Emergency Med and Best DO schools?

[slick27]

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I'm interested in a career in emergency medicine, what DO schools would be best for this?

 

[FLDoc]

I am leaning towards EM as well and would love to hear from more experienced medical students about their training with regards to EM.

Pure speculation from my pre-med point of view:

I applied to schools in large cities because of the patient diversity afforded by their location. Ex: PCOM, PCOM-GA, CCOM, etc.

 

[Dienekes]

I'm interested in a career in emergency medicine, what DO schools would be best for this?

Just a piece of advice, but asking a bunch of premeds which school is the best for this or that specialty is kind of like asking an elementary student which high school will prepare you best for college.

 

[gasapple]

There's no way to answer this really - osteopathic or allopathic. It's about your board scores, rotations, and recommendations . Assuming your scores are where they need to be, you'll be competing with everyone who wants to land a residency in EM.

Also, you should keep an open mind throughout your medical rotations; quite often, med students change their minds about specialties after the actual experience.

OP, don't let that nursing idea go that's in your post history; that might prove to be a wise choice.

Last, if you want actual medical student or EM resident opinions, you're in the wrong forum. Pre-meds generally don't know ****.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Here in Texas, I work with two ER attendings who are DMU grads.

I think its a coincidence though. There are a lot of DO's in emergency med. It shouldn't be much of a problem landing a spot.

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[JaggerPlate]

GasApple hit the nail on the head. There isn't a school that advertises how well it places in EM or a school that gives you an edge above others applying for EM residencies (in theory). It's all about you as an applicant. This means good board scores, letters, grades etc etc. Another good piece of advice is to speak with people who are in the process/have done what you want to do - went to a DO school and now doing EM. One name that comes to mind is VALSALVA. He went to KCOM (I think) and completed (or is completing) an allopathic EM residency. Check out the EM boards too.

 

[Shinken]

I'm interested in a career in emergency medicine, what DO schools would be best for this?

Any DO school or MD school would be good for a career in EM.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I also know attendings from LECOM-Erie, Western COMP, OUCOM, and TCOM, and I've worked with ER residents from KCUMB, NYCOM, PCOM, DMU, and countless others.

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[tkim]

1) Any school that is located near multiple EM residencies, so come rotation time, you can do away/auditions cheaply and painlessly. This serves two purposes: audition and SLOR, arguably two of the most important things besides grades and scores. A strong letter from the USC-LAC EM residency will work for you at the other Cali EM programs. They all know each other. Same for the Boston progams.

2) Any school that allows you the freedom and flexibility to schedule a EM rotation as early as the last rotation of 3d year, and as many aways/elective rotations early in fourth year that you need. If your school limits the number of rotations in one specialty then you got problems. If your school restricts the number of aways, ditto. Pretty crucial to find a school with a liberal away/elective policy.

3) Pick a coast that you want to practice/live in and go to school there. Muy expensive to fly back and forth between coasts during interviews. Moving costs also factor in if you match to the other coast. The cost for me was almost another semester's tuition after all was said and done.

In the end, get into medical school first, and then figure out what you like. The advice stands for any specialty.

 

[MichiganEMTInt]

Like everyone said, board scores and rotations are the most important. How can you know this early that you want to go into emergency medicine? Get a taste for it first..do some volunteering in ER, EMT license, or even walk into an ER and perform several thoracotomies (or your other favorite ED procedure).

Since MSUCOM is the only DO school I know enough about to comment on, there are several EM residencies nearby and they're good. I have no idea how they compare to other osteo EM residencies, but I have met grads from quite a few other DO schools that chose the EM residencies in Lansing over their local residencies.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Personally, I love ER. If I had to choose today, it would be on my very short list. Of course, I've worked at or volunteered at the ER for more than 3 years now, so I know ER better than I know anything else.

When I first started this process, there was little doubt in my mind that I'd make a run at ortho. I'm a kinesiology guy, with a background in strength and conditioning and athletics. So it was what I knew best at the time.

