UTMB Galveston

[hyperbaric]

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Resident program for emergency care approved

For immediate release: Oct. 4, 2007
GALVESTON, Texas - The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has been certified to begin a residency program in emergency medicine.

Dr. Thomas A. Blackwell, associate dean of Graduate Medicine Education, said the program eventually would help alleviate a shortage of physicians trained in emergency medicine.

The program, Blackwell said, will begin with eight trainees next year and increase to 24 over the next three years.

Noting that UTMB is a Level I trauma center, Blackwell said the program would enhance UTMB’s ability to attract young doctors.

“I think that’s it going to be a very high quality training program,” Blackwell said. “I think that we’ll be able to attract good students to enter our program and I think that it will make, over time, an impact on the number of board certified emergency physicians available in the state of Texas.”

Dr. Brian S. Zachariah, who will be the program’s director, stressed the importance of the training, noting that it is important for physicians trained in emergency medicine to work in emergency rooms.

Zachariah, who is also director of the Emergency Medical Group, said that emergency medicine physicians often work in a fast-paced environment that requires doctors to have superb analytical skills, make informed decisions and rapidly figure out what is wrong with a patient.

“We’re under a lot more time pressure,” Zachariah said. “A regular doctor may have days, weeks, months, years to try to figure out what’s wrong with you. We may only have an hour or two to figure out, maybe not completely what’s wrong with you, but if what’s wrong with you is really dangerous or not.”

Having more physicians trained in this field will benefit many Texans, Zachariah said.

“You would not go to see a surgeon who was not board certified in surgery,” Zachariah said. “You would not go see a cardiologist who was not certified in cardiology. So why in fact would you settle on an emergency department where the people there were not board certified.”

The residency program was approved by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the group responsible for accrediting post-graduate medical training programs in the United States.
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Public Affairs Office
301 University Boulevard, Suite 3.102
Galveston, Texas 77555-0144
www.utmb.edu

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This entry was posted on Thursday, October 4th, 2007 at 2:22 pm and is filed under News Releases.

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[Jeff698]

They'll be participating in the match this year, but were not approved in time to accept ERAS applications. They'll be accepting paper applications.

Take care,
Jeff

 

[GeneralVeers]

They'll be participating in the match this year, but were not approved in time to accept ERAS applications. They'll be accepting paper applications.

Take care,
Jeff

Interesting. They are also recruiting attendings.

Unfortunately everyone who I've talked to (attendings) mention that there are problems with this program, but not specifics. Anyone know the scoop?

 

[RockfordWF]

They'll be participating in the match this year, but were not approved in time to accept ERAS applications. They'll be accepting paper applications.

Take care,
Jeff

How do we apply?

 

[EM_Rebuilder]

How do we apply?

You probably should contact the UTMB ED department directly...I assume you can find contact information on their website.

 

[RockfordWF]

You probably should contact the UTMB ED department directly...I assume you can find contact information on their website.

The reason I chimed in though is to caution you on paper applying to them if you are ALSO involved in the standard admissions with ERAS/NRMP. I do not know the exact details or wordings, but by signing up for the match, you promised to not consider any programs outside of the match.


This aspect was brought up last year when Corpus went live... I requested an application early on; then there was a discussion about NRMP violations. I help on the app, and once I had plenty of interview invites, I threw it away.

So I say all that to be careful, and use UTMB as a huge backup if you get little to no invites.... Sure you might not get caught, but if you have several interview invites, why take the chance?

They are participating in the match.

 

[EM OR BUST]

They are participating in the match.

NM

 

[Bigbaitbigfish]

I already applied, and I have 'heard' nothing but good things about the program, but not much first hand. Here is their info:




The Emergency Medicine Residency Training Program at The University of Texas Medical Branch has received initial certification by the RRC and will participate in the upcoming 2008 resident match. The ERAS is unavailable this year due to deadline restrictions; however we will participate in the NRMP. Candidates interested in the program should contact the Office of Student Affairs at their medical school to request a copy of their ERAS material be mailed directly to:

Jerry Ray Baskerville, MD, FACEP
Emergency Medicine
Associate Residency Program Director
The University of Texas Medical Branch
301 University Boulevard
Galveston, TX 77555-1173

This material must include:
NRMP Universal Application - Please include e-mail address
http://www.nrmp.org/res_match/about_res/univappl.pdf
Curriculum Vitae
Letters of Recommendation – 2 from EM faculty and 1 additional
Medical Student Performance Evaluation (Dean’s Letter)
USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores
Personal statement
Official Transcript

All materials except the transcript may also be sent by fax or e-mail to the address listed below. Thank you for your interest in our program.


