ER residency

[stjkj02]

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I am just getting ready to take the MCATs and start applying to schools, and i have a question for all of you. i will graduate with something like a 3.35 and i would assume that i could nail a 30-32 on the MCATs based off of my pracitice MCATs so far. I have a ton of volunteer hours as an EMT (5 years) and ive been shadowing an orthopedic surgeon for 5 years off and on. I doubt i will be able to get into any US allo schools based on my low GPA and i doubt i will be able to get into any DO schools for the same reason on top of the fact that i have NO experience with the DO field. If i go with Saint George's in Grenada i will get in.

The thing is, i have read on this site that EM is growing very competitive for residency matching, but in doing any research it seems like EVERYONE who applies for EM gets a residency. i don't remember the numbers off the top of my head and i don't feel like clicking that link right now, but it was like 1500 spots for 1550 applicants. Why would this be considered competitive? Does that mean that it is competitive to get a residency, or competitive to get a FAVORABLE residency?

A side question, going to St George's sounds like the worst idea Ive ever had in looking into the growing hatred of IMGs, but if i could nail an EM residency i really wouldn't care about my reputation as long as i could get a job. I have been doing similar work as an EMT for a while and i am dead set on EM as my career choice. Should i reconsider the whole IMG thing or tough it out and get good grades?
http://www.nrmp.org/data/resultsanddata2010.pdf

 

[alwaysaangel]

I am just getting ready to take the MCATs and start applying to schools, and i have a question for all of you. i will graduate with something like a 3.35 and i would assume that i could nail a 30-32 on the MCATs based off of my pracitice MCATs so far. I have a ton of volunteer hours as an EMT (5 years) and ive been shadowing an orthopedic surgeon for 5 years off and on. I doubt i will be able to get into any US allo schools based on my low GPA and i doubt i will be able to get into any DO schools for the same reason on top of the fact that i have NO experience with the DO field. If i go with Saint George's in Grenada i will get in.

You could possibly get into an MD school, you would very likely get into a DO school (assuming you get a 30+ on the MCAT). All you would need for DO is to shadow one and get a letter so you could explain "why DO." That would be infinitely better than IMG.

The thing is, i have read on this site that EM is growing very competitive for residency matching, but in doing any research it seems like EVERYONE who applies for EM gets a residency. i don't remember the numbers off the top of my head and i don't feel like clicking that link right now, but it was like 1500 spots for 1550 applicants. Why would this be considered competitive? Does that mean that it is competitive to get a residency, or competitive to get a FAVORABLE residency?

Right now there are still MORE spots than there are US medical grads. So 99.9% of US Medical grads get a spot in EM residency if they rank at least 10 programs.

That is not true for IMGs, which is one of the reasons its considered "more competitive." There aren't many spots left at the scramble, and its generally a hard match for IMGs.

Check out EM under charting outcomes: http://www.nrmp.org/data/chartingoutcomes2009v3.pdf

1515 total positions
1817 total applicants
1153 US Senior matched, 92 didn't
317 Independent applicants matched, 255 didn't (only 55% matched)

Particularly check out page 60 where you can see how much worse the odds are for Independent applicants.

Whats worse is "independent applicants" includes IMGs and USMGs who have taken a year off since med school or are applying from other specialties - so they are probably a good number of the matched independent applicants. Pretty depressing odds.

A side question, going to St George's sounds like the worst idea Ive ever had in looking into the growing hatred of IMGs, but if i could nail an EM residency i really wouldn't care about my reputation as long as i could get a job. I have been doing similar work as an EMT for a while and i am dead set on EM as my career choice. Should i reconsider the whole IMG thing or tough it out and get good grades?
http://www.nrmp.org/data/resultsanddata2010.pdf

1) You will likely change your specialty in medical school. EM is VERY different than EMT.
2) St George is a very poor idea...IF you graduate (and most Caribbean schools have a 50% attrition rate. So the worst case scenario is actually failing out without an MD. Next worse case scenario is not passing your USMLEs and therefore not becoming a licensed physician. After that, you may score low and are unable to match EM. If you scored above average and had a sufficient number of EM away rotations you would likely get in SOMEWHERE, but is it really worth the risk of all that?
3) If you can still up your GPA then up it. Plenty of people get in with lower GPAs. I think mine was 3.47 and I got into 4 schools (I withdrew from most when I was accepted to my first). If you're interesting you could still get into MD. Get your GPA up and stay instate.

