FAQ - Emergency Medicine

[WildWing]

If you are a practicing Emergency Medicine physician, please share your expertise by answering these questions.

Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity to give back to the SDN community!

• What is unique or special about this specialty?
• What other specialties did you consider and why did you pick this one?
• What challenges will this specialty face in the next 10 years?
• What are common practice settings for this specialty?
• How challenging or easy is it to match in this specialty?
• What excites you most about your specialty in the next 5, 10, 15 years from now?
• Does your specialty currently use or do you foresee the incorporation of technology such as Artificial Intelligence?
• What are some typical traits to be successful in this specialty? (For example, organization skills, work independently)
• What does a typical workday consist of in your specialty?
• What is the career progression for your specialty?
• How has your work impacted your life dynamics? What is your work-life balance?
• How does healthcare policy impact your specialty?

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[JacobMcCandles]

This'll be good.

 

[RustedFox]

This'll be good.

Hooooo boyyyy.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

If you are a practicing Emergency Medicine physician, please share your expertise by answering these questions.

Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity to give back to the SDN community!

• What is unique or special about this specialty?
• What other specialties did you consider and why did you pick this one?
• What challenges will this specialty face in the next 10 years?
• What are common practice settings for this specialty?
• How challenging or easy is it to match in this specialty?
• What excites you most about your specialty in the next 5, 10, 15 years from now?
• Does your specialty currently use or do you foresee the incorporation of technology such as Artificial Intelligence?
• What are some typical traits to be successful in this specialty? (For example, organization skills, work independently)
• What does a typical workday consist of in your specialty?
• What is the career progression for your specialty?
• How has your work impacted your life dynamics? What is your work-life balance?
• How does healthcare policy impact your specialty?

I... don't want to do your homework assignment.

Mods?

 

[RustedFox]

If you are a practicing Emergency Medicine physician, please share your expertise by answering these questions.

Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity to give back to the SDN community!

I don't know why you thought this was a good idea. I'm about to get at least a warning, guys.

• What is unique or special about this specialty?

We're number one in burnout.

• What other specialties did you consider and why did you pick this one?

IM, Anesthesia, FM. I kick myself daily for not choosing differently.

• What challenges will this specialty face in the next 10 years?

Existing.

• What are common practice settings for this specialty?

The emergency department, duhhh.

• How challenging or easy is it to match in this specialty?

Do you have a pulse? Congratulations.

• What excites you most about your specialty in the next 5, 10, 15 years from now?

Finding a way out.

• Does your specialty currently use or do you foresee the incorporation of technology such as Artificial Intelligence?

We don't even use real intelligence, let alone artificial intelligence.

• What are some typical traits to be successful in this specialty? (For example, organization skills, work independently)

Substance abuse. Depression. Mental Gymnastics.

• What does a typical workday consist of in your specialty?

White hot hate for administration accompanied by 8-12 hours of very high risk adult babysitting.

• What is the career progression for your specialty?

Misery until you escape or die.

• How has your work impacted your life dynamics? What is your work-life balance?

Found the bot, guys.

• How does healthcare policy impact your specialty?

The beatings will continue.

 

[Janders]

• What is unique or special about this specialty?

We work in the ER

• What other specialties did you consider and why did you pick this one?

Vaguely considered some procedural offshoot of IM, or perhaps IR. But I liked what EM promised.

• What challenges will this specialty face in the next 10 years?

End stage capitalism; living inside a dumpster that is on fire. The raccoons are rabid.

• What are common practice settings for this specialty?

Waiting rooms.

• How challenging or easy is it to match in this specialty?

Back in my day we walked uphill both ways to match at a In-N-Out Tier residency.

• What excites you most about your specialty in the next 5, 10, 15 years from now?

have you read about the Battle of Thermopylae?

• Does your specialty currently use or do you foresee the incorporation of technology such as Artificial Intelligence?

Maybe for scribing; or honestly for perusing 1000s of pages of EMR chart bloat and presenting me with useful details… I’m very good at chart biopsies but could use help.

• What are some typical traits to be successful in this specialty? (For example, organization skills, work independently)

The resilience of Sisyphus

• What does a typical workday consist of in your specialty?

