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[2018-2019] Emergency Medicine Application Thread
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Got an interview invite today but was at an end of my shift so I didn't see it until about an hour after it was sent. By that time all spots were full. Is this normal?
So far yes.
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narcan't
Full Member
That's what I've heard 🙁 Go on a waitlist and people should drop towards the end!
Interview scheduling q: I'm planning to take Step 2 CK Nov 10th...will be studying from Mid october. Anyone have any idea how hard it will be to schedule all of my interviews after Nov. 10th? Will I be eliminating myself from some programs with this limitation?
Good luck everyone. May the force be with y'all. The cycle is very, very stressful. I remember how my first cycle was and how stressful it was. I remember not getting enough interviews and such.
Question for the reapplicants, is there any reason why y'all are applying to so few programs instead of shotgun applying to more programs? I took a quick look at the googledoc. I ask because I am curious. As a reapplicant I applied to a bunch, a whole whole bunch.
Question for the reapplicants, is there any reason why y'all are applying to so few programs instead of shotgun applying to more programs? I took a quick look at the googledoc. I ask because I am curious. As a reapplicant I applied to a bunch, a whole whole bunch.
Schools will often pay for conferences. Mine paid enough to cover hotel, half of travel, and the conference itself. And when your loans are in the 200-300k range, $500 definitely does feel pretty minimal if it even marginally can improve your chances at matching.
For me, it’s because I know I’m not competitive for a lot of places. Why would I apply to Carolinas or Vandy or the west coast? For ****s & giggles? That’s just throwing money away. There’s so many people trying to go there that aren’t reapplicants and have better boards. I’m focusing my application on community programs & programs in my region. It’s where I have the best chance. I feel a strategic approach will net me just as many invites as a wider net. It’ll just save me a few grand in applications fees.
And I have backup specialties I’m applying to as well.
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narcan't
Full Member
Lucky ducks. My school doesn't give us a dime.
Yep. Applying smart if you have a good idea of your competitiveness makes far more sense than spamming every program. The number of interviews you get is not necessarily related to how many programs you applied to, but rather what programs you apply to.
Who’s managing the spreadsheet? It’s missing several of the newer programs.
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Post a list and I'm happy to make changes! I don't have ERAS access so I can't see everything. Halp.
Unity Health in Arkansas in now ACGME, and Loyola is a new program.
All depends on the program. If you have a strong application, the residency fair probably isnt worth your money, you are going to get plenty of interviews. But if someone out there is scrounging for every last interview, I think it can help if they are smart and target programs that they may have a chance at but may have overlooked them bc of geography or board cutoffs.
We interviewed several last year that we only met through the fair, and since Im going this year, Im hoping to expand on that a bit and try and meet as many potential applicants as I can.
As a side note, Im still wondering how I can sneak into the EMRA event later that evening and get some drinks 🙂
Merit Health Wesley - Mississippi
HCA West Florida/Brandon
HCA West Florida/Oak Hill
Oklahoma State (Norman)
Eisenhower Medical Center (CA)
Beaumont Health (Trenton & Dearborn) (MI)
FSU Sarasota (FL)
Univ of Vermont
St Joseph’s Medical Center (CA)
Charleston Area Medical Center (WV)
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paulhollywood
New Member
Question-
If you get an interview in a geographic location that has a few programs and will require significant investment for travel, can you reach out to other programs in that area that you are interested in and see if you can schedule an interview in the same week to minimize travel? kind of like what people that are couples matching do for their spouses or is that frowned upon?
If you get an interview in a geographic location that has a few programs and will require significant investment for travel, can you reach out to other programs in that area that you are interested in and see if you can schedule an interview in the same week to minimize travel? kind of like what people that are couples matching do for their spouses or is that frowned upon?
I was able to do that last year. It really depends on if there’s room. The program I interviewed at used ERAS scheduler for initial scheduling then via email for rescheduling. You just have to stay on top of it.
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Who do you email in those situations? The PD? The Program coordinator. I have an interview at a program and there is another program close by that is also sending out invites, is it worth it to reach out?
Program coordinator. It is INCREDIBLY early to be contacting programs. ERAS has only been open a week.
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Edited: Just FYI, Norman is for sure NOT matching ACGME this year, despite being ACGME accredited...
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Very okay!
That's the beauty of my beloved/behated creation: you can look at last year's spreadsheet to see if a program sent out just one round of interviews or multiple!
