EM PD - Ask Me Anything

[Noisewater-TDX]

Who told you that you have a top 10% SLOE?

A PD mentioned it during an interview.

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[attitudeofgratitude]

Hope that makes sense.

it does but then I guess I'm not sure why programs are worried. Top candidates hording shouldn't matter if you usually only hit on one or two of them anyway and go to 65/100 on your list when the 60-100 slots aren't top candidates.

also @Noisewater-TDX Bruh, c'mon

 

[Dr.Bruh]

I agree. However, its usually apparent if a program isn't real DO friendly because most have their resident lists on their websites. And if you have only 2-3 DOs in the entire program, or none... they aren't DO friendly. Unfortunately board cutoffs aren't always truthfully advertised and I wish they were. It is DEFINITELY odd that the places you have gotten interviews aren't geographically linked and are at places you didn't meet at residency fairs, meet and greets, etc while the places that you are being rejected are local places you previously met with. That is very atypical. The only explanation I could think of would be if the more local places were just way out of your league (ie you are a DO and they aren't DO friendly at all; or your boards are below some cutoff they have). Lack of interviews is more typically a SLOE issue, but that seems less likely if you are getting a bunch of interviews elsewhere but not regionally.

I actually believe its a little more difficult to assess the level of DO bias ESPECIALLY this year. There are many programs that have multiple DOs in each class, but when you inquire you learn that nearly if not all those DOs did an audition there. For example a program I met with at the EMRA residency fair has 3-6 DOs in each of their classes for EM, but I learned from the PD that every single one of them did an audition there and did well. This year DOs werent able to audition at most place and we know that some places that appear DO friendly only actually rank DOs who rotated there. That information needs to be totally public in my opinion.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Because an "excellent student" with great numbers always translates to great physicians. Gotcha.

And both my SLOEs are good. At-least one is top 10%. I'm sure they are laying in your trash pile.

Seriously? I come to SDN to try to help students. Its my free time. I get nothing out of it other than the enjoyment of trying to help people. I don't need to be here.

FYI, I did just look at your app (college is in your signature and allows it easily to be found) and sadly, had you actually just DM'd me or emailed me and I looked at your app, I wouldv'e absolutely interviewed you. Your app is perfectly fine, honestly just never saw it in the 1000 apps we get, we filled up quick with people that came to the EMRA res fair and applied for rotations and in state folks. It wasn't personal, you didn't need to make it such.

 

[12jas]

I'm sure they are laying in your trash pile.

I know this year is very stressful and it's hard to feel like all of your hard work is for nothing but @gamerEMdoc has given up so much of his time to advise us. Sometimes we hear things we don't want to hear. Like you may have a bad SLOE. But personal jabs are not the way to win any favors. I bet if you did actually apply to his program and privately messaged him about your concerns he would go out of his way to advise and help you.

 

[boolin_1]

Seriously? I come to SDN to try to help students. Its my free time. I get nothing out of it other than the enjoyment of trying to help people. I don't need to be here.

FYI, I did just look at your app (college is in your signature and allows it easily to be found) and sadly, had you actually just DM'd me or emailed me and I looked at your app, I wouldv'e absolutely interviewed you. Your app is perfectly fine, honestly just never saw it in the 1000 apps we get, we filled up quick with people that came to the EMRA res fair and applied for rotations and in state folks. It wasn't personal, you didn't need to make it such.

Drag his ass

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Drag his ass

The dude's just frustrated and concerned. It's a stressful time. I'm sure he (hopefully) regrets saying it. I'd obviously prefer not to be publicly called out, but I'm hardly anonymous anymore and I realize that.

 

[boolin_1]

The dude's just frustrated and concerned. It's a stressful time. I'm sure he (hopefully) regrets saying it. I'd obviously prefer not to be publicly called out, but I'm hardly anonymous anymore and I realize that.

Btw interviewed somewhere with some of your former faculty and I loved the guy. Him and I bonded over beer for 30 mins straight and didn’t talk about medicine once

 

[boolin_1]

I interviewed somewhere today and I absolutely know that it’s where I belong. Literally every single thing about the program was perfect, and I can’t stop thinking about it. It aligns with every single one of my goals, and the PD had the perfect amount of tough love that I need. It took everything in me to not just say during the “well do you have any questions” that “I just want you to know that I am going to be your best chief resident in 4 years”.

literally every other applicant was from the state and there’s my ass zoom’ing from like 18 states away.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

I interviewed somewhere today and I absolutely know that it’s where I belong. Literally every single thing about the program was perfect, and I can’t stop thinking about it. It aligns with every single one of my goals, and the PD had the perfect amount of tough love that I need. It took everything in me to not just say during the “well do you have any questions” that “I just want you to know that I am going to be your best chief resident in 4 years”.

literally every other applicant was from the state and there’s my ass zoom’ing from like 18 states away.