 

[stjkj02]

that was exactly what i was looking to find out. thanks a lot.

 

[EMber13]

EM is getting more competitive every year. You have to consider that as an IMG the Step 1 scores that are average for the specialty aren't going to cut it - you'll have to outshine your US peers, the likelihood of which is unpredictable at best. You also have to remember that match rates for each specialty are self-selected for people who have a decent shot at matching in the first place - that's why derm's rate is higher than 10%, even though most students who match derm are at the top of the class.

IMO your best bet would be to retake the courses you've scored the lowest in, spend some quality shadowing/clinic time with a DO, and apply DO. If you can crack 30 on the MCAT you shouldn't have a problem. Adding an extra year to the process at this stage will be significantly less stressful than trying to match into a competitive specialty from a Caribbean school. There are a number of DO Emergency Medicine residencies, and you always have the option of taking USMLE and applying allopathic.

 

[richse]

There is no reason you can't get into an MD or DO school. I got 3 MD acceptances with a lower GPA. Study harder than you ever thought possible and do the best you can on the MCAT. That was my strategy it worked out well.

 

[2012mdc]

I am just getting ready to take the MCATs and start applying to schools, and i have a question for all of you. i will graduate with something like a 3.35 and i would assume that i could nail a 30-32 on the MCATs based off of my pracitice MCATs so far. I have a ton of volunteer hours as an EMT (5 years) and ive been shadowing an orthopedic surgeon for 5 years off and on. I doubt i will be able to get into any US allo schools based on my low GPA and i doubt i will be able to get into any DO schools for the same reason on top of the fact that i have NO experience with the DO field. If i go with Saint George's in Grenada i will get in.

The thing is, i have read on this site that EM is growing very competitive for residency matching, but in doing any research it seems like EVERYONE who applies for EM gets a residency. i don't remember the numbers off the top of my head and i don't feel like clicking that link right now, but it was like 1500 spots for 1550 applicants. Why would this be considered competitive? Does that mean that it is competitive to get a residency, or competitive to get a FAVORABLE residency?

A side question, going to St George's sounds like the worst idea Ive ever had in looking into the growing hatred of IMGs, but if i could nail an EM residency i really wouldn't care about my reputation as long as i could get a job. I have been doing similar work as an EMT for a while and i am dead set on EM as my career choice. Should i reconsider the whole IMG thing or tough it out and get good grades?
http://www.nrmp.org/data/resultsanddata2010.pdf

I got in with a lower GPA (3.15) and a 33 MCAT. My undergrad is in the top 10 so that probably offset the low GPA somewhat. I say go for US allopathic and not settle for the Caribbean

 

[stjkj02]

When did you two get accepted though and where? just for curiosity sake. ive seen a lot of people who said they got in places with low numbers but they all seem to be from years ago and unfortunately it doesnt seem to happen too often anymore.

Back to the original topic though.... if i were to get into an allo school, it seems like ER residency is a very easy match to get (assuming decent scores)?

 

[gravitywave]

Back to the original topic though.... if i were to get into an allo school, it seems like ER residency is a very easy match to get (assuming decent scores)?

for the moment, it's not bad. as a US senior, you've still got 80%+ chance of matching with a Step Score 1 SD below the mean. that assumes you're not picky about where you do your training. EM is becoming more competitive these days, as people gravitate to shift work oriented specialties that allow for control over their personal lives. It also pays pretty well for what is at most places still a three-year residency.

for you, the hardest part will be getting in to med school. if you can get 30 or better on the MCAT and a letter from a practicing DO, i don't see why you can't make this happen. osteos go into EM all the time, there are several of them here and at the small community hospital i used to work out of.

 

[alwaysaangel]

When did you two get accepted though and where? just for curiosity sake. ive seen a lot of people who said they got in places with low numbers but they all seem to be from years ago and unfortunately it doesnt seem to happen too often anymore.

I applied 2006, accepted to GW, NYMC, University of Kentucky and UC Irvine. Attended UC Irvine.

They said that about numbers back then too. Averages are just that...average.

Back to the original topic though.... if i were to get into an allo school, it seems like ER residency is a very easy match to get (assuming decent scores)?

Yes, allo + average USMLE step 1 and 2 = matching into EM. Unless there is something really wrong with your letters or evals.

 

[sammy911]

Has a DO ever interviewed and/or matched into Vanderbilt's EM residency?