. Step 2 taken in October. I definitely should have taken step 2 earlier as I probably would have gotten a few more invites if my app was complete by October. 2 SLOEs both honors. One from acgme and one from aoa. I should have went all in on acgme and done two acgme auditions. That being said no one ever said anything about my second letter being from an aoa program and the feedback that I received was that both letters were excellent.

I received 3 invites from contacting programs that I was interested in.
8-12 are really in no particular order. Wouldn't be upset to match at any of them.

1. University of Kentucky Lexington, KY- pros- great academic/ community program. Really sold on Dr Dotys program philosophy. Felt like I would do well in this environment. Nice big new ED with good volume and integrated peds throughout. Level 1 adult and peds center. An abundance of EM rotations with lots of ICU and no fluff. Great US with Matt Dawson. Residents seem laid back. Lexington is a great city for family iPads. Shifts 22-20-18 10hr EPIC Cons- not much. 2 weeks of vacation the first year
2. University of Illinois Peoria- pros- large community program. PD laid back and seems to really care about his residents. Best ED I have ever seen. Integrated peds, lots of ICU months where EM runs the floor, good flight program with great moonlighting opportunities. international medicine opportunities that are easy to do. Peoria looks like a great place for families. Sim really isn't my thing but they have an Insane simulation center. Great pay and benefits. Cheap housing. Close to Chicago. Told they get lots of procedures. Unlimited free food- could be a bad thing too! Shifts 21-20-18 10hr EPIC. Cons- further away from family, Catholic hospital
3. Summa Akron City Akron, OH- Pros- large community program. rotated here. Really liked the attendings I was with. Taught a decent amount of path and efficiency. Residents laid back and really knew their stuff. Variety of pathology. Get to experience high acuity zone, mid and fast track in constant rotation. EM trauma integrated with south zone. Level 1 center. Lots of EM and ICU months. Peds at Akron children's. Akron cheap and family friendly. Close to home. Good cafeteria with free food. YMCA connected. Lots of benefits. Nice big new ED with natural light! Shifts 22-20-18 9.5 hrs with hard handoffs. Coincide with attending shifts. Switching to EPIC. iPad. Cons- lots of attendings are from program. Residents wear white coats. Almost no peds at Akron city. Separation of classes by row in didactics. Not too sure about moonlighting opportunities.
4. Kaweah Delta Visalia, CA Pros- would have been number one if it wasn't so far away. But would still be thrilled to match here. Great newer community program with first graduating class this year who all have signed and some in competitive markets. Tons of pathology and the most procedures I saw on the trail. EM runs the place. Might change with new surgery program. Liked the PD and her philosophy. Residents really laid back. Safe family friendly town. Close to mountains, national parks, beach. Good weather and gardening! Good benefits. Shifts 19-18-17 10hr. iPad. Cerner. Cons- distance, smog, taxes.
5. University at Buffalo Pros- Really surprised by this program. Been as high as 2 on my evolving list. Multiple great hospitals to rotate with different characteristics and pathology. Academic, community, suburban, VA and county. Good flight program. Liked the faculty I interviewed with. Residents seem to really like the program and get along. Good flight program. Moonlighting. Orientation month looks cool. Buffalo seems like a neat city that is rebuilding. Cheap COL. Shifts 19-18-17 12hrs. Cons- 12 hr shifts. Wife not to keen on Buffalo. Lots of snow.
6. Allegheny General Pittsburgh, PA- Pros- also been as high as 2. I love Pittsburgh so this probably influenced me a lot for this program. Great hospital in downtown Pittsburgh. Level 1 center. Liked the PD a lot and faculty. Residents really nice. Good pathology. Shifts not too sure about 21-20-18 maybe 10hr. EPIC. Cons- I think the city influenced me the most. At the end of the day my gut said to stick this program in the middle.
7. University of Toledo -Pros- PD was a straight shooter which I like. Has a good vision for the program. 2 good sites. One academic lower volume and a community site. Good pathology. Nice new sim center. Crazy moonlighting opportunities. Shifts 22-20-18 10hr Cons- Toledo not the greatest of cities
8. Western Michigan University Kalamazoo,MI - Pros-large community program. 2 sites split time between. Ton ICU. EMS and flight opportunities. Peds throughout. Nice sim center. Family friendly town. I think shifts are 22-20-18 8hr but it sounded like 1-2hr stay after to chart. EPIC. assistant PD big name in EM. Cons- 8 hr shifts. Lots of residents, PD interview a little awkward. Residents says he's better once he knows you.
9. Wright St University Dayton, OH Pros- like 5 different sites with differing pathology at each. Close to home. PD well known but on his way out. Shifts 20-20-20 9hr Cons- over 120 different attendings. It's this low due to gut feeling
10. Central Michigan University Saginaw, MI- lots of autonomy, peds integrated, 2 different sites, some easy off service rotations. Family friendly location. Shifts 20 first year 8.5 hrs Cons- flight is only observing. IM floor month as DO
11. St Vincent Mercy Toledo, OH- Pros- lots of procedures and pathology and trauma. Gun and knife club. Good flight program. Excellent moonlighting opportunities. Shifts for the month are all the same shift. 21-18-18 10hrs. Cons- Toledo. I guess just overall feeling was so so
12. Geisinger Danville,PA Pros- good schedule. Don't remember specifics. Faculty seemed to really enjoy teaching. Excellent flight. PD super nice. Residents happy. Cons- would have been higher on list but there didn't seem to be a whole lot for family to do. Old ED
13. Crozer Chester Upland,PA Pros- enthusiastic faculty and PD. Location wasn't that bad. ED decent. Have experience with residents rotating through. Peds at DuPont Lots of EM months Cons- newer program. Looks like they could have a lot of growing pains. Program vision not very clear. Shifts sound brutal. 2 morning 2 mid 2 night 2 off 10hrs 1st year 9 hrs 2nd and 3rd year.



Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[RabidBadger]

Does anyone have any input about Washington University in St. Louis? I don't really see them on anyone's rank list and am curious what other people thought about the program.

 

[HumerusBaker]

Does anyone have any input about Washington University in St. Louis? I don't really see them on anyone's rank list and am curious what other people thought about the program.

I absolutely loved WashU and ranked them #2 and almost ranked them # 1 (ultimately where I did my away was #1)

They have a high volume, good acuity. Awesome resources. Super diverse patient population. Strong peds. Good fellowship placement and opportunitis (have CC which I wanted). I love their PD who is really approachable and cracks jokes during lecture. I love that interns are the procedure docs and their interns aren't sheltered from seeing sick patients. Strict graduated responsibility wouldn't suit my personality or learning style. Better to correct the rookie mistakes early in training than late IMHO. They do a lot of critical care which I want. I also really liked the residents and faculty. They had great turn out to things and were enthusiastic. The post interview happy hour had an awesome amount of faculty not just residents. My 2nd look was incredible.

I also super like St. Louis and it's a much better cost of living than where I currently live, which is important to me. The only major down side for me was the lack of Spanish speaking patients (not a whole lot there) and a minor downside was it being a 4 year. (My 1,3, 4 are 3 years. My 2 and 5 are 4 years so it wasn't a dealbreaker). If I didn't get my #1, I'd still be very excited to go to WashU.

 

[erasthrowaway328382382]

Considerations: location, residents, reputation, research opportunities, county training, patient diversity.

1. Sinai
2. NYU
3. SUNY Downstate
4. BIDMC
5. Jacobi
6. NYP

 

[Hops n Barley]

1st time poster long time lurker here. DO student. 260+/270+. 750+/780+
4 aways, I've been told they were all honors. Did some research but nothing to brag about. Honestly just went with gut feel and location.

As a side question, can anybody comment on what exactly it means when a program unsolicited tells you your a "top tier" or "strongly competitive" applicant, like is that top 10%, upper quartile, or upper third of the program ROL? It's funny bc in some of these emails the text is obviously copy and pasted so doesn't make you feel so special. Anyways....

