Going it alone

[Back34]

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I'm an MSIV and have recently seriously begun considering EM as the path I want to go. The EM pathway director at our school is is accommodating and goes the second mile for all prospective EM applicants provided that we've been with her from the getgo, i.e., if we don't decide on EM as an MSI, we're as good as nonexistant to her, as I've been told and am currently experiencing. Thus, is it really necessary to have these people walk us through the application process or is it possible to just do this solo? I understand the advantages of having such an advisor, but it just isn't happening over here.

That being said, SAEM provides a "virtual advisor" program that I just signed up for. Does anybody have any experiences with the program? Thanks.

 

[12R34Y]

I'm an MSIV and have recently seriously begun considering EM as the path I want to go. The EM pathway director at our school is is accommodating and goes the second mile for all prospective EM applicants provided that we've been with her from the getgo, i.e., if we don't decide on EM as an MSI, we're as good as nonexistant to her, as I've been told and am currently experiencing. Thus, is it really necessary to have these people walk us through the application process or is it possible to just do this solo? I understand the advantages of having such an advisor, but it just isn't happening over here.

That being said, SAEM provides a "virtual advisor" program that I just signed up for. Does anybody have any experiences with the program? Thanks.

Took me about 6 months unfortunatley to hear from my SAEM advisor......never replied to my emails.

You can do it alone. There are a lot of awesome threads on this site with helpful factoids and pearls of wisdom.

good luck,

later

 

[unk_fxn]

I found my E-advisor to be very helpful.

My school also had no advising or assistance available to me, although perhaps for different reasons. Doesnt matter.

There are several people in my intern class who were later in medical school to decide on EM.

My advice to you would be to get AAEM's " Rules of the Road for Medical Students " from www.aaemrsa.org.

It has excellent information about the application process. Its I guess like a iverson's getting a residency that is EM specific (but I havent read iverson's, just heard some things about it).

Good luck!

 

[Back34]

Nice, thanks for the replies.

 

[GeneralVeers]

I'm an MSIV and have recently seriously begun considering EM as the path I want to go. The EM pathway director at our school is is accommodating and goes the second mile for all prospective EM applicants provided that we've been with her from the getgo, i.e., if we don't decide on EM as an MSI, we're as good as nonexistant to her, as I've been told and am currently experiencing. Thus, is it really necessary to have these people walk us through the application process or is it possible to just do this solo? I understand the advantages of having such an advisor, but it just isn't happening over here.

That being said, SAEM provides a "virtual advisor" program that I just signed up for. Does anybody have any experiences with the program? Thanks.

Unless your advisor is extremely committed to helping you, it's almost better to go it alone. My advisor (a staff physician at Methodist in Indiana) rarely returned my e-mails, and pretty much only proof-read my personal statement because he had no choice. He also did a half-assed job on my Dean's letter, and incorporated the ONLY TWO negative comments I had into it, while disregarding tons of positive ones. Hardly an accurate cross-section of my evaulations.

At any rate, my point is that no advisor can often be better than a half-assed one.

 

[DrQuinn]

I agree with the above.

I never had a "mentor" or advisor during my applications. My school was notorious for not really helping with that sort of thing.

That being said, SDN can TRULY be a GREAT help in your search for the elusive Emergency Medicine Match. When I was applying back in 2002, it was really starting to take off here on this website. Now you have so many resources to help answer your questions... we have quite a few attendings, lots and lots of residents, and even MORE M3s and M4s who are going to ask the same questions you have.

You may have to sift through a few In-N-Out Residency questions, and hear a few Fatty McFattypants comments, but in general the SDN EM forums are a huge help for the applicant such as yourself!

Just don't forget... once you match and become an EM resident... dont' forget about how much SDN helped you out... stay part of the community!

Q

 

[Jeff698]

Fatty McFattypants.

Sorry, couldn't help it.

My school didn't have an EM program so I found a mentor from another program. He was alot of help to me. You might try that route, if you've already met anyone like that. I'd known this physician for some years from my previous life in EMS, but local and state EM meetings are a good place to meet some.

Good luck!

Take care,
Jeff

 

[beyond all hope]

I was an FMG with no EM advisor. I did the SAEM thing but found that despite being very nice and well-informed and friendly she wasn't very helpful.

You really don't need an advisor. Just get your letters in line (try to get the proper form, I forget what they're called but they're standardized EM letters), apply broadly and keep up with trying to get interviews.

Listen to what people say about programs. I ranked a program highly based on my impression of the program, despite lots of people saying lots of bad things, ended up at a program I hated and had to transfer.

 

[Back34]

Just don't forget... once you match and become an EM resident... dont' forget about how much SDN helped you out... stay part of the community!

Q

In the immortal words of Dr. Emmett Brown, "indeed I will." Thanks.