Finding a mentor, advice (MS3)

[Gomertose]

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[gutonc]

Are you the first person every from your school to apply EM? Unless you're the first class at your school (a possibility these days) then you need to seek out the M4s who applied this year and find out how they made this work for them...maybe wait until after Match day to ask them though.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

I give advice to tons of students on here. Feel free to send me a message anytime if you are striking out finding a local mentor and need some advice about applying and the match.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

I think your best mentors are going to be online. There is a wealth of information and knowledge among those using this forum and there are people at every stage of the game from able to retire to MS4 to resident to new attending to academic docs and probably even a few program directors. Like with a financial advisor, I don't know that being able to sit down with someone face to face adds a great deal of value. You will need SLORs, but you can get those from away rotations (and you'll need at least a couple of those in your situation.)

 

[racerwad]

Both EMRA and AAEM/RSA have online mentorship programs (conflict of interest: I am a EMRA resident mentor). I am fairly sure that you have to pay to join either org but it is nominal. EMRA has a med student whose job is to find out about your interests and context and find you a good match.

Alternatively, I have emailed random people online and actually gotten great results from that.

Good luck!

 

[gutonc]

I think your best mentors are going to be online. There is a wealth of information and knowledge among those using this forum and there are people at every stage of the game from able to retire to MS4 to resident to new attending to academic docs and probably even a few program directors. Like with a financial advisor, I don't know that being able to sit down with someone face to face adds a great deal of value. You will need SLORs, but you can get those from away rotations (and you'll need at least a couple of those in your situation.)

I will disagree with this just a little bit. Online advisors are a good idea. But advice from those with specific experience from the school you're coming from (especially since I'm going to guess it's not a place most of us have heard of) is even more important.

 

[RockFlag&Eagle]

Youtube ALIEM EM match advice...total game changer. It's the PD at Northwestern interviewing other PDs at killer programs about matching EM from start to finish. It was all of my advising.

I'd also be weary of just talking to one person at your institution for those that do have an EM program. It's incredibly valuable to get multiple perspectives. Seriously, I can't recommend the ALIEM series enough...it's amazing.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Youtube ALIEM EM match advice...total game changer. It's the PD at Northwestern interviewing other PDs at killer programs about matching EM from start to finish. It was all of my advising.

I'd also be weary of just talking to one person at your institution for those that do have an EM program. It's incredibly valuable to get multiple perspectives. Seriously, I can't recommend the ALIEM series enough...it's amazing.

That ALIEM series was really good. I totally forgot about that. Great recommendation.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

I will disagree with this just a little bit. Online advisors are a good idea. But advice from those with specific experience from the school you're coming from (especially since I'm going to guess it's not a place most of us have heard of) is even more important.

My school didn't have a residency program when I applied for residency. They had academic EPs, but that's not the same thing as having a real residency there. I heavily relied on online advice and did two aways (one local, again without a residency program) before doing the one I got my SLORs from. Can't remember if they were SLORS back then, but it was the same thing. They ranked me against all the students who rotated with them that year.

 

[Tenk]

What state do you live in?

 

[gman33]

Your situation is very common and you will likely be fine getting an advisor at your school.

Even if they are not em.
I'm sure many students apply to em every year at your school and do fine.

There is nothing magical about the process.

Do well on steps and rotations.
Do 2-3 em rotations.
Get letters from those rotations.
If you have a geographic preference for residency, try to do a rotation in that area.
That way you will have a letter from someone well known to the other local pds.

Any other questions can likely be answered online.

 

[gamerEMdoc]

Your situation is very common and you will likely be fine getting an advisor at your school.

Even if they are not em.

I respectfully disagree with this. I do agree that some advice is fairly generalazized. Any doc can tell you to do well on boards, do 2-3 rotations, ask for LORs, etc. All that is common sense and students should know that anyway.

