Quinn,
Nice to see you- Not surprised, however, considering your willingness to answer questions about your allopathically enriched experience. Like I said before, congrats and best of luck w/the charter class. It is really refreshing to read these threads. I realize my "two centavos" are not worth less than half of a US cent, but here goes:
I recently returned from the SAEM conference in Jacksonville. I'd consider Jax one of the more competitive programs in EM. They receive over 700 apps for about 15 slots. I spoke to the PD's at University of Florida as well as the other 14 or so MDs in attendance who managed programs throughout the southeast. Their message was resoundingly clear.
It seemed to me that e-med physicians are interested in recruiting, predictably, good e-med physicians. Most all placed less of an emphasis on board scores than the interveiw process. All were familiar with COMLEX and welcomed submission of step one scores via ERAS. They key to success, it seemed, was found in the emergency medicine student elective. The PD's would be less likely to accept a candidate who did not make a point to schedule a rotation at their facility (or with one of their brother or sister program directors). They found little empathy for students who did not knock down the door of their office and proclaim, "I'm here rotating at your ER and I'm hoping to secure a letter of recommendation!" I was so encouraged by the PDs in attendance at the recent conference that I've decided to abandon the USMLE/COMLEX debate for now. Kelly O'Keefe, who Quinn knows well, went so far as to say that he "expected" to see NSUCOM students rotate at his ER in Tampa General.
With regard to that internship (my source of recurrent GERD/heartburn/consternation), the AOA has posted the new requirements to their website. It seems that three years of ACGME training inclusive of 1 month of outpatient FP, 2 months of IM, and one month of OB would substitute for the completion of an osteopathic internship. Of course, the Fl. board of osteopathic medicine gives no guarantees. When I asked Dr. O'Keefe how his DO residents would meet any additional requirements, he smiled and said that the solution to this problem, "was called vacation." LOL! Seems that there are plenty of DO students like Quinn who embrace the allopathic programs just as they have embraced our DO graduates-- with open arms. Again, best wishes for the upcoming PGY-I internship (Whoops- I meant residency) year. Keep the informative emails coming, I like to benefit from your experiences so that I won't have to work as hard.
Yours,
pushinepi2
NSUCOM Class of 2005
http://nsucomems.tripod.com
