Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) Residency Reviews

[divedoc]

I went to EVMS (class of 2000). Its an excellent program. Level one Trauma Center. The program director really looks out for the residents and is very involved with teaching and research. Rounds (many actually at the bedside) are conducted at every change of shift. A couple of my classmates are getting ready to finish the program right now and are very happy with the training they received.

Another great thing about the program is that the Faculty are really part of a a private group that rotate through several other hospitals in the norfolk/VA Beach area. So the program lets you get a flavor for both academic and private EM.

One word of caution/advice the program director is definitely a go by the numbers person when it comes to granting interviews. He actively recruited people from my class who had the highest scores in my class.

Hope this helps.

P.S.

Congrates to everyone on the match. I have been reading a lot of the threads throughout the last year. I am currently in the military, but getting out in 2004 and going back to residency (I matched at Lincoln). 😱

 

[futrEDdoc]

I too am an EVMS student. I love the program here - even though I decided to go elsewhere. I echo everything else said by divedoc. Norfolk is a great place to live. You get to work in a variety of types of departments - VA Beach General where you are the only residents in the hospital - good experience calling consultants at home. Maryview Hospital - only residents in house are family practice - gets a great deal of trauma and indigent care. Norfolk General - Level 1 trauma center with multiple residency programs in house. Relatively new changes to the program include that senior ED resident and attending manage all trauma airway's. They also just this semester hired a fulltime research nurse to help with the development of that end of things. I just wanted to go to a 4 year program ( I know - psychotic) and my sig other didnt want to live in Norfolk anymore.

 

[frog4brooke]

I'm an M4@EVMS and applying to EM residencies-

A couple of people have asked me about the EVMS EM Program, and here is what I have told them and some responses to their questions.


1. Teaching-Very good on EM as well as off service (IM, Surgery). There are a mix of private attendings as well as faculty you will work with in the ED, but as a whole many are very open to teaching.

2. As for pathology-You will get a very good mix and be well prepared going out-Norfolk General is a Level 1 trauma center, and depending on your timing on the trauma service, you will have more then you fair share of trauma's (GSW/SW/MVC/Burns, ect. we even had a shark attack a couple of years ago). I recently rotated through one of the larger programs and while there gained a bigger respect for EVMS residents-they were just as good with intubations and basic procedures.

3. You will be working at a mix of facilities some will have a mostly indigent population with hallway beds, while others will have a more "Yuppie" population and will be a little more cushy-But you will not be without the basics in either setting. Hospitals: DePaul (Catholic), Norfolk General, Virginia Beach General (and maybe Maryview-can't remember)

4. Dr. Couselman is super nice-He is very approachable and is willing to go up to bat for students in the match so I feel like he would do the same for his residents looking for work. One would of caution- he is very numbers oriented so your grades and USMLE scores will matter!

The EM program is very strong and after working with the residents there and elsewhere I feel like they do a great job. The shifts are 8hr-I can't remember how many they do a month, but there is time for reading (or family). There are ~5hrs of lecture on Thurs, but you only need to go to 1/2 if you worked a night shift. Residents are: a fair mix of singles newly weds and people with young children.

As for the Norfolk area- I do not have kids but many of my classmates do and a few of the residents do. Public schools are fair and area dependent. Some of my classmates have put their kids in private schools and are very happy with them. The Ghent area around the school is nice with historic houses and parks-a good mix of families, older folks and students. Virginia Beach I really so not know a whole lot about, some of my classmates live there~1/2hr commute (EM residents also cover Beach General).

Personally I know that Norfolk can be a hard place for spouses to find jobs-So if you are thinking about EVMS have your spouse take a look around.

