MLK EM residency reapply

[fodrizzle]

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I am currently an intern at MLK and want to set the record straight about MLK EM. As stated from a previous post from a fellow resident, things are getting much better at our program. The new program director is crucial in the development of our education. For those of you applying to EM please apply now for serious consideration into the program. The Step 1 cutoff was originally set at 225, but it has now been lowered to 190... So, if you were rejected from an interview, contact me ASAP and I will put you in touch with the new director for reconsideration.

[email protected]

 

[11-44]

Insane is right. UC med student w/224 plus published research= rejection? Sorry, but after eleven interviews I'm pretty interviewed out. I really hope your program pulls it together. The pathology and location alone could make it a top-notch program.

 

[totalbodypain]

Under the previous management at MLK the best way to survive and excel as a resident was to not get involved and stay out of the politics. That being said the program is undergoing dramatic changes right now and I should probibly add to the info. The interim program director is bringing about many changes. We are splitting some of our ER rotations up to go to Cedars Sinai and California Hospital downtown. His feelings on the survival of the program are that we need to diversify our education. In addition to the faculty that have stayed (our best I must say with a few exceptions), we are getting ready to have 10 new and well published attendings from UCLA coming on in the next month or so. We are begining to get lectures from some of the same people and the didactics are improving greatly. We already have an abundance of pathology and procedures (one and one half years later and over forty tubes). We are also starting to rotate out a month a year at Childrens of LA's ER and our program director has told me he is anticipating a Peds Critical Care rotation over there as well to help bolster our peds experienc.
Under the previous management I would have never recomended that somebody come here because of the malignant environment despite the schedule and southern california, but now I can say that we are in for a completely new program. Essentially we are starting over. In two weeks CMS will reinvestigate the hospital. I've been told we should pass. That is the only thing that should hold anybody up who is interested at this point. I will happily answer any questions that anybody sends me.

 

[MyAntonia]

Under the previous management at MLK the best way to survive and excel as a resident was to not get involved and stay out of the politics. That being said the program is undergoing dramatic changes right now and I should probibly add to the info. The interim program director is bringing about many changes. We are splitting some of our ER rotations up to go to Cedars Sinai and California Hospital downtown. His feelings on the survival of the program are that we need to diversify our education. In addition to the faculty that have stayed (our best I must say with a few exceptions), we are getting ready to have 10 new and well published attendings from UCLA coming on in the next month or so. We are begining to get lectures from some of the same people and the didactics are improving greatly. We already have an abundance of pathology and procedures (one and one half years later and over forty tubes). We are also starting to rotate out a month a year at Childrens of LA's ER and our program director has told me he is anticipating a Peds Critical Care rotation over there as well to help bolster our peds experienc.
Under the previous management I would have never recomended that somebody come here because of the malignant environment despite the schedule and southern california, but now I can say that we are in for a completely new program. Essentially we are starting over. In two weeks CMS will reinvestigate the hospital. I've been told we should pass. That is the only thing that should hold anybody up who is interested at this point. I will happily answer any questions that anybody sends me.

Quick question: More than one person has mentioned that there will be many attendings from UCLA going to MLK. Are the we talking EM trained attendings and if so from which UCLA programs? I presume we are not talking about faculty from another program leaving en bloc? Thanks. I think MLK will be an excellent program when it is reorganized. Really, it always has as far as clinical exposure goes.

 

[totalbodypain]

From what I understand, there are some attendings signing on part time from UCLA med center (EM of course). They are not leaving there current positions, just picking up additional shifts. There may be other attendings from other South Cali programs that Im not aware of yet. Like I said, the didactics have already improved dramatically. Things are getting better daily. The only concern, like I said previously was the CMS site visit which will be done in about a week. I'll keep you posted.

 

[a_ditchdoc]

I was looking at your residency web site after reading these posts. Consider this constructive criticism rather than a negative comment, but you should immediately revise the web site. The site appears poorly constructed compared to other websites and the link to rebuttal to a LA Times article written about the hospital left a rather poor impression with me. Simply put, the rebuttal seems poorly written, unprofessional, and out of place for a site hoping to leave a good impresion with visitors. If I had never heard anything negative about the program the article by itself would be enough to cause doubt.

I understand your program is undergoing many changes at the moment, but as soon as possible you should start by changing how you represent your program to people that are unfamiliar with it.