Cook County
UIC Chicago
Northwestern
Indiana
Denver
Medical college Wisconsin
Metro
Hennepin
Orlando
Detroit receiving
Ressurection
Western Michigan

 

[HumerusBaker]

As a side question, can anybody comment on what exactly it means when a program unsolicited tells you your a "top tier" or "strongly competitive" applicant, like is that top 10%, upper quartile, or upper third of the program ROL? It's funny bc in some of these emails the text is obviously copy and pasted so doesn't make you feel so special. Anyways....

I felt warm and fuzzy for about 2 seconds then told myself it means nothing and it didn't change my rank list. My friend last year was even told rank to match at his 1 and 2 and he ended up at his 4th.

Edit: totally just my opinion as an m4 also going through this process

 

[Random31]

Background: step 1 233, step 2 245. 1 away sloe, one home sloe; high pass, honors. top 25% of class, lots of research 2 first author, 3 co-author 10+ posters (including grad school- have masters) nothing related to EM. wanted small town with a program that offered a lot of extracurriculars within EM in case I wanted to branch out. received ~21 invites from 35 applied
1. mayo
2. duke
3. wake forest
4. indiana
5. ohio state
6. iowa
7. maricopa
8. umkc
9. ut houston
10. grand rapids
11. KU
12. UT- san antonio
applied but no interview invite: Wisconsin, Akron General, MCW, UT-Murf, Kentucky, Vandy, Utah, Baylor, JPS, Regions (offered wait list early if i wanted it, but no spots came up), Alabama; rejected- New Mexico, UT-Austin, North Carolina


it may be helpful to post where you applied but didn't get invites

 

[AmericaAmerica]

Did anyone get surveys today from programs asking about the interview experience, etc? And were they programs you had ranked highly?

 

[BoardingDoc]

As a side question, can anybody comment on what exactly it means when a program unsolicited tells you your a "top tier" or "strongly competitive" applicant

It means absolutely nothing. Some programs send those messages to people, some don't. It should neither affect your rank list, nor should you put any stock in such emails.

 

[BoardingDoc]

I felt warm and fuzzy for about 2 seconds then told myself it means nothing and it didn't change my rank list. My friend last year was even told rank to match at his 1 and 2 and he ended up at his 4th.

This is the correct response to those emails. Your friend's story is not unique. Anyone who changes their rank list based on those emails is an idiot. The system favors the applicant in the match. Rank where you want to go first, not where you think you'll get in.

 

[HoosierdaddyO]

What about when a program director emails you stating, that you are ranked to match with them lol?!

 

[Cinematographer]

I felt warm and fuzzy for about 2 seconds then told myself it means nothing and it didn't change my rank list. My friend last year was even told rank to match at his 1 and 2 and he ended up at his 4th.

Edit: totally just my opinion as an m4 also going through this process

Not cool. Was your friend going into EM? I've heard from my classmates going into IM and Psychiatry that (several) programs in those specialties send "you are ranked to match" messages. Not sure if it happens commonly in EM.

Also,

PSA: Get ready for the avalanche of anonymous RoLs I am about to post!

 

[Cinematographer]

Submitted via Google Forms

Main Considerations in Creating this ROL: Location, feel of the program, length of training, number of off site rotations.

1) Hofstra NS-LIJ Staten Island University Hospital - super solid program, loved the PD and APDs I met. Residents seemed really happy. I actually think the location is a plus unlike a lot of other people. You wind up with a good mix of patient diversity and pathology and trauma. I personally wanted a bit more of a suburban environment but easy access to the city. They don't have a lot of the issues that all the other city hospitals have in the ED (staffing, etc). Only downside was 12hr shifts.

2) St. Luke’s University Hospital (Bethlehem) - definitely a hidden gem of a program. The faculty and residents were amazing, super friendly, definitely my kind of people. It felt like home to me. Location is great for everything outdoors and only an hours drive to philly and two to NYC. good mix of patient population and trauma.