Hopefully it works out for you there!

 

[joh13562]

Strangely, the only interviews I've been getting are places I have zero geographic ties. I'm very appreciate of these programs for finding value in my application and I'm optimistic that they actually holistically reviewed my application. I'd much rather go to a program where I'm wanted for my individual qualities. Whereas as for all the programs in my region, I attended the pre-interview information sessions and spoke with them directly at the numerous EM conferences I've attend over the past few years and have only gotten rejections or ghosted. None of it makes sense to me. As I've been listening to program directors from these programs for years say they want candidates like me and providing reassurance. I don't have any red flags that I know of nor that have come up at any of the interviews I've already completed. So I'm at a complete loss, and I think many other students feel the same right now. We'd just like transparency about the process. If your program doesn't like DOs or something else just tell us so we can save $$$ from applying and the feelings of rejection for some implicit bias that has nothing to do with who we are as people or how we'll train as residents.

First, I appreciate you taking the time to post on here. I've personally found the information you share very helpful and a rare glimpse into the selection committee psyche.

I've experienced the same paradoxical situation as kristysmiles. Only 1 invite from my home state, only 1 of the 15 EMRA residency fair meetings culminated into an interview, yet many other invites from diverse geographies (avg distance ~1100 miles) and competitiveness (top tier to brand new programs). I am a reapplicant so I know this is apples to oranges but haven't been able to quite figure out what is triggering some programs to send invites and not others. 2020 just keeps the surprises coming.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

First, I appreciate you taking the time to post on here. I've personally found the information you share very helpful and a rare glimpse into the selection committee psyche.

I've experienced the same paradoxical situation as kristysmiles. Only 1 invite from my home state, only 1 of the 15 EMRA residency fair meetings culminated into an interview, yet many other invites from diverse geographies (avg distance ~1100 miles) and competitiveness (top tier to brand new programs). I am a reapplicant so I know this is apples to oranges but haven't been able to quite figure out what is triggering some programs to send invites and not others. 2020 just keeps the surprises coming.

who knows, there’s outliers, i cant speak for every applicant or every program, just on trends... i have no clue why someone would struggle in state but do bettter out of state, unless they are a west coaster (which is particularly competitive and many grads are gonna get a bulk of the interviews out of state.

The residency fair thing really surprises me.

 

[Noisewater-TDX]

Seriously? I come to SDN to try to help students. Its my free time. I get nothing out of it other than the enjoyment of trying to help people. I don't need to be here.

FYI, I did just look at your app (college is in your signature and allows it easily to be found) and sadly, had you actually just DM'd me or emailed me and I looked at your app, I wouldv'e absolutely interviewed you. Your app is perfectly fine, honestly just never saw it in the 1000 apps we get, we filled up quick with people that came to the EMRA res fair and applied for rotations and in state folks. It wasn't personal, you didn't need to make it such.

I know this year is very stressful and it's hard to feel like all of your hard work is for nothing but @gamerEMdoc has given up so much of his time to advise us. Sometimes we hear things we don't want to hear. Like you may have a bad SLOE. But personal jabs are not the way to win any favors. I bet if you did actually apply to his program and privately messaged him about your concerns he would go out of his way to advise and help you.

Can someone delete few of these posts? It’s better for everyone if gamerEMdoc remains somewhat anonymous and continues to help applicants, so he’s not spammed with thousands of emails a day.

I have deleted them.

Best of luck to everyone.

 

[Apollyon]

I have deleted them.

Best of luck to everyone.

Don't dox people. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Don't dox people. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

Its ok guys seriously. He made a mistake. He apologized. Honestly Id be frustrated if I was him too, and its an anxiety provoking time. Lets all just move on.

 

[Doctor_Strange]

I appreciate you @gamerEMdoc. Sometimes you tell us stuff we may not want to hear, and you always caution that your opinions are n=1, but this thread and its popularity among medical students is a testament you are helping a lot of us out!

 

[Oligodinero]

So right now I have 10 interviews and am wait listed at 2 places that I would definitely rank. Is your thinking still to wait until Dec. 1st to send out LOIs, @gamerEMdoc ?