Dora Turner
Emergency Medicine
Residency Program Coordinator
409-772-7118
409-772-9068 - Fax
[email protected]

 

[corpsmanUP]

Like all new programs in a huge academic center where surgery rules, you should expect some growing pains. But the infrastructure and city make this place a great choice for Texans. Dr. Z was my medical director when I was a paramedic in the early 90's. He is good people. Married individuals with children will find the area a bit rough and probably would need to live in either selected parts of the island or do private school. It's a tough place...bottom line, with lots of crime and thugs. I bet in 10 years this will be an awesome place and I might take a close look at it when I am done.

 

[Drogba]

Like all new programs in a huge academic center where surgery rules, you should expect some growing pains. But the infrastructure and city make this place a great choice for Texans. Dr. Z was my medical director when I was a paramedic in the early 90's. He is good people. Married individuals with children will find the area a bit rough and probably would need to live in either selected parts of the island or do private school. It's a tough place...bottom line, with lots of crime and thugs. I bet in 10 years this will be an awesome place and I might take a close look at it when I am done.

I've only heard one other person ever use this phrase, and I think only in Texas.

I would never want to live in Galveston personally, the commute isn't terrible from south eastern houston suburbs (another area I probably wouldn't want to live in but certainly an option for those interested).

Do you live on the island?

 

[jaeida8]

Cool, it finally happened. Galveston is not a bad place to live in. If you live on the island, there are a ton of decent apartments/condos/houses that are cheap and close to the hospital. I walked to school everyday. Tons of people biked. Traffic doesn't seem to be that much of an issue in the mornings. If you don't want to live on the island, you could easily buy a house in one of the cities just outside the island between Houston and Galveston and it might be better for family.

 

[castaway]

Nice to see Texas is finally building more EM residencies....for a while it was just 4 programs (leaving out the military ones). With the large number of med school graduates TX produces from its 7 schools, not everyone who wants to stay there for EM gets to do so.

As for Galveston and UTMB: I would definitely have applied there if this program existed when I was applying in 2005-06. For whatever reason Galveston gets a bad reputation which is at odds with the facts. Hence, 2008 grads, especially from TX schools should give this program careful consideration.

 

[Jeff698]

I lived on the island for four years and really enjoyed it. Galveston has changed alot from the city I used to go to in high school to get drunk in (early to mid 80s).

I always felt safe there, as did my wife and children. Our kids went to a private school but there are good public ones.

Like any place, there are bad neighborhoods, but overall the island isn't a bad place to live.

Take care,
Jeff

 

[BKN]

I lived on the island for four years and really enjoyed it. Galveston has changed alot from the city I used to go to in high school to get drunk in (early to mid 80s).

I always felt safe there, as did my wife and children. Our kids went to a private school but there are good public ones.

Like any place, there are bad neighborhoods, but overall the island isn't a bad place to live.

Take care,
Jeff

I agree. Nothing finer than running, walking, skating, bicycling the sea wall for miles. Or take the ferry across and walk/swim crystal beach followed by steamed crabs.

 

[roja]

And your children will be special if they become some of the elite B.O.I-ers. And nope, I have no bias whatsoever! 😉

 

[EM_Rebuilder]

Nice to see Texas is finally building more EM residencies....for a while it was just 4 programs (leaving out the military ones). With the large number of med school graduates TX produces from its 7 schools, not everyone who wants to stay there for EM gets to do so.

As for Galveston and UTMB: I would definitely have applied there if this program existed when I was applying in 2005-06. For whatever reason Galveston gets a bad reputation which is at odds with the facts. Hence, 2008 grads, especially from TX schools should give this program careful consideration.

I wish we could get something brewing in Lubbock, TX. If they could develop some type of joint program between the university hospital and the private hospital, I think they could have a very nice program. The ED there is really nice compartively, and the university is a Level I center.

The biggest problem is lack of EM boarded doctors.... I myself, and perhaps another one or two from my class may help them with that... hopefully over the next 5 years or so, we can put a greater swing of EM boarded people there. Now, not even half are....