3) Hackensack UMC - LOVED the PD and APD. they probably made this program for me. program coordinator was really cool too. Young and dynamic program but not too young and without too many growing pains. Residents were really happy and down to earth. Location is great for quick and easy access to the city while living in the suburbs but downside is cost of living.

4) Temple - super happy residents and superb faculty. Liked how they organized shifts better than most other programs. Great place to train for sure. Downside is the relatively homogenous patient population and.. North philly.

5) Morristown - similar to Hackensack, faculty and residents were all a blast. More established. They've gone through a lot of changes in leadership over the years and idk how I feel about the PD atm but he seems like a generally nice guy.

6) Hershey

7) Drexel

8) Jeff

9) Maimonides

 

[Cinematographer]

Submitted via Google Forms

Main Considerations in Creating this ROL: Location (West Coast), strong reputation (interested in academics), and overall fit (aka how much I enjoyed interacting with the residents/faculty at each program I interviewed at). Too lazy to write any specifics, but anyone has any questions just quote my ROL and I will email/PM @Cinematographer (thanks for setting this up by the way)!!!

Stats: US MD in West Coast. STEP1 >245, STEP2 >255. AOA. Used to be an RN before med school. Applied to 35 programs, invited to 29, interviewed at 14.

1) Highland/Alameda Health
2) Denver Health
3) USC+LAC
4) USCF-Fresno
5) UCSF-General Hospital
6) Kaiser Permanente
7) Indiana University
8) UT Southwestern (Dallas)
9) Northwestern
11) University of Cincinnati
13) Vanderbilt
14) UT Austin

 

[Cinematographer]

Submitted via Google Forms

Main Considerations in Creating this ROL: Fit. Fit. Fit. Resident and faculty interactions. Fit.

1) Carolinas
2) Indy
3) Emory
4) UNC
5) Stanford

 

[Cinematographer]

Submitted via Google Forms

Main Considerations in Creating this ROL: location, feel, residents, shift length, 3 vs 4

1) LSU NOLA– Pros: cool city, great residents, really like the PD who seems to understand there is life outside of residency work for family and kids, moonlight starting pgy2, many locations to rotate through, good weather, not as expensive to live as nyc, more family friendly. Cons: 4 years, lower pay, intern works 12 hr shifts, location mostly marsh land and not a lot of outdoor places or outdoorsy things to do.

2) St. Luke's Roosevelt–Pros: 3 years, solid curriculum, super cool residents, allotted break time during shift, program seems to care lots about residents well being, subsidize housing ( or parking if you don't use their housing); cons: may be lacking on trauma, expensive place to live.

3) Jacobi–Pros: well-known program, location; cons: 4 years, long hours, large class (could be pros or cons)... all and all, it got this rank because of location.

4) Western Michigan–Pros: 3 years, location, great ems, family friendly, well connected; cons: cold, large class.

5) SUNY Upstate–Pros: 3 years, solid program, love the PD, great residents; cons: location, cold weather.

 

[Cinematographer]

Submitted via Google Forms

Main Considerations in Creating this ROL: The same as pretty much everyone else's really... Was just looking for the right "fit." As a single with no kids location wasn't all that important, but nicer cities were certainly a plus. No preference between 3 vs. 4 year program duration. Would consider myself a competitive applicant as far as STEPs and SLOEs go, but my top 3 are probably reach...

1) LAC+USC Medical Center
2) Denver Health/University of Colorado
3) BIDMC
4) Cook County
5) Northwestern
6) Emory

Others: UIC, UCLA-Olive View, UCSD, Stanford, Mayo, Maricopa, Baylor, Orlando

 

[Cinematographer]

Submitted via Google Forms

Main Considerations in Creating this ROL: Location and fit were most important to me. SO job geographically limited us to big cities. I also favored county to academic programs. I go to a lower tier school, honors at all of my EM rotations, 260+ Step1/Step2 and was told I had good SLOEs.

