EM Residency after completing IM residency?

[soothsayer]

Hey guys, I am completing IM residency next month and was really thinking about doing ER residency, so just wondering has anyone else done the same thing?
Another important question was do you have a good shot of getting in to ER residency if you have done IM residency and how do the ER residency programs look at it?
And would you only have to do 2 years of ER residency if you have already completed 3 years of IM residency?
I was always undecided regarding IM vs. EM when I applied during med school but now I regret not having applied for IM and want to do EM but really want to know how good my chances are of getting in and if I would only have to do 2 years and if anyone of you (ER residents or ER attendings) went through the same thing doing ER residency after IM residency.
I didn't see this ever being discussed in any of the previous threads
Your help and assistance in this would be much appreciated. Thanks alot

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[Herbert]

i went through 2 years of IM, ditched early and just got accepted into an EM program. It wasn't easy.

The only benefit of having done an IM residency is that you have already completed a prelim if you're going to a 234 program.

feel me free to email me

 

[Mary Jane Watson]

You may get credit for some of your rotations, but you still have to do the 3 years. Our first year is usually filled with various off service rotations such as ortho, ob/gyn, trauma, anesthesia, pedi and your EM months that you don't do in IM. You would likely get credit for MICU/Cards months. It just depends on the program.

MJ

 

[bulgethetwine]

You may get credit for some of your rotations, but you still have to do the 3 years. Our first year is usually filled with various off service rotations such as ortho, ob/gyn, trauma, anesthesia, pedi and your EM months that you don't do in IM. You would likely get credit for MICU/Cards months. It just depends on the program.

MJ

Actually, you don't have to do three years. But the credit isn't much -- the maximum you're allowed is 6 months and that depends on the rotations, as mentioned above. But in any event, you might be able to complete an additional 30 months of residency training and be board eligible for emergency medicine.

 

[Mary Jane Watson]

Actually everyone I've know with previous training has done 3 years. One of my attendings did med/peds, another resident did 4 years of surgery (with 9 years EM work experience), another friend was practicing family medicine when she returned. They all did 3 years. I suppose it all depends on the program and how long you've been out. One of our incoming residents is finishing peds residency. So it is definitely possible. I know USF seriously considers applicants with previous training.

MJ

 

[bulgethetwine]

Actually everyone I've know with previous training has done 3 years. One of my attendings did med/peds, another resident did 4 years of surgery (with 9 years EM work experience), another friend was practicing family medicine when she returned. They all did 3 years. I suppose it all depends on the program and how long you've been out. One of our incoming residents is finishing peds residency. So it is definitely possible. I know USF seriously considers applicants with previous training.

MJ

MJW - not trying to trump you -- just stating what the rules and regulations are in the interest of providing information for the OP.

The formal rules state that up to 6 months (but not more) may be credited towards an EM residency (regardless of whether it is a 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, or 2-3-4 program) based on prior training.

Also for the OP, MJ's experience might be related to the fact that the PD or other leader at a given program may choose to not support an application to extend credit for any months (it isn't actually up to the PD to determine yes/no when it comes to credit, but the EM training governing body). I would caution that if your potential PD won't support such an application, you should scrutinize that decision very carefully - such an inflexible approach might not be what you want in a program director (of course, there might be a legitimate reason... obviously worth considering on a case-by-case basis).

I personally know one person who transferred into a 1-2-3 program after one year of IM and got the full 6 month credit; I know another who did a FULL neurology residency first, and got 0 months credit (but did get flexible electives in lieu of repeating certain medicine and neurology rotations).

Good Luck

 

[Mary Jane Watson]

Hey - no worries. I think we are basically saying the same thing. It's usually taken case by case. Most people get credit for what they did, but then get extra elective time or ED time.

 

[Aloha Kid]

Don't forget about funding. Technically, your residency medicare dollars to fund you are over. Some programs may consider this a negative when considering your application.

 

[bulgethetwine]

Don't forget about funding. Technically, your residency medicare dollars to fund you are over. Some programs may consider this a negative when considering your application.

I've always wondered about that -- I heard that was an issue a long time ago, but haven't heard anything about it for quite some time. The version I heard was that whatever length the original residency you got into, well, that was how many years medicare had committed to funding you. So, for example, if you started off in gen surg but transferred to a 1-2-3 EM program after 2, no problem. If, however, you did internal med and switched after two years, you'd only have one year of medicare funding left. Is this the "official" way it all works?

 

[roja]

I'm not sure about the funding thing. Maybe BKN can help out here. One of my fellow residents had done an IM residency and then came to us and did 3 years. She got some credit (as allowed by the ROC) but still had to do three years. You don't get those months as 'credit' but you can do more away electives.