 

[dwgs]

Hey all,

Here goes a description of the busiest week of my life (4 interviews in 5 days on the road:

Palmetto- WOW. A real shocker. This program was not high on my list prior to interviewing and now I think I'm going to rank them #1. PD (Dr. Cook) is AMAZING!!!!!!!! Education is solid and very much like the typical curiculum of other programs. Ultrasound is a definite strength as two attendings at this program travel to other programs to teach them how to do it. Facility itself was old but extremely well maintained. Benefits are beyond belief... I almost stroked out when I was told that all medical/dental insurance is 100% paid for you and your family. Also, food is free 365 days/yr, 3 meals/day. Free parking, lots of money for conferences, books, etc. 1st year salary 40K. I swear that I actually blushed while the benefits were detailed.

East Carolina- PD is great (Charlie Brown is his name). Dedicated to education and very appreciative of your time. No introduction to the program was given... you go right into interviews. Residents all very happy. Very "family friendly" environment. Attendings all very enthusiastic about the program. Nice town for quiet living. Currently moving into a gorgeous, brand new ED.

Carolinas- Good introduction to the program. All attendings very warm and inviting. PD is extrodinarily enthusiastic about the program and makes is known that he appreciates your energy and time in getting there. Program is very strong in ultrasound and research. There is a dedicated research building if that's any indication. Research, research, research...

EVMS- Solid program. Good education. Interview day is well organized. Residents seem happy. Attendings are kind and respectful. No hard questions. Residents work at 4 different hospitals that span all socioeconomic levels (poor and uninsured, blue collar insured, white collar demanding yuppies etc). Benefits are okay, not stellar. Location is perfect for the water oriented individual... Chesapeake bay, Atlantic Ocean. 8 hour shifts.

Dwgs

 

[LiveFreeOrDie]

I'm going to cover a few in rapid succession here:

YORK

PGY 1-3

All of the faculty are very professional and do a good job of promoting the program. The PD spent 4 years at Northwestern (Chicago) and 8 years at Emory (Grady, in Atlanta). He has a great program in place that really doesn't need much tinkering.

The hospital has a high volume at 70,000, the 4th-busiest in the state with 11 EM residents and ~28% admit rate. During the dinner the night before, the residents were raving about how much they get to do and see. The trauma is 90% blunt and 10% penetrating. It is a level 2 center, but the PD went to great length to explain why that's not a weakness. There are no nearby Level 1 centers so York sees everything, and they're planning on getting the Level 1 designation within the next few years anyway. I don't think there's any shortage of action here.
There is a Medical SimCenter under construction - a separate facility that looks like it's going to be very nice.

Overall, York is a rural community hospital program with emphasis on getting residents up to speed to practice in community hospital EDs. It meets all the RRC requirements for research, of course, but I didn't get the impression that it was a focus. One of the biggest things you'll have to consider about the program is its location. The area is within a couple hours drive of some cities, but the immediate location is basically a small city in the Pennsylvania countryside.

MUSC

PGY 1-3

This program will be accepting its second class of residents with our year. That means there are no senior residents, and some of the kinks will have to be worked out of the program, but I was very impressed with the faculty and think they have a great model.

The ER does not currently have departmental status, but it's moving in that direction. The Division Director and Program Director are completely behind the residency and supportive of the residents. They have met with the residents frequently this year to assess the early stages of the program and get feedback. Trauma delineation is systematized and there were no complaints from the residents about issues with the trauma service. The ED handles all airways.

The physical set-up at their main ED is a bit convoluted, and there are plans to update it, but that won't happen for a few years. I didn't hear any complaints from the residents about it though. The residents all came out for the pre-interview dinner and were a great group. Very relaxed and fun to hang out with.

Charleston is one of the most gorgeous little cities I've ever seen. Resident salaries can afford small places on or near the beach. I mean, come on, how sweet is that?! The culture is very Southern. College football is huge and people are friendly and courteous. Yes ma'am, no sir. All that jazz.

Shifts are 18 12's. Volume is >50K.

