Programs to Apply To

[turkeyjerky]

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Anyone care to do me a solid and give me some advice on programs to apply to? Here's my current list (in no particular order):

University of Washington
OHSU
UCSF
Denver
HCMC
Regions (St. Paul, mn)
MCW
Maryland
Vanderbilt
Indianapolis
Christiana
Pitt
Cincinnati
Brown
Yale
Maine
Cook County
U of Chicago
U of I—Chicago
UC-Davis




As far as background about myself, I'm pretty competitive in terms of scores+grades and am looking for a strong program in a nice city. I attend a state school in the upper midwest, but would probably prefer to move to a different area of the country. Don't really have a preference for 3 vs 4 years (maybe that's a mistake?), but want a resident-run program. Looking to apply to ~25 programs and interview at 10-12. Any suggestions for programs I'm omitting or should ditch? Thanks!

 

[EMFreakz]

definitely a mistake to not have a preference where live. consider where you would like to live and go a program in that area as long as the program isn't terrible.

 

[DocCartman]

Disagree with having a strong preference where to live (if you don't have one). I applied all over the country and found it incredibly liberating/exciting that I could end up anywhere in the US.

The programs you listed are almost all great. Just make sure you interview at at least 2-3 "safety" or safe-ish programs (home program, local programs). Otherwise, go for it

 

[turkeyjerky]

Disagree with having a strong preference where to live (if you don't have one). I applied all over the country and found it incredibly liberating/exciting that I could end up anywhere in the US.

The programs you listed are almost all great. Just make sure you interview at at least 2-3 "safety" or safe-ish programs (home program, local programs). Otherwise, go for it

thanks--I definitely do have a preference on where I want to live--it just involves specific cities vs a region of the country (honestly I prolly couldn't bear cincy, although it is a spectacular program...). Am planning on interviewing at both of my home programs (where i'll have rotated at too). Any rec's for safety-ish programs? I just don't have a good feel for the competitiveness of different programs.

 

[Venko]

Consider Ohio State, Carolinas, Mayo Clinic, and advocate christ as well...

 

[SepulvedaMD]

thanks--I definitely do have a preference on where I want to live--it just involves specific cities vs a region of the country (honestly I prolly couldn't bear cincy, although it is a spectacular program...). Am planning on interviewing at both of my home programs (where i'll have rotated at too). Any rec's for safety-ish programs? I just don't have a good feel for the competitiveness of different programs.

I second the motion! I am looking to stay close to my namesake, but am aware of the difficulty of such an endeavor. I am having a tough time deciding what would be a "safety" program, given that the consensus is that all EM residency programs are pretty good (read:competitive)

Note: I am also a pretty competitive from the standpoint of Step 1 and clinical grades

 

[AmoryBlaine]

Anyone care to do me a solid and give me some advice on programs to apply to? Here's my current list (in no particular order):

University of Washington
OHSU
UCSF
Denver
HCMC
Regions (St. Paul, mn)
MCW
Maryland
Vanderbilt
Indianapolis
Christiana
Pitt
Cincinnati
Brown
Yale
Maine
Cook County
U of Chicago
U of I—Chicago
UC-Davis

I would sit down with your advisor and talk about career goals. If you aren't sure yet then that list looks fine. But someone applying to Yale and Brown typically should not also be looking at Regions/MCW or Denver/Cinci.

I am NOT saying there is anything wrong with any of those programs, but they are very different.

The first 2 are highly academic shops, the second 2 are basically community programs that will place >90% of their grads into community jobs, and the last 2 are probably the 2 most difficult county programs in the country. Your experience at Denver would be almost unrecognizable when compared to Regions.

No one is going to fault you if this is your application list, but I think you could tighten it up a bit.

 

[WilcoWorld]

I understand your point AB, but it assumes that the applicant knows which type of program he/she prefers already. I certainly didn't know if I was interested in community vs academic vs county when I was in the preapplication phase, and my rank list had community, academic and county programs all near the top. In the end, I matched at what would be best described as an academic community program.