So my plan now is to keep an open mind, and see what I like best. I do know that my time in the trauma center may be hard to overcome, and I also know that I don't want to spend my career digging around in crudded-up hooties, so OB/GYN is probably out.

But for the most part, I'm going to try and pretend that everything is equal, and see what catches my eye.

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[ShyRem]

Most people change their minds about what they want to do once they start rotations. I have met very few docs who did NOT change their minds in 3rd or 4th year.

 

[BobBarker]

OSU would be a good spot if you really want to do ER. One of their ER rotations is in OKC with an ER that is run by Morningstar. Morningstar pays very well (360K first year out of residency, partner from day 1, etc). They also run an ER residency out of the hospital which they usually fill with OSU grads.

 

[WestcoastMedicine]

If your interested in Osteopathic or dual programs, EM is the 3rd largest specialty after IM and FP in terms of the number of programs. Go to www.acoep.org and you can search them, I think they number in the 40s now. I was seriously considering EM for a number of years and was involved on a national level with the student ACOEP. It is a great group and they have a strong pull in the Osteopathic World. I have yet to find another student organization that affords so many resources to the students. At all the national conventions they have a ton of student only lectures, workshops. The student exec board puts out newsletters twice a year, there is a student-attending mentorship program, case competitions, online lecture series etc.... All I am trying to say is if you go DO and want to do Emergency Medicine, there are a TON of opportunities for you. Despite having so many programs (like I said inthe 40s, when you compare to say pediatrics where there are only 15 or so) it is still competitive. There were only a handful of positions that did not fill inthe allopathic and osteopathic match for EM.

Just try to keep your options open. I worked in highschool and paid for college by working as an EMT so when I came to medical school I didn't consider anything else at first. I like critical patients, the challenge of sorting through the chaotic situation, but realized I got frustrated alot in the ED because you don't always find out what happens to the patient. Your job isn't necessarily to make a diagnosis, just rule out the life threatening ones and get them to the appropriate followup person. Yes, you can look up the patient's chart and find out the end result, but I found I would rather be the one working with them to get to that point. I am now planning on going into Neonatology. You have emergencies, run down to L and D, do a ton of procedures (intubation, chest tubes, central lines, exchange transfusions, LPs, etc...) yet you get long term care and are the one running the show for the most part. Also, your patients are innocent and aren't the ones causing their own problems (not that its always the case with adults, just sometimes).

Before I went to medical school I didn't know what a neonatologist was. As you go through school just look at each career and see if you could see yourself doing it. Just keep your options open and if you think you want to do something, shadow a physician or two in that field and see if their career/lifestyle/day to day existence is what you want to do for the rest of your life. I had an attending tell me if you find that you are interested in reading about a topic for the rest of your life, that is what you should do. If you find it painful to read through an ortho journal even though you like surgery, you probably shouldn't go into ortho. If you find that you are engaged and interested when reading about EMED topics, then go into EMED because your going to have to constantly read about your field.

Best of luck to you.

 

[MossPoh]

I assume you have to do a pediatrics residency before that?

I've heard some good stuff about that speciality though. I've heard it compared to EM in a way, but like you said, the patients don't do it to themselves...hopefully you don't have to worry about 5 day yearold kids seeking percocoet either.

 

[bostongirl22]

i went to UNECOM and am in an allopathic EM residency at UCONN. There are a few other DOs in the program from NOVA, NYCOM, AZCOM. I don't think it matters which DO school you go to, just do well, work hard, shine on the boards and your rotations and you'll be all set.

 

[JaggerPlate]

I was in an ER this weekend with my grandfather (he's fine) and he took it upon himself to tell every physician we met that I was pre-med. Both EM physicians said they enjoy their jobs and would do it all over again if they had the chance.

 

[gasapple]

I was in an ER this weekend with my grandfather (he's fine) and he took it upon himself to tell every physician we met that I was pre-med. Both EM physicians said they enjoy their jobs and would do it all over again if they had the chance.