 

[Doctor_Strange]

I interviewed somewhere today and I absolutely know that it’s where I belong. Literally every single thing about the program was perfect, and I can’t stop thinking about it. It aligns with every single one of my goals, and the PD had the perfect amount of tough love that I need. It took everything in me to not just say during the “well do you have any questions” that “I just want you to know that I am going to be your best chief resident in 4 years”.

literally every other applicant was from the state and there’s my ass zoom’ing from like 18 states away.

Example of "tough love"? Just curious what that looks like lol

 

[gamerEMdoc]

So right now I have 10 interviews and am wait listed at 2 places that I would definitely rank. Is your thinking still to wait until Dec. 1st to send out LOIs, @gamerEMdoc ?

Yeah, if you are at 10 today, you really don't even need anymore and you'll be fine. But you are almost certainly going to get more. Wait until after Dec 1 if you aren't at 12 yet by then. You'll def have no trouble picking up a few more in Dec and Jan if you wait.

 

[boolin_1]

Example of "tough love"? Just curious what that looks like lol

Idk if I’m thinking of the right term. But the program basically has this expectation that the EM residents will run the show at the hospital, and that the hospital is indeed busy. So if you’re lagging behind, you’re going to be kind of dragging the hospital behind. It’s a great learning environment, and all the faculty have teaching accolades from EMRA or something, but you need to be ready to learn fast and get proficient. And the PD ended her talk with “are you tough enough to train here at XXX?” and I basically had an erection

 

[pillowsnice]

Idk if I’m thinking of the right term. But the program basically has this expectation that the EM residents will run the show at the hospital, and that the hospital is indeed busy. So if you’re lagging behind, you’re going to be kind of dragging the hospital behind. It’s a great learning environment, and all the faculty have teaching accolades from EMRA or something, but you need to be ready to learn fast and get proficient. And the PD ended her talk with “are you tough enough to train here at XXX?” and I basically had an erection

This sounds like a county hospital! But, really glad you found somewhere where you can see yourself fitting.

 

[boolin_1]

This sounds like a county hospital! But, really glad you found somewhere where you can see yourself fitting.

The residency was unopposed, and it honestly has all the elements of a community, academic, and county hospital. Level 2 trauma center that sees plenty of level 1. To me, it was perfect. And I’ve talked to residents at county hospitals and they all seem so burnt out, but these residents all had so much life in them. It was great

 

[Packers12]

Yeah, if you are at 10 today, you really don't even need anymore and you'll be fine. But you are almost certainly going to get more. Wait until after Dec 1 if you aren't at 12 yet by then. You'll def have no trouble picking up a few more in Dec and Jan if you wait.

Sitting at 7 IIs currently. 240s/250s on the boards, "Favorable/Competitive" SLOE per my advisor, have yet to hear back from about 40 programs. Haven't sent any LOIs as it seems too early and I've heard mixed reviews on sending them. To be honest I am running out of patience at this point and am unsure if these 40 programs are actually considering me or ghost rejecting me. Should I be nervous about my current situation or would you say that I'm still in relatively good shape? Thank you for your input!

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Relatively good shape. You’ll almost certainly match at 7 tbh, even if no more come in. Many places dont send rejections. You’ll be ok. Just reach out to a few places in Dec if you want to. Not everyone gets 12+ interviews. You may, or you may not. But sitting at 7 a month into ERAS opening is a good position.

 

[That.One.Guy]

How much impact does my where I did my training have once I graduate from residency? I plan on working in the community setting, but I don't want to close any doors. I was hoping for more II from academic institutions, but most all my II are from community programs.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

How much impact does my where I did my training have once I graduate from residency? I plan on working in the community setting, but I don't want to close any doors. I was hoping for more II from academic institutions, but most all my II are from community programs.

It's really very unlikely to affect you. Maybe if your sites were to do academic faculty in a University setting, then maybe it would matter but even then, getting one of those jobs is unlikely right out of residency anyways without doing a fellowship. If you desire is to go work in the community, it really doesn't matter where you train. It may help you get a job if you are training in the area you want to end up in, just because people know people and area EDs will recruit from surrounding residencies.

All that being said, go where you want. In the end, where you train is going to have little impact in the job hunt for the majority of residents.

 

[turkeyjerky]

It's really very unlikely to affect you. Maybe if your sites were to do academic faculty in a University setting, then maybe it would matter but even then, getting one of those jobs is unlikely right out of residency anyways without doing a fellowship. If you desire is to go work in the community, it really doesn't matter where you train. It may help you get a job if you are training in the area you want to end up in, just because people know people and area EDs will recruit from surrounding residencies.