1) LA-USC - Pros: In my opinion this program offers the best of both worlds: outstanding clinical training and a didactic experience thats second to none. This program has tons of thought leaders in EM, opportunities to get involved with FOAM, EM:RAP etc. Loved the opportunities afforded by the prison shifts and chance to carry airway bag for hospital. Busy traumas that are run exclusively by EM docs except for left-sided thoracotomy so no shortage of procedures. I rotated here and left extremely impressed by the 3rd and 4th years. Cons: 4 years. The 12 hour shifts at county can be pretty grueling. Concerns that if I wanted to do a fellowship afterward I may be too burned out. Little exposure to practicing in a community environment. Homogenous patient population.

2) Harbor-UCLA: Pros: County patient population thats very similar to LA-USC. Very busy but only 8hr shifts. Ton of critical care months. Loved the teaching signouts. Very diverse resident group that seemed to appreciate work-life balance. Big names in EM. Like USC - deep alumni base, excellent reputation. Cons: Tough intern year. Homogenous patient population.

3) UCI - Pros: 3 year program. While in OC, it essentially functions as the county population which means it caters to a large underserved/sick patient population. Smaller class that feels tight knit. No ward months. Residents were easy to get along with. 1:1 teaching on shifts with attendings. Program is big on Ultrasound with Dr. Fox. Cons: Less penetrating trauma and exposure to trauma overall. Smaller ED.

4) Highland - Pros: County patient population. Old program that is very well respected in EM. From what I've heard the patients here are extremely sick and the ED is very busy. Shifts at Kaiser and UCSF so you get exposure to academic and community settings. This program produces leaders in the field. Diverse group of residents. Cons: This seemed to be everyones favorite program on the EM trail it wasn't as good a fit for me as others. Had an odd interview. Oakland, while cheaper than SF, is expensive.

5) UCLA-Olive View- Pros: County/Academic hybrid so you get the best of both worlds. I thought PD seemed like an excellent resident advocate. Great didactics. Intern bootcamp before first year gets residents prepared for their first year. Very complex patients at UCLA with more bread and butter EM at Olive View. Great international medicine opportunities. Cons: Biggest con is probably commute between different sites. LA traffic is pretty bad but it seems like residents make the most of it. Less trauma exposure.

6) Stanford - Pros: Really liked the PD and thought she did an excellent job justifying transition to 4 year program. New ACCEL tracks are like mini fellowships. Exposure to county/academic/community. Probably has the most academic resources as any program I interviewed at. Just recently got departmental status. Best meal on the interview trail and they bus you to each site on interview day which is pretty awesome. Stanford was probably the biggest surprise for me on the interview trail. Cons: Concerns maybe too academic for me. COL is extremely high even though pay is one of highest in country.

7) Northwestern - Pros: Dr. Gisondi (PD) has best sell on the interview trail. He really sells his program and justifies the 4th year well. Tons of critical care exposure. The residents turned out for the lunch and seemed really close. PD and assistant PDs came for the dinner which I thought was awesome. Program leadership has a good relationship with residents. Strong focus on producing residents that are more than excellent clinicians but leaders in EM. Busy ED that sees a good mix of patients. Cons: This would have been higher on my list if it weren't for SO job. Chicago winters...

8) Cook County - Pros: County patient population. Legendary trauma experience. Excellent didactics. Well known attendings and very well-respected program. Diverse and outgoing group of residents. Great leadership with young faculty that are extremely motivated. Cons: Floor months. Peds exposure on the lighter side. Did not justify the 4th year as well as NW.

9) UIC - Pros: 3 year program. Residents are as tight as any on the interview trail and spend a lot of time outside of hospital together. Great mix of county/academic/community. Residents seem to get the jobs of their choice in competitive areas across the country. Trauma experience at Christ but longitudinal trauma at Lutheran/Masonic. Dr Bunney (PD) and Dr. Snow (APD) are well loved by residents. Plenty of fellowship opportunities. Cons: Multiple sites means decent amount of***

***@Cinematographer's Note: Seems like this ROL got cut short after the "of..." part. Not sure how to increase the text limit on the last box (or if this is unrelated to Google Forms/Google Sheets).