Work evening. 75% of our shifts touch 10pm. Your kids are playing games, your family is having a holiday meal, you are battling death.

• What is the career progression for your specialty?

Every Marine a rifleman

• How has your work impacted your life dynamics? What is your work-life balance?

It has drastically modified my mood, personality, interpersonal relations, sleep and ability to focus and enjoy many things.

• How does healthcare policy impact your specialty?

We are the failed safety net of all policies (unfunded.

 

[PB2464]

If you are a practicing Emergency Medicine physician, please share your expertise by answering these questions.

Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity to give back to the SDN community!

• What is unique or special about this specialty?
• What other specialties did you consider and why did you pick this one?
• What challenges will this specialty face in the next 10 years?
• What are common practice settings for this specialty?
• How challenging or easy is it to match in this specialty?
• What excites you most about your specialty in the next 5, 10, 15 years from now?
• Does your specialty currently use or do you foresee the incorporation of technology such as Artificial Intelligence?
• What are some typical traits to be successful in this specialty? (For example, organization skills, work independently)
• What does a typical workday consist of in your specialty?
• What is the career progression for your specialty?
• How has your work impacted your life dynamics? What is your work-life balance?
• How does healthcare policy impact your specialty?

Google "paid medical surveys"

 

[SeekerOfTheTree]

I don't know why you thought this was a good idea. I'm about to get at least a warning, guys.


We're number one in burnout.


IM, Anesthesia, FM. I kick myself daily for not choosing differently.


Existing.


The emergency department, duhhh.


Do you have a pulse? Congratulations.


Finding a way out.


We don't even use real intelligence, let alone artificial intelligence.


Substance abuse. Depression. Mental Gymnastics.


White hot hate for administration accompanied by 8-12 hours of adult babysitting.


Misery until you escape or die.


Found the bot, guys.


The beatings will continue.

I'm dying at that. So true.

 

[RustedFox]

I'm dying at that. So true.

Honestly, to post this poll of sorts here is so tone deaf that it's insulting.

 

[gutonc]

Honestly, to post this poll of sorts here is so tone deaf that it's insulting.

This was in response to user requests and is being posted in all specialty forums.

Honesty is appreciated. This is your chance to answer the "I'm a MX interested in EM, what do I need to know?" question definitively.

 

[RustedFox]

This was in response to user requests and is being posted in all specialty forums.

Honesty is appreciated. This is your chance to answer the "I'm a MX interested in EM, what do I need to know?" question definitively.

YOU HEARD HIM, EVERYBODY.

 

[WhatJobDoIPick]

Search function

 

[TooMuchResearch]

This was in response to user requests and is being posted in all specialty forums.

Honesty is appreciated. This is your chance to answer the "I'm a MX interested in EM, what do I need to know?" question definitively.

In that case, let's retitle the thread:

**** (all caps) - Emergency Medicine!

 

[Arcan57]

If you are a practicing Emergency Medicine physician, please share your expertise by answering these questions.

Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity to give back to the SDN community!

• What is unique or special about this specialty?
  • Nights and weekends and holidays throughout your career, having to make critical decisions with inadequate information in a place that everyone assumes is designed to deal with emergencies but in reality is closer to a PCPs office from the 80's then an ICU.
• What other specialties did you consider and why did you pick this one?
  • Neuro, because ER was a cool show and I didn't realize the downsides before it was too late
• What challenges will this specialty face in the next 10 years?
  • Overpopulation, dumbing down of average skill level, increasing scarcity of resources without change in expected outcomes
• What are common practice settings for this specialty?
  • Hospital, urgent care, telehealth
• How challenging or easy is it to match in this specialty?
  • Hopefully super easy considering what current students would be graduating into
• What excites you most about your specialty in the next 5, 10, 15 years from now?
  • Serving our masters by delivering evidenced based quality care in a resource conscious manner while providing an excellent patient experience
• Does your specialty currently use or do you foresee the incorporation of technology such as Artificial Intelligence?
  • Scribes probably, maybe rads AI, exoskeletons to deal with the increasing weight differential between patients and staff
• What are some typical traits to be successful in this specialty? (For example, organization skills, work independently)
  • Thick skin, ability to find restorative sleep outside of normal hours, ability to fake empathy without suffering moral injury
• What does a typical workday consist of in your specialty?
  • keeping track of dozens of sequentially running timers as you constantly call people to try and get them to do their job
• What is the career progression for your specialty?
  • Seizure, coma, death?
• How has your work impacted your life dynamics? What is your work-life balance?
  • Reasonable now, less reasonable previously. Generally have to prioritize one of the following: kids, spouse, or leisure.
• How does healthcare policy impact your specialty?
  • Policy makes and changes the rules of our specialty constantly, and rarely for the better.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

If you are a practicing Emergency Medicine physician, please share your expertise by answering these questions.