I wish you guys the best of luck with your reorganization...

 

[Compton 257]

You are very generous and understated in your assessment of the website. It is primitive, unprofessional, not current, and representative of the past. A new website is in the works and the domain name of the old website will hopefully soon be replaced by this below. Here is a link to the new website:

http://users.adelphia.net/~jonmcgarry/mlked/

Thank you for your comments.

 

[Back34]

Insane is right. UC med student w/224 plus published research= rejection? Sorry, but after eleven interviews I'm pretty interviewed out. I really hope your program pulls it together. The pathology and location alone could make it a top-notch program.

Ha, I'm another 224'er

 

[GeneralVeers]

I was looking at your residency web site after reading these posts. Consider this constructive criticism rather than a negative comment, but you should immediately revise the web site. The site appears poorly constructed compared to other websites and the link to rebuttal to a LA Times article written about the hospital left a rather poor impression with me. Simply put, the rebuttal seems poorly written, unprofessional, and out of place for a site hoping to leave a good impresion with visitors. If I had never heard anything negative about the program the article by itself would be enough to cause doubt.

I understand your program is undergoing many changes at the moment, but as soon as possible you should start by changing how you represent your program to people that are unfamiliar with it.

I wish you guys the best of luck with your reorganization...

My assessment of the website is exactly the same as yours. That's why I've been trying to get the new one (link in the post above) posted over that same website. Unfortunately in dysfunctional past-King manner that website was run, owned and paid for by a faculty member who is long gone. I've been working with him to post the new site to the same domain name. Once that is done I will work to get the domain name ownership transferred officially to our department so that when someone leaves the department it will not cripple our website activities.

When everything is done and the new site is in place I'll post the link here and invite comments from all of you for changes/improvements.

 

[a_ditchdoc]

The link to the new site already runs circles around the other one, it leaves a much better impression. Good job...

 

[mountebank]

the new site looks great. Work on changing the link.

I also interviewed at MLK, and felt good about the experience one would get as a resident there. But the "overall" training at that time was lacking. I hope it's changed, and it sounds like change is occurring.

My hope for change is not spurred by better training for residents, but for the patients and those in the community around MLK. They need a good ED.

 

[mfrederi]

question about the future of the program: I understand the trauma center is closed, will it remain so? If it is going to stay closed, what is the program doing to ensure that residents get the trauma exposure that one would expect from King Drew? Also, is there an overhaul of the ancillary staff planned? I have heard this was one of the biggest frustrations in the program.

 

[totalbodypain]

question about the future of the program: I understand the trauma center is closed, will it remain so? If it is going to stay closed, what is the program doing to ensure that residents get the trauma exposure that one would expect from King Drew? Also, is there an overhaul of the ancillary staff planned? I have heard this was one of the biggest frustrations in the program.

Supposedly the trauma center is to reopen after they finish renovating the OR's and JCAHO reapproval (six to nine months). In the mean time we rotate through California Hospital and Cedars Sinai (no trauma but hot nurses). The staff is much improved (no blood draws, rarely transport), but it still is a county system with all the frustrations. We have lots of travel nurses which keep things flowly nicely. As for the XR and CT techs/RT/Lab its all hit or miss. Some times slow, some times stop but never fast.

 

[mattim]

All these posts about the MLK prgm, was it considered a bad prgm in the past? I am from the east coast NEVER been to the west. Is this prgm equivalent to a Lincoln Hospital or Brooklyn Hospital of NYC?

QUOTE=fodrizzle]I am currently an intern at MLK and want to set the record straight about MLK EM. As stated from a previous post from a fellow resident, things are getting much better at our program. The new program director is crucial in the development of our education. For those of you applying to EM please apply now for serious consideration into the program. The Step 1 cutoff was originally set at 225, but it has now been lowered to 190... So, if you were rejected from an interview, contact me ASAP and I will put you in touch with the new director for reconsideration.

[email protected][/QUOTE]

 

[GeneralVeers]

It was considered to be a medium-good program 5-10 years ago. Then the hospital got into all the trouble, which resulted in bad publicity for the program as well. The final blow was the loss of the trauma center. The program continued to be neglected and run down due to the inaction of our former chairman/PD. Now with him being gone, and improvements in the fundamental structure of the program we're at the beginning of an upswing again.