 

[HumerusBaker]

Not cool. Was your friend going into EM? I've heard from my classmates going into IM and Psychiatry that (several) programs in those specialties send "you are ranked to match" messages. Not sure if it happens commonly in EM.

Also,

PSA: Get ready for the avalanche of anonymous RoLs I am about to post!

Yes. EM

 

[Hops n Barley]

My friend last year was even told rank to match at his 1 and 2 and he ended up at his 4th.

Well that sucks, but I'm not surprised. It is a business after all.

 

[alpinism]

Submitted via Google Forms

Main Considerations in Creating this ROL: Location and fit were most important to me. SO job geographically limited us to big cities. I also favored county to academic programs. I go to a lower tier school, honors at all of my EM rotations, 260+ Step1/Step2 and was told I had good SLOEs.

1) LA-USC - Pros: In my opinion this program offers the best of both worlds: outstanding clinical training and a didactic experience thats second to none. This program has tons of thought leaders in EM, opportunities to get involved with FOAM, EM:RAP etc. Loved the opportunities afforded by the prison shifts and chance to carry airway bag for hospital. Busy traumas that are run exclusively by EM docs except for left-sided thoracotomy so no shortage of procedures. I rotated here and left extremely impressed by the 3rd and 4th years. Cons: 4 years. The 12 hour shifts at county can be pretty grueling. Concerns that if I wanted to do a fellowship afterward I may be too burned out. Little exposure to practicing in a community environment. Homogenous patient population.

2) Harbor-UCLA: Pros: County patient population thats very similar to LA-USC. Very busy but only 8hr shifts. Ton of critical care months. Loved the teaching signouts. Very diverse resident group that seemed to appreciate work-life balance. Big names in EM. Like USC - deep alumni base, excellent reputation. Cons: Tough intern year. Homogenous patient population.

3) UCI - Pros: 3 year program. While in OC, it essentially functions as the county population which means it caters to a large underserved/sick patient population. Smaller class that feels tight knit. No ward months. Residents were easy to get along with. 1:1 teaching on shifts with attendings. Program is big on Ultrasound with Dr. Fox. Cons: Less penetrating trauma and exposure to trauma overall. Smaller ED.

4) Highland - Pros: County patient population. Old program that is very well respected in EM. From what I've heard the patients here are extremely sick and the ED is very busy. Shifts at Kaiser and UCSF so you get exposure to academic and community settings. This program produces leaders in the field. Diverse group of residents. Cons: This seemed to be everyones favorite program on the EM trail it wasn't as good a fit for me as others. Had an odd interview. Oakland, while cheaper than SF, is expensive.

5) UCLA-Olive View- Pros: County/Academic hybrid so you get the best of both worlds. I thought PD seemed like an excellent resident advocate. Great didactics. Intern bootcamp before first year gets residents prepared for their first year. Very complex patients at UCLA with more bread and butter EM at Olive View. Great international medicine opportunities. Cons: Biggest con is probably commute between different sites. LA traffic is pretty bad but it seems like residents make the most of it. Less trauma exposure.

6) Stanford - Pros: Really liked the PD and thought she did an excellent job justifying transition to 4 year program. New ACCEL tracks are like mini fellowships. Exposure to county/academic/community. Probably has the most academic resources as any program I interviewed at. Just recently got departmental status. Best meal on the interview trail and they bus you to each site on interview day which is pretty awesome. Stanford was probably the biggest surprise for me on the interview trail. Cons: Concerns maybe too academic for me. COL is extremely high even though pay is one of highest in country.

7) Northwestern - Pros: Dr. Gisondi (PD) has best sell on the interview trail. He really sells his program and justifies the 4th year well. Tons of critical care exposure. The residents turned out for the lunch and seemed really close. PD and assistant PDs came for the dinner which I thought was awesome. Program leadership has a good relationship with residents. Strong focus on producing residents that are more than excellent clinicians but leaders in EM. Busy ED that sees a good mix of patients. Cons: This would have been higher on my list if it weren't for SO job. Chicago winters...