 

[Jeff698]

And your children will be special if they become some of the elite B.O.I-ers. And nope, I have no bias whatsoever! 😉

You're BOI? No ****?

Who'd of thunk.

Take care,
Jeff

 

[EM_Rebuilder]

You're BOI? No ****?

Who'd of thunk.

Take care,
Jeff

I wasnt sure what that meants, wikipedia was my friend:

""Boi" is a term used within the gay community to refer to a young-appearing (and in reality relatively young) bisexual or homosexual male, especially one who is somewhat effeminate, or who merely wishes to distinguish himself with a different term from heterosexual boys. The term is also commonly used by those who are female to male transgendered.[citation needed]

It may also refer to a female-born or female-bodied person—sometimes transsexual, transgendered, or intersexed, sometimes not—who generally does not identify as, or only partially identifies as feminine, female, a girl, or a woman, although some 'bois' identify as one or more of these. Bois almost always identify as lesbians, dykes, or queers; many are also genderqueer or practice genderf**k. Bois can prefer a range of pronouns, including 'he', 'she', or gender-neutral pronouns such as hir, sie, zie, ey and many others."

 

[jaeida8]

i think it means "born on the island"

 

[Drogba]

I agree. Nothing finer than running, walking, skating, bicycling the sea wall for miles. Or take the ferry across and walk/swim crystal beach followed by steamed crabs.

Both Galveston beach and crystal beach are some of the worst pieces of coast I've ever had the fortune of visiting. I'm very surprised to see people talking about how nice Galveston is. The strand is nothing special either. Ball high school is worse than nearly all of the HISD schools and the general socioeconomics of the whole place are completely messed up. On a positive note its got more character than most of the Houston suburbs, but I don't think it can compete with the nice areas within the loop if you are willing to pay more for real estate.

 

[Jeff698]

i think it means "born on the island"

Wow. Wikipedia really led EM builder astray in this context.

As Jaeida points out, it means Born On Island. This is a matter of great pride to BOI folk.

Take care,
Jeff

 

[Jeff698]

Drogba,

If you don't like Galveston, don't go. Pretty simple really.

I like it. I find most of those nice Houston suburbs to be souless. One of the things I like about Galveston is nobody could ever call it souless. It has history and a very unique character to it. It isn't like every other place in America these days.

To each his own.

Take care,
Jeff

 

[castaway]

True, Galveston has a feel of its own. The beaches may not be like S. Padre island, but there's something likeable and relaxing about Galveston.

As for Lubbock: I think concerted efforts should be made to build the next EM residency in TX there. Just as TT was built to address the shortage of physicians in W Texas, so an EM residency should be built in Lubbock to address the lack of EM trained physicians in W Texas....

 

[drlisa0318]

I grew up in LaMarque (right next to Texas City, up I45 from Galveston). It was a great place to grow up....Of course, I haven't lived there since 1977 or so. Not certain what it's like now. In high school, we, of course, thought Ball High was horrible...probably because they'd beat the crap out of us in football. 😀

I went back to visit a few years back. I'd forgotten just how HUMID the summers are LOL. I'm not sure I'd ever want to go back to that. But, if I were offered a residency there - heck, it's a Level I Trauma center! - I just might, at that! (Of course, this is all based not only on the supposition that I choose EM as my specialty, but that I actually get into medical school in the first place! )

 

[Drogba]

Drogba,

If you don't like Galveston, don't go. Pretty simple really.

I like it. I find most of those nice Houston suburbs to be souless. One of the things I like about Galveston is nobody could ever call it souless. It has history and a very unique character to it. It isn't like every other place in America these days.

To each his own.

Take care,
Jeff

I said this very thing in my post. I would probably rather live in Galveston than any of the Houston cookie cutter suburbs myself, but this is more a statement on Houston suburbia than the quality of Galveston. Did you consider any areas in Houston?

I didn't mean to be offensive but I am sincerely surprised to hear all this positivity about Galveston having spent a good part of my life in Houston 😛

 

[EM_Rebuilder]

True, Galveston has a feel of its own. The beaches may not be like S. Padre island, but there's something likeable and relaxing about Galveston.

As for Lubbock: I think concerted efforts should be made to build the next EM residency in TX there. Just as TT was built to address the shortage of physicians in W Texas, so an EM residency should be built in Lubbock to address the lack of EM trained physicians in W Texas....

Do you have any ties to that area?