But every field is different. Every field values different things. EM is the only field that writes sloes, and they are the most important part of the application. If a student asks a neurosurgeon if it matters if they get a regular letter of recommendation or a sloe, the neurosurgeon probably wont know what they are talking about. And EM is becoming one of the more competitive fields. Asking an FP doc about how many places to apply, and strategically how many to apply to, which programs, etc. That makes no sense. For the most part, I wouldn't even ask an EM doc these questions unless they were EM faculty who are pretty involved with the SLOE, interview, and rank process. Asking a clinical only EM doc who graduated 15 years ago would lead you very innacurate answers. The process has changed. The competitiveness has changed.

It is true if you follow basic advice (ace the boards, ace your rotations, etc) you'll match. Top-tier students really don't need much advising if they just want to match. The people who need advising are the candidates who arent at the top of everyones list.

 

[gman33]

I respectfully disagree with this. I do agree that some advice is fairly generalazized. Any doc can tell you to do well on boards, do 2-3 rotations, ask for LORs, etc. All that is common sense and students should know that anyway.

But every field is different. Every field values different things. EM is the only field that writes sloes, and they are the most important part of the application. If a student asks a neurosurgeon if it matters if they get a regular letter of recommendation or a sloe, the neurosurgeon probably wont know what they are talking about. And EM is becoming one of the more competitive fields. Asking an FP doc about how many places to apply, and strategically how many to apply to, which programs, etc. That makes no sense. For the most part, I wouldn't even ask an EM doc these questions unless they were EM faculty who are pretty involved with the SLOE, interview, and rank process. Asking a clinical only EM doc who graduated 15 years ago would lead you very innacurate answers. The process has changed. The competitiveness has changed.

It is true if you follow basic advice (ace the boards, ace your rotations, etc) you'll match. Top-tier students really don't need much advising if they just want to match. The people who need advising are the candidates who arent at the top of everyones list.

I agree that every field is different.
I would assume, maybe incorrectly, that an advisor who assists allopathic students every year would have a clue about em.

 

[EMGui2017]

I agree that every field is different.
I would assume, maybe incorrectly, that an advisor who assists allopathic students every year would have a clue about em.

Everyone that tried to give me advice at my school outside of the EM department was so far off base it could be considered negligent. This includes my institution assigned mentor, and both deans. I was actually told that I did not NEED away rotations, and that generic LOR = SLOE. Along with inaccuracies in application #s, and months to take a light schedule for interviews.

I agree with gamerEMdoc, definitely get a EM faculty advisor who is associated with residency program leadership recently.

 

[Status Sciaticus]

Everyone that tried to give me advice at my school outside of the EM department was so far off base it could be considered negligent. This includes my institution assigned mentor, and both deans. I was actually told that I did not NEED away rotations, and that generic LOR = SLOE. Along with inaccuracies in application #s, and months to take a light schedule for interviews.

I agree with gamerEMdoc, definitely get a EM faculty advisor who is associated with residency program leadership recently.

Seconded

I would also recommend signing up for EMRA and requesting a mentor through them since its free and an extra perspective, in addition to your EM program director/faculty advisor

 

[EMedGrrl]

I go to a school with no EM home program and the ED is frequently staffed with FM and IM physicians. Are there any online resources to find a mentor for making a realistic program list to apply to? I'm unfortunately below average with scores, but am a US MD. Although charting outcomes tells me I have >90% chance of matching based on boards, I feel that having no advisor and no advice besides SDN isn't optimal.
For 3rd year grades, preceptors have given H evals, but haven't scored well enough on shelves for honors. My last rotation is internal med and I hope to study UW/etc for honors and translate it forward into taking step 2 ck soon after.

I'm also looking at previous match lists to determine which aways might be beneficial for 4th year. There are 2 aways lined up at programs in August + September and I understand the make-or-break importance of the SLOEs.

Any advice on finding a mentor, advise? Any advice from below average applicants that pulled it off? This process sucks enough, but no advisor or mentor makes it worse. Thanks dude/ttes

I would recommend doing an early away rotation at an Academic EM program. Discuss your situation and lack of formal EM mentorship with a core faculty member (preferably one of the APDs) and ask them to advise you.