8) Cook County - Pros: County patient population. Legendary trauma experience. Excellent didactics. Well known attendings and very well-respected program. Diverse and outgoing group of residents. Great leadership with young faculty that are extremely motivated. Cons: Floor months. Peds exposure on the lighter side. Did not justify the 4th year as well as NW.

9) UIC - Pros: 3 year program. Residents are as tight as any on the interview trail and spend a lot of time outside of hospital together. Great mix of county/academic/community. Residents seem to get the jobs of their choice in competitive areas across the country. Trauma experience at Christ but longitudinal trauma at Lutheran/Masonic. Dr Bunney (PD) and Dr. Snow (APD) are well loved by residents. Plenty of fellowship opportunities. Cons: Multiple sites means decent amount of***

***@Cinematographer's Note: Seems like this ROL got cut short after the "of..." part. Not sure how to increase the text limit on the last box (or if this is unrelated to Google Forms/Google Sheets).

Gotta be one of the most interesting lists posted yet.

Describing UC Irvine (located in one of the richest areas of California) as a large underserved patient population.

Then describing Cook County (trauma is completely separate from the main ED and run by surgery) as having legendary trauma experience.

 

[mmich369]

Posted via Google Forms

Main Considerations in Creating this ROL: Family-friendly, proximity to family, friendliness/happiness of residents, "warm fuzzy" gut feeling, availability of fellowships, moonlighting. Overall would be happy matching period.

1) Wake Forest: people were friendly and down to earth, city surprisingly up and coming with lots to offer outdoors/entertainment etc, low Col. I felt the "I want to come here really badly" feeling. Old program (since 1973) Neg: old ED that they said will be renovated sometime in the near future, seemed very much like an earn your stripes before you get to do a lot type of place, as opposed to "being thrown to the wolves." But that's really just speculation and not proven since I did not rotate here or anything.

2) Birmingham: established hospital system, get to run a pod during intern year, probably had the nicest people I've met on the interview trail, surprised at how cool the city was, had outdoors, cool downtown areas, great places to rent buy near downtown etc. moonlighting, PD very personable cons: Having to tell people I'm going to Alabama newer program (2001). Med/surge more well known from UAB.

3) Palmetto: fantastic program with great people, get to go to Hawaii, Dr. Cook one of the coolest PDs I met on the trail, moonlighting pretty good. Well respected program in the SE. Cons: not too impressed by city, city's motto is "famously hot" lol.

4) Dallas (UTSW): not ranked higher for me because far from family but loved the program, cool city, residents were friendly, not terrible hours even intern year. Opportunity to go to New Zealand, good benefits for living in a big city. Cons: far from family, mostly county (want some good community experience too), huge class size can lead to cliques, another con is I feel like I did not interview well here at all ha.

5) Kentucky (Lexington): seems like an up and coming residency, great clinical training, did away here and loved way ER set up. Overall friendly people. Cons: couple interactions with off service docs that were kind of snoody towards er docs, do some scut, Lexington was so so for me.

6) UNC: great program, awesome PD, Tintanelli, get to do great community experience in Raleigh. Cons: had a few conversations with residents and faculty that rubbed me the wrong way but still most people were awesome.

This was my list. Swapped UK and UNC. Stats: 230s/250s. Couple research experiences but no pubs, pretty good clinical grades. One away sloe one home was told both were strong. US MD in Southeast.

Rest of list:
7. UT Memphis
8. MCG
9. UAMS
10. Scott and white
11. UT Chattanooga
12. EVMS
13. ECU

Invited but didn't attend: UT Houston, Fort Worth JPS, UMKC, UM-Columbia, Tampa, Jacksonville.

Rejects: Emory, Charlotte, Orlando, Ut Austin, Nebraska

Silent rejects: UVA, VCU, Virg. tech, duke, Uf Gainesville, Mississippi, Indiana