 

[Hamhock]

But someone applying to Yale and Brown typically should not also be looking at Regions/MCW or Denver/Cinci.

Agree.👍

Or, at least: someone considering these very different types of programs should really consider another away rotation or re-evaluate perceptions from away rotations already completed.

Today a medical student asked me if I liked my residency program. I explained that I loved it, but pointed out there are another six EM friends of mine who would have HATED 4 years of hard-core county....they are equally good docs, but they just have different interests in training and somewhat different career goals.

HH

 

[emoregon]

Interesting thread. Not sure why it would be so discouraged to apply to a wide range of county to academic programs. Why not check out them all? Remember this is the earliest phase of applications - I doubt this is an interview list. A range of reach and 'safety' (if there's any left in EM) programs is a great idea. Also, I couldn't disagree more about location. You get precious little time off in residency. If you're not somewhere where you can decompress (whether it's with friends, family, city life, or outdoors) you will struggle in residency.

 

[omgwtfbbq?]

EM has gotten very competitive and I think that applying to a large number of programs where you're willing to go is a great idea. I also applied to a mix of "more" academic and "more" community programs, because they both appealed to me in different ways. Also, as I interviewed I was better able to see what the different programs offered and to figure out what I wanted. My final rank list included both types of programs, because I honestly believed that the places I ranked would all get me to the career I wanted. I had an adviser I trusted - a senior EM doc - who helped me along the way and encouraged this approach. None offered every single thing I wanted, but the things they didn't have I felt I could bring into my education with a little effort. That's the only way you'll get EXACTLY what you want, and if you're willing to do that, you can be happy in a lot of places. I also had an idea of the cities I was interested in, but had a lot of different places I was willing to live. I went a lot on perceived opportunities and gut feeling and in the end I ended up in the best possible place for me. Good luck to you!!!!!

So why no NY love on that list??😍

 

[EM_Rebuilder]

Anyone care to do me a solid and give me some advice on programs to apply to? Here's my current list (in no particular order):

University of Washington
OHSU
UCSF
Denver
HCMC
Regions (St. Paul, mn)
MCW
Maryland
Vanderbilt
Indianapolis
Christiana
Pitt
Cincinnati
Brown
Yale
Maine
Cook County
U of Chicago
U of I—Chicago
UC-Davis




As far as background about myself, I'm pretty competitive in terms of scores+grades and am looking for a strong program in a nice city. I attend a state school in the upper midwest, but would probably prefer to move to a different area of the country. Don't really have a preference for 3 vs 4 years (maybe that's a mistake?), but want a resident-run program. Looking to apply to ~25 programs and interview at 10-12. Any suggestions for programs I'm omitting or should ditch? Thanks!

Add University of Mississippi to that list. Entirely resident run program, great mix of blunt (farming, interstates) and pentrating (downtown jackson is rough) trauma; EM runs all traums on even days, EM always does airways; groundbreaking has occured on entire ED renovation; steller moonlighting opportunities with pay that you will never make as an attending, 4 year program (Super cush 4th year), multiple residents to academic positions (3 this year to full academic positions and 2 to major universities with no EM programs...yet), multiple residents to fellowship positions.

The downside is Jackson, MS... but its really not as bad as the rest of the world thinks... the landscape/trees are beautiful. Madison is the northern suburb, very safe, afforable to buy a home, airport that all major airlines fly to.

 

[Arcan57]

I would sit down with your advisor and talk about career goals. If you aren't sure yet then that list looks fine. But someone applying to Yale and Brown typically should not also be looking at Regions/MCW or Denver/Cinci.

I am NOT saying there is anything wrong with any of those programs, but they are very different.

The first 2 are highly academic shops, the second 2 are basically community programs that will place >90% of their grads into community jobs, and the last 2 are probably the 2 most difficult county programs in the country. Your experience at Denver would be almost unrecognizable when compared to Regions.

No one is going to fault you if this is your application list, but I think you could tighten it up a bit.

If you can narrow it down somewhat in terms of type of program, then your list will also change. If you want hard-core county, then Emory, Parkland, and SUNY Downstate should be on your list. I'm sure other people could give better lists then I can of the highly touted community (Carolinas?) or straight academic (Brigham?) programs. I'd agree with Amory on the difficulty aspect, but Cinci's actually more of a hybrid academic/county then straight up county.

 

[Arcan57]

Add University of Mississippi to that list. Entirely resident run program, great mix of blunt (farming, interstates) and pentrating (downtown jackson is rough) trauma; EM runs all traums on even days, EM always does airways; groundbreaking has occured on entire ED renovation; steller moonlighting opportunities with pay that you will never make as an attending, 4 year program (Super cush 4th year), multiple residents to academic positions (3 this year to full academic positions and 2 to major universities with no EM programs...yet), multiple residents to fellowship positions.

The downside is Jackson, MS... but its really not as bad as the rest of the world thinks... the landscape/trees are beautiful. Madison is the northern suburb, very safe, afforable to buy a home, airport that all major airlines fly to.

Having had to travel down there to sit through their jurisprudence test/don't sleep with patients video for my MS license, I was shocked by how small Jackson was. Do you get many people from outside the mid-South (especially people that aren't from TN, LA, MS)?

 

[EM_Rebuilder]

Having had to travel down there to sit through their jurisprudence test/don't sleep with patients video for my MS license, I was shocked by how small Jackson was. Do you get many people from outside the mid-South (especially people that aren't from TN, LA, MS)?

We have a good mix.. My graduating class was from and went back home to... TX, LA, GA, Utah, LA, Washington State, MS, Kansas, MS, Illinois.

I guess we tend to have a bulk from Texas, Lousianna, Alabama, and Mississippi.

I have to admit its hard to convince people to come to Mississippi, but its well worth the effort for 4 years. I rotated there as a student, pushed by an attending where I am now going to be an attending (he trained there). After spending a month there, then interviewing at 12 programs, I could not see where any other programs I went to held a light to what MS offered...

PS: Do you work some in Mississippi? When it comes to Emergency Medicine, Mississippi is the land of milk and honey. I will NEVER make per hour what I made on many of those last minute shift fills in Mississippi... I miss that already!

 

[Old_Mil]

Anyone care to do me a solid and give me some advice on programs to apply to?

Yale
Cook County
U of Chicago
U of I—Chicago

am looking for a strong program in a nice city.

Well, based on your last two words, you can knock those four off your list.

 

[turkeyjerky]

Well, based on your last two words, you can knock those four off your list.

Really? New Haven I get, but you don't think Chicago is nice?

 

[Old_Mil]

Really? New Haven I get, but you don't think Chicago is nice?

It's nicer than Philly...

 

[Arcan57]

It's nicer than Philly...

Damning with faint praise?

 

[old_boy]

Anyone care to do me a solid and give me some advice on programs to apply to? Here's my current list (in no particular order):

University of Washington
OHSU
UCSF
Denver
HCMC
Regions (St. Paul, mn)
MCW
Maryland
Vanderbilt
Indianapolis
Christiana
Pitt
Cincinnati
Brown
Yale
Maine
Cook County
U of Chicago
U of I—Chicago
UC-Davis

This is an odd list. Davis, UW and UCSF but not Highland, USC, or Harbor? Maine, but nothing in Boston (BMC or Harvard?) I get the mix of university and county, but some odd choices given that you're picking programs from every geographical region yet are picking some of the less "prestigious" programs compared to others just down the road along with some of the most "prestigious" programs in other parts of the country.

 

[old_boy]

Damning with faint praise?

Hey now... let's be nice. Many of us love Philly and it's a great city for EM.

 

[RustedFox]

They don't call it "Philth-a-delphia" for nothing. I lived there and in Jersey for awhile...

... never to return.