I'm certain you must have come across as a pretentious, pre-med know-it-all, prick... 😉😀 JJ

 

[TexasTriathlete]

ER is a pretty good life


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[GreenShirt]

Along the lines of what LHUEMT911 said: I was an EMT/ED Tech before coming to medical school and my whole personal statement went on and on about how I loved EM and wanted to go to med school so I could practice EM. I was gungho EM all the way.......that is until about 2 months into my first year of medical school when I realized their might be a better fit out there for me. Moral of the story: don't count your chickens before they hatch.

As other posters have pointed out, it's not so much about the school but how you preform and school and what kind of connections you're able to make in your desired specialty. Older DO schools tend to have more students go into specialties, so that's a starting place. You can check out old Match lists, but I think the best thing to do is to find a school where you'll be happy overall and worry about the residency stuff when you get to your third year.

If you want to know more about EM residency you should check out the EM forum on SDN. They have specific threads on DO's in EM and particular residencies.

 

[Terpskins99]

Historically, emergency medicine hasn't been considered a competitive residency. So, any program should suit you just fine. Do well in class, ace boards and work hard during rotations and you'll be set.

Before I went to medical school I didn't know what a neonatologist was.

Shame on you! 😛
<My father is a neonatologist.>

 

[GreenShirt]

Historically, emergency medicine hasn't been considered a competitive residency. So, any program should suit you just fine. Do well in class, ace boards and work hard during rotations and you'll be set.


Shame on you! 😛
<My father is a neonatologist.>

Although nowadays it is in the upper half (possibly upper third). Semi-competitive but attainable, I'd say.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

By the way, one of our attendings went to TCOM, and did her ER residency at Duke.

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[slim78]

ER is a pretty good life


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I keep telling my wife I'd like to do EM and she keeps telling me she'd like me to do Anesthesiology. I know the conversation is irrelevant at this point, but she doesn't seem to agree with your above statement.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I keep telling my wife I'd like to do EM and she keeps telling me she'd like me to do Anesthesiology. I know the conversation is irrelevant at this point, but she doesn't seem to agree with your above statement.

In ER, you can work like half the month.

 

[Terpskins99]

Although nowadays it is in the upper half (possibly upper third). Semi-competitive but attainable, I'd say.

Not to be argumentative, but where are you getting your information from?

EM had a lower Step 1 average than internal medicine last year. It was even lower than the national average for all matched residents (220 vs 221).

People say the same thing about anesthesia, but the numbers don't support their arguments. I know that lifestyle specialties are growing in popularity (which EM and anesthesia would be considered), but it seems as if more people end up pursuing optho, derm or radiology instead.

 

[JonnyG]

Not to be argumentative, but where are you getting your information from?

EM had a lower Step 1 average than internal medicine last year. It was even lower than the national average for all matched residents (220 vs 221).

People say the same thing about anesthesia, but the numbers don't support their arguments. I know that lifestyle specialties are growing in popularity (which EM and anesthesia would be considered), but it seems as if more people end up pursuing optho, derm or radiology instead.

It depends on how you define competitive. Anesthesia is competitive by number of applicants per slots but not by Board scores. I believe EMed has the same thing.

 

[zmeister22]

So my plan now is to keep an open mind, and see what I like best. I do know that my time in the trauma center may be hard to overcome, and I also know that I don't want to spend my career digging around in crudded-up hooties, so OB/GYN is probably out.

Hey TT, have you paid attention to how many pelvics get done in an ER each day? I put together about 40-50 pelvic kits each day that I work. WAY too much poonanie for me. Of course, that doesn't take much... but that's an entirely different subject😛.

OP, I've worked 40-50 hrs/week for 4.5 years in an ER. There are definite pros and cons. I work in a major hospital system right now, and we have lots of trauma, an amazing transplant program (kidney, liver, and one of the few centers doing small bowel) and tons of specialists. Exposure to all of these aspects will probably change your mind. Don't EVER set yourself on something until you actually get to medical school.