I (obviously) went to medical school in Lubbock and spent many hours in the UMC ED there..... and talked quite a bit with the doctors about the possibility of an EM residency. Lack of EM boarded people are the front, but I think the true honesty of the fact is that they are a 'private group' and are not employed by TTUHSC.....if a residency was started under TTUHSC, they would take a SEVERE pay cut....obviously it is hard for anyone to kill their own milk cow.


I'd like to think if I end up there, I would be pushing for a residency....but if it means a six figure+ pay cut....that would be hard to swallow...

 

[castaway]

EM Rebuilder, I also went to med school there (hence my interest and everlasting allegiance to the place). I don't think a private grp running the EDs at the UMC and other EDs like Covenant is an issue; after all, that happens at other EM residencies as well.

I think if Lubbock becomes a bigger hub for the original TT medical school as El Paso starts its own med school in 2009 there could be an impetus to start a residency there. I don't see Midland/Odessa absorbing as many 3rd and 4th years as EP did. If that means Lubbock's clinical campus expands, then there will be more people rotating through UMC's ED. I am not sure if I'm way off on this or what..........

 

[roja]

Wow. Wikipedia really led EM builder astray in this context.

As Jaeida points out, it means Born On Island. This is a matter of great pride to BOI folk.

Take care,
Jeff

😀😀😀 way waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay astray!

Myself and two of my three brothers are all BOI-ers, secondary to my dad going to med school and then doing residency there. My step mom is a BOI-er as well.

Don't ask us why, but it is indeed a matter of pride, even though I grew up about 45 mintues from there.

Yes, galveston beaches aren't the purtiest. But the jetties at night, after eating a plate full of gulf seafood.... not much better than that. Galveston has tons of history and depending on your personality, can be a great place.

 

[sage0408]

There are many charming things about Galveston...

The Strand (love Dickens!), shopping and coffee on Postoffice Street, seeing people you actually know at the bars, historical architecture, days when the ocean is actually blue (although rare!)

And, if you're into it, annual motorcycle rally, which is going on now. Darn things set off my car alarm every time they come roaring by. I have never personally worked in the ED during rally, but I hear its an opportunity to see some trauma.

 

[Sessamoid]

The problems with the hospital there are well-publicized, so I'm not revealing any secrets here. The population is fairly homogenous, crime-ridden, poor, even more poorly-educated. In addition, they've struggled in recent decades at maintaining their patient population because most patients in the state have to drive right past the largest medical center in the world to come to UTMB. Galveston itself only has a population of 60,000. Because the city is so small, the medical community there has much bigger "town vs. gown" conflicts than most academic medical centers.

For EM, they face the uphill battle of having very old and powerful surgery and medicine departments, many of whose senior faculty/chairmen actively dislike and disparage emergency medicine.

It's a fun place to go to medical school, but it's not someplace I felt like I wanted to live for the long-term.

 

[hyperbaric]

This isn't the first time I've heard comments in regard to problems with patient populations and Galveston. It is my understanding that many of the Galveston residency programs spend a variable amount of time in Austin. Does anyone know if this will be true for the EM program as well? Perhaps someone who has interviewed there could provide us with a review (hint, hint).

 

[Jeff698]

I don't know if they'll be spending any time in Austin or not.

If it's Austin you crave, we're the closest civilian program at about an hour north. Darnall is the army program at Fort Hood in Killeen, about the same distance.

Take care,
Jeff

 

[Bigbaitbigfish]

Hyperbaric - for EM you do one month of peds at UTHouston, everything else is done on the island.

Sessamoid - I heard that surgery and em have a tight relationship there and are good buddies, was I mistaken?

 

[hyperbaric]

I don't know if they'll be spending any time in Austin or not.

If it's Austin you crave, we're the closest civilian program at about an hour north. Darnall is the army program at Fort Hood in Killeen, about the same distance.

Take care,
Jeff

No particular craving for Austin. Just curious mostly. And, your program is of great interest to me. If all goes well, I'll be spending a month with you in the not-so-distant future.

Hyperbaric - for EM you do one month of peds at UTHouston, everything else is done on the island.

Gracias.

 

[Jeff698]

No particular craving for Austin. Just curious mostly. And, your program is of great interest to me. If all goes well, I'll be spending a month with you in the not-so-distant future.

Let me know when you're coming to town. I'd love to show you around.

Take care,
Jeff