Thank you in advance for considering this opportunity to give back to the SDN community!

• What is unique or special about this specialty?
  • Nights and weekends and holidays throughout your career, having to make critical decisions with inadequate information in a place that everyone assumes is designed to deal with emergencies but in reality is closer to a PCPs office from the 80's then an ICU.
• What other specialties did you consider and why did you pick this one?
  • Neuro, because ER was a cool show and I didn't realize the downsides before it was too late
• What challenges will this specialty face in the next 10 years?
  • Overpopulation, dumbing down of average skill level, increasing scarcity of resources without change in expected outcomes
• What are common practice settings for this specialty?
  • Hospital, urgent care, telehealth
• How challenging or easy is it to match in this specialty?
  • Hopefully super easy considering what current students would be graduating into
• What excites you most about your specialty in the next 5, 10, 15 years from now?
  • Serving our masters by delivering evidenced based quality care in a resource conscious manner while providing an excellent patient experience
• Does your specialty currently use or do you foresee the incorporation of technology such as Artificial Intelligence?
  • Scribes probably, maybe rads AI, exoskeletons to deal with the increasing weight differential between patients and staff
• What are some typical traits to be successful in this specialty? (For example, organization skills, work independently)
  • Thick skin, ability to find restorative sleep outside of normal hours, ability to fake empathy without suffering moral injury
• What does a typical workday consist of in your specialty?
  • keeping track of dozens of sequentially running timers as you constantly call people to try and get them to do their job
• What is the career progression for your specialty?
  • Seizure, coma, death?
• How has your work impacted your life dynamics? What is your work-life balance?
  • Reasonable now, less reasonable previously. Generally have to prioritize one of the following: kids, spouse, or leisure.
• How does healthcare policy impact your specialty?
  • Policy makes and changes the rules of our specialty constantly, and rarely for the better.

Lol. Final common pathway for toxicology is our career progression.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

• What is unique or special about this specialty?

It is the only career where there’s a reasonably high likelihood someone will throw poo at you doing working hours that also makes $400,000/year

• What other specialties did you consider and why did you pick this one?

Ortho, trauma surgery. I picked EM because of the flat power structure. Not interested in the whole “getting yelled at by your senior” experience.

• What challenges will this specialty face in the next 10 years?

Impending white monster shortage. Next question.

• What are common practice settings for this specialty?

We recently subdivided our old emergency department into a “boarding department” and a “plastic folding chair in the lobby medicine” department. Or PFCL Med for short. I work there.

• How challenging or easy is it to match in this specialty?

I’ve proposed adding a feature to upload a set of vitals to the ERAS portal. Because really all you need is proof of life to secure a spot in central Florida.

• What excites you most about your specialty in the next 5, 10, 15 years from now?

That I will be 15, 10, and 5 years from retirement.

• Does your specialty currently use or do you foresee the incorporation of technology such as Artificial Intelligence?

Yes, I use chat GPT to respond to emails about sepsis metric fallouts

• What are some typical traits to be successful in this specialty? (For example, organization skills, work independently)

Ability to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge the poo mentioned in point #1

• What does a typical workday consist of in your specialty?

I order labs. Then I chose a part of the body to CT scan. Then I order some combination of olanzapine, morphine, IV fluids, and ceftriaxone. Then return to sender.

• What is the career progression for your specialty?

Gradually lower threshold to utilize the olanzapine.

• How has your work impacted your life dynamics? What is your work-life balance?

I’m the designated family member for deciding if meemaw needs to go to the ER for her UTI.

• How does healthcare policy impact your specialty?

Negatively.