How to go into an Emergency Medicine Residency?

[lil_donut]

I'm concerned about what happens if my medical school does not offer Emergency Medicine Rotations. Because from what I've heard, most resident directors tend to gravitate towards people who have more experience in that field of knowledge. I want to be an ER doctor because I like working in high-adrenaline environments, I like working on my feet, and I have a passion for helping people and making a difference in their lives. So can anyone tell me how am I supposed to go into EM if my chosen school doesn't offer the rotation?
(They offer internal medicine? But I don't know if that qualifies as an EM rotation)

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[RangerBob]

IM does not count as an EM rotation. If your medical school doesn't offer an EM rotation (even at a partner community hospital), then you do an away rotation at a program that does offer an EM rotation. Ideally you try and set that up in your M3 year, but typically you can't do a visiting rotation until your M4 year--in that case you want to set up electives for July/August, since you submit applications in Sept.

If EM is like PM&R, a rotation (whether home or away) in EM is essentially required. I know essentially no PM&R program will interview an applicant that didn't do a PM&R rotation--I imagine EM is the same.

Also, you wouldn't want to go into a field without getting a little more experience--what we think we would like (or what we think the field is like) can sometimes be very different than what we actually like (or what the field is actually like).

 

[Winged Scapula]

AFAIK EM requires a SLOR so an EM rotation would be required. If your school has no options for EM clinical rotations (which I would find hard to believe as you cannot possibly be the only student in history with an interest in the field), then you will need to arrange one your cell.


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[EMSCR]

4th year here, matched into EM.
Try to set up an elective rotation in EM during 3rd year (if your curriculum allows).
Otherwise, I would set up away/sub-I's early 4th year (June-October). Your first EM rotation will be a learning experience.
Keep in mind you will want SLOE's which are EM specific LOR's.
Learn how to present patients: http://www.siumed.edu/students/emig/present.pdf
Good luck!

 

[EmergDoc2B]

My school had a weak community EM rotation which I did in march of my 3rd tear so I sought out a preceptor from another hospital in the area as an elective at the end of my 3rd year. There was some paperwork involved and your ability to do the same is dependent on your schools' policies.
I am currently trying to match ACGME EM and this 2nd EM rotation was done in July of my 3rd year, before going on my away (SUB I) EM rotations.
As EMSCR mentioned the name of the game is SLOE's on these away (SUB I) rotations and doing these rotations at programs you want to be a resident at.
I also recommend doing 3 aways, 1 more than the usual to balance out the first away SLOE as it may be a little weak because it's your first.
I wont find out if I matched using this strategy until March but I was told along the interview trail my SLOE's were strong.

Good luck to you.