Overall, I think this program has a lot of potential in a very fun place to live. It has some unavoidable drawbacks due to its age (lack of seniors and curriculum tweaks), but I think anyone who matches here will be well-trained after three years, tanned and happy. Not a bad deal.

EVMS

PGY 1-3

I was very impressed with this program. The program director was professional and polished, but definitely approachable. The primary ED (Sentara Norfolk) is a Level 1 with 51K volume. A fairly low admit rate from what I've seen, at 20%. but the residents had no complaints about seeing enough patients or getting experience at procedures. The 23 8-hr shifts allow for more free time per day than your 12-hrs, and the program emphasizes reading and research to supplement your ED work. I was surprised at the friendliness of the residents and the amount of things to do in the Norfolk area. Virginia Beach is only 15-20 minutes away, and there is affordable housing to rent or buy within a quick drive.

Overall, I think I'd like to go back for a second look to make sure the ED is busy enough and residents are getting enough action. But otherwise, the faculty, education, facilities and lifestyle seem excellent and I would be happy to match here.

A couple more coming soon...

 

[Dukes]

EVMS

PGY 1-3

I was very impressed with this program. The program director was professional and polished, but definitely approachable. The primary ED (Sentara Norfolk) is a Level 1 with 51K volume. A fairly low admit rate from what I've seen, at 20%. but the residents had no complaints about seeing enough patients or getting experience at procedures. The 23 8-hr shifts allow for more free time per day than your 12-hrs, and the program emphasizes reading and research to supplement your ED work. I was surprised at the friendliness of the residents and the amount of things to do in the Norfolk area. Virginia Beach is only 15-20 minutes away, and there is affordable housing to rent or buy within a quick drive.


Overall, I think I'd like to go back for a second look to make sure the ED is busy enough and residents are getting enough action. But otherwise, the faculty, education, facilities and lifestyle seem excellent and I would be happy to match here.

Glad you enjoyed it down here. One thing to consider is that our Childrens Hospital (CHKD) which is physically connected to Norfolk General but yet a separate entity does not factor into our annual census for emergency visits. If it did on paper our ED would claim about 90,000+ thousand visits. Also I'm not sure how dated the 51,000 number is but it is certainly higher than that. Will have to look into it a little and find out what last years census was. Anyways best of luck and anyone with questions certainly feel free to give me a PM.

 

[Iride]

PD: Really nice guy, don't have a lot in common with him, but strikes me as a good PD.

Facilities: Probably the best part. I really like the fact that it is private and that the residents get to rotate through 3 different hospitals to get a feel for the different types of EM practice (community vs. academic).

Residents: Some were happy, some didn't have super great things to say.... but no one super unhappy by any means. Interns seemed pretty happy, but the seniors that I met didn't seem really.

City: Really liked city of Norfolk. It is beautiful and people seemed nice and happy there. Since its private, also seems like they have pretty good funding, which means the resident benefits seem pretty nice and the meals we had were great during the interview.

Curriculum: For some reason they just work a lot more shifts then most other places. Something like 23 9's for interns and 1 less per year after that…. Which means your senior year your still working more than interns at most places it seems. All in all, I know I would get great training here.

 

[EMapplicant15]

What Step 1 scores and GPA does the program director look for to decide who gets an interview? Is there a minimum?

 

[EmergMed2017]

Hey guys. I've been on the site but made a new profile for anonymity. I'm a 4th year going into EM and I found these threads so incredibly helpful that I want to help contribute to keeping them up to date.