All that being said, go where you want. In the end, where you train is going to have little impact in the job hunt for the majority of residents.

Cannot disagree with this more. The job market is getting tighter every year and good jobs are getting harder to find. If you have any preference at all where you want to be the rest of your life, I would absolutely try to attend the best residency you can in that region.

 

[astronauticaldoc]

Should we anticipate another round of interview invites next week, after Thanksgiving holiday?

Also, worst case scenario. If I don't match EM this year, do you have any advice in terms of doing a TY/Prelim to hopefully match EM next year. I imagine, the best bet would be to find a TY/Prelim at a site that has an EM residency correct? I might be overthinking it, I have 6 EM invites, but I just want to be prepared.

 

[Doctor_Strange]

Should we anticipate another round of interview invites next week, after Thanksgiving holiday?

Also, worst case scenario. If I don't match EM this year, do you have any advice in terms of doing a TY/Prelim to hopefully match EM next year. I imagine, the best bet would be to find a TY/Prelim at a site that has an EM residency correct? I might be overthinking it, I have 6 EM invites, but I just want to be prepared.

I only have 7 and I too feel somewhat uneasy. All I can say is per the reddit spreadsheet the median # of interviews is 12-13. Even if we assume -- rightly -- that their is sampling bias on that spreadsheet (ie those getting a lot of interviews / strong applcicants are more enthusiasitic to respond) I would still think the median # of interviews hovers around 10 +/- 1, and thus you and I (and many others) are in the same boat as being slightly behind where we ought to be. This is just my own take, but I feel it's the most appropriate one to make at this time.

 

[Oligodinero]

I only have 7 and I too feel somewhat uneasy. All I can say is per the reddit spreadsheet the median # of interviews is 12-13. Even if we assume -- rightly -- that their is sampling bias on that spreadsheet (ie those getting a lot of interviews / strong applcicants are more enthusiasitic to respond) I would still think the median # of interviews hovers around 10 +/- 1, and thus you and I (and many others) are in the same boat as being slightly behind where we ought to be. This is just my own take, but I feel it's the most appropriate one to make at this time.

I have no doubt there’s serious sampling bias on that spread sheet. I also believe there are trolls entering false data and deleting posts or altering other‘s posts. I’m taking everything I read there with a grain of salt the size of a small boulder.

 

[Doctor_Strange]

I have no doubt there’s serious sampling bias on that spread sheet. I also believe there are trolls entering false data and deleting posts or altering other‘s posts. I’m taking everything I read there with a grain of salt the size of a small boulder.

100%. The chat on that spreadsheet has been nothing short of pathetic and disappointing. However, I still do believe the median # of interviews likely hover around 10-11 both based on what I said and my own sampling of EM Bound classmates (n=7).

 

[AppleB]

Two questions if you don’t mind,
What incentive do programs have to accept students with high board scores? Does it increase the ranking of the program?
Also how different would two students rank if their identical in stats but one competed a sub I at the program (and presumably did good) vs one who didn’t complete a sub I?

 

[GrumpyKoala]

Two questions if you don’t mind,
What incentive do programs have to accept students with high board scores? Does it increase the ranking of the program?
Also how different would two students rank if their identical in stats but one competed a sub I at the program (and presumably did good) vs one who didn’t complete a sub I?

High board scores generally are good at predicting future positive board scores. Programs require a certain percentage of their residents to pass their specialty boards to maintain accreditation (so a smaller program especially, will care a lot about this). It also confers some degree of prestige/reputation if they can advertise that their average board score among their residents is higher than that of similar programs.

Assuming that they liked a student in person during their sub-i, that applicant will always have some degree of preference over a comparable applicant they only really got to know on paper and for a couple of hours on interview day.

 

[deleted645092]

I will always regret not rotating at your program 😔

 

[RoshRoshB'gosh]

@gamerEMdoc If a program mentioned that they just want a certain score to be available by rank time, any insight on what date will that be for this cycle? Wondering if early/mid Feb is too late?
PS: Thank you for creating this very helpful forum. It seems to be the only place where EM students can easily ask questions and get well-founded answers. We appreciate your time and mentorship.

