It has been a while since someone updated this, and as applicants start getting interview offers and deciding where to spend their money/time, I wanted to make a plug for my program. I am a current upper-level resident at UVA and have very much enjoyed my time here. I am fairly active on SDN, so this is a throw-away account. However, if anyone has questions/concerns, I will respond on here or through direct messaging.
Curriculum: We are a three-year program at a tertiary care academic hospital in Charlottesville, VA. UVA has been ranked the #1 hospital in Virginia by US News & World Report for the last two years. There are 10 residents in each class, although reportedly the ACGME has approved us to have 12. Currently, we staff an older ED that has ~40 monitored beds (plus a multitude of hallway and fast-track type areas). I believe in 2016 we saw ~63K patients with an admission rate of 28%. The ED underwent a "facelift" over the last 12 months, but there is a state of the art ED (and accompanying hospital tower) currently under construction - this is scheduled to open in early 2019.
Each year of residency is divided into 13, four-week blocks.
PGY-1: 5 EM blocks (1 of which is Orientation), MICU, Trauma ICU, Pediatric Surgery, General Medicine, Cardiology Consults, EMS, Anesthesia, Ultrasound
PGY-2: 7 EM blocks, Surgical ICU, Orthopedics, Toxicology, Community/Rural EM (in Culpeper, VA), Pediatric EM (at St Mary’s Hospital in Richmond, VA), OB/Research
PGY-3: 9 EM blocks, Trauma ICU, Pediatric ICU, 2 elective blocks
I think a somewhat unique part of our residency is the “longitudinal tracks.” During the beginning of second year, if you choose a track, it can replace 2 shifts a block in the ED. These pursuits can be especially valuable if you are considering a fellowship. You can view some of the options at the residency website (SDN won't let me post links).
Didactics: We do the traditional 5 hours of conference every Wednesday. It goes from 7 AM-Noon and usually consists of 5 lectures. On the vast majority of blocks, this is protected time, although not while in the various ICUs.
Benefits: Choosing residency based upon salary is not wise, but we get a competitive salary, especially for the cost of living. Obtaining care at a UVA-affiliated office or specialist is virtually free with the health insurance. Parking is free, and residents also get like $40 a month in meal money.
As far as residency specific benefits, you will get copies of
Rosen’s and
Tintinalli’s as interns and then get $200 a year for books or Step 3 studying materials. They will pay for your required ATLS, ACLS, PALS, BLS (and when you need to re-certify) as well as EMRA/ACEP membership. The Department also pays for the entire intern class to go to SAEM together in the spring, which is a fun/much-needed break and bonding time. Going to ACEP once during residency is also covered. You get three weeks (21 days) of vacation a year, and as a PGY-2/3 you will get another 5 days off at either Christmas or New Years.
Charlottesville: We have been in the news quite a bit recently, for unfortunate reasons…but this town is a great and safe place to live. It is a foodie town with fantastic restaurants and dozens of wineries and breweries within 20-30 minutes. The typical outdoorsy EM person will fit in with hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains, biking, and physical fitness all being popular activities. The Downtown Mall is also worth visiting if/when you interview here. Residents tend to rent and commuting is never more than 15 minutes. I come from some bigger cities, and although Charlottesville has the feel of a college town, it doesn’t feel small.
What are the average number and length of shifts (in hours) per month for each year of residency?
Intern year is busy; you work 20-22 shifts during the 4-week block. Intern shifts are 10 hours in length, with probably two or three 12 hour shifts mixed in. During PGY-2/3 the shift length and number are reduced (especially if you choose a “track”). Typically, you will work 16-19 shifts a block, and these are 8 hours in length. The exception is Saturday/Sundays when upper-levels work 12-hour shifts, but this enables us to give each 2nd and 3rd year two "golden" weekends a block.
How does the ED work?
As of now (not sure how new ED will work), there are four divisions within the ED. There are the Pediatrics and Express Care areas. Then the adult/main ED is split into two teams: Orange and Blue. An upper-level resident will always be on to lead the Pediatrics, Orange, and Blue sides and work directly with an attending and 1-2 interns (or off-service residents). During each block, residents will work a mix of shifts. Usually, you will work 3-4 Pediatrics shifts, 1 Express Care shift, and the rest a mix of Orange/Blue. Night shifts are clustered together.
Do EM residents own airways and how do traumas work with the surgery team?
UVA is a level I trauma center with something like 1800 injury-related admissions a year. The majority (80%) of these are blunt trauma. We get lots of MVCs and farming/horsing accidents. As the referral center for the western/central portion of the state, a ton of operative traumas are flown as transfers into the ED. We always own the airway and head of the bed. The trauma service tends to run things from the neck down, but that team usually consists of a surgery and EM resident. You will get your procedure numbers easily.
What is the patient population like?
I feel like UVA patients tend to be very medically complex and sick as you can tell from the admission rate. Lots of patients in the area with congenital heart disease, undergoing chemotherapy, or s/p transplants. Very few shifts go by where I don't admit multiple patients to the ICU. Of course, you also see all of the bread and butter complaints, the uninsured, the tertiary referrals, and the worried well.
Where do graduates end up?
It seems like there is usually a 70/30% split with regards to community/academic pursuits after residency. Two residents from last year’s graduating class are pursuing fellowships, one is working academics in the NE, and the others are rocking community jobs. Jobs seem to open to UVA grads across the country. Going wherever you want after graduation should not be a problem.
My Overall Thoughts:
- With the smaller size, your residency class quickly becomes your family. We are a close-knit group and every Friday/Saturday there is a chance to hang out with some of the other residents and their SO’s.
- Along those same lines, getting to know the faculty on a personal level is a huge bonus. There is a nice mix of older and younger attendings with varying practicing patterns. We also have nationally recognized faculty in EM Cardiology, Neurology, Toxicology, and EMS.
- Dr. Woods (the PD) is great. He is one of the smartest men I have ever met and is only a text message away if you need him. Don’t let his interview day PowerPoint presentation affect you…
- Aileen (the program coordinator) is fantastic. No one will care more about your questions/concerns and help organize your work life. She remembers birthdays, family events, and is always providing food/lunches, concert tickets, or a smile.
- From your very first shift as an intern, you have a scribe. Scribes make charting more efficient and less painful, allowing you to see more patients. They also tend to be awesome people and quickly become your friends.
- I love always having an ED Pharmacists to bounce ideas off and to learn from.
- The ICU months and Toxicology block feature fantastic teaching and exposure to a broad range of pathology and procedures.
Potential Cons
- We are not a knife and gun club, so if that is your “thing” in EM, it probably won’t be the best fit.
- Most of the residents that match here seem to be in serious relationships. I don’t know a lot about the single scene, but Charlottesville certainly isn’t a big city for that type of thing.
- Conference is 5 hours rather than 4; no asynchronous learning yet...
- Rotating in Pediatric Surgery as an intern is hit or miss among the residents. You will get a ton of pediatric abdominal exams and get comfortable with G-tubes and anxious parents, but it wasn’t my favorite 4 weeks.
Overall, I'm very thankful I matched at UVA. I enjoy going to work, love my colleagues, and feel like I make a difference. We get to stabilize a lot of sick/complex patients and get good autonomy through-out the hospital. Charlottesville has also been a good home for my SO and I. Happy to answer any questions - reply here or shoot me a message. Good luck this interview season!
