socuteMD said:
Doesn't it ever get ridiculous that we just have to continue "making the cut." I mean, for goodness sakes. I had to be screened to go to the KINDERGARTEN I went to (private school). Then I had to apply to high school (private school, again). Then I had to apply to COLLEGE, and in order to go to the college I went to I pretty much had to be in the top 20% of my graduating class. Then, to go to medical school I was expected to be near the top of my college class (which consisted of people who were mostly in the top 20% of THEIR high school classes).
Presumably, EM takes "above average" medical students - be it based on test scores, clinical grades, whatever. And then you have to be in the top 1/2 of THAT GROUP???
Grrr...this is getting old, and I'm only a first year!
I know I'll be sorry that I got into this, but what the hey. socute and EF, it probably doesn't seem likely from your viewpoint sitting at front of your computer and studying, but it's possible to get along in residency without cracking a book. It's easy in fact, since you're so busy with patient care. When you're not on duty, it's really easy to relax and have a "regular" life.
The problem with that is that you are not really in competiton with others anymore. That stopped when you got into med school. Now you are in competition with yourself to be the best doctor you possibly can. You owe it to your patients to do that, particularly if you're going to be an EP and have to have an enormous mass of material readily available on instant notice.
Wh would a PD place emphasis on Inservice?
1. It's the only nationally standardized method to follow progress.
2. Low scores predict higher probability of failure on the ABEM written exam.
3. If a lot of your graduates fail the ABEM exam, the RRC will be giving you trouble.
4. Most importantly I think, and most PDs would agree, that if your Insevice scores are very low, it's likely that you don't have the groceries to make the meal.
The good news, is that if you apply yourself, you'll do fine. You're right, you are members of a very select group.
BTW I did residency in another era. Worked more than 100 hours each week. I doubt that I read 500 pages in the whole time. I learned a whole lot, but I had to catch up on the didactics in the following 4 years. It never ends, and that's the good news. How boring would it be to know everything you needed at the end of training? 40 years of doing the same old thing? You might as well be a surgeon.
🙁 
OK, hit me with your best.