 

[boolin_1]

I’m going to be firing off LOI’s. I see my dream programs are essentially filled up, and these are the places I’ve been visiting at residency fairs and going to their didactics etc. i thought it’s still early in the season but it seems like most places are basically filled? The whole process def sucks

 

[M&L]

Yeah, if you are at 10 today, you really don't even need anymore and you'll be fine. But you are almost certainly going to get more. Wait until after Dec 1 if you aren't at 12 yet by then. You'll def have no trouble picking up a few more in Dec and Jan if you wait.

Quick question, - just an M2 now, trying to plan ahead. I saw earlier that you said there is a "pile" and that person should have emailed you. So, how can we stand out and get pulled to be looked at? Lets say a place is our top choice, but we dont have personal connection with the place (like, rotating there, etc). What can we say in the email to the PD that would make them want to take a look? Also, how soon should we send that email?

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Should we anticipate another round of interview invites next week, after Thanksgiving holiday?

Also, worst case scenario. If I don't match EM this year, do you have any advice in terms of doing a TY/Prelim to hopefully match EM next year. I imagine, the best bet would be to find a TY/Prelim at a site that has an EM residency correct? I might be overthinking it, I have 6 EM invites, but I just want to be prepared.

Id anticipate a few more coming more slowly based on interview cancellations and getting some of those spots via LOI emails you send or coming off waitlists you may be on.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

100%. The chat on that spreadsheet has been nothing short of pathetic and disappointing. However, I still do believe the median # of interviews likely hover around 10-11 both based on what I said and my own sampling of EM Bound classmates (n=7).

The spreadsheet/chat are always anxiety provoking. Honestly, I wouldn't even look at it.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Cannot disagree with this more. The job market is getting tighter every year and good jobs are getting harder to find. If you have any preference at all where you want to be the rest of your life, I would absolutely try to attend the best residency you can in that region.

Did you read the question I responded to? The original question asked if there is an advantage of University vs Community for applying to jobs in the community after residency. Not if they should go to a residency in the geographic region they want to end up in.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

What incentive do programs have to accept students with high board scores? Does it increase the ranking of the program?

Depends on the program and how much weight they put into it. There's over 200 programs, everyone values different things. The incentive to taking higher board scores is that past standardized testing performance predicts future standardized testing performance. If you match only students with super high scores, you could basically do nothing from an education standpoint, and they will all pass their EM boards. There's no risk of headaches, or worrying you may have a failure on your record. Makes your program look good with a high board pass rate.

Programs that tout their high pass rate when only taking students with high scores are like an NFL coach bragging how good he is at teaching people to run fast when they only draft the fastest players in the draft.

Also how different would two students rank if their identical in stats but one competed a sub I at the program (and presumably did good) vs one who didn’t complete a sub I?

The sub-i would essentially be the tiebreaker. Ultimately, you'll typically choose the devil you know over the devil you don't assuming the sub-i was decent, if all else is equal.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

@gamerEMdoc If a program mentioned that they just want a certain score to be available by rank time, any insight on what date will that be for this cycle? Wondering if early/mid Feb is too late?
PS: Thank you for creating this very helpful forum. It seems to be the only place where EM students can easily ask questions and get well-founded answers. We appreciate your time and mentorship.

Rank lists must be certified the same date as students rank lists. Most places will get their list done in early February most years I'd imagine, though this year there is an extra week or two. Just get it back to them as soon as you can, that's all you can do. Can't change the date of your step 2 now.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

I’m going to be firing off LOI’s. I see my dream programs are essentially filled up, and these are the places I’ve been visiting at residency fairs and going to their didactics etc. i thought it’s still early in the season but it seems like most places are basically filled? The whole process def sucks

Wow, sorry. I don't know if its the match process that sucks as much as it's pretty cold that there are places who would have you come to their didactics and still not offer you an interview. That's cold. I mean you can't interview everyone as a program, but places really shouldn't string students along like this IMO.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Quick question, - just an M2 now, trying to plan ahead. I saw earlier that you said there is a "pile" and that person should have emailed you. So, how can we stand out and get pulled to be looked at? Lets say a place is our top choice, but we dont have personal connection with the place (like, rotating there, etc). What can we say in the email to the PD that would make them want to take a look? Also, how soon should we send that email?

Well, you should rotate at your top choice, if you can, first and foremost. Obviously this year presented an issue with limited rotations but that's unlikely to be an issue in future years. I usually recommend being blunt and specifically saying in a LOI what specifically is drawing you to that program. LOIs in normal years (when ERAS opens in Sept) should never come before Nov IMO. If you didn't make the cut of initial invites, then you want to give it some time for people to decline invites and/or cancel, which will open up spots. A timely email later in interview season can net you an interview you may not have gotten.