Seems like some programs are sending invites out this year before October than last year, when last year they sent out invites mid-October. Wonder what’s changed?
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I certainly wouldn't count anything out just yet. There are so many variables beyond who rotated where that just can't be accounted for on the spreadsheet, and with just a small percentage of applicants on the spreadsheet, it's really hard to tell how large any particular wave of invites actually is - I would imagine some programs send smaller batches than others. Try to keep the faith - it's very much early days!
(and yes, this is what I tell myself everyday to quell the anxiety)
My advisor told me a lot of US MD people who are AOA seem to be getting early invites because they don’t need the MSPE to tell them what kind of student you are. Not sure if this makes any sense given our transcripts are uploaded lol, but just passing along what I was told (though he was admittedly just speculating why more early ones seem to have gone out this year). Keep the faith everyone
narcan't
Full Member
I completely get the advice to take vacation for peak interview season but some us (hi 
) don't get that luxury. Is it taboo to ask programs what their policy is on missing days to attend interviews? Right now I'm double booked in December and one of the programs just emailed to ask me for requested days off as time requested once the schedule is made is NOT GUARANTEED. Um, what? Do you realize interview invites haven't come out? Lemme look into my crystal ball and see the future 
) don't get that luxury. Is it taboo to ask programs what their policy is on missing days to attend interviews? Right now I'm double booked in December and one of the programs just emailed to ask me for requested days off as time requested once the schedule is made is NOT GUARANTEED. Um, what? Do you realize interview invites haven't come out? Lemme look into my crystal ball and see the future
I completely get the advice to take vacation for peak interview season but some us (hi
I may be alone here, but I don't understand your question. What do you mean by "programs"? Your home institution is the one that you need to worry about giving you adequate time off to interview.
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yeah, that's been the case for me
Believe this is correct. With AOA they can assume your class rank. Without it, transcripts don't reflect class rank, comments, etc so I assume programs wait to view MSPE before sending invites to the majority of non-AOA.
To add to this, I have missed out on the majority of early invites, am AOA. So I think it's step score more than AOA.
Last year, interview broker was totally separate from ERAS interviews. Did that change? If not, what you're seeing is likely within normal limits haha
So much for "P = MD, just worry about Step scores" - my Step 1 score is above interquartile range for EM according to NRMP data. Not AOA. Class rank is squarely middle of the pack. Sitting with only one invite right now from home program (which I am absolutely grateful for and would be happy matching at my home program.)
Horoscope says October will be fruitful because one of my houses is rising on some planet star alignment galaxy BS blah blah.
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Not open to public, but free for EMRA members.
Awesome. I just saw registration closed for the Medical Student Forum, hope they have some openings for the Residency Fair.
If you get your registration in for the residency fair, you should still show up to the forum. There are usually a handful of no shows so you might be able to slip in. It's informative too if you haven't been to one before.
Stupid question but how do you register for the fair? Every time I click the link it sends me to the link for programs and not students.
I will trade EMRA name tag for a residency interview lol
You as a student do not need to register for the residency fair in order to attend. Only programs have to register in order to get a booth. You do, however, need to register for the conference itself, which will get you into the fair.
narcan't
Full Member
DO students don't get to take 6-8 weeks off for interviews so we still have to go on rotations. We also don't have 'home programs' so every single rotation in 4th year is an away rotation. So the rotation I have scheduled in December sent me an email with this today "If you know that you are going to need a specific day off (e.g. for an interview) during the rotation, please let us know ASAP. We will work to get that time off for you, but it is not guaranteed".
Missing ACEP since I'm on ICU next month and can't be gone for both. But I'll be hitting up ACOEP's at the end of October
narcan't
Full Member
Do programs attend this like ACEP? Chicago is much less $$$ than Cali...
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Sorry, I'm a little confused. The EMRA website says that it is free, but on ACEP, it wants to charge me ~$200 to register for the conference.
Correct. The EMRA stuff is free and "separate" from ACEP. As far as I could see on the website, the EMRA stuff is sold out. The click box for EMRA won't click to register.
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Ah, ok thanks. Yeah, it's weird for me. On my ACEP page, it still has the $200 fees but it also has the EMRA forum checked for $75 and it won't let me uncheck it. At the same time, the EMRA website said that they've closed forum registration.
Guess I'll contact them directly.never a good feeling when one of your top choices is sending invites and you didn’t get one lol
Incredibly silly question but what are people thinking of wearing to the EMRA residency fair? Full suits or more business casual attire?
