EM and not happy

[michiganEM100]

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I'm a first year in an osteopathic EM and not really liking it. I had such a hard time deciding what to do because I seemed to like everything and EM seemed like it had "a little of everything". Just curious if anyone had a similar experience and what my options are to do something else. I really like ortho but boards aren't the best, considered anesthesia seriously and still think i'd like it but am really considering FP now because I think i'd be happy and it seems easy to switch ....any comments or advice would be appreciated. What are my options at this time and what are my chances of getting in?

 

[nightowl]

if you don't mind me asking, why are you not liking it? Are you sure it's not the horrendous hours of residency or your specific program? Do you actually not want "a little of everything?" If not, it wouldn't seem like Family Med would be a good switch. All of those things are really different. Do you like the OR? I don't know, just throwing some questions out there. But I'm curious to know what you don't like about EM too...

 

[southerndoc]

Transferring into other programs can be difficult because it's dependent on program openings, which don't happen often.

 

[Castro Viejo]

I'm a first year in an osteopathic EM and not really liking it. I had such a hard time deciding what to do because I seemed to like everything and EM seemed like it had "a little of everything". Just curious if anyone had a similar experience and what my options are to do something else. I really like ortho but boards aren't the best, considered anesthesia seriously and still think i'd like it but am really considering FP now because I think i'd be happy and it seems easy to switch ....any comments or advice would be appreciated. What are my options at this time and what are my chances of getting in?

You need to identify what it is about EM that you don't like and proceed to find an area that fills in those voids. At the moment, it's pure speculation on my part, and I don't want to get into specifics why I wouldn't choose EM and inadvertently ignite a flame throwing match with the EM types on SDN (who are pretty sensitive).

 

[NotAProgDirector]

I'm a first year in an osteopathic EM and not really liking it. I had such a hard time deciding what to do because I seemed to like everything and EM seemed like it had "a little of everything". Just curious if anyone had a similar experience and what my options are to do something else. I really like ortho but boards aren't the best, considered anesthesia seriously and still think i'd like it but am really considering FP now because I think i'd be happy and it seems easy to switch ....any comments or advice would be appreciated. What are my options at this time and what are my chances of getting in?

Your EM training is unlikely to count towards anything else (Anesth, FP, etc), so you'll have to start again at the PGY-1 level. It's too late to apply for interviews this year, although I guess some allopathic FP programs might still be interviewing. The AOA match ROL has already passed (Jan 25) so you can't participate in their scramble at all. You could still apply to the NRMP match, not submit an ROL, and hence get the scramble list -- and try to scramble into an FP position.

As others have said, figure out what you don't like about EM first. You ceryainly don't want to end up in a field that makes you more unhappy, or worse figure out that you actually enjoy EM after you've resigned your spot.

 

[skypilot]

I think you might be able to pick up a Pgy2 position in anesthesia if you are geographically, (will go anywhere) flexible. Interview season is ending very soon though so it would take an incredible stroke of luck to do it this year.

 

[pseudoknot]

You need to identify what it is about EM that you don't like and proceed to find an area that fills in those voids. At the moment, it's pure speculation on my part, and I don't want to get into specifics why I wouldn't choose EM and inadvertently ignite a flame throwing match with the EM types on SDN (who are pretty sensitive).

Who says praeteritio is a lost art?

 

[secretwave101]

FP is the closest match to what you're already doing. That could be a good thing or a bad one. A little more soul-searching might be helpful so you have a good idea of what you want out of your medical career. FP does offer more varied options - including heading back to a smaller ER someday if you want - than strict ER does. It would also be easier to transfer into than some of the other fields.

 

[Castro Viejo]

Who says praeteritio is a lost art?

😉

 

[TysonCook]

EM will usually count toward Anesth. It all depends on what you want to do etc. I would look at why you don't like it first, and try to fix or see beyond those aspects.

 

[Blade28]

Who says praeteritio is a lost art?

Oh snap! 🙂

 

[Drawing Dead]

OP, I'm sure you're not going to be alone on this one. The last couple years, EM has become the "wastebasket" choice of specialty, because people don't know what they want, don't want to work insane hours, and want to make money doing it.

I'm just happy I matched into EM, even though it wasn't my first choice.

I just can't wait when people from my class start realizing what you have. It's gonna be great!

 

[SoCuteMD]

I just can't wait when people from my class start realizing what you have. It's gonna be great!

Yeah, I really like it when my colleagues are unhappy too 🙄

 

[gutonc]

OP, I'm sure you're not going to be alone on this one. The last couple years, EM has become the "wastebasket" choice of specialty, because people don't know what they want, don't want to work insane hours, and want to make money doing it.

I'm just happy I matched into EM, even though it wasn't my first choice.

So...1st post, rather inflammatory, not sure I want to agree here but...I've been waiting for someone to say this.

I went to med school at a "name you know" if you're in EM. >200 students in my class, 40-50 of them into EM. Of those ~1/2 are the EM gunners...folks who think Manny Rivers is too passive in his resus goals on septic patients, everyone sick enough to come to the ED needs 2 subclavian lines and every blunt abd trauma deserves a trip to the OR...and if trauma surg won't take them, well the MS4 EM gunner will. The other half got to August of their 4th year and thought, "well, I've wasted 4 years and $150K and I hate everything I've done so far. At least the hours and cash don't suck too hard in EM...I guess that's what I'll do." As EM matures as a specialty, it will be nice to see that 2nd group get weeded out and the first group (or a perhaps mellower group who really want to do EM and not just work less and make more) be better represented.

 

[Drawing Dead]

Before this gets blown WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY out of proportion (sp?) by everyone else on here, as is the norm, let me protect myself when by saying this. Sarcasm people, and I know it's hard to translate in written text.

I am not going to be cheering for people in my specialty to fail. I got a spot, and I'm happy about that. I chose EM not by a process of elimination, but because working in the ED was the only place I truly fit in, the only place that made me want to show up every day.

There are many people going into this field that did choose it by process of elimination, which is fine too, because many people do that. My problem is, when I looked at the match list from my school, I saw many people that basically were the type that wouldn't disect in anatomy because "it's gross" or couldn't (or even wouldn't) put an IV in someone (and some of them are going to a program where they will have to place PLENTY of IVs). And I hope, I pray that this has changed. I want them to prove me wrong. Because, in the end, I want them to be good docs. I really do. But like they say, if it quacks like a duck...

I don't hope, but I pretty much can feel that this year's class is going to have plenty of people saying the same thing as the OP from this post.

Oh, and to clarify, EM was my first choice since 2nd year of med school, I just didn't match at my first choice of program. Maybe i'm a little bitter.

 

[Tired]

. . . but because working in the ED was the only place I truly fit in, the only place that made me want to show up every day.

So were you bummed out when you discovered you only had to come in three days a week?