If you want to network and become known to the program before that, I'd suggest attending the EMRA residency fair to meet with them. It was virtual this year, and honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if there isn't a virtual option in future years with how successful it was.

 

[deleted645092]

Not really relevant for matching and really just for my curiosity, but in our SLOEs does the program say where they’re gonna rank us? And has it ever happened where a program gives top third or top 10% to a student but in the written comments says they’re just not a good fit for the program for x,y,z reason but they’d happily recommend them to others?

 

[turkeyjerky]

Did you read the question I responded to? The original question asked if there is an advantage of University vs Community for applying to jobs in the community after residency. Not if they should go to a residency in the geographic region they want to end up

Yes, I read the question:

How much impact does my where I did my training have once I graduate from residency? I plan on working in the community setting, but I don't want to close any doors. I was hoping for more II from academic institutions, but most all my II are from community programs.

I hate to hijack this thread, but I believe its worth emphasizing to current applicants just how tight the market is (and will continue to be for the foreseeable future), and how this affects the calculus on which residency to attend. Your advice:

It's really very unlikely to affect you. Maybe if your sites were to do academic faculty in a University setting, then maybe it would matter but even then, getting one of those jobs is unlikely right out of residency anyways without doing a fellowship. If you desire is to go work in the community, it really doesn't matter where you train. It may help you get a job if you are training in the area you want to end up in, just because people know people and area EDs will recruit from surrounding residencies.

All that being said, go where you want. In the end, where you train is going to have little impact in the job hunt for the majority of residents.

Is little changed from the advice I received nearly 10 years ago, while the job market has completely inverted. You seem focused on the 'academics vs community' question (understandably given your position) whereas this is a moot point for the vast majority of prospective residents, who should be focused on the 'good vs bad' job question, and in four years may turn into 'good vs bad vs no' job question. My advice to applicants is that it absolutely matters where you train, unless your goal is work in an urgent care or telemedicine practice.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Not really relevant for matching and really just for my curiosity, but in our SLOEs does the program say where they’re gonna rank us? And has it ever happened where a program gives top third or top 10% to a student but in the written comments says they’re just not a good fit for the program for x,y,z reason but they’d happily recommend them to others?

Yeah thats the last and most important question on the SLOE, where you do you intend to rank the applicant. It makes no sense to answer that "we plan to rank the person top 1/3" and then in the narrative say why you aren't ranking them in the top 1/3.

Can it happen where a program writes a top sloe and then later chooses not to rank the person high, or rank them at all? Absolutely. When students rotate, programs don't know everything about them. There could be things in their MPSEs that are MAJOR red flags. We've chosen not to rank people we had pegged as a top 10 sloe before for ethical reasons. So it happens. It's just not a common occurrence.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Yes, I read the question:



I hate to hijack this thread, but I believe its worth emphasizing to current applicants just how tight the market is (and will continue to be for the foreseeable future), and how this affects the calculus on which residency to attend. Your advice:



Is little changed from the advice I received nearly 10 years ago, while the job market has completely inverted. You seem focused on the 'academics vs community' question (understandably given your position) whereas this is a moot point for the vast majority of prospective residents, who should be focused on the 'good vs bad' job question, and in four years may turn into 'good vs bad vs no' job question. My advice to applicants is that it absolutely matters where you train, unless your goal is work in an urgent care or telemedicine practice.

I appreciate your point of view, I do, but does this thread have to get filled by the doom and gloom posts too. It's like every single thread in this forum. This is a Q+A thread for students interested in applying to EM about the application process for me to answer their questions. Do we really need yet another place to tell them completely unsubstantiated claims like they will all be working in urgent care?

People can be entitled to believe whatever they want. And I totally get a lot of the nervousness surrounding the job market. But that's not the purpose of this thread.

 

[boolin_1]

Anybody here couples matching with significant other, it seems like a literal nightmare. We barely have any combinations together

 

[LibBum]

Anybody here couples matching with significant other, it seems like a literal nightmare. We barely have any combinations together

Yep, EM and peds. She is an all star and I am middle of the road. Life will be interesting until match day. I don't worry much, just not sold on how programs are choosing who to reject and interview. I have local surprises and far from Texas programs. Still waiting on a few Texas favorites to ring me up. Already send LOIs and we mention couples matching during each interview. Will see how it pans out. Worst case, she goes to some dream school for her and I hang out at my home program for 3 years. I just don't want to go unmatched and need a few more interviews to offset that concern.