This will sound selfish to those who are/were interested in EM and those that will take EM or any residency in any location.
I liked EM in my first 2 months. Sure, some things pissed me off by the 19th or 20th shift like having no weekends, but that should solve by me working less in the following years (I'm in a 4 year program). But it's my location. I moved from Manhattan to a college town. This spot was 7th on my rank list. I didn't know at the time it would be so hard to adjust, but it is. My interests (hip hop/electro music, dance, theater), my fiance, my minority culture is all in NYC. I didn't have any weekends or 2 days off in a row to go to NYC my first two months so I was in the first probably clinically depressive episode in my life. I wouldn't sleep well, I had no interest in anything, etc. The only thing that may have made me sane again is these last two off-rotations I've had weekends off so I am going down every or every other weekend on a 3.5 hr bus ride. But I'm afraid next month back on EM I'll be depressed once again as I have no weekends or 2 days off in a row.
I probably wouldn't be this way if so many of my friends/former classmates took less competitive fields to stay in NYC. I don't know if I did the right thing by going anywhere for the field of my choice. I did enter ERAS again to transfer in EM after talking to select program directors in the area. Chances are slim I'm sure. But I know of an open PM&R PGY-2 spot in the city, where even my friend matched last year as a backup to gen surg. I would definitely shadow a PM&R guy before I apply for that. I know I'm selfish. But anybody out there happy in taking a backup field for the location of your choice? Anybody depressed at their residency location?
I liked EM in my first 2 months. Sure, some things pissed me off by the 19th or 20th shift like having no weekends, but that should solve by me working less in the following years (I'm in a 4 year program). But it's my location. I moved from Manhattan to a college town. This spot was 7th on my rank list. I didn't know at the time it would be so hard to adjust, but it is. My interests (hip hop/electro music, dance, theater), my fiance, my minority culture is all in NYC. I didn't have any weekends or 2 days off in a row to go to NYC my first two months so I was in the first probably clinically depressive episode in my life. I wouldn't sleep well, I had no interest in anything, etc. The only thing that may have made me sane again is these last two off-rotations I've had weekends off so I am going down every or every other weekend on a 3.5 hr bus ride. But I'm afraid next month back on EM I'll be depressed once again as I have no weekends or 2 days off in a row.
I probably wouldn't be this way if so many of my friends/former classmates took less competitive fields to stay in NYC. I don't know if I did the right thing by going anywhere for the field of my choice. I did enter ERAS again to transfer in EM after talking to select program directors in the area. Chances are slim I'm sure. But I know of an open PM&R PGY-2 spot in the city, where even my friend matched last year as a backup to gen surg. I would definitely shadow a PM&R guy before I apply for that. I know I'm selfish. But anybody out there happy in taking a backup field for the location of your choice? Anybody depressed at their residency location?