I rotated at EVMS and these were my take-away points:

Pros:

1. The work environment is pretty great. Everyone is very chill and it's just a fun place to go to work. I enjoyed going every day which is more than I can say for some other programs.
2. They rotate through 3 different EDs with 3 different patient populations: urban, suburban, and rural. It's one of the gifts of Hampton Roads that they have all of these populations all in the same community within a 30 minute drive. It was pretty cool.
3. interns have a lot of ownership over their patients. It gives them an opportunity to make mistakes but it also allows them to rise to the occasion. That's how I learn best so I appreciated that.
4. The faculty are super cool. Many of them will talk to you like they would anyone else in a casual environment. It makes it easy to ask questions and learn from them. And some of the attendings are some of the smartest people I've ever met.
5. PD Dr. Knapp is super nice (and quite handsome, not that it matters). He is very involved in the program and participates in all events. His overview is pretty cheesy with all of his 80s music but it made us laugh so I guess that's the point

Cons:

1. If you're looking for a large city, Norfolk isn't the place for you. There's enough to do in the area but it definitely reminds me of a place I would rather retire to rather than live while I'm young. Maybe VA Beach is better. Not sure
2. With it not being a large city, they just don't get the type of traumas that people like myself find interesting. There's a lotttttt of car accidents but nothing that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. At least not that I've seen. They do see plenty of patients at the hospitals though. Just not traumas
3. Similarly, they have little to no role in traumas. They get airway but that's basically it. You get a trauma month in 1st and 2nd year, I believe, but that's the extent of it. If you like trauma, this may not be for you.
4. You work a ton. 20-something shifts for the entirety of residency If I'm remembering correctly. This doesn't bother me that much but I know it matters to some.

Hope that was helpful. Happy interview season!

 

[EVMS 1234]

Hey guys. I've been on the site but made a new profile for anonymity. I'm a 4th year going into EM and I found these threads so incredibly helpful that I want to help contribute to keeping them up to date.

I rotated at EVMS and these were my take-away points:

Pros:

1. The work environment is pretty great. Everyone is very chill and it's just a fun place to go to work. I enjoyed going every day which is more than I can say for some other programs.
2. They rotate through 3 different EDs with 3 different patient populations: urban, suburban, and rural. It's one of the gifts of Hampton Roads that they have all of these populations all in the same community within a 30 minute drive. It was pretty cool.
3. interns have a lot of ownership over their patients. It gives them an opportunity to make mistakes but it also allows them to rise to the occasion. That's how I learn best so I appreciated that.
4. The faculty are super cool. Many of them will talk to you like they would anyone else in a casual environment. It makes it easy to ask questions and learn from them. And some of the attendings are some of the smartest people I've ever met.
5. PD Dr. Knapp is super nice (and quite handsome, not that it matters). He is very involved in the program and participates in all events. His overview is pretty cheesy with all of his 80s music but it made us laugh so I guess that's the point

Cons:

1. If you're looking for a large city, Norfolk isn't the place for you. There's enough to do in the area but it definitely reminds me of a place I would rather retire to rather than live while I'm young. Maybe VA Beach is better. Not sure
2. With it not being a large city, they just don't get the type of traumas that people like myself find interesting. There's a lotttttt of car accidents but nothing that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. At least not that I've seen. They do see plenty of patients at the hospitals though. Just not traumas
3. Similarly, they have little to no role in traumas. They get airway but that's basically it. You get a trauma month in 1st and 2nd year, I believe, but that's the extent of it. If you like trauma, this may not be for you.
4. You work a ton. 20-something shifts for the entirety of residency If I'm remembering correctly. This doesn't bother me that much but I know it matters to some.

Hope that was helpful. Happy interview season!

Hey!

As a current resident at EVMS, I would like to clarify on your thoughts about the trauma situation. We do a month of trauma surgery during our first and second year at Norfolk General Hospital where we are running traumas and directly involved on each and every trauma. MVC's are not the only traumas that come in; there are plenty of GSWs, stabbings, trauma from the shipyards, etc. The trauma service is too busy at NGH to have the residents working in the ED run every trauma. While doing shifts at Virginia Beach General (level 2 trauma center), the ED resident is in charge of all traumas that come in. Perhaps you didn't work at Virginia Beach very much while you did a rotation but your review isn't an accurate description of the trauma experience at EVMS. As you mentioned, airways are always managed by the ED resident as well.