How important is electronic charting when choosing residency programs.

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I dont have enough experience to say whether it would be useful with the CA part of residency, but I chose not to apply to pre-lim/TY that I knew didnt have an EMR. Ive found that paper charts are often illegible, and that can be crippling when youre on medicine wards for example.
 
I dont have enough experience to say whether it would be useful with the CA part of residency, but I chose not to apply to pre-lim/TY that I knew didnt have an EMR. Ive found that paper charts are often illegible, and that can be crippling when youre on medicine wards for example.
I wholeheartedly disagree. Some notes may be difficult to read, but it isn't "crippling" or worthy of crossing a program off a list. Try reading a note when the EMR system shuts down for a few hours. It happens. No system is perfect.

Having gone from a program that was exclusively paper charting (except CPRS at the VA) to using EMR, I can tell you it has little to no effect on your training or ability to adapt to electronic charting in the real world.

Concern yourself more with the location, the people, the quality of your training, and finding a program where you'll be happy for 4 years.
 
Don't listen to medical students. This should have zero impact on your decision. In fact if they are transitioning from paper to emr it's actually a pain in the ass.
 
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It does not matter at all. Once you get used to charting it becomes like second nature. Switching to electronic charting takes about ten minutes to adjust to.
 
Switching to electronic charting takes about ten minutes to adjust to.

Simply not true. It takes at least...three times that long.

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Playing the devils advocate. Electronic charting is important especially if your on a heavy research track residency. My residency had a great electronic record which was really easy to data mine. Sp it can help.
 
I certainly wouldn't choose a residency because of EMR, but having a (great) EMR gives me time to do lots of other things in the OR. Bring patient in room, hook up monitors click 2 buttons and never worry about data for the rest of the case.
 
I certainly wouldn't choose a residency because of EMR, but having a (great) EMR gives me time to do lots of other things in the OR. Bring patient in room, hook up monitors click 2 buttons and never worry about data for the rest of the case.

Very wise words.
 
The best thing about EMRs is that they keep people honest.

agree with this totally. always amusing to see the AVR/CABG on paper records that show train track records (and perhaps boluses of epi given for no apparent reason)
 
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