Question in how to apply for EM Residency

[swim21]

I am a DO student and I want to do EM and nothing else. I am unsure how the process works for applying for an EM residency. If EM is all I want to do, do I simply only rank EM residencies when I am applying for the match? Or do most people do EM and then other things as backup (like IM or FM)?

I would be extremely disappointed if I wanted to do EM but ended up getting my lower rank of IM or FM that I put simply as a backup. Do most people who want to do EM simply apply only to EM programs, or do they also put back up fields just in case? Thanks in advance.

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[Doctor Bob]

If EM is all I want to do, do I simply only rank EM residencies when I am applying for the match?

Yes

Or do most people do EM and then other things as backup (like IM or FM)?

No

Do most people who want to do EM simply apply only to EM programs

Again... yes

or do they also put back up fields just in case?

Again... no

Thanks in advance.

No problem

 

[Highway61]

I feel your pain, brother, but if you only see yourself doing EM, you know what you need to do. Some people will rationalize and think "well, I could do FP residency, then find a job in a small ED", but the training different enough that most EM people will tell you that plan is ill-advised. Just look at the dozen or so threads on the topic.

If you're 50/50 between FP and EM, it would be a different call.

 

[dotcb]

Don't put the cart before the horse. Focus on getting into med school first. Once you've made it thorough 1st year, talk to your administration about how to pursue EM.

 

[DoctorMedic]

I would disagree about having a backup plan. Prelim IM and Transitional Year are very solid backups and necessary for DO or IMG especially with a marginal application